the life of an emotional creature

spared

I was unsettled when I went out to the studio last Thursday after tornadoes ripped through parts of the south. Fortunately, the pottery studio and house survived unscathed, and the power is even back on! For the last few afternoons I have alternated between sculpting and staring out the window (or walking the property) in amazement and disbelief. 

In other news, grad review Friday + exams next week = the END of the semester! I think everyone is beyond ready.

 

 

short and skinny

here's the short and skinny.  it's spring! we're back from 3 weeks in Florida. the peonies are marvelous and fragrant, the irises fleshy and alluring. i've reconnected with two friends i hadn't seen or talked to in 3+ years and we went roller skating. our last wood firing was terrific. kitty is feisty, lee is toiling away, and i am busy making work in preparation for a studio visit with a curator from LA!

A sample of songs from albums I've been listening to this week in the studio:

Natalie Merchant - Leave Your Sleep:  Bleezer's Ice-Cream , The Man In The Wilderness

Patty Griffin -  Children Running Through:  You'll Remember

Lucinda Williams - Blessed: buttercup

Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean:  

Walking Far From Home

 

Sade:  The Moon and the Sky

Devendra Banhart: lover

Abigail Washburn's Tiny Desk Concert via NPR

Josh Ritter's Tiny Desk Concert via NPR

 

 

return to reality

I'm back from Arrowmont. I had a great time, collected valuable info, met some great people, had fabulous conversations, visited with old friends, and made new ones. It was nice to be away and get a break from Oxford/teaching. Honestly, it's a bit hard to return to reality, but I am very glad to be home. I feel refreshed and energized - ready to make work....no excuses. So, we'll see how fast I can get back into the studio. I created a photo album with images from the show (featuring the presenting and invited artists) and photos from a couple of demos........

 

recent discovery = check out these videos by Up and Over It: Hand Dance and We No Speak Americano

 

fire it up

 snapshots from the first wood firing of the semester:

food "adventures": The Indian food was delicious.

Last night I cooked "kitchen cupboard" chili in the crock pot - meaning I added a little of this, a little of that, and a lot of beans, and I didn't measure anything.

MOVIE - tonight I plan to watch Fantastic Mr. Fox even though I should be working on plans for the next class project.

 

sage advice

I've been reading The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa by Michael Kimmelman. Last night while I stayed up way later than I should have reading, I stumbled upon this sage advice - given to Eva Hesse in a letter from Sol LeWitt:

"Learn to say 'Fuck You' to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder, wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, gasping, confusing, itching, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, rumbling, rambling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose-sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding grinding grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just DO."

 

"Our" swallowtail caterpillar is dead :( 

I spent most of the morning working on a tattoo design. No, I'm not getting a tattoo, but I have given my design students the task of designing a tattoo for part of their project on color. As I mentioned before, I am completing all of the projects that I assign to them. If they choose to, they will apply their designs using a homemade method I learned about from a former BFA student. I am pretty excited about this...hoping they will be excited too. So far it seems like they are. Prior to the middle of the week, I was grading, grading, grading - like it was my job. Oh, I guess it sort of is. I am SO tired of grading projects, sketchbooks, and midterm exams. I have a brief but appreciated reprieve until the beginning of November - when the next project is due.

This afternoon I spent my time in the kitchen mixing up two batches of sausage balls for the weekend wood firing. YUM! I also fixed Indian food for the first time without the help and guidance of mom. I haven't tasted it yet, but I'm guessing that it will be good. Here are the recipes: 

Pilaf for a Curry Banquet

Mughlai Chicken

 

bird poop or swallotail

this little guy (or one like him) is living on the lime and mandarin trees in our backyard.

Maybe someday he will be a Giant Swallowtail like this one

I discovered the caterpillar yesterday when I went out to pick peppers. I have to say that I was amazed and intrigued since I have never seen this type of caterpillar before. I hope that I am able to watch the transformation/cocoon process. 

On another note, last Friday Lee and I went to MSU (Starkville) to see a demo and lecture by Peter Beasecker. I am really glad we went. It was worth the drive. The demo was only 3 hours long, but the conversation was good. Peter's lecture was great. I took lots of notes during both the demo and lecture.

Most of my time these days has been spent working on the 2-D class that I am teaching - re-working powerpoints, editing project handouts and vocabulary, etc. I am actually putting myself through the rigors of completing all of the assignments I'm giving so an enormous amount of my time has been spent working towards that - getting caught up and staying ahead. By the way it's midterm!  How did that happen?!

I finished reading The Alchemist and I Am An Emotional Creature. Ensler's book was a good read, though tough at times. Now I am reading Ensler's Insecure at Last. I am sure it won't surprise you that I have not quit adding books to my "Need to Read" list....pile 'em on.

Lee and I received a package from Conner today that contained a mug and a plate. Sweet! I always like packages. 

Well, I should get back to work on the project 3's handout - COLOR!

12 cups of BASIL

I'm not even sure where I should begin. I'll start with now (note that I wrote this a week or so ago).

This morning I skipped my bike ride and picked 12 cups of basil instead. That is the most basil I've ever been able to pick at one time. So, I made LOTS of pesto and froze some of it.

I am currently reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and I Am an Emotional Creature by Eve Ensler. The truth is, I have started reading too many books at once. So, I have decided to finish what I've started...one (or two) books at a time. I am discovering books that interest me faster than I can read them. 

Here are some books I enjoyed reading this summer: I'm Down by Mishna Wolfe, Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India by William Dalrymple, Paradise Piece by Piece by Molly Peacock, and Aama in America by Broughton Coburn.

THESIS

so, i'm in my final semester of grad school.  i've been living in the studio churning out work.  as usual these are snapshots of work in progress.  some of the work has been through one glaze firing, but this is only the beginning.  i think it's a safe bet to say that each piece will be fired at least 3 times if not more.

the head in the 2nd photo will be stacked (on its side) on top of the third head after i'm finished glazing them.

the next to last head will be hung upside down and the last one will sit atop a pile of white hands.  at least that's my plan.

not only am i working on creating the heads, i am also making "pedestals" for them.  some will be metal and others clay and wood.  i have lot's of work ahead.  so, i'll leave you with this so that i can get back to work!

long overdue

this post is long overdue, and still you only get snapshots.  as usual, i don't have shots of the latest unfinished work.  maybe i'll do another update at the end of the holidaze.  

for now, i hope everyone enjoys a little time off with friends and family.

cheers!

pnut

Eeew-put-your-peanut-back

http://nataliedee.com/

time warp

I win......one 20 hour work day done!  i've been in a serious time warp for weeks.  weeks seem like months, etc.

Yesterday we took down our start to the reduction test kiln and rebuilt it.  We still have to cast the arch, put steel on and get the burner hooked up.  I've mixed 27 test glazes and loaded test tiles/heads into the kiln, made an "a" on my art history test, plus all of the other shit that comes up.  welcome to grad school!  things are going well, just need to get more sculptures made.

On a slightly different note, I am making a concerted effort to lighten up and I feel better for it - this fantastic cool, sunny weather doesn't hurt either.  This weekend we start dealing with wood for the first wood firing of the semester.  Lee and I are going out to split and clean up to prep for another load of wood that we will get next week and chop next weekend.  As of now the firing is scheduled for October 23 & 24.  I guess that the weekend after that is the Victory Hill Halloween party. 

GOOD NEWS: the picture of Lee's mugs that got into Strictly Functional is in Clay times.  Hopefully I can swipe the copy from the office.

Well, I can't think of any other news right this minute.  I believe it is time for me to finally go home and get some sleep.