Friday 13th came and went. A strange day, not all good, suffice to say that it is an unfortunate fact that when a large ceramic object drops it breaks. A rather catastrophic reminder of the impermanence of pottery, significant by the date and curiously strange in that it was also my birthday!
Potters are pretty good at putting things behind them and it was otherwise a pretty good weekend. Oskar came up and we windsurfed out to Hestan Island on a steady Easterly. We had left it a bit late so the tide was well turned by the time we reached the island. This is the Solway so there was a fair rip developing over Hestan rack (a causeway appears at low water). We didn't linger there and Oskar set off easily. I had a bit more trouble as the rip was beginning to pin my sail and board down. It was a relief to get up and going and make the more friendly waters off Almoness Point and reach back into Kippford in glorious sunshine.
No photos of that day but here are some of the weekend before when a few of us joined the Edinburgh Samba school to play in the Festival Cavalcade.
It was exceedingly hot, and we drummed energetically round Arthur's Seat making a terrific racket.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHpyT_WW5jY
Back in the workshop I have been having one of those sorty weeks, with little to show for it. We got an order for materials written up and off, I tidied out the garage, updated photos on the websites and eventually wrote out a list and made a start on those itsy bitsy small orders that I have managed to put off for ages. None of them are particularly hard, or exciting, but strangely they take ages to do. 'One of these, one of those', and of course I have to throw more than one to get into the swing of the form. This on top of the showroom having a steady stream of holiday browsers has made for a rather unsatisfactory week workshop wise, but it will be a relief to get them made and off to the patient clients and then have freedom to get on to new things.
I remember Mary Wondrauch in her book on Slipware relating how she kept the rare but treasured letters of thanks she received from happy people who had bought her pots. Well nowadays it is emails but I received one of the nicest correspondence the other day from someone who had bought one of my dishes at Potfest. It made me smile from time to time all day.
Hi Christine, have just found your blog and all I can say it I'm not surprised at your nice corespondence. If I had bought that pot, I too would be a happy person. That image just makes me smile!
ReplyDeleteHappy belated Birthday! I'm not surprised at the nice correspondence either. Having something beautiful would make me want the maker to know I appreciated their craft and their skill.
ReplyDeleteFragile pottery, but then I remember working at the Castle Museum and being entranced by a Tang dynasty tomb figure of a horse that was earthenware and yet 2000 years old. Despite it's fragility it had lasted that long. One distant day, someone may feel the same kick out of holding a piece by you too.
Happy Even More Belated Birthday Christine! Goodness, you may have to keep the celebration going for days and days as the comments come in from around the world!
ReplyDeleteI remember that Solway rip from many, many years ago. It was nice to be reminded of the lovely place by your account of wind surfing.
Sorry to read that something broke... I think that gravity and hard surfaces are just not fair! We need to invent a new sort of gravity that acts about the same as what we have, but when things have just about hit the floor, they slow down and land softly! I am sure that vastly intelligent scientists like Professor Stephen Hawkin, have already got something like that sorted out for us!
Now I am off to watch the Edinburgh Samba school play on youtube!
Here's to good times ahead, and softer landings! P:)
Happy Birthday! I apologize as I missed that part whilst reading through the post! I also apologize for this comment - but I couldn't find your email address :( .
ReplyDeletePlease pardon the mass distribution of emails, but I have a question for all of the artists that I follow on my blog list – and any others who may read this through other bloggers.
As you know from my blog, I have started the new ceramics program at a local high school. One of the projects that I have assigned the students is a ceramic artist research paper. It is a chance for them to see the works of many different potters, with many different styles and types of clay works – from different parts of the world. They have to download 2 pictures of the artists’ work, and email the artist to ask several questions about their work, what influenced their style, the medium they work in, the glazes they used on a particular piece, etc. They only need to write 250 words, but I’m hoping they will end up with much more. Their final project is to create a piece in the same style and construction technique as the artist they choose for their report (in their own personal interpretation of course).
May I have your permission to steer them to your blog and website to obtain information, and to contact you by email? I would appreciate it immensely, and you would be able to influence this new generation of students in their search for new outlets in the world of art.
Thanks in advance for reading this post, and for your quick replies.
Happy Mudding!
Nice potteries.
ReplyDelete