I daily read the blogs of friends I have made through the blog world--so I feel like I am still in touch with them. But…I'm not!
So, whats going on? I went to NCECA--don't deserve it, I know, but I hope that it lights a fire under me! I did really enjoy it. I had not considered going until I got an invitation I could not refuse: my roommate from a former NCECA wrote and invited me to join her for NCECA. I had not seen her since that trip and could not resist the chance to be with her again. So off I went. And it was great. So many pots! Such wonderful exhibits. Pete Pinnell's talk was a treat. La Mesa is always very special--Santa Fe Clay does an incredible job putting that together each year. And I really enjoyed the exhibition at the Craft House--my kind of pottery. It does seem that 'sculptural ceramics' is eclipsing 'functional pottery' these days. Sculptural = art, functional = craft. Well, that is my own personal observation/opinion.
A favorite piece from La Mesa is by Betsy Williams of New Mexico:
Isn't that lovely!
I have spent a bit of time in the studio since my return--but no great news from there yet.
Today I spent the couple hours it took to watch the video that Brandon Phillips posted a link to today: panel discussion of Michael Simon's show there at U of Minnesota. I felt properly chastised for not putting in my studio time!
I think my BIG block is glazing. I could sit and throw bowls all day, all week. Or hand build little Japanese hermit huts. But then when I think of how to decorate/glaze I freeze up. I think this is partially the result of going off in two directions: low-fire earthenware and ^6 stoneware. I had done a lot of glaze testing at ^6 but now it has been almost a year since I've done anything with those glazes. Since then I've been working with earthenware and making minimal tests of glazes and terra sigillata. Feeling very insecure in both areas now.
