80's anyone?

As long as Ron is going retro today I thought I'd throw out one of those so eighties songs. Wall of VooDoo singing Mexican Radio. Enjoy but please, no big hair, leggings, or shoulder pads.



They also did a great version of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire. I have the 12" single somewhere around here.

Start Trek?

Found this floating around out there. Not too sure about all new actors playing my old favorites, but I'll have to see it (darn loyalty factor!) anyway.

Check it out:




For some reason it won't go full-screen from blogger. For the full-screen effect, go here:

Star Trek Trailer

Tomoo Kitamura workshop

Tomoo Kitamura came to Clayworks on Saturday for a workshop. He uses a combination of throwing and coil building to create large sculptural pieces as well as throwing conventional forms of pottery. It was a great workshop. Tomoo's presentation was very informative and entertaining and he showed us some great methods.

Adrienne with some of Tomoo's work.

Throwing on the wheel.
He makes it look very easy.

Working on the large head sculpture.

Adding a mouth.

The audience is rapt.

The head grows taller.

While waiting for the head sculpture
to dry a bit it's back to the wheel.

Explaining throwing off the hump
and making yunomi.

Further along.

Anatomy of a yunomi.

Becky decides to combine
yoga with her pottery.

Saucer for the cup.

Stamping the ceremonial tea bowl with ash.

Trimming yunomi on a thrown chuck.

More trimming.

Closing the head sculpture.
As you can see, he has done some line carving on it.

After Tomoo left, the studio
was quickly put back to normal.

You can find my whole set of workshop photos here.

You can see more pictures of the workshop on Becky's blog here.

You can see even more photos from Ed here. Thanks, Ed!

Check them all out since they all offer a different view of the class.

Another foggy picture

When I was leaving the studio on Thursday night there was a substantial fog hanging over the buildings downtown. I took this picture over the fence in the studio parking lot (pointing just to the left of the morgue building). It was quite pretty and ethereal and I thought it was worth sharing.

What a beautiful mess

It's that time of year again. We are raking up leaves and putting them at the curb. It's a lot of work and something we generally dread, but sometimes one has to stop and notice the beauty of the situation.

We are used to looking in wonder at a single leaf in autumn and at a yard full of them as a chore, but if you stop and look at a large fall of leaves after some wind and/or rain you might come away with a different opinion.


It's still a colossal chore staring you down, but it's also a beautiful painting to be admired for a moment before the cussing and ibuprofen start.

Today's assignment: Find beauty in something you hate or dread.

Tuesday night raku

Tuesday night Joe and I helped Julie and Ron with their classes' raku firing. It was a lot of fun as always and when it was winding down I took some time to glaze some of my pieces for the Wednesday night firing with my class.

The beer bottle is only there for scale.
No, really.

Becky and Joe.
Good friends make everything much more fun.

Becky has more pictures from Tuesday here.

I haven't taken any pictures of the fired pieces yet, but I soon will.

100 POTS!!!

I made my 100th pot Monday night!

I have to make three more to replace three that didn't make it and I want to make about ten more as a cushion in case some don't come through the firing. It took me ten weeks, but I made it.

I threw these on Saturday
and trimmed them Monday night.

I threw these on Monday night.

The scene of the crime.

The 100th pot!
I am planning on slipping it
and writing a big 100 in the bottom.

The shelf.

That old guy sure is happy.