Kelly Averill Savino on sat 14 jun 03
Can I just gloat for a minute about how much fun I am having?
This part of Wisconsin, to begin with, is lovely... we're nestled between a river and a hill (which I think Karen calls a coolie but we flatlanders would consider a mountain)... the campus is lovely, and Karen Terpstra runs a vibrant, exciting ceramics program here. The wood kiln is firing smoothly, the gallery is full of a bewildering array of really GOOD work... you know how it's tempting to walk around looking for beginnerish pots to reassure yourself that your work isn't the lamest there? Well, no such luck... and i am even proud of my own pots this time.
My retired-prof-travel-companion was successfullly subjected to the potter mind meld in transit, and I had a ten hour transfusion of information... we arrived near the end of the reception and mel chatted with him for a while, and reassured me that his brain had already regenerated... "but I think he can breastfeed now!"
The Hoskisson family is here, their lovely homeschooled daughters elbow to elbow with Nils stoking the kiln...I am working on arranging a marriage for my sons ;0) Don H. and Jonathan Kaplan were good sports in a workshop yesterday, ably fielding a zillion questions in a forest of raised hands, about kiln and wheel maintenance and repair, venting and various studio machinery, and the endless variation between brands of equipment.. all in language designed not to intimidate the most sheepish beginner.
Via slides we hung out at Merrie's kiln and at Nil's, saw Karen's work and got a load of information and inspiration about woodfiring. My friend was thoroughly impressed by Dannon's work with shinos and copper reds in her workshops... in fact everybody seemed impressed with workshops. And since we had to choose either-or for breakout sessions, I was lucky enough to hang out later by the kiln as Tim Frederich launched into a much--appreciated "digest version" of his cone info for appreciative bystanders.
So much of the learning going on here is happening on the sidelines, over lunch, in the gallery, or last night at the Odin gallery and a variety of restaurants (we all signed up and car pooled together.) I chose the greek restaurant and several potters ordered that flaming cheese thing (opa!) so there was much flame/pyro/raku humor.
Late last night Bob Anderson was a real sport, keeping his raku kiln up and running for those of us who brought bisque and were dying to try it. I had made a little pot with a tiny fat goddess on the lid and that was fun, but I had altered a largish thrown pot into a very --- uh, substantial? Well upholstered? sitting goddess... I had made a ring of holes in the top of her head for future offerings (stalks of wheat? flowers? feathers?) and when I set her down in the combustibles (she's got an opening at the base) a ring of flames shot out of the holes in her crown like wild flaming coiffure... I think she's going to have to be a kiln goddess after an intro like that. I left her on the table keeping an eye on the woodkiln and suggested that if it stalled, someone should give her an offering. We settled on a stale donut as an appropriate choice.
And of course there is that other kind of "brilliant" sharing that comes with the combination of fired up potters, late hours and/or adult beverages: it involves a lot of what we in the trade call "BS." Last night we hatched a plan to market bubble wrap and packing air-pillows filled with HELIUM to help with that weigh-in at the post office...
I am seeing friends from old ACC workshops, claybuds I'd never seen IRL, and new friends I'll never forget. And today is a whole new run!
ok off to breakfast...
just wanted to write to say I'm here, and woo hoo, and neener neener, and other mature and eloquent sorts of things...
Yours, Kelly formerly in Ohio
Beth Ellen Nagle on sat 14 jun 03
This sounds really neat but where are you? :o) Does this have to do with
the 'clayart woodstock'? I don't know anyone here in Wisconsin. I am a
solitary potter who does not know where to go. I am not sure where or if I
would fit in. ;o)
I am originally from Arizona and terribly homesick. Ah, the things you do
for marriage.
Beth Ellen Nagle
Oconomowoc, WI.
www.apostate.com/~bethellen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kelly Averill Savino"
To:
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 8:01 AM
Subject: [CLAYART] weather's here, wish you were beautiful
> Can I just gloat for a minute about how much fun I am having?
>
> This part of Wisconsin, to begin with, is lovely... we're nestled between
a river and a hill (which I think Karen calls a coolie but we flatlanders
would consider a mountain)... the campus is lovely, and Karen Terpstra runs
a vibrant, exciting ceramics program here. The wood kiln is firing smoothly,
the gallery is full of a bewildering array of really GOOD work... you know
how it's tempting to walk around looking for beginnerish pots to reassure
yourself that your work isn't the lamest there? Well, no such luck... and i
am even proud of my own pots this time.
>
> My retired-prof-travel-companion was successfullly subjected to the potter
mind meld in transit, and I had a ten hour transfusion of information... we
arrived near the end of the reception and mel chatted with him for a while,
and reassured me that his brain had already regenerated... "but I think he
can breastfeed now!"
>
> The Hoskisson family is here, their lovely homeschooled daughters elbow
to elbow with Nils stoking the kiln...I am working on arranging a marriage
for my sons ;0) Don H. and Jonathan Kaplan were good sports in a workshop
yesterday, ably fielding a zillion questions in a forest of raised hands,
about kiln and wheel maintenance and repair, venting and various studio
machinery, and the endless variation between brands of equipment.. all in
language designed not to intimidate the most sheepish beginner.
>
> Via slides we hung out at Merrie's kiln and at Nil's, saw Karen's work and
got a load of information and inspiration about woodfiring. My friend was
thoroughly impressed by Dannon's work with shinos and copper reds in her
workshops... in fact everybody seemed impressed with workshops. And since we
had to choose either-or for breakout sessions, I was lucky enough to hang
out later by the kiln as Tim Frederich launched into a much--appreciated
"digest version" of his cone info for appreciative bystanders.
>
> So much of the learning going on here is happening on the sidelines, over
lunch, in the gallery, or last night at the Odin gallery and a variety of
restaurants (we all signed up and car pooled together.) I chose the greek
restaurant and several potters ordered that flaming cheese thing (opa!) so
there was much flame/pyro/raku humor.
>
> Late last night Bob Anderson was a real sport, keeping his raku kiln up
and running for those of us who brought bisque and were dying to try it. I
had made a little pot with a tiny fat goddess on the lid and that was fun,
but I had altered a largish thrown pot into a very --- uh, substantial? Well
upholstered? sitting goddess... I had made a ring of holes in the top of her
head for future offerings (stalks of wheat? flowers? feathers?) and when I
set her down in the combustibles (she's got an opening at the base) a ring
of flames shot out of the holes in her crown like wild flaming coiffure... I
think she's going to have to be a kiln goddess after an intro like that. I
left her on the table keeping an eye on the woodkiln and suggested that if
it stalled, someone should give her an offering. We settled on a stale donut
as an appropriate choice.
>
> And of course there is that other kind of "brilliant" sharing that comes
with the combination of fired up potters, late hours and/or adult beverages:
it involves a lot of what we in the trade call "BS." Last night we hatched a
plan to market bubble wrap and packing air-pillows filled with HELIUM to
help with that weigh-in at the post office...
>
> I am seeing friends from old ACC workshops, claybuds I'd never seen IRL,
and new friends I'll never forget. And today is a whole new run!
>
> ok off to breakfast...
>
> just wanted to write to say I'm here, and woo hoo, and neener neener, and
other mature and eloquent sorts of things...
>
> Yours, Kelly formerly in Ohio
>
>
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