sculptor not potter

I've clarified my own definition of what I do, of what I love to do. I love sculpting, not potting. I'm sure I'm not at all influenced by what happened yesterday.

On Fri I threw on the wheel for the first time in 3 months. Sat. I finished the bowl, which had some slab handwork around the top. Set it aside before I could trim it at leather-hard stage. That took till yesterday. Must have had a lot of humidity these last few days. Oh, my wrists were sore on Sat. from just throwing about 6 pounds. Ugh.

The trimming was going very well, but I kind of had a huge foot, and then I had a huge hole in the bottom of the bowl. Not the first time. So I threw a pancake and patched it into the hole, and went home. Will smooth it out when I go into studio in an hour probably, and perhaps save all that effort for one bowl. I'm trying to make a singing bowl, which has such thin walls it will make a pretty tone. But with the patch, that's highly unlikely.

I've got none of the goddess-trees finished, but waiting in the kiln room still. There are 5 at least so far...all differnet batches of left over clays. Today I think I'll do some more low fire red tree goddess making. It feels like a good day to start another one. I have a white clay tree that needs glazing, but needs some brush work that I'm putting off till I have another one too.

I did get some reglazing finished on some old mugs. They didn't turn beautiful that way. Oh well. They're functional. T he new glaze was to add some softness to the satin glaze that kind of was underfired looking. That happened, but there's also a kind of dirty cup look to them now, like the coffee hasn't been washed off. They will just be my home mugs probably now. They already have been for a long time!

Tonight is a Rise Up and Call Her Name class at the UU church here in Black Mountain. This is just the 3rd of 13, and the whole series promises to be really great. There are three wonderful facilitators, and this time I'm just a participant.

Oh, I forgot to mention that a week ago I turned in my resignation as the church administrator. Whow, it feels really good...I'm free in another 3 weeks. I'm telling them I won't be available to help after that. Mainly I'm so glad to not be pushed and shoved to be someone I'm not. I don't change my personality at this age. And in spite of lots of good people asking, I'm not willing to talk about it with a committee in order to help. Issues that were already resolved should somehow have a rubber stamp that says, finished, completed, so forget it already. Or perhaps the other parties just didn't want the issues resolved, and told people as if they were still current. The other people and other people and so on...petty politics in my view. At any rate, for me they are over. Ahhh.

I am a sculptor. I make goddesses. That's what I want to spend the rest of my life doing.

Barbara Rogers

Trees trees trees, and goddesses

I've been working again at the BMCA clay studio since March 1...but haven't felt like writing. Sorry about that. The image that I'm persuing is goddess in trees. It's turning into a series actually.
Since none of them are completed yet, there aren't any pictures, yet. Soon though.
Decisions to be made first. To glaze or not to glaze.
The Black Mountain Center for the Arts clay studio now has many new glazes, which can be combined a bunch and really look fabulous together.
But I've had the experience that glazes just have a mind of their own, and seldom look just like those great little test tiles. So it's a leap of faith, and I'm not sure my sculptures would be ok with zooming off into the fire of chance and coming out any way that glass might happen on them.
Trees have been talking to me. I started looking around whenever I was outdoors, which was pretty seldom with the cold winter around here...looking for trees that seemed to have a feminine twist. Didn't identify any, actually. So I thought, why is there a "green man" who's face is sometimes seen in trees? After all, a green woman would be just as possible.
So with that inspiration, I started putting faces, hearts, yonis (is the plural of that word yonis, or yonies?) and breasts...onto sculptural trees. Roots, I love the curves of roots. And branches, both those that are reaching up or out, and those which have now disappeared with the wonderful whorls left on the main trunk. Trees show their histories.
In honor of my friend who recently lost her breasts, I made a tree with inspirational substitutes in the location of breasts. A nest with some eggs sits in place of a right breast, and a mother bird on a branch for the left one. She's a Tufted Tit Mouse, of course. The folks in the studio got a kick out of that.
SO that's what's happening in my creative life. What's happening in yours?

Snow again for a pagan holy day

In December we had a heavy snow storm which cancelled our Winter Solstice party. UUCSV cancelled our Bridgit program for today's service also due to snow.

Imbolc is the Celtic time that tells spring is going to return soon.

So today is supposed to get higher than 32...and the sun is actually out. The increased snow that was forecast overnight never came, or was just a dusting. This time the city of Black Mountain actually plowed my dead-end street, as well as the one at the bottom of the hill. Mine is down to blacktop with just a bit of ice on it. The one at the bottom of the hill, Montreat Rd, is a main drag around here...but has snow under the part that's plowed. At least this time there are 2 lanes plowed, but I'm not sure why the sand/salt treatment wasn't used. I walked down the plowed street going over to the church yesterday,to post the cancellation notice.

