Glowing Evenings

Fun things on Etsy

2012-05-10T06:54:00.001-07:00

Despite arguments about the word "curate" and what it means to curate, I think that we all are curators of what we love in life. Be it a group of images on Pinterest, or a selection of items we collect in our homes, the heart of curating, for me, is collecting things that you value and treasure.

My personal curated collection involves a lot of jewelry. I love fun earrings, and lately, I've really been drawn to unusual necklaces. (Like at the ACC Craft Show.) I recently bought myself a necklace from Merriweather Council on Etsy, that I am very excited to get in the mail later this week. I ordered a "g" in teal on coral fabric. I love that I could choose everything, from the letter, to the case, to the shape of the small hoop, to the colors of the embroidery thread to the background. And knowing me, of course I went with pink and green(ish).

In addition to adorable, personalized necklaces, she makes these cute embroidered hoops. I personally really like the "ugh" one (seen above) as it describes my feelings about waking up every morning.

The coolest thing about her shop is that she started it pretty soon (as in 47 hours) after she graduated from college. I love that she pursued her dream and is turning it into things that are beautiful, personal, and to be treasured.

She also does so many other personalized things, so check out her shop for adorable embroidery!

Blogging Elsewhere

2012-04-26T08:01:00.001-07:00

I might be a little bad at posting here, but I am excited to announce that I wrote a guest blog post for the American Craft Council that you can find here. It discussed my research process for my thesis on OBJECTS: USA back in 2010. Sure, it was a while back, but the materials are still in the library. The most important thing I think people should take away from it is that if you're researching a craft topic, don't neglect to look for funding. The Center for Craft Creativity and Design in Hendersonville, NC, is very generous and excited to help people uncover new ideas and research. The Craft Council would also be very excited to have you come to their lovely library space and research. Enjoy the post, and while you're there, check out the other great things the Craft Council is doing.

American Craft Council Baltimore Show

2012-04-14T05:59:00.002-07:00

Back in February (was it already that long ago?) I took a Saturday for my annual pilgrimage to the American Craft Council show in Baltimore. I was excited as I missed last year's show, and this year the Craft Council had special categories, including "Under $100" for young craft collectors. (That's me!)

I did my usual walk-through, noting the things that I really liked and considering going back as I navigated the aisles. Then I came to Andrea Haffner's booth. Her work is astounding. I loved her wall hangings, and could have spend hours staring at them. She uses nature in her works--literally--pulling leaves, stalks, flowers, and other things from the earth, matching them with contrasting colors and shapes. I looked over her necklaces, and knew that one of those was going on my list of things I wanted.

I continued on my journey, getting halfway down the next aisle before I realized I needed to turn around, lest someone take the necklace I had fallen in love with. I chose a long rectangular piece, with a turquoise background with pink peppercorns above small pieces of straw, to create the illusion of flowers. I love this necklace. And her other jewelry comes in colors and shapes for everyone!

As much as I enjoyed other things at the Craft Council show, this is one of the best things I've ever seen. Unique, beautiful, and she has photographs as well as the amazing wall hangings that I am already saving up for.

Cake Trial: Part 2

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend was frosting and filling weekend. The cakes hung out in the freezer all week, and I worried that I was not up to the task of actually putting them all together every time I got ice or frozen corn. But I persevered and on Saturday morning set out a dozen eggs and two (2!) pounds of butter to come to room temperature. By that evening, I was freshly napped and ready to tackle butter cream.

But before I could frost the cake, I needed to put the filling between the layers. This is where I encountered my first hiccup. The filling (which I made a few hours earlier), hadn't set up properly. The chocolate hadn't melted completely and was grainy. It sunk to the bottom, leaving me with a bowl of heavy cream with grainy, goopy chocolate. I was unhappy. Halfway into batch one of buttercream, I was unsure what to do.

Chocolate and heavy cream are too expensive to just toss away, so I put a metal bowl over a pot with about an inch of water in it to create a double boiler, put the filling mixture in it and whisked away. (This is where I begin my rant against microwaves. If you love your microwave, skip to the next paragraph.) My personal feeling about why the filling failed me the first time around was because the instructions tell you to melt the heavy cream and chocolate together in the microwave. My cream was at room temp, and I added my chocolate, then microwaved for the required 2-3 minutes. This did not work. I know that people are all for melting chocolate in the microwave because it's easier than doing it in a double boiler. But I think that microwaves ruin the texture of all foods, including chocolate, don't heat evenly, and I can't keep an eye on it in the way I want to while it's in the microwave. Plus, using a double boiler isn't that tough, and it makes me feel like a fancy cook. The filling, after being reconstituted in the method of my choosing, was much smoother, and looked much more even. However, I was now set back an extra day since it was 7 pm and the filling needs to chill for at least 4 hours.

