We are going to take a break from digital media and people for awhile and slide into holiday hibernation mode here in Canada. I want to thank all of those wonderful students and people who brought so much joy into my life over the past year. Getting up in the morning would be nothing withoutContinue reading “Happy Holidays to Everyone”
The final group critique for the Beginning Wheel Throwing Class
It is hard to believe that it is now December 6. The students in the Beginning Wheel Throwing class worked for the entire month of September to perfect their cylinders. Then they moved on to throwing bowls off the hump as well as with throwing individual bowls on bats in October and early November. ForContinue reading “The final group critique for the Beginning Wheel Throwing Class”
The firing was another great learning experience and a success!
The students are fabulous at problem solving. Alexandra took her knowledge of wood burning stoves to set up a schedule for the second team to mix the oak and the scrap wood for optimum heat and then for the third team, Monique designed a sandwich of a layer of poplar or pine, then oak, andContinue reading “The firing was another great learning experience and a success!”
Loaded! And Ready to go…
The students in the wood fire class at the School of Art fired their first kiln load a month ago. It was so cold that day and the wind just whipped through our coats right to the bone with a sharp chill. It is hard to believe but it will actually be warmer in WinnipegContinue reading “Loaded! And Ready to go…”
Chaeban is much more than delicious handmade ice cream….
Today it isn’t about the lovely plates that Terry Hildebrand makes but what is on them. It was damp and grey in Winnipeg, -4 or so. One of those days when you feel a little colder close to the bone than the temperature outside would make you think. In fact, it reminded me of whenContinue reading “Chaeban is much more than delicious handmade ice cream….”
Afternoon tea with Destiny, Gunda, Terry, and Harlan
I am not actually having afternoon tea with Destiny, Gunda, Terry, and Harlan but, oh, how nice that would be! But they are here with me regardless. Harlan House’s Row House candle holder is always somewhere easily in sight. Oh, what a nice man Harlan is. He stopped having his annual open houses a coupleContinue reading “Afternoon tea with Destiny, Gunda, Terry, and Harlan”
Well, my goodness
My students and I prepared for the worst. But look at the faces of Sara (left) and Monique (right). It wasn’t all bad. No cones down, Oxyprobe reading said that we were only at about cone 3 and, of course, no real view into that wood kiln when we ran out of wood. We wereContinue reading “Well, my goodness”
Third European Wood Fire Conference in La Borne, France, continued
La Borne has been home to potters since, at least, the beginning of the 17th century. The oak forests around the village were planted to provide wood to build the navy vessels for King Louis XIV’s fleet. Today they supply the potters and their kilns and are carefully managed. For the most part, theContinue reading “Third European Wood Fire Conference in La Borne, France, continued”
Third European Wood Fire Conference, continued
Today was officially day 4 of the Third European Wood Fire Conference in LeBorne, France. It is just such a magical place. To reach LeBorne from Bourges, about a 40 minute drive using winding country roads, you pass through corn and sunflower fields. As you get closer, you enter the forests that have supplied theContinue reading “Third European Wood Fire Conference, continued”
The Art of Woodfire: A Contemporary Practice
As I began to prepare for my talk on the marginalization of women within the wood fire community (or women ceramists in general) at LaBorne in a few weeks, I took the opportunity to do what was done earlier with art history survey texts: I started to examine the inclusion of women in publications onContinue reading “The Art of Woodfire: A Contemporary Practice”