Wednesday - Yard Springs Forth

The maple tree outside our window has popped and the bees are all over it.  I tried to video them, but they are too hard to see.  Trust me, they were swarming around those blossoms, just too far away for my camera's resolution.

I have often tracked the progress of the seasons by this tree.  I see the buds fountain out and pop in the Spring, watch the leaves unfurl like wings, witness them turning from chartreuse to become a mature, dark green in Summer.  In the Fall, they don their fire-colored party clothes before going to the ground in the big dance.

The first Spring after we moved here I was waiting for Karen and the girls to come home and enjoying the yard.  I was lying on the bench on our deck looking up through the foliage, enjoying how the light played through the young, translucent leaves.  Alone, they were chartreuse but where one or more of them overlapped they became darker and darker shades of green.  When the breeze toyed with them, the green-on-green kaleidoscope was fascinating. 

I remember thinking how lucky I was to be there at that very moment to enjoy the show and be in my own yard waiting for the family I love to come home.  I am constantly counting my blessings, and that day I got to do it in a nice breeze hearing the insects buzzing and the birds chirping.  A good day.

The second picture is the pain-in-the-ass robin that defecates all over my side mirror while challenging the imaginary male in my van window.  Another annual rite of Spring at our house.  (sigh.)

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Sunday - Afternoon at the Mint Museum

Sunday the Carolina Clay Matters Guild met at the new Mint Museum for a nice tour lead by Verna Witt.  The new Mint is a wonderful space with lots of galleries, a huge atrium, and a very nice flow.  If you are in the area, make it a destination.

Afterward, Kim and I went back to the green to view the sculptures there.

Another in a long line of good days.



The Atrium

Becky, Cindy, Kim, and Chris.

Verna leading the tour.

The tour group behind the collar.

This collar is carved from one piece of marble!

This is a ship's hull cast in glass.

These fabric squares were died from plant materials from NC.

Don Reitz bell.

Marilyn Levine's incredible "Black School Bag".
This "leather" bag is made of clay.

Donna Craven pot.

Mark Hewitt pot.

View out the window of the atrium on the escalator
between floors 3 & 4.

The roof of the skull.

Kim sitting in the skull.

The pearly whites from the inside.
(Now I know how food feels.)

The brick book sculpture at the Tryon Street entrance.

The other side.

The "pages".

The Mint/Bechtler campus.

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.

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Saturday - Afternoon/Evening

Later, while working at Clayworks Elaine, Caroline, and I decided to take a look at the new Niki de Saint Phalle installation on the green.  Since it was a beautiful day, we decided to walk the several blocks.  What we didn't factor in was that while the St. Patrick's Day parade was over, the street festival was going full tilt.  We had to wade through a sea of revelers and wait several minutes at each piece just to get a photo without kids (and adults) covering it.

It was worth the walk and the waiting.  The sculptures are amazing.  Believe me, my pictures do not do them justice.  If you get the chance, you need to come see them in the next five months before they are gone.

After enjoying the artwork, we waded into the crowds to get some festival food for lunch.  Mmm...  Italian and Polish sausages at the St. Patrick's Day festival.  Who knew?

Once we got back to the studio I helped Adrienne sieve some of her glaze and started making pots to raku for an upcoming fundraiser.

Before going home, I stopped at the grocery store and bought a couple of steaks to grill for supper.

It was a(nother) good day.

Bender commands...

The Skull.

Elaine by the skull.

The back of the skull.

Several mosaics cover the back.

Inside, it's full of mirrors.

Next piece, front.

Back.

Some signs on the green.

Next piece.

Closer.

Tiger?

Cat.

My traveling companions,
Elaine and Caroline.

A lot of people.

Beer.

Future raku pieces.

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Saturday - Morning

The last time I logged into my Duke Energy account they told me I was eligible to receive up to twelve free CFL bulbs.  I could request them all at once or just six right now.  Looking at my cabinet space, I opted for the six.  I am always glad to get something for free, and especially something that Duke Energy touted as "energy saving" and "good for the environment".  Unfortunately when they arrived, they were anything but good for the environment.  The picture below shows how they arrived:  individual boxes inside a larger box padded with lots of bubble wrap.  All that cardboard and plastic is not so great for the environment, but a good effort anyway.

This morning at 7:40 am, the sun was shining into the kitchen window and illuminating the wall by the table.  It was such a nice rich orange that it forced me to pull out my camera to capture it --then I went back to bed for forty-five more minutes.  It's all about the light (and the sleep!).

It was a busy day, so stay tuned for more adventures.

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Saturday - terra4m Sale and dinner at the Kelley's

Saturday was the first terra4m sale of 2011.  It was a nice spring-like day with temperatures in the high sixties.  We were pleased to have several friends stop by and visit with us.  We didn't break any records, but it was so nice to sit in the sun and spend some time with good friends.  Unfortunately our good friend Elaine, the other member of terra4m was unable to attend the sale and we missed her.

Tom and Lisa invited us over later to cook some steaks and we were quick to accept.  Their sons, Daniel and Christopher were having some fun with a stuffed monkey that was part of a Valentine's Day gift.  We all had several fits of giggles being silly with the monkey.

All in all, a good day.  I hope yours was too.

Shelley, Lisa, David, (customers), and Becky.

My display.
Thanks to Kim for sharing her shelves with me again!

Becky's birds.

Kim and the Mullins' returning from the car
after finalizing commission plans for a new birdbath.

Kim's birdbaths.

The rest of Kim's work.

Tom and Lisa visited us on the bike.

Stephanie and Meredith watching Tom and Lisa leave

Christopher with...  "The Monkey".

Daniel and Christopher with some monkey business.

We're all so proud.

Tom.

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