With the filling back in the fridge, I turned out two batches of buttercream, put them in the fridge, and with an aching back, went to bed.

I woke up at 8 am on Sunday, fully intending to go to church, but unable to get the cake out of my mind. I wanted it finished. I wanted to check on my filling. I wanted to use my icing spatulas. I pulled out the filling and was thrilled to see that it set up properly! I whipped it up, pulled out my buttercream, warmed it, whipped it, and was ready to go. I had the cake assembled and frosted by 10 am. (I'm not a morning person--this in and of itself is a feat.) (Also, I did this without coffee.)

This is where I implore you to read and follow all directions. In my excitement to assemble the cake, I failed to follow directions properly. I put my bottom tier together, frosted it, and then rushed to put my second tier on top of it. As I did, I realized that I was supposed to frost all the tiers before assembling, and I was supposed to leave the cake tiers on their little cardboard cake rounds for structural purposes. (This is why we do a practice cake.) I still managed to get the middle tier frosted, though not as prettily as I would have liked. I followed directions with the top tier, and put the whole thing together. Then I, like a child on Christmas day playing with her toys, pulled out my brand-spanking-new pastry bag and started to pipe pearl borders. The result is what you see above.

I'm pretty damn proud of this cake. This is probably the biggest baking undertaking I've ever done in my life. (Aside from my intense Christmas cookie annual baking where I bake 3-4 types of cookies as gifts.) Greg has pronounced it incredibly good, with the filling being his favorite part. (Yay!) Now that I know how long all of this will take me, I feel pretty confident that I'll be able to do it come wedding week. Also, I'm really lucky that a huge number of people in my life are helping with the other wedding details so I can focus on the cake. (And getting married to an amazing guy.) Really, the timing is what is most important with this. I have a timeline written out so I can tackle this project and have an amazing wedding cake.

If all else fails, I'll buy a sheet cake at Giant.

Cake Trial: Part 1

2012-01-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

I baked cakes yesterday in the start of my practice run for my wedding cake. I didn't make the full three rounds of batter like I will for the "real" thing, I just made two rounds. This means that I will have three tiers with two layers each. (Above: 9-inch and 12-inch layers.)

Here's what I learned:

- It's not that hard to make a cake batter. (I already knew this.)

- It's not hard to bake the cake off, although I did need to adjust baking time for my oven. (This is why I'm making a practice cake.)

- Prep work takes the most time. (Eggs, butter, and milk take several hours to come to room temperature.)

- Making a cake this large uses more eggs and butter than anything else I've ever made in my life.

- Greasing, flouring, and cutting parchment paper for my pans took as much time as making the batter.

- I need bigger cooling racks. The 6-inch layer ended up cooling in a flat-bottomed colander because I didn't have enough cooling rack space. It still worked.

- Wrapping the cakes in plastic wrap for freezing takes almost as much time as prepping the pans.

The instructions in the book (America's Test Kitchen Baking Book) and the blog I read for help both said that time is the biggest factor. I do like that I can do this in stages, so when the actual time comes, I can be comfortable making the cakes a few weeks in advance. I ended up dragging a chair into the kitchen to sit in front of the oven while I read my book and kept an eye on the cakes. I've never been much of a cake baby-sitter, but this is important. After the first batch came out, I was more comfortable with the baking time and just letting it go on it's own. (With a timer.)

I am very excited to have all these new baking supplies. Where have offset spatulas been all my life? I finally have a pastry bag with different tips for frosting, which I look forward to breaking out. I never felt stressed when making this cake. I think knowing that it could fail and that was okay made it a much better situation for me. We'll see if this feeling continues throughout the process. I do like my start though!

Next weekend, filling and frosting.

Fish Tacos

2012-01-14T07:28:00.000-08:00

I've only eaten fish tacos a handful of times in my life, but I always really like them. The creamy sauce and the cabbage create a great contrast to mild fish. The fish is usually fried, sometimes breaded, sometimes not. Last night, I was craving great flavor and something light, yet meaty. Enter fish tacos.

We're trying to eat a little more healthily around here, so I combined a few recipes to get the tacos we had last night. I used Serious Eats Fish Taco recipe, but used catfish instead of tilapia. (I don't like tilapia; it has no flavor.) I also didn't make the sour cream sauce, but instead substituted with Pioneer Woman's pico de gallo and guacamole. (As requested by Greg.)

