Settling
for less is more
I’ve moved, unpacked, and rearranged both my things and my life. I traveled north for a quick visit with my mom, put my clay studio in storage, and am trying to settle here in the city of Charlottesville… at least until spring, when my partner and I will turn our plans inside out to see where we want to go next. For now, I’m here, working on finding my way back to the habit of making art.
I have yet to unpack the pots I fired before I left. The move was chaotic! There was no time to spare between leaving my old home and settling into our new one. My last firing was a complete disaster; every single piece was destroyed. When loading the kiln, I decided to refire the bowl my chickens drank from daily. Without thinking, I placed it on the top shelf, not considering the water still trapped inside the walls of the fired pot. When the kiln reached temperature, the water turned to steam, and the bowl exploded into thousands of pieces, knocking over and fusing with all the other pots.
It was almost unbelievable to open the kiln and see such destruction. I wish I had taken photos, but there was no time. I had to unload everything quickly so the kiln could be packed up and put into storage. In my thirty years as a potter, I’ve never experienced anything like it. It felt oddly fitting, almost comical. Some of the pieces were beautiful, even as shards. I so wish I had kept a few of the fused fragments or at least documented what happened. Some things you just can’t take with you.
Before going to Pennsylvania to visit my mom, I spent a morning making quick ink sketches. I plan to paint each one, returning to my 30-minute practice from past workshops: Take 30 and Take 30 With a Twist. The time constraint feels perfect for redeveloping the practice of painting and being expressive.
I’ve also returned to the idea (and invite you to do the same) of illustrating my tabs before I close them. I find it a wonderful way to bookmark what captures my interest. If you illustrate your tabs before closing them, I’d love to see what you create. Feel free to link them in the comments.
My Closed Tabs…
Crying Clacier ASMR — I can only imagine how this must sound in person. It made me think of this photographer’s photos of drifting icebergs. Can you imagine looking out your window and seeing an iceberg floating by?
Keiji Ito: Ippodo Gallery — The forms are so incredible! My hands and heart are missing clay.
Lee Krasner — A pioneer of Abstract Expressionism and the wife of artist Jackson Pollock, she had a significant influence on many artists.
I am never free of the past. I have made it crystal clear that I believe the past is part of the present, which becomes part of the future. - Lee Krasner
InSein Radio— This Playlist: Positive Vibrations Shall Cure Us All
Are Volunteer Squash Toxic? There was a beautiful volunteer squash growing in the compost this summer. I was tempted, but decided against finding out whether it was toxic. :P
YOU need to be BORED - Here’s why! Three cheers for boredom! This is a short video on the importance of boredom. It not only sparks creativity but is also shown to help us live more meaningful lives. When was the last time you were truly bored? For me, it’s often when I’m making art, or doing anything repetitive, that the tedium sets in, and I feel pushed to find interesting ways to expand on what I’m doing, making it feel more personal.
Shakshuka— Shak-shoo-kah — On my last trip to St. Louis to visit my children, I had a version of this wonderful dish. It was so rich and so good that I ate too much and felt sick afterwards… it was totally worth it.
Wicked Little Letters is on my watchlist. It looks like a good laugh. We are almost finished bingeing Couple’s Therapy— a rather insightful documentary with psychologist Orna Guralnik.
Quotes by Natalie Goldberg— “Real, solid growth and education are slow. Look at a tree. We don’t put a seed in the ground and then stick our fingers in the earth and yank up an oak. Everything has it”t time and is nourished and fed with the rhythms of the sun and moon, the seasons. We are no different, no more special, no less important. We belong on the earth. We grow in the same way as a rock, a snail, a porpoise, or a blade of grass.”
Robert Klippel’s Sketchbooks— I am not sure why I am so intrigued by these odd drawings, but I am. More here.
Etel Adnan—I love her cheerful, vibrant paintings of bold colors and her poetry.
Artwork: by Sally Mann— I look forward to reading Sally Mann’s latest book. I really enjoyed CBS Morning’s recent interview with her.
The work of Larry Elsner—There is something about the way he reveals the beauty of the clay he uses, it stirs something in me, and brings to the surface the deep longing to have my own clay studio again. One day maybe…
Sergiu Ciochina’s Blue Series— Such beautiful and evocative work.
Kinnikuman: Muscle Men - Why do we want/love certain things? I don’t know, but I love these odd little rubber men. There were several of them tied to a signpost in Japan, and I fell for them! I have always loved weird tchotchkes. This amazing artist knows just what to do with such odd collections of toys/trinkets. Be sure to check out his amazing bird sculptures made from toys/garbage/junk.
All tabs closed… until next time. :)
Setting up my space and working on a new painting…
I hope to unpack the last of my pots and list them for sale before long. Until then, I will be here, creating and settling as I watch the last remains of summer slowly wave their goodbyes.
Thank you for being here. Wishing you well in whatever today brings. ♡
Wishing you all the best in this new chapter!
did your animals come with you?