try to remember..

Trying to remember where I began..back in 7th grade (1962) we had a short stint in pottery with Mr. Meek and another stint in 1966 with Mrs. Pickens but no wheel throwing then..I can't even remember what I did in her class in high school; I just know she would make "corrections" to our work which for me, rendered them no longer MINE. So here's some stuff from joining the clay club around mid-April and I work mostly on the wheel trying to teach myself. The black and red bud vase shapes were done in slab and the other 3 are from practicing cylinders. I hope to get into a class this summer to develop my wheel throwing or handbuilding skills.

As to glazes, upper left is mystery 2! Ha! Below that one I used cobalt with mystery2. The bottom left I incised the design with a needle tool and painted that in iron oxide and sanded it back so the oxide stuff was only in the grooves and I glazed in bringle matte and flecked it with Bailey's red and Pete's Copper Orange. The upper right was glazed in oribe which I call ho-ree-blay (horrible). Next below that is done in Bailey's red and the bottom was a catch all for the bunch..handle is cobalt, cup body was done in summer celadon and Pete's copper orange the inside is in mystery2 again! I love a mystery! There is a mad dash to get all of the pieces fired and I'm sure I have another 20 pieces to get in and out of firing. I'm not very good...YET and I have a list of stuff that I want to make!

Testing.....can Grandma Twinkie do this?

We all went for a stroll, armed with digital cameras to practice for what we plan to do this summer. I think I can handle this if we are working on a leisurely scavenger hunt or turn the hike into a game. When we get back home we will choose something from the camera shots and turn them into some art projects. These guys can handle 2 miles of flat..and we will work ourselves up to more. Now if we could just get there quickly..they don't do well closed up in a car!! (Trishana, Anisa, Oscar and Jack!). We checked out some birds and plants, saw some slugs, a dead shrew carcass and some fish..

Gina Marchetti-Klahowya Art Teacher

Gina Marchetti, Klahowya art teacher

Portland Temple

Pictures don't do this place justice..the marble is quite breathtaking!

Angel Moroni

atrium in the Portland Temple and surrounding area

dancing afta dinnah!

Trishana, Kiana Lodge

new friends

Who knew? There was an Indigenous People's conference at the Kiana Lodge in Suquamish. Kapua works at an inn and all these fun people checked into the hotel. WE hosted them in "off campus" activities. These 2 are Amohia a Maori from Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Amanda is a Metis from Saskatoon, Saskachewan in Canada. In another life I had applied to college in Saskatoon! This week we met many people. A couple from a tribe in Cardston, Alberta, Canada needed childcare and I met them at Beeker and Thelesa's daycare. Eventually we all gathered at the Kiana Lodge for the salmon bake dinner and dance afterwards. Rock-On! We all danced passed midnight. It was difficult when the people left our area, but now we feel like we have more family in different parts of the world. I met some of the Hawaiian contingency who are friends of friends and relatives back home. I had a good time.

The GIRLS!!

Yesterday morning Lehua was laying on the carpet outside her parents' room at oh dark thirty. Not to be left alone, Kawailani tried to join her. I got out of bed to see what was going on..and Kawailani had her mom's note pad and an orange marker..I figure she was bored and was drawing in the near-darkness!! You Look Awesome?? at 6 ish in the morning? What was she thinking!? This morning I just called outloud.."I don't wanna get out of bed!!" By the time I did, they were ready to get the school bus! These are exciting times!

spinning the wheels..

The potter's wheel catch tray had cracks in it and some of the slip slime dripped through as I worked. Omygoodness! It was a productive evening of 12 pieces thrown, and I cleaned 3 pieces from the last time..and put 2 handles on...handles are hard right now! So what did I do? I made more cylinders (8) and they will all need handles. My work is cut out for me on Monday..but next week is the final week for wheel throwing until mid June. I guess we take a break between quarters..which means that Kapua and I will be building by hand at home! I didn't wear an apron..forgot my towel...and came home looking like I'd worked in the dirt all day! Dirty fun!

furry trees??

These came out of the kiln recently

It's coming to the end of the quarter and so the big push to get clay pieces bisque fired, glazed and fired again!! It's like Christmas!!

gma duty..

I had the little one for a few hours and stopped by the ceramics studio..the girl perched herself and went to work on creating some of her stuff..she felt at home here. Yesterday she learned how to make teacups and didn't do too badly. She also helped Momma cut up the canteloupe spears into bite sizes..and let me tell you, this 5 year old can handle a knife. What are we training and teaching? Older sissie is not as BOLD and has her strong points. Although she is a consumate worrier, Lehua is extremely confident in her sports! Go figure!

Out of her box and off with the gloves!

Since she has lived life so far inside a plastic bin and only touched by latex gloves, Lillah is practicing skin to skin contact with her mommie and daddy now. She's so cool!! They always have to watch the monitors to make sure her heart rate and temperature are in the norm..and then they make adjustments accordingly..more blankets, cover her head, move out of the drafts or close the curtains, etc.

teeny weeny

3 of her fingers are on my pointer fingernail!!

Magnificent Olympics from Seabeck

I decided that this hiking season would be spent on the peninsula exploring nearby places and going to the Olympics. We are not as safe as we've been in the past..not a manly man accompanying us on our explorations and escapades. I found an interest group to join..will probably become a bigtime tree hugger in the process. I don't want to risk getting into any dangerous situations especially with grandkids in tow! Nissy and I are previewing some close in spots to use as destinations for our art adventure group in the summer. I think that the g-kids have already mastered the digital camera and even the 4 and 5 year olds know how to point and shoot! Then we can go home to our studio and do some interpretive drawings and paintings of the photos, using the photos to trigger our memory of being in that place.

Blue Herons Congregating

Wish I had my big camera operating, this would've been a rare find!

Shooshed by a birdwatcher

How were we to know that we were too loud..half a mile away from the masses of blue herons? Some lady with her two mile long lens thought we were loud enough to scare the birds away??? SERIOUSLY!!

greens go with everything!