For the fish, I coated it in a spice mixture of salt, cayenne, paprika, and cumin, and then shallow fried it in olive oil. The result was great flavor that married well with the cabbage, guacamole, and pico de gallo. It was like eating a salad with fish and a tortilla. For two people who have eaten a meat salad as a side dish with fish (we follow the Ron Swanson rule that fish is a vegetable), this was satisfying and filling. We will definitely be having these again, paired with a Corona.

I promise that at some point, pictures will get better. It's hard to cook and photograph at the same time!

Creativity Always Needs an Outlet

2012-01-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

The problem with being a potter is that when people ask me if I ever get to work in clay, it's always a tough question for me to answer why I don't. It's not quite a hobby, and even with my class this summer, I never got it together to pick up my finished pieces. (Part of the problem there was not having a car.) It's tough to lug a wheel, clay, kiln, and glazes around with you. And expensive to have those things on hand. I know every art comes with it's tools, but I tend to think mine are slightly less portable.

Which is all to say that at times, I still need an outlet for my creativity. Sometimes I write, but mostly I cook. I really think cooking, baking in particular, is a close cousin to pottery. You work with your hands, you shape things, you add heat, some basic chemistry, and BAM! you have a work of art. This weekend I was very much in a cook-to-be-creative mood. I made fresh Italian bread that we turned into garlic bread, lasagna from scratch (everything except the noodles), biscuits, brownies and pizza. I've often thought about being a food blogger, since I cook and bake all the time, but just forget to take pictures.

However, I've resumed my resolution from a few years back to make one new dish every week. I realize that I get stuck in a rotation of about 10-14 dishes that I really like, are easy to make, and lean toward the healthier side. I'm going to try and remember to take pictures and I'll try and blog about the new dish each week. This will also help me get toward my goal of blogging more, since the job has led to less of that.

And, at the end of the month, there will be the test wedding cake, which will definitely have to be blogged.

I'll try and provide links or where you can get the recipes I work from. Typically, I use America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, which I received for Christmas last year. Really great recipes, but I also try things from Serious Eats and Pioneer Woman Cooks. So, there will be more pictures, and food!

Abstract Art

2012-01-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

I've been studying art in one way or another for most of my life. It occurred to me the other day that my elementary school art teacher was teaching us art history right alongside our art lessons. This became more pointed in high school, and then one day, in my college years, someone pointed out that Art History was a discipline. Something that I could study, write about, and explore in ways that other subjects were explored. My life was forever, wonderfully changed.

But in all of this study, and after all these years of looking at art, sometimes I forget how important and powerful it can be. I am fortunate in that every single day of my job, I get to handle original artworks, but most of the time, I don't even think about it. It's just my job. I never walk in and think, "I GET TO LOOK AT AND TOUCH ARTWORK TODAY!!!!!!!!" Today though, I realized I should.

I often think about art more in the abstract, like an idea to be discussed, rather than actual, physical objects. Strange, since I argue all the time about object-based focused in art. In all of my studying, writing, and working, I've forgotten how powerful the original artwork can be--and is.

Today, I got to touch an M.C. Escher print. And a Van Gogh print. Two things that the artist also touched. Two things that the artist designed, created, and have survived in amazing condition. I stared at both for minutes on end, poring over each little detail, marveling at how Van Gogh's faces all seem sad, sunken, and full of a world-weariness. Escher's print was like standing on the top of a roof and looking both down and out, with the perspective working perfectly--simultaneously! That is the beauty of Escher, he understood how math made amazing art. Something I still don't grasp in my own work.

The irony of working in a museum is that you can become numb to some of the things you see on a daily basis. Artwork becomes part of a job, not a thing of beauty. Today I was reminded that artwork is a real thing, to be admired, savored, and learned from.

