Satisfying Saturday

Bring back the Monarch - part 2 or maybe 3

Before the opening reception... (past post gives lots more info here)

That little round object all the way in the corner, is mine.

Wall Pillow, you may have seen before.

And in the opposite corner, the larger wall pillow.

At the entrance to the Black Mountain Center for the Arts

The reception was a great party...lots and lots of people attended!

Tomorrow I'll show you the release of a tagged Monarch...

A mouse upon it

Well, probably inspired by Gary Rith, who adds animals to so many of his lovely pots.  (Go see him Here)

This was made about two years ago, when preparing for a Mad Hatter Tea Party, and I made a dormouse on top of this teapot. (See posts HERE and here.)   That gallery exhibit looks like it might have been one of the best that had our ceramics displayed.  I've held onto it, and am thinking it's time to go out into the world.  Maybe.

Grateful today for cool weather, in which I can open windows in the morning, instead of closing them.
The other 2 things on my gratitude list for right this minute include a coffee percolator which makes good coffee, and friends on line...some of whom I've never met, like those who comment upon my blogs frequently, and seem like good old buddies!

Those lidded jars

I've a few left of these vegetable-inspired jars...simple and functional.

I wish I felt up to working in clay.  Just recuperating, day after day.  The hours just are gone, and I've accomplished nothing. Another deep breath is such a joy, without the choking hacking.  So tired all the time.  Depressed too, of course.  Beautiful weather outside doesn't speak enough to me to get me to enjoy it.  Time to work on the gratitude list!

Sponged glaze combo

In front is a glaze combo that I did a lot in the past.  This is probably only one of two pots that remain of this Matt Bronze Green with Amber glaze sponged together.  I love the variegated colors that embellish it.  Since the studio* no longer mixes amber glaze, I haven't been able to make any more of this glaze combo.

* I'm a member of the Clay Studio at Black Mountain Center for the Arts.

A pitcher for pouring...

Just a few pitchers that I hope to sell to someone who loves these swoopy handles as much as I do!

Come see the Monarchs

National Geographic offers a photograph of one, on Milkweed plant.

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts offers a gallery of monarchs, in different media, as well as a special talk about them. (see below for time for the opening reception and other community events).

One of my ceramic wall hangings.  White stoneware with glazes.

Wall hanging pillow of monarch butterfly.  Stoneware with glazes.

Detail of wall pillow glaze work.

Bring Back the Monarchs!

Community-wide Awareness Event (9/18-10/3)

On Sept. 23, 24 & 25, various groups of area students will immitate the Monarch Migration as they carry both colorful and ghostly monarchs through the downtown, from the Town Square to the Center for the Arts.

•  Thursday, Sept. 18 at 6pm:   Opening Reception for our Special Monarch Gallery Exhibit followed in the theatre by a multi-media program by guest Naturalist Ina Warren. Warren is a freelance naturalist, lecturer, educator and author of the Monarch and Milkweed Almanac. With Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan, she co-facilitates the monarch-milkweed recovery initiative called “Make Way for Monarchs.”   The exhibit will be on display through Oct. 3.

•  Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 10 am:  Students from the Black Mountain Primary School will perform their Monarch Migration beginning at the Town Square.

• Wednesday, Sept. 24 at noon:  Students from the The Learning Community will perform their Monarch Migration beginning at the Town Square.

•  Thursday, Sept. 25 at noon:  Students from the ArtSpace Charter School will perform their Monarch Migration beginning at the Town Square.

•  Friday, Sept. 26 at noon:   Brown Bag Series by Tina Barr  -  Monarch’s Reign & other Butterflies in Poetry. Free to the public.

• Friday, Sept. 26, 10 am – 4 pm:  Painting the Monarch workshop by Lorelle Bacon.  Call to register:  $95 includes all supplies.

Good market day

I often post in my moments before the market, but forget to give you feedback about the event itself.

Black Mountain, NC is in the lull between the summer tourists and the Leaf-peeping tourists...for another couple of weeks.  It's fabulous weather (58 degrees F. at 9 am, due to be in 70s later).  And the shops, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and vegetable stands are reasonable now.

Big green bowl in the center with piercings went to it's forever home yesterday

Pottery?  Great as usual...but not selling at quite the summertime rate.  Yesterday we had some sales, and I'm so grateful.

The orchid tumbler (wine red) on the left is now in someone's gift basket.

I enjoyed the bounties that we shared, purchasing some lovely gluten-free brownies, some fresh shrimp, and delicious organic locally-grown tomatoes.

No sale

I count 25 little vases that haven't yet sold.  WHAT?  These are so reasonably priced, and delicately made, and yet, here they sit.   Waiting for someone who wants to slip one into a stocking for Christmas, or give to a loved one with a single rose...where oh where will they go home?

I have not had the whole group at the Tailgate market for a few weeks.  There are bigger pots there today...lots of bowls and a few wall hangings.

Thanks for checking in with my blog...so glad to see you here!

Small trees and women

Yep, amongst the pottery are a few statues of trees and women, or maybe a mix of the two.

Bigger bowl

Blue exterior kind of swoops a bit into the interior of this large mixing bowl.  A great salad presentation for the table would also work...but I imagine it letting bread dough rise.  What would you want to use it for?

Bowl me over

Though the colors are pretty awful in the lower photo, I wanted you to see the curves of this bowl's profile.  I'm very pleased.  Now to get a more professional photo of it, unless it sold last weekend at the Tailgate.  Mmm, that's the best thing that could have happened to it, to go to a forever home where someone else can see these curves while they use it...right?

Three glaze combo still working

The above photo doesn't do the green justice...it's not quite that blue!

Love natural lighting...the casserole is at top ...a nice baking pan which has those pretty colors all around inside and out!

 I love to make crustless quiche...and this is getting to be the season for it.

Ladybug crept into it

While I continue to heal, and I find that about an hour outside my home is my limit for ventures, I at least had some newer work at the Tailgate market this weekend.

 Medium size bowl with some fun added to the rim, inside and out!

Cough is slightly improving with lots of Musinex, and the steroid treatment is halfway finished...my itchy skin isn't so bad if I stay out of direct sunshine, the nervous feelings that even make my hands shake when trying to hold a book, my swollen tongue and awful taste in mouth...well, you know there are side-effects from drugs.  That this treatment for the coughing has negated the recent success I had treating another condition leaves me frustrated.   If you know what IBS is, then you know how very much it isn't fun to live with.  So I try not to whine...unless there's cheese to go with it and it's been chilled.