Highway One Equals a Loved One

Today, I took a break from household chores, to visit with my best friends, Grant and Susie. They live in San Francisco, so we met up somewhere in between. That "somewhere" was Pescadero, a small coastal town off of the Pacific Coast Highway. Even though it was foggy this morning, and also on the way home, it's still one of my favorite drives. There are several beaches with parking lots, or pull outs, where you can stop and watch surfers. And, there were some excellent waves this morning.

I've started the process of painting my bathroom, and my kitchen. The rest of the house was painted during Christmas vacation. I'm excited to make some decorative changes to the bathroom, and especially to the kitchen. My friend Susie, in the photo below, is an excellent woodworker. Several years ago, she constructed a lovely plate rack for me to display my ceramic plates during Open Studios. I've decided to make it a permanent fixture in my kitchen, so a wall will be cleared to house it. Also, I just purchased a new stove, and a new refrigerator. When I moved into my house, twenty years ago, the fridge and the stove were part of the deal. They are in awful shape. Now that I've started cooking, I realize how horrible the stove is, and the fridge makes weird sounds all night, and is turning the wall behind it dark gray. It's time. 

It was fun to break free from quarantine, and to see Grant and Susie. I worry about them, as both have now returned to their work sites. And, their sons have returned to work, as well. I hope that we all can be safe to meet again in freer circumstances. It gives me great comfort to meet. The beaches were packed today with folks who just wanted to get outdoors. I'm hoping that everyone stayed safe...

 

Large Abstract Topiaries

                    

Today, I started a large project. I want to build two abstract topiaries in urns. The urns will sit on my mom's old sugar and flour tins that we cleaned out of the pantry. Today I coiled and built one topiary. The second, rounded topiary will need a flange on the bottom, which I'll make soon. The flange will enable it to sit up in the urn. Hopefully, I can start building the urns next week. I've had so many school meetings. It has really started putting a damper on my art time. This weekend, I'll try to get the bathroom painted. Then, the kitchen will need a lick of paint, too. This is the time of year when projects start to collide. 

While I worked, I listened to "The Dutch House" by Ann Patchett. Luckily, it was read by Tom Hanks. It was a good listen! And, there's plenty more of the story left for when I start working on the urns!

Basketeering with Mrs. Driggs.

I had a great day making baskets, while social distancing, with a friend. Kristin came over and we watched an amazing video lesson from the Craft School of Oz. They sell demonstration tutorials of basket making strategies. It was great to see Kristin, and she brought flowers and snacks! If you can't attend a seminar in Australia, the internet can deliver the seminar to you.

I was telling her about a basket making meeting which I attended several years ago. The teacher was a woman from the Miwok tribe. She brought her daughter and her granddaughter to help demonstrate at her lecture. She talked a lot about foraging for materials and fibers, and the dangers that pesticide spraying brings to foraging. She also mentioned that in her tribe, basket makers say a prayer before beginning each work session. They also never work on baskets during their menstrual cycle, and they never work on baskets when angry. I remember taking notes in my sketchbook. 

After Kristin left, I started digging through half a dozen old sketchbooks to find my original notes. I couldn't find them. And, I got sidetracked looking through all of my old ideas, artist talks, glaze logs, weekend classes, book club notes, and drawings. 

We also talked about the telephone wire basket makers in Africa. I had spoken to a few makers at craft fairs and flea markets, and they had shown me their method. They drill holes at the bottom of a metal or enamel bowl. They start the rim of the basket first, then they twine the basket until they form the bottom. The coiled baskets in this tutorial today, were worked from bottom to top. 

Anyway, I hope to use some of the skills that I learned, and I will probably view the tutorial lesson over and over, until I figure things out. Because, I don't want to be mad when I'm working! What a great, creative way to spend the afternoon!

Kiln Unload.

  Today's kiln unload was a good one! There is some finished work, and some work that still needs colored washes and a last firing. The ice cream cones need a full glazing. I'm getting this work together for the online Open Studios website. I also hope to get my own website up and running one day... After unloading the kiln, I headed off to order some take out shrimp tempura from Inaka, in San Juan Bautista. It was fabulous...

Paper Clay Toy Telephones

Today, I started working on some toy telephones. I finished the boxes, but will need to make the handsets this weekend. The paper clay doesn't take detail well, so it's necessary to make the dials and buttons out of a smoother clay. I think that the handsets can be made of paper clay. Meanwhile, some large bowls are cooling in the kiln. Can't wait to see how they turned out!

Virginia Hall and Ice Cream Cones

Today, I worked on making ice cream cones and wall donuts. The cones have to be made with the really wet, sloppy clay that is at the bottom of the bag. And, the ice cream part is a good way to use up slip. It's very messy! I also made some wall donuts on plates. They will have wires in the back for hanging. All of this happened while I was listening to a fantastic book about Virginia Hall. She was an American woman, who was repeatedly turned down for relevant jobs in the foreign service. When she did get work, it was always as a receptionist. She had amazing language skills, and a lot of charisma. So, she applied for Winston Churchill's secret spy network, Special Operations Executives, the S. O. E. Virginia had experienced a leg amputation, after a shooting accident while hunting. She was fitted with a prosthetic leg. I just finished off the part where she becomes imbedded in France, as a reporter for an American magazine. She relays information about life in occupied France. What she's really doing, is letting other S. O. E. agents in on the terrain, and the culture of life in occupied France, so that when they parachute in, they will be able to quickly adapt and blend in. I can't wait to keep listening!