I'm a little angry about arts education

2011-10-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

Recently I learned that the governor of Florida proposed to stop funding majors at state colleges in subjects that do not lead to “practical degrees,” meaning that many arts, English, and other liberal arts degrees will be considered unimportant. As a student of art history and history, I am frustrated by the idea that what I studied was “worthless” and what the greater implications of this are. Here are my thoughts:
When we say we will only used state funds to fund majors that will have jobs waiting for them at the end of the line, what are we saying about arts, literature, history, and other “liberal arts” studies? Are we saying that the limited jobs in these fields are not worth funding, and that no matter what people have talent in, we should only fund those careers that will have jobs that will bring a better return to the state? Are we then saying that private schools should carry the burden of the liberal arts, thus creating an even bigger divide between the “haves and have nots?” Where does the talented kid in drama, painting, sculpture, dancing get an education when private schools are not an option for him or her because his or her parents can barely afford to put food on the table? How will this child develop talent in a world where extra lessons are too expensive, and he or she is required to get a part time job at 16 because his or her family needs that extra income. Maybe this isn’t the kid who is going to go to college anyway because there isn’t going to be a way to pay for it. But maybe, just maybe, that kid has a talent like no other and has to put dreams on the back burner. Why can’t we decide that as a society we do value art? Why can’t we say that there is a place for the aesthetically pleasing? Or a place for the thought-provoking? Why do we feel that there is less value in a person who paints or writes (or makes pottery) for a living than in someone who uses a pipette to separate out biological matter? I’m not demeaning what scientists or others do, I’m just frustrated by the social value that’s placed on one over the other. We all can’t be in those positions. As someone who was told she was “too smart” to be an artist, I get frustrated at how we (as a society) try to tell people what to do with their talents and their skills. While I wouldn’t trade the fact that I get to work with artworks every day, and am very fortunate to be where I am, art historian isn’t a job that is valued. Nevermind that it takes tons of grey matter to memorize art movements, artists, influences, social history, social changes, and how our history as people is so intertwined with our history as artists. Let’s not tell kids that the only value education has is to train you for a job. Let’s teach our children that art, music, poetry, drama, and so many other things have value. And that funding these projects lets not just children, but everyone see the value in the arts. I don’t often get political in my blog because I don’t feel that it’s an appropriate forum. But I am passionate about the arts. I believe there is so much value in what they bring to our lives. I want to know that my kids can be a part of a world where knowing how to draw and paint, and write are important skills that can transform who they are. And I want to live in a world where what I can do with clay is considered amazing, not just something that “must be fun and relaxing.” I want a world with art.

Note: This was a very stream-of-consciousness post with very little editing.

Bakeshop Update

2011-09-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

Short post to let you all know what my thoughts on a bakeshop are. First, thank you all for your comments, encouragement, and suggestions for how I can get my business going. I think for now, the best way to go is through a farmer's market. It helps build a rapport with local customers, create relationships, and gives me a set group of people who are potential customers at a set time each week. Now that I'm in Silver Spring, I'm considering applying to be a part of their weekly market next year.

And, I've been lucky enough that two very dear friends who are getting married next year agreed (after I asked) to let me make their wedding cakes. Thanks to Drew and Jess, who are an adorable, fantastic couple! More posts to come as I move forward with my ventures.

Etsy Bakeshop?

2011-08-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

For a while now, I've been kicking around the idea of starting an Etsy bake shop. You know, a store front on Etsy from which I sell baked goods (like cookies, brownies, pies, cakes even), but I'm hesitant for a couple of reasons:

1. I'm not quite sure I understand how to ship baked goods. When I read about it on Etsy and on the USPS site, I feel very confused about how to go about that.

2. Not sure where my customer base would come from. I want to make some money off this venture, so I need to build a customer base (like you, friends!).

3. I'm not sure how much to charge. I want to have fair prices, but also need to include realistic costs, as well as my own time.

4. Should I build a menu of choices and then also allow special orders? (ie, gluten free)

So, blog-reading friends, I can you provide me answers for these questions? Should I build up social networking (Facebook, Twitter) to notify people of my ventures? Would any of you be willing to be guinea pigs for me, placing orders, allowing me to ship to you, getting discounts for being loyal customers?

And as a random last note, I do want to make my own wedding cake, but am definitely going to do a trial run. Anyone want to volunteer for taste-testing that?

Feel free to post answers/comments/questions I need to consider below.

Thanks!

Photo is of a peach pie I made this week.

And thus it ends

2011-07-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

This is the glazing yurt. A smaller version of where I do wheel work.

So, the last few weeks managed to get away from me without posting anything. Pottery class ended on on Thursday. I am pretty bummed. I want to go back for more, but until I get a job, that is on hiatus. Everyone was incredibly nice and encouraging, and I'm glad I did it.

A few things I learned:

I was definitely trained to be a production potter. I throw very quickly (with too much water) and make things that can come off the wheel, dry, be sanded, and go into the kiln. I rarely trim. The only things that get trimmed are bowls and plates, because I believe those need a foot rim. On Tuesday (the penultimate class), I made vases that could just be cut off the wheel and be ready to go into bisque (with a little cleaning) on Thursday. The woman next to me was astounded that I didn't trim things. I realized then that trimming A) wastes a ton of clay and B) wastes a ton of time. When you're in production, you don't want to waste that time or money, thus you don't trim. I still can't figure out why they teach trimming on everything, but perhaps I'll learn when I return. Also astounding was that I sand down my pieces before putting them in bisque. You want smooth work! (Thanks Mark and Meredith for teaching me to sand at every stage!)

