Summer Living.

The beat goes on... the summer in Mount Union has proven to be hot, humid, and without rain. I am volunteering at the Juniata College Ceramics Studio over the summer months and we are preparing to break ground (lay cinder block) for a new smaller downdraft gas kiln. I have been decorating feverishly and am working on a cup design to make a slipcasting mold from. I have been thinking about print a lot lately and have begun some drawings and layouts for print ideas, maybe more on that later. If anyone has any entrepreneurial ideas for money making other than exotic dancing (believe me, there is a market just not with me in it) let me know because I am poo or. Go economy, Go!

At the end of June I returned to Erie Pennsylvania for the Erie Summer Arts Festival for the second year in a row. I set up shop with a colleague of mine from Edinboro University and we made an attempt to peddle our wares to the attendees of said fest. Unfortunately the coordinators of the arts fest cut funding to the advertisements and entertainment so to say the least we didn't fair well. I didn't make gas money to get me back and fourth. Yet, we had a great time with our friends and each other. I plan on being there next year again in hopes that the Erie Summer Fest people get their act together and with my continued support I hope that the festival is able to carry on and improve with age.

The last day of the festival, Sunday, ended just as the year before with a thunderstorm off the lake. Only apparently this time there were tornado cones dropping down over the lake and a few moved inland and one may have touched down, allegedly. During this time Todd and I went swimming in the lake. :) Good times.

I am scheduled to head back up at the end of this month for 'Discover Presque Isle' and I hope the coordinators of that have things tied down a little tighter. It should still be a good time. If you are reading this and are in the Erie area come check it out. July 23, 24, and 25. Come and visit. More miraculous than just reading this and showing up mention my blog and I might give you a discount. Maybe. (what times are tough) :)


I've got many pictures to post and am working on a real website so check back soon for more info, I swear I'll post sooner than later.

no images today just words.

today is the day i was birthed by my mother
the sky was bright and breeze was sweet.
i searched all day for some kind of reason
all i found was more questions and
two brothers to greet.
of celebration there was none,
though gifts there were many in the blue horizon and white clouds in the air.
i hoped questions answered but did not receive them,
though bumble bees encircled my thoughts of despair.
fear not however the evening is coming and i shall have dreams for to bring me to you.
together we can run through the minds of our lovers and all will be found safe and at home.

end of the semester. more work to be posted. more kilns to be fired.

life at Juniata comes to a halt. the classes are empty now (except for my adult class) and i have been prepping the studio for the summer. i also am about to fire a soda kiln comprised mostly of my latest work involving colored slips and brushwork. I'm scared. the amount of time I've placed in the decoration of these pieces makes firing them all at once a little like beating a dozen eggs with a baseball bat. I'm sure it will be fine but my optimism keeps me down so when things do turn out its like Christmas to a 5 year old. Here's more.

more tea pots

i spent some time working on individual forms and during the middle of the semester i moved from lidded pitchers to tea pots. i make a lot of everything but the idea was to make my stuff more functional and less just appealing to look at. here is another set.

Other works. Gas Fired cone 10.

here are some teapot designs that i have been working on as well. Stoneware mostly, glaze fired in reduction.

new works. life after

been producing like crazy at the studio. working on a new line of work based on simpler forms and slip decoration. seems to get a lot of good feed back. let me know.

NCECA 2010, Philadelphia

Wow. Is what I have to say. This trip makes somewheres around Nceca number 6 or 7 for me and it was by far the best. The Juniata crew, for being such a young group kicked major behind. To those who where with me through out thank you for being so attentive, mature, and of course, awesome. We return to the jc ceramics studio (I hope) charged and full of new thoughts and new ideas bursting at the seams and ready to be brought to fruition.

The weather in central PA continues to improve. The pots do too. Much to do, much to document. Expect frequent updates from here on out.

++,
Drobnock out.