The pagan holy day has to do with the wheel of the year. Tomorrow is Bridgit's holy day, Imbolc, turned into Candlemas by Christians. However it's spelled, Bridgette, Bridgid, Bride, celebrates a goddess turned into a Saint... she was the Irish goddess of the land of green...and still is. Brigid is goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft. Imbolc is a time of rededication of those who follow the more pagan or magikal paths.

Brigid is noted to have asked the ruler of Ireland at one time (when she was in mortal form perhaps) for more land on which to graze her cattle...and he apparently said, "sure," (being facetious of course) "you may have as much land as your cloak may cover." So she (being a goddess of course) flung her magikal cloak out and it expanded and expanded and then covered the whole if the Irish Isle. So Bridgette is still the whole of Ireland. Just go to Ireland and find how much the goddess is still part of place there.

I'll not tell all her stories, like the one of the ancient flame kept in her honor, nor the temple to her that became a convent carrying on the same rituals when Christianity came to the land. I will mention that Bridgid taught people how to whistle and how to keen. Story telling is an ancient art which is still practiced by Celtic peoples as much as poetry is inspired by Bridgit. The people here in western North Carolina include some very talented story-tellers.

So our dear friend, Byron Ballard, who was to give the talk at our UUCSV about Brigid, will be invited back for another time. I know her talk planned for today would have been great.

The holy day continues, and I'll be observing it as I have for several years. I do hope to go into Asheville next weekend to share Imbolc with other pagan people. There is something very precious in sharing in circle...where heirarchy disappears with patriarchy. Ahhh, a relaxation can happen to my soul.

Blessed Be.

Last 2009 clay work

Just wanted to record some of the last works I did in clay in 2009. Since my computer just died a lot of my pictures were on the hard drive. I may be able to eventually retreive them, but I'm so glad some are here on the blog site. It may have no other folks looking at it, but it's a great place to keep my portfolio.

A porcelain tea cup, one of a set of 4...

Glazed with Mayco colors

foot and handle extruded, tea cup thrown P-5 porcelain

Cone 6 electric firing. (Dishwasher safe, microwavable...orders can be taken and different colors. The teacup has been altered so is not perfectly round...with 4 strokes into it's sides. $15 each)

A lantern in honor of the goddess of the wind and wood...don't know who she is? Me neither.

This goddess lantern is stoneware, glazed, electric fired to Cone 6. ($45)

Goddess of the Dreamtime...
as the Australian aboriginies call it... a place of great respect and source of wisdom

gently embracing her 2 animal friends, a cat and a bird...

This organic shaped goddess reminds us our dreams give us messages...and our animal friends do too. ($45)

Some Holly Jolly potters & sculptures

Tonya's wonderful "space ship". I don't know if that's what she ended up calling it, but that's what I called it.

Marcia and James' discussion...about what?

The teachers, A.J. and Geoff, showing off their new Tee's.

The majority of the potters at the Clay Studio of Black Mountain Center for the Arts. From left, Maureen, Bette, Elise, Sharon, Jane, Margaret, Barb (me), A.J., Wendy and Marcia. Back row, Geoff and Brad.

Margaret's oceanic scuplture and my goddess lamp.

Most of my pottery that was in the market.

Bette, Wendy and Geoff, having a bit of fun together!

My pitcher in the gallery. I think this is the functional pot I feel best about. Porcelain, with various glazes on it.

My bird (which used to be a hummingbird, but I gave up that idea after looking at it a few times). Raku glazed earthenware with beads and feathers.

Margaret's oceanic sculpture on the left, my Amazon Goddess center, and Tonya's sculpture on the right.

Fun glazes

I'm so happy that this pitcher is finally finished glazing...I think of it as a fun sangria pitcher...or tea, whatever. It's P-5 porcelain, with various glazes...the red is Mayco, and there's Sumo clear, and HR Satin as well.

I actually love the polka dots. But hey, I like kitch things.

This is another pot that I'm pleased as punch with a second glazing. Cause the greens have just been burning away, so I added blue Mayco on top of them...and now it has fun water-color effects.

The Sumo clear has some HR Satin and then stumped on blue, which on second glazing came out all full of fun swirley things. Right now it's still cooling and pinging away behind me.

Amazon goddess & others

This porcelain vase is not going to the Holly Jolly show next Friday. I like it too much to sell at this point.

I am hoping the hummingbird mask will be displayed on the wall in the gallery.

It is raku fired, with beads and feathers added.

another detail of the glaze colors

This tall pot has been on the top shelf in the studio for months, but I'm not displaying it at the Holly Jolly show either. Just have become too attached to it, I guess.

Detail of Amazon Goddess, which I hope will be in the gallery exhibit.

She's done in porcelain, with a mahogany stand.

This raku style piece has no glaze on inside, but just it's lovely grey smoked clay finish.

A porcelain sangria pitcher, or perhaps for iced tea.

There is a sister pitcher, a bit taller, which is being reglazed, and has red on it.