I'm still really good at pulling handles. The woman next to me was pretty astounded by my skill. It was awkward, because she would ask me to call her attention to whatever I was working on to teach her. I tried my best to teach her how to pull a handle, but that felt strange. I think I blew her mind when I pulled the handle off the mug. I love doing that because I love how it looks finished, but it's tricky. I'm very proud of myself for that.

I think altered 1.5 to 2 foot vases are my calling. I started doing them in my last semester of school, but never really pursued it further. Yet, when I sat down at the wheel on Tuesday, that's what I kept making. And having tons of fun with it. I like the challenge of getting 3 lbs. of clay into a tall, even cylinder and then completely skewing the sides, while keeping it functional. Also, tall forms are the envy of many of my classmates, so I ended up giving a "lesson" to the two people who sat next to me on how to keep your hands together and steady when you pull up a tall vessel. I also realized I have no idea how to explain that. I wish I took pictures of these things, but I forgot in the moment. I've also been a little distracted by another (wonderful!) event in my life, so I'll use that as my excuse.

Things come out of the kiln today. I may stop by and see what I've wrought! (Plate below glazed in Woo's Blue and Leach's White)

I tried!

2011-07-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

Encouraged by Meredith, over at Whynot Pottery, who knows my clay skills, I tried to tackle a 4 lb. casserole dish. The first one ended awkwardly when I didn't remember how to make a rim for a lid. I got all the way there, shaped the pot, it was going so smoothly. And then, I suddenly found myself staring at the rim, trying to figure out what to do. I asked the guy next to me, but he said that he'd only made one lidded container, and that was by accident. (How does that happen?) So, I turned the casserole into a large bowl and tried again. What resulted is what you see above. That was last Thursday.

This Tuesday, I charged myself with making a lid. I was in a funk when I went to class, and didn't really want to go, and that was clear when I sat down to work. I pulled a handle, which took me four tries, (Four!!) and then started on lids. I thought originally I would do a bowl lid that I could trim to fit the pot, but that didn't work out. I ended up going with what I was taught was called a "Tom Terrific" lid. (Not sure if anyone else in the world calls it that.) (And a quick Google search tells me it was named for a character on Captain Kangaroo. Thanks, internet!) No pics of the lid, and not sure how well it will work. My calipers are still set to my original measurements, so until I'm satisfied, I'll know what size I need to make that lid.

Threw a few little tea cups, no pictures of those either. I really want to push myself to do altered forms and keep looking at pictures. I sketch, but when I sit down at the wheel, my hands go to what they're used to. Must work on fixing that. Ultimate goal: make an altered, yet functional, teapot.

Thrown

2011-06-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

I'm loving pottery class. Really thinking (hoping I have the money) of continuing to go back. I realized last night that in this world of clay, "Advanced" means throwing larger pots. Seeing as I made the personal rule to not throw more than 5 lbs. of clay at a time, I think I'll keep that for now. But I did throw a few bowls, a coffee mug and some sort of little pitcher that I'm not sure will make it to firing or not. Above is my wheel all set up to throw. I'm sitting down, which at the end of each evening, my back complains about, but alas, there are no standing wheels in a yurt.

Above we have a small bowl I threw which matches the one from last week, but smaller. I think they're going to turn into wide nesting bowls for pasta, decoration, or whatever else strikes my fancy. The coffee mug got a nice pulled handle and is sitting on its rim to get the curve in the handle to set properly. I like pulling handles, so hopefully more things that need handles will come along.

I saw these beautiful lidded casseroles (not pictured) that a fellow student made last night and was instantly filled with inspiration and envy. Beautiful round shape, lovely handles, really the kind of thing I like to use. I am not quite sure I'm ready to jump into covered dishes yet. I know I should try, but I think I'll try some bottles next week before I start bigger things.

Making pottery, again!

2011-06-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

I started taking a pottery class last week. It's at Glen Echo Park in Maryland. It takes place in a yurt. I was very nervous going in. I haven't thrown since the early summer of 2008. That's three years ago. I signed up for the Intermediate/Advanced class, figuring that I'm close to one of those two things. I mean, I got an associate's degree and worked for potters, right? I showed up, nervous as a kid on the first day of school. Everyone was incredibly nice, and the instructor gave a me a great tour of the facilities. Small, but clearly very productive.

I just threw to get myself back in the rhythm of what clay feels like and how I work with the wheel. I kept my bad habits in mind (I still use too much water when I throw) and just kept making cylinders, cutting them in half and seeing how I was doing. Not bad. I really focused on making my rims as well, as I had the bad habit of reaching the end of a piece and it had no rim. That was night one.

