A brief history of Mudbuddies

 I know we started this group/co-op that sold our pottery together at the local Tailgate Market sometime around 2010.

Mudbuddies booth 2010

Cathy and Marsha Mudbuddies Booth 2011

Mudbuddies Oct 2012

Mudbuddies meeting Aug 2012, Cathy Babula, Pat Levi, Elise Reed, Bette Potter Jones, Marsha Cozart, Barb Rogers

Mudbuddies 2013

Bette Potter Jones and Geoff Bird (teacher) doing raku firing at Black Mountain Clay Studio 2011

Bette Potter Jones' pottery at market in 2015 (above) and Cathy Babula with her pottery 2015 (below)

Here is a blog I posted about us in 2016 Market for Mudbuddies.

Bette Potter Jones, Barbara Rogers, Cathy Babula, Marsha Cozart, and Pat Levi at beginning of season 2016

Our booth was close to the entrance at that time, and we enjoyed how our different styles attracted different pottery lovers.

Here's a blog with our different styles of pottery, all on display on three tables. 

At the end of the 2016 season I resigned as a Mudbuddy, due to health concerns.

I often visited the Mudbuddies booth in the following years, here is 2017 on one Saturday morning.

And in 2018.

At some point the makeup of the crew changed again, with Pat Levi resigning and Amelia Packer joining by 2019. Marsha Cozart had moved away probably around 2017.

Mudbuddies 2019

Cathy made bowls for each of the vendors for the Tailgate Market's 25th anniversary in 2019.

Muddbudy Cathy 2021

Mudbuddies 2023, Bette and Amelia

Some of Amelia Packer's pottery 2023 (above and below)

Visitors Marsha (on r) with husband Bob Cozart and Bette Potter Jones met for lunch in 2023

A few years ago I did a series on the Mudbuddies...in about 10 posts. I've just pulled a few for this blog post! And some years seem to have missed my attention. But for 13 years, this is what I have for now. I'll be rejoining the Mudbuddies in a few weeks for season 2024.

Animals in art (and not art)

Saturday Critters usually has photos of animals and beautiful birds. I sometimes see little dogs walking along paths that I frequent, or ducks or geese on the lake. But this week I haven't been out and about as much. So I hope you'll forgive me for sharing some other kinds of animals.

National Geographic photo of a near escape.

Photo: Nermesh Thind 'Thirst'

Olga Esther (Spanish, born 1975) "Once upon a time there was a rabbit who was not a rabbit"

"Just bug me"...exhibition at Black Mountain Center for the Arts...featuring bugs and moths! 

Big Fiber Moth by Teresa Cote'

One of the bugs on display.

Cats in clown car.

A wall pillow with Monarch and milkweed, by myself.

You know I've been making dragons lately, and collecting a few that boggle my imagination!

Susan Seddon Boulet

Annie Montgomerie, British doll artist

Michael Grafton

Sharing with Saturday Critters

Thanks, Eileen, for hosting this great meme each week.

Today's quote:

There is a beauty in discovery. There is mathematics in music, a kinship of science and poetry in the description of nature, and exquisite form in a molecule. Attempts to place different disciplines in different camps are revealed as artificial in the face of the unity of knowledge. All literate men are sustained by the philosopher, the historian, the political analyst, the economist, the scientist, the poet, the artisan, and the musician. 

-Glenn T. Seaborg, scientist, Nobel laureate (1912-1999)

The new Red House and Gallery

 The Red House lost it's home last winter, as a new landlord didn't renew the lease. BUT things got much better for them.

The Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League (SVFAL) is the oldest art association in the area. It was nicknamed the Red House because they were located in a renovated old house painted red on the exterior.  Here's my post about the former "Red House."

But now they have an excellent location in the center of Black Mountain, on Cherry Street.

I'm posting both photos because the first shows the corner where Cherry St. and State St. meet, and this second of the new façade shows a little (well big) arrow pointing to another entrance on the far right.

This leads upstairs to artists' studios where they also sell their work. And classroom space as well.

For now I am not thrilled with their signage...just a sandwich-board on the sidewalk. 

It is a well appointed gallery space, though a bit crowded compared to some others. The SWFAL has a theme for their exhibits, which is posted at the entrance.

I am on their mailing list still, from when I was a member and volunteered to sit in the gallery in the Red House. So I'll include these two current postings they are offering:

Let Loose Tuesdays

 

Every Tuesday from 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM at the The Red House Gallery & Studios

Bring your favorite - or wannabe favorite - or not so favorite - or not new to you - medium & project, and create while you share space with other creative types. All mediums and projects welcome! Open to members and non-members!

 Fee: $5 per session, to cover classroom rent.

 See you there!! Coordinators: Ruth Duckworth (ruthjduckworth@gmail.com)

& Tina Kannapel (tinasstudio@yahoo.com)

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Open Studio

 

The Red House open studio is an ongoing event, offering members and other interested artists opportunities each week to draw and paint the live model.  

The model fee is $15.00

For more information, contact Fran Greenberg at greenbergfrances@yahoo.com

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I noticed these two programs are ongoing and open to artists who aren't members of SVFAL. 

Today's quote:

So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.

 -Immanuel Kant, philosopher ( 1724-1804)

Bugs and moths, oh my!

 A new exhibit is just opened at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. We went to the reception/opening last Friday. It included children's art, as well as a presentation on moth diversity by Lenny Lampel, a Natural Resources Supervisor with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s Division of Nature Preserves and Natural Resources in Charlotte, NC.

A beautifully crafted moth is climbing the windows of the director of BMCA. 

It was made by Teresa Cote'

The ceramic artist, Libba Tracy was the organizing force behind this exhibit about bugs.

I greatly enjoyed the wonderful refreshments. The cheese tray was decorated with little bugs made of food stuffs. Other pieces were offered, and a "return the bugs bowl" was available in case you decided to eat the part that wasn't bug.

Half the fun of being at these openings is meeting other Black Mountain and Asheville residents that we've known from other places.

I enjoyed seeing these two huge arrangements of real flowers. This one was on the food table. The other was centered in the room.

On this wall we could see the art done by school students. Very well done - topic being bugs!

On to the gallery! I was thrilled by this wonderful ceramic bust.

Ann Lutz just started being a fiber artist, and refuted the term artist. But I noticed her piece had sold!

An actual moth was pinned in this tray, with other natural artifacts.

I must admit to only taking a few photos of this exhibit. These struck my fancy. I'm sure some of the other paintings, drawings and mixed media creations would be as lovely to others.

We had really a wonderful evening to enjoy the balcony area and chat with  friends.

I'm very glad I attended the presentation also. There I learned that of all the Lepidoptera species, the taxonomy of only butterflies and skippers is just one of about two dozen, while all the rest are moths. 

Today's quote:

 "My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate." Thornton Wilder, American playwright and novelist (1897 - 1975)