(rude gnome sculpture by Gary Rith)
And we get this extra day.
You know how it is, a wide variety of Nigerians and Bulgarians send you spam and try to get into your accts. Potters are alway struggling to keep their secrets, as we know from the whole Kayla/Virginia thng, and now Shane writes from Derry, Northern Ireland:
"Hi,After trawling the internet looking for pottery related to flowers and plants, I found your site and I really like your work. I am studying art and design at school and I would like to include you and some of your pieces as my 'work of others' research. If its not too much trouble, could you email me a short paragraph or two about yourself (why are you interested in pottery, when and where you were born) and some information on the two pieces which are mentioned at the bottom of this email (size, inspiration, how they were made, technique).I realise that you don't know me and you probably aren't too sure about giving a stranger these details, but I am not asking for anything personal unless you are happy to mention it. Please get back to me as I am on a deadline for this work. I appreciate your help and your work, here are the pieces I am asking about;"
I reply:
"Sure thing, except tell me where you are studying and live, which I think is a fair exchange!
There is a lot more info on me at my blog http://grpottersblog.blogspot.com/
which has my bio across the right side and many examples of my work and everyday______whatever.
The 2 examples below are easy to talk about. Sip, swig, savor is a plaque showing a pig dog and bunny eating and drinking, and was used in an exhibit at a restaurant. The theme of the show was sip, swig, savor. I enjoy sculpting little animals, and I also enjoy making miniature pots on the wheel, so this combined both. It is about 8 inches in diameter.
The bowls I made after I saw Japanese celadon glazed bowls in the shape of lotus flowers at a museum. My bowls turned out well, but I plan to do them again in a different way. Each bowl is a large soup or salad size, 6-7 inches in diameter.
I went to college to study painting but saw the ceramics studio my first day and got into that instead, 25 years ago. I have been full-time for about 11 years, and it is my career and income. I think there are a lot of ordinary brown pots in this world, and I like to make pieces that are bright and fun, which most of my work is. My wife and I lived in New Hampshire for many years but moved to Ithaca, NY 2 years ago, the coolest place on earth.
OK Shane, ball is in your court, who are you etc? Hope this helps!
gr"
Shane tells us a little:
"Thanks for replying so quick, it was a great help. I live and study in Derry, Northern Ireland. I am in 5th year at Saint Columbs college and I am studying lots of different subjects but I enjoy art. We have a great ceramics lab which is where I make all my ceramic pieces. I am still very amateur but I am improving.Thanks, Shane"
OK, Shane, but next time you OWE US pics of your own work, we'd love to see it here!!!!
I made some jokes about the missus, her hooded parka, and Kenny on South Park. Maybe I should shovel a little. The neighbors offered the use of their snow blower, but I am secretly hoping they just do my driveway for me. I have been nice to them lately! Gave them beers for their birthdays! This is when it seems like I am a very bad and selfish person.....
(Kayla and one of Kayla's wicked cool pots)
Comment moderation is irritating. I like the free flow of ideas and baloney here. If you see comments here from somebody like 'Zebesa' that says 'click here' DON'T CLICK on it because it may have a viral link.
I need to think of some people to put spells on...
I take terrible snap shots. I need to get a lighting booth of some kind....
They called 3 times this week, and they want my blood. Off to give a pint of my best to the Red Cross. I am told that my type, O negative can go into anybody, therefore they pester me. They better be gentle.
(our Penny, champion Uno's cousin: she's adorable, but no angel)
"When Uno the beagle got caught up in the excitement of his big win at Westminster Kennel Club, he reacted just as a beagle-lover would expect: with a joyful noise.
“That's their way of telling you they're happy,” says Joan Kerr, who runs Penny Angel's Beagle Rescue in Ventnor, N.J. “They were originally bred as hunting dogs — if they see a rabbit or a bird or a squirrel, they'll bark.”
Celebrating a rabbit, a bird, your homecoming from a day at work, or winning best in show, it's all one to a beagle. And for those that love them, their vocal antics are charming, says Christine Tartaro of Galloway, N.J., a volunteer with Kerr's rescue. At gatherings of beagles and owners, “sometimes something sets them off and all the people have to stop talking. We all think that's cute,” she says.
Of course, not everyone agrees. So if you're feeling inspired to get a beagle after watching the delightful Uno become the first of his breed to win best in show at the nation's biggest canine competition, there are some things you need to know.
Beagles are already one of the most popular breeds in the country. Their compact size, easy grooming and loving nature make them excellent companions for the right family.
But they are also talkative and stubborn. As Kerr puts it, “Beagles have a mind of their own. You have to be one step ahead of a beagle all the time.”
Combine this with the focus on scents that comes from their past as hunters and you can have a problem. “They're going to follow their noses no matter what,” says Tartaro — even if it means ignoring your commands. “There are some dogs that are eager to please. With beagles, sometimes it's ‘Make me!”'
This makes them bad candidates for play at your local off-leash dog park unless it's very securely enclosed. And you need to be serious about your own fencing, as well. Escaping the yard again and again is one of the main reasons beagles are surrendered to Kerr's rescue.
“Even if you have a fenced yard — some will even dig under a fence and go,” Tartaro warns.
All this means that sometimes owners find the dogs give them more than they bargained for: Kerr's organization rescues more than 300 beagles a year just in her local area around southern New Jersey. "
