Carving my place

When we first moved into Sun City I joined everything art/craft with the intention of culling the chafe and keeping the grain but it turns out, all of it was grain to me, I even added the writers guild to my assortment of interest and found it to fit me perfectly.

I am finally getting into pottery seriously and am moving in different directions trying to find my new slower paced more thoughtful style, but I am not there yet.

My new friends in the pottery studio amaze me with their creativity, meticulous precision, persistence and thirst for knowledge.

I am home now, even in the pottery studio doing my work, making suggestions for improvement, passing on help I receive from Clayart, sharing whatever knowledge I have and even giving mini workshops on handling glaze, carving clay and, amazingly, even throwing on the wheel.

Kinan

To the Art House, an old flour mill turned into a hotel and gallery, my sister and I went to listen to a fiends son who has become an international Symphonic Clarinetist.

After a minute of silence for the fallen, he started his performance.
He made love to his clarinet and his audience, swaying gently,hypnotizing that imaginary snake, growing the music louder, softer, deeper, harsher always conjuring emotions eloquently, harmoniously, beautifully.

I have not seen him since he was a teen. I grew old and he grew to be famous. And although he lives, like me, in the US, I only managed to hear him in our birth country among faces unknown yet familiar for they are my origin.

Damascus.

I went on my yearly trek to visit my mother in Syria. This year I had no apprehensions, although everyone around me tried to dissuade me because of the news. but like I expected it was a wonderful trip.
I enjoyed seeing my mom and spending quality time with my sister and brother. and even the weather cooperated by being mostly nice.
For pictures and more description you can go to my last year post that was very detailed  .Last year Damascus

My February of fish

I had not meant to write about the fish anymore. One month of writing about fish on Face Book and Posterous. was enough but I told Paula I will have them on my blog so here they are.
And a link to the larger pictures with descriptions on Face Book

The Fish on Face Book

Settling in

Spent my day Jewelry making, Art in the City "Painting"  then off to YMCA to watch my 4 year old grand daughter dance.

I came home to 5 messages on the phone. All for me, not the former phone owner, and all from new friends and colleagues about pottery, a trip, a newly formed Writers Guild and one from maintenance.

Today I belong! 

Mr. Holland's House

After Dinner on Saturday we were invited to go to Mr. Holland's house. I felt like Gretel wanting all that eye candy she found. pots everywhere most of them very recognizable from very recognizable names.

My favorite elongated pair

These caught my attention as soon as I entered the living room, standing tall between Jennifer Allen's and Julia Galloway's  beautiful pitchers , but he had a block on the name and I still do not know who made them.

Mugs all under the kitchen ceiling

A Soldner a Cushing and a Reitz

A wonderful Hewitt surrounded  by boxes

Even the bedroom had many pots and a quilt

And a table for miniatures

It was an experience so stimulating that it was exhausting. I cannot fathom how he can live with all that all the time but for a short period. Ah! Heaven!!!

See more of the collection at:
Dwight Holland house

NC Pottery Conference

The conference was all about Jingdezhen, China there were 5 simultaneous demonstrations going on. It was like trying to watch a 5 ring circus, no matter how hard one tried, there was always something missed.
And I did miss the Slab maker "Xie Zhenghua" as I was seated at an odd angle and the thrower hipnotized me into looking mostly at him.

Zhan Shaolin Throwing

He threw big, tall, wide and off the hump, he was fast powerful and accommodating, he even threw from sketches made by the audience.

Chattered Pot

Dai Guangyu trimming a big pot

He trimmed the inside, trimmed the outside, trimmed the chuck, Chattered very artistically, slipped and connected the parts and made sure it all fit together seemingly seamlessly.

Feng Weina painting under glaze

 She painted under glazes on bone dry pots spraying clear glaze as she changed from color to color.

Feng Shagnjin Painting over glazes on glazed ware

He is a true master of color and brush, composition and intensity.

To see more images click here:

Pictures of NC Pottery Conference

The Hotel Carolina

Our Neighborhood after the snow

We moved to Sun City outside of Charlotte to be near family since both kids moved out of Charleston and we wanted to be there while the grand kids were still young and liked being with us old people.
It felt like moving into the Hotel California, I meant Carolina, where you can't leave but here it is because there are so many activities and amenities you want to do and use.
So I joined the Art Club in the lovely studio with northern light, put my name in the lottery for the pottery studio, Joined the cooking Fingers  club, the Jewelry club, the Stitch and Chat club and the D Darlings club. Of course also the Community Garden Club and I can't remember what else.
But as soon as I joined we got hit with 5" of snow with a top coat of 1" ice  that kept me from any outside activities.
Now that we are having a more southern weather I am going back to all the activities I signed up for and hoping to start walking outside on actual sidewalks in nice weather untill the summer heat arrives.

Rules

I wanted to use the pottery studio here in my community, I was hoping my experience and willingness to work would count for something, but rules are rules and I have to jump through the same hoops as everyone else. So be it, now i am having my fingers crossed to win the lottery (too many interested, too few spots open) and then will see how the Pottery 101 goes;).