Night two I had plans. Plans for bowls. I wedged my clay, sat myself down and got to work. I threw several nice things, but nothing up to my standards. Plus, I kept cutting things in half, just to see what my wall thickness was, how my rim proportion was, you know, the things that, if you enjoy pottery, makes the piece so much better looking and feeling. It takes a lot of work to make it happen. The people sitting next to me kept wondering why I was destroying what seemed to be perfectly good pieces. I tried to explain that I hold myself to a very high standard.

All that said, I have 5 more weeks of making work! And, I kept a coffee mug and a bowl. I might just keep on taking these classes if it goes well.

I'm a Cone 11

2011-05-18T08:20:00.001-07:00

I had a very vivid dream about doing pottery last night. It was amazing. My dreams have been very real lately, not sure if it's the stress of graduating this week (yay!) or getting rejected from a few more jobs (boo!), but I wake up and can recall my dreams in incredible detail. Which is nice, but sometimes confusing.

But dreaming about clay, glazing, and firing was really nice. I was taking a class in ceramics somewhere, and my favorite part of the dream was when the woman showed me how to set up cone packs. In the dream I looked at her, smiled, and told her I learned long ago how to set up cone packs. For those of you who don't know, temperatures in kilns are measured by pyrometric cones. Each cone has a number that corresponds to a certain temperature that you want the kiln to reach (ideally). I really like cones aesthetically after they are fired - especially Cone 10 firings. They slump over, like they just gave up, but if your kiln didn't get too hot, and you put a Cone 11 in there, it stands up defiantly. I like defiance. I'm not much of a rebel, but there is a part of me that secretly sides with rebels. I can't explain it. I'm a rule follower to a T, but sometimes, I want to do the tiny rebellious thing, just because I can.

I feel defiant today. I've been feeling down and insecure this week, but today I feel strong. I can stand up to the world. I have talents and gifts, and I know that it will come through some cover letter and I will get a job that is perfect. I will find the space where I can be a Cone 11. Standing proud, strong, and not taken down by the fire.

Photo from ortonceramic.com

Renwick's Craft Invitational

2011-05-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to the Renwick's Craft Invitational, "History in the Making" which will be on the first floor of the museum until July 31st. The four artists in this year's invitational are silversmith Ubaldo Vitali, ceramicist Cliff Lee, stained-glass artist Judith Schaechter and furniture maker Matthias Pliessnig. The work by all four of these artists is astounding, beautiful, and full of detail and craftsmanship.

When you enter the gallery, you are confronted with the highly refined, reflective surfaces of Vitali's silver work. Often, not one who loves silver, I really liked his quality of craftsmanship, attention to detail and clear knowledge of historicism. Even before reading his biography, where I learned he's from a long line of amazing silversmiths, I was taken by his awareness of history and how he made it modern, without making it postmodern. I really enjoyed the sketches for his work that were included in several of the cases, helping me to understand how he arrives at his designs.

Cliff Lee's porcelain work shows his background as a neurosurgeon with small details that I think would drive any other person blind or crazy. Or both. His work is sensual and his colors are rich and deep. He's spent a lot of time working on researching, developing and creating his glazes. One of his glazes has a long history, one better told by the wall text at the exhibit. (This is my passive-aggressive way of telling you to go see this!) His work is so refined and delicate, yet sturdy. His celadon glaze is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. And it highlights his intricate carving in a way I'm pretty sure the Chinese originally intended.

The stained glass by Judith Schaechter is some of the most beautiful contemporary stained glass I've seen. I've been in a lot of churches (where else do you see stained glass?), researched Tiffany, but her work is thoroughly of today and takes stained glass to a level of storytelling and deeper emotions than what I've seen in other works. Rather than stick to one color in a pane, she uses several techniques to achieve patterns and create multiple colors to tell her stories. With a leaning toward the macabre, her work is delightful and disturbing. But the way she truly won me over was with her Judith and Holofernes window. One of my favorite apocryphal stories (that I only learned in art history classes), she turned it to an almost whimsical, playful image of a young girl merrily going about her way. I loved it.

If I'd seen the furniture of Matthias Pliessnig earlier on in my life, I might not have the feelings about furniture that I do. However, his use of boat-making techniques to make organic, flowing furniture captivated me. I wanted to sit on it, I wanted to touch it, but instead, I just spent a long time staring at the bench in the room, moving around it, seeing it from different angles, and being astounded by his ability to manipulate wood in beautiful way. Fortunately, the Renwick has a "touch" gallery, and I was able to touch a sample piece of his work, finally, tactile enjoyment of the smooth, bent wood. If only I could sit on it. Or take a nap.

Go now before the invitational closes! The works are absolutely gorgeous and it is so heartening to see such beautiful craft on display. It gives the potter in me hope.

