500 Judaica - Lark Books

For my friends who are not craftspersons, Lark Books publishes books about crafts, home decorating, cooking, and outdoor living. They publish a series called the "500 Series", which are books that have a theme and present 500 examples of that theme. 500, Bowls, 500 Mugs, 500 Wooden Boxes, etc. Among potters and other clay artists, having a piece or pieces represented in one of these books, is an accomplishment.

Last year Lark call for entries for a 500 Judaica Book, to be published this Fall. I submitted 7 pieces for consideration, and I was notified today that 5 of them will appear in the publication.

Thanks to Marian Parkes and Joy Tanner for the fabulous photographs, the quality of which, I am sure, had more than a little to do with the entries being chosen.

This is a good day!!!

Sweet Home, Chicago!!

On my way to Chicago for a week. An all Judaica Show there over the weekend. I hope there is no more snow. Catch you on the flipside, unless you find me on Twitter @oyclaypotter.

Where have you been?

Bought clay. Measured, wedged, rolled and balled clay. