And The Results Are......

Wow, so this is the result of my testing new glazes and using what was great, on my hand-built pitcher. Love love love it! I can see more of these in my future in the studio. I'm prepped and ready to go!


This baking dish is also something else that is new in my studio. Again testing of glazes have resulted in this yummy combination of glazes on this baking dish. If you want to see more



views of these items click on my shop link in the right hand column and check it out!

Art Appreciation

Check out these yunomi mugs!!! These mugs were made by another potter named Matt Brown in Moss Beach California (www.MossBeachCeramics.etsy.com).

The sculpture behind the mugs is titled "Deep Peace" by artist Sally Kimp an Arizona artist purchased at the Mockingbird Gallery in Bend Oregon (www.mockingbird-gallery.com)

I was lucky enough to have this potters help in fine tuning my blog site. Hey! I'm a potter not a technoid. Anywho I purchased from him these 3 yunomi mugs. There are no handles and they have the most beautiful earthy texture and I love the colors. Since I've received these in the mail I make every excuse to have a nice hot drink so I can use these mugs. Yeah yeah I can make my own mugs since I'm a potter also. Sure but every individual is different and every potter has their own take on their art. Not to mention that the art of clay is so diverse from low fire to high fire. Salt firing to Raku, High fire, electric, gas, Anagama and the list goes on and on. As an artist, I can appreciate the art that others create. And now....these belong to me, go get your own!

Different strokes!

I think I mentioned on a previous post that I was going to create work that I normally hadn't done before. So far so good. As you can see in these pictures they are not complete since they have not been glazed. I wanted to bring you along on my journey as I delve into areas I have not been before. One of the pitchers was completely hand-built and textured. The smaller ones were wheel thrown with hand-built spouts and handles added. Hey, I even threw some glasses on the wheel to go with the pitchers. Now let's see how they turn out once they've been glazed!!


I've also been making baking dishes. Part of the dishes have been wheel thrown and the bottoms were slab built. Handles were extruded and added to finish the piece. These also are in the bisqued stage and will have to be glazed and fired to complete. Of course I will post pictures once they are done. At the moment I'm waiting for some commercial glazes to be delivered so I can test them on some tiles first. Don't want to apply a glaze to a piece that I don't know how the heck it'll turn out. Ugh, that would be such a waste!! Check back later to see the finished work.

A Momentous Day!

We are here, finally a place where we should have been decades ago. Today we inaugurate a new President of the United States of America.
President Barack Obama. A new morning has dawned


Peace. Shalom. Salaam. Paz


I know some Americans do not share my view and that's o.k. Thank goodness WE in America have that right to disagree. But there is an energy among many of us as we see a new future for every American and certainly a dream that conversations between countries and religions will result in respect and understanding of our differences. Our differences makes us all unique and we should rejoice in that. I have chosen to post the lyrics of a song that moves me and reflects what today means to me. I would ask that if you are reading this....please read the lyrics and think about what it says and what it can mean for all of us.

The Peace image above is a peace tile from a fellow potter in Santa Fe New Mexico Todd of tmusichans studio. You can visit his Etsy shop at http://tmusichans.etsy.com.


PEACE TRAIN-by Cat Stevens

Now I've been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh I've been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be, some day it's going to come

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again

Now I've been smiling lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun

Oh peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Come on now peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller

Everyone jump upon the peace train
Come on now peace train

Get your bags together, go bring your good friends too
Cause it's getting nearer, it soon will be with you

Now come and join the living, it's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer, soon it will all be true

Oh peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Come on now peace train

Now I've been crying lately, thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating, why can't we live in bliss

Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again

Oh peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Come on now peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller

Everyone jump upon the peace train
Come on peace train
Yes, it's the peace train

My Plan for 2009

Well, here I am squeezing in a picture of my new wares. This is so out of the ordinary for me to make items for the holidays. Not my norm for sure. Anyway, I will be stepping "outside of the box" so to speak as far as my pottery creation is concerned. First was making things to sell for the holidays. Another thing is creating other items I normally don't make. Until the Etsy Mud Team challange for a mug swap I really didn't make mugs. So...yup, I started making mugs. Another thing I've been making are pitcher sets for summers sitting on the deck drinking Ice Tea or Mint Juleps. I've gotta say that so far I have impressed myself. Ha!! They are still not glazed but are waiting to be bisqued fired. I will be blogging more about my process including photos so there will be more to come. Leave me comments or suggestions or even something just for moral support. Hey, it wouldn't hurt.

New Years 2009

We have now said goodbye to 2008 and Hello 2009!!!! For us, we had a very quiet ring in of the new year. Had some neighbors over for prime rib dinner watched a little of the Twilight Zone Marathon...that was good by the way and worked in the studio for a short while. Pretty dull stuff on the scale of things. However, one thing that I've missed and reflect on EVERY year is the New Years celebration that is shared in Hawaii.





You see, I was born and raised there and most of my family is still there. Hawaii is ....for lack of my own term "a melting pot" of ethnicity's. This tradition of fireworks is one of the Asian influence that continues on despite the fact that fireworks are illegal in the state of Hawaii. When my mom was still alive I would call her a few minutes before the clock struck midnight in Hawaii. I would then have her bring the phone outside and I would just listen. It was marvelous!!! The sound of the waves and waves of fireworks going off is just amazing. Imagine this......people stringing up the hundreds if not thousands of firework on these makeshift self-supporting rails and lighting them all at once. Maybe you can't imagine this not really have experianced this first hand but I assure you it is a sight to see and hear. The video I have here is just a small slice of what it is like to be there. Usually visibility is 50 feet once everyone starts to light the fireworks. And the island is just one huge plume of smoke from one end to the other. I know, it's not so eco-friendly especially in these times of global warming. And people with respiratory problems have a hard time with all the smoke but but but..........This is just, you know something of my childhood and young adult life growing up in the islands. I love this and I will always miss this.

So, I wish for all a good 2009 filled with the much needed PEACE......a renewed and responsible PROSPERITY ...... and last but not least....PATIENCE for one another.

Ahhhh, Winter!

It's winter and everything that goes with it could be good or bad. I choose good. It's white (but cold) and can give one a sense of peace. God knows when you wake up in the early morning after a good snow it is really really quite and peaceful. You know even things not so pretty on a normal day to day basis appears to be beautiful. Let's not yet think about what it's going to be like when it starts to melt. Ick! By the way I took this photo when I went snow shoeing. It was beautiful!

I know I haven't posted anything new for some time but it has been a busy time. I've been selling more than ever on my Etsy site http://www.artsielady.etsy.com. Now, I have a marketing department (me), a billing department (yup, that would be me again), a collection department (damn skippy, pay up! me again), customer service department (did I say "service"??) and a shipping department. If you could hear me you would hear me change my voice a la the Exorcist for each task depending on my mood. I do have a production department as well but that person has been AWOL. Sheesh.

Another thing that kept me away for a short while was a visit by my high school friend. I haven't seen her since just after high school and trust me people, that was a long time ago. She was in town for business and we spent as much time as possible together. It was very cool we didn't miss a beat. It was like we never had time separate us. She and her co-worker Corinne live in Waianae Hawaii. Go Sea Riders! So you can imagine the weather shock to their systems! June (my classmate) refused to even look at the snow coming down all the while screaming "no, I'm not looking I have to get home tomorrow". June....did you think that was going to stop the snow. I took pleasure in their experience here in Bend. The weather (uh huh, it was cold!) the festive holiday lights in the Old Downtown the eh hem.......gambling! Here in Oregon we have the pleasure of Indian Casinos, however none are close by. HOWEVER, most taverns have Vegas style gambling machines. We had a blast! Did we win?? I'm not sayin'.

Man, gotta tell you it brought me back to da good ol' days in Waianae. We did get a chance to catch up about a lot of my classmates. What they're up to, kids, where they live and what they're doing. Very coolamis!!! I expect we'll be planning a trip back home to Hawaii and NO tourist stuff...that's for the tourist. For sure we'll be staying with June and her husband and ohhhhh I can smell the ocean and feel the warmth of the sun now. Locals rock!

That brings me to it ain't warm here and more snow is a comin'!!! So for all of you out there who are dealing with the cold weather. Snuggle up by the fireplace with your better half (I imagine that could be your best friend....the dog silly) hahaha and have yourself a nice mug of hot buttered rum. Mmmmmmm Yummy! Here's a recipe.

Oh, and by the way if you need a cool mug for that hot buttered rum that is beautifully handcrafted, go to http://www.etsymudteam.craft-sense.com. You may find something you just have to have!!

Hot Buttered Rum


Batter

1/2 C unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1 1/3 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 Pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cardamom
1/2 t vanilla

Coctail (per serving)

2 T frozen batter
3/4 C boiling water
1 1/4 ounces rum (2 T plus 1 1/2 t)
1 Pat butter


To make batter: Combine butter, brown sugar, ice cream, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla with electric mixer to create a smooth batter. Pour mixture into a plastic container with lid and seal. Place in the freezer.

To make cocktail:For each cocktail, place 2 T of the frozen batter in a mug and add 3/4 cup of boiling water. Add rum and stir until the batter is melted. Garnish with pat of butter and a pinch of mace. ENJOY!!!