Embracing Unemployment

2011-05-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm entering week four of no job and I still have the ups and downs anyone looking for work does. The hopeful cover letter sent to the organization I'm dying to work for. The bleary eyes from reading job description after job description, wondering how I can more eloquently express that yes, I do have excellent written and oral communication skills. The frustration from the passive rejection that comes from an empty inbox and a silent phone.

But those are the bad things. The good things are these:

I actually stopped and smelled roses today. I went to my local coffee shop where I go to hang out for a few hours and interact with other people, just to keep the insanity at bay. Today is so beautiful, so I decided to take a long, meandering walk home. Joblessness = more time. As I walked down a street I'd never been on in my neighborhood, I came by lovely, huge, red blooms, gently swaying in the breeze over a fence. Roses are my favorite flower and I was compelled. The sun was shining, birds chirped (I only hate that sound in the morning, it's awesome in the afternoon), and the roses smelled heavenly. Sweet, but not overpowering. And they had that grown-in-nature smell that hothouse roses will never achieve. It was perfect.

I've started reading novels again. I had trouble reading for fun while in graduate school. All that other reading just made me want to put down books at the end of the day and watch something on television. But with the library only a few blocks away, I've started taking weekly trips to find new books, maybe read some old favorites I don't own, and actually read a book in only a few days, not a few weeks. It's like reconnecting with an old friend.

I do want a job, don't get me wrong. But it makes it a little easier when I have things that I can enjoy in the midst of the exhausting hunt.

Photo: Roses from the rose gardens at Reynolda House, take by me, 2010.

Situation Wanted

2011-04-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Over the last week of job hunting, internet browsing and general boredom, my mind keeps going back to one place. Being a potter. It's hard work. I know. I worked for potters. It's tough to keep the production line going, there's always something that needs to be done, should have been done yesterday, and a solo potter is a tough life. But I still miss it. I miss having my hands in clay. The wet spot on my jeans from where water drips down to my elbow braced against my leg. The clay in my hair because I kept tucking a stray piece behind my ear.

The only problem is that I really need a benefactor, or a grant. I need studio space. I need clay. I need glazes. I need a kiln. I need to find my clay tools and assess them. I probably need (want) more tools. I want a slab roller. These things cost money. I'm searching for possible places that will give me money, or a place where I could rent studio space and kiln space, but that also involves having a full-time job that will enable me to afford those things.

For a long time I pushed down the way I missed working in clay. There wasn't anywhere to fire, so there was no point in making things. In fact, I think I have a box of greenware somewhere out of a clay that I don't remember if it's Cone 6 or lower. I loved school, and I'm really glad I got my graduate degree. But I'm ready to go back. Ready to use my hands and my skills again. Ready to try some new things and break away from what I did before. I'm ready to challenge myself.

Thoughts?

The teapot is part of my dinnerware. Not the best picture, but it's a great little teapot! (I like earth tones in my pottery.)

Craft Show Update

2011-04-16T05:24:00.000-07:00

I loved the craft show. True to my normal self, I was drawn to the ceramics, but I can't help it. It's what I know. There were other things, but mainly, I collected postcards from potters. It's ingrained in me.

I met Elizabeth Kendall, mentioned in my previous post, and she was an incredibly nice person. Her pieces are more beautiful in real life than in pictures. And she also does large installation pieces that are pretty amazing. Check her out at www.EKClay.com. You'll be glad you did. She also has a few pieces with a bit of applied color, not every thing is black and white, but the color is sparse, yet fun. There were two little cups that I'm kind of wishing I'd bought. The work above is her's.

I liked the work of Betsy Williams, also a ceramicist. My favorite thing that she did were wall installations of cups. She makes other functional forms, but the rows after rows of small cups, each with a different glaze or patter was so visually stunning. I could stare at it for hours. I was drawn in at first by the copper red glaze on one of the cups and then it went from there.

Felt jewelry is becoming bigger I think. Or felt as a medium is taking off. Or it's always been popular and I've just now noticed, but Danielle Gori-Montanelli makes large, colorful, fun pieces that I'm sad I couldn't afford. She also was willing to let me know when she has non-post earrings, since I usually wear fish-hooks. Isn't that great?

One of the more fun and whimsical potters I saw was Beer's Pottery by Paveen "Beer" Chunhaswasdikul. He makes grenade coffee mugs, lanterns that look like engines and a teapot with a million little parts that I admired for quite a long time. He uses a matte metallic glaze, giving all of his work a look that he refers to as "metal ware." Really fun and innovative. Sadly, he has no website to link to, but you can look at his pieces on the show website.

There were plenty more exhibitors with wonderful work. There was even live music! Here's hoping that next year I'll actually be able to buy something!

Image from www.ekclay.com. Wall work titled, Cascade.

Smithsonian Craft Show

2011-04-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

I'm going to the annual Smithsonian craft show tonight, and I'm very excited. Since I missed the American Craft Council's Baltimore show, I look forward to seeing what new craft shows up this year at this craft show.

I'll be honest, this will be my third time at this particular show, and sometimes I worry that I'll see the same things as before. But in looking at the website, I'm looking forward to seeing these awesome creations:

In Wearable Art, I look forward to seeing the bright colors and patterns of Sonya Mackintosh and Steven Seward.

In Ceramics, I'm intrigued by the altered forms and straight-forward color scheme of Elizabeth Kendall. I really like altered vessels, and the graphic quality of her designs works so well with her forms.

In Jewelry, Andra Janosik's leather pieces caught my eye. I like big, chunky jewelry, and this fits the bill.

In Glass, I was first captured by the color and then held in awe by the designs and beautiful lines of the work of Dan Mirer.

I'm very excited to see all of these--and more!--tonight. I'll report back tomorrow with my findings and if anything new and exciting catches my eye. The only drawback to this is I'm pretty sure that I can afford none of these. (Student discount anyone?)

Apologies for no photo. Didn't feel super ethical to take any from the Craft Show website, even if I gave credit.

Missing the South

2011-04-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Since I moved to the DC area a few years ago, the small things I missed about the South have been available, slowly but surely. In fact, we just got a Bojangles in Union Station. Now all we need is a Cook Out.

But there are still things I miss and walking around in the beautiful weather today reminded me how much I miss azaleas. The pink, purple, red, white, multi-colored flowers on their dark green bushes always say SPRING! to me. More than lilies, azaleas are an Easter flower to me. There are a few bushes around here, but not nearly enough to satisfy me. I use to pick the flowers and keep them in a bud vase in my room. Or pin them in my hair.

The other thing that I miss are long leaf pine trees. Yesterday, Greg and I were in a park and walked between two short leaf pine trees and the damp pine straw smell instantly took me back to my childhood. But short little pine trees have nothing on tall, sturdy, long leaf pines. In my mind I hear my dad starting, "Here's to the land of the long leaf pine..." That amazing piney smell brings on a flood of happy memories of running around in the woods.

Even so, I'm planted here now. And I'll just find a yard that will support azaleas. And maybe built a sand pit for my pine tree. Now, back to job hunting.

Image from thedailygreen.com

Poster Art

2011-03-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

While I don't mention it often here, I do enjoy good graphic design, especially in poster art. The summer after I finished 9th grade, my family took a minorly epic road trip "out west" to visit the Grand Canyon, as well as a few other places. While Bryce Canyon still remains one of my favorite places on this earth, I also fell in love with the WPA poster re-prints we saw in gift shops throughout the National Parks we visited. I never bought one, mainly because they were too expensive for my poor 14-year-old self to afford, but I did get a postcard of the Glacier National Park poster (oddly, I've never been to Glacier, but it's on my to do list, since I always think it's weird that I bought that postcard, but I digress) and that satisfied me a bit.

Yesterday, though, my sister sent me a link to these amazing new posters developed for the Chugach and Tongass National Forests in Alaska (where she lives) in honor of 2011 as the International Year of Forests. Did you know that? Above is the "Find Your Inspiration" poster, and the design for all four is pretty much the same. It's a nice reminder that posters are art and that we should value the beautiful land that surrounds us. And, as spring approaches and the weather turns absolutely beautiful, step away from that computer and enjoy it!

The Best Museum You've Never Been To

2011-03-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

The National Postal Museum. I'm sure you've never been to it, probably not really heard of it, but it very well may be my favorite of the Smithsonians. It gets short tourist shrift because it's not on the National Mall (probably contributing to my love of it because it's never crowded) and it's not very big. And, when people think about it, they don't really want to go to a museum that is about the mail. Who cares? You should.

It covers the history of mail delivery from the very beginnings of the colonies to how we deliver mail today. There are lots of great interactives, from timelines to a stagecoach you can climb into. (See above.) I learned that there were never ponies used in the Pony Express--shocking, right!? And tons of other really fun things can be learned, usually with a hands-on component.

If you can't get to the museum, they also have one of the most informative websites I've seen. Not always completely interactive, but you can learn how a family mailed their daughter to her grandparents because it was cheaper than buying her a train ticket. Plus, if you're into stamps, they have some very nice examples.

But, if you're not convinced yet, you can always follow Owney the Dog on Twitter. He's adorable and is getting his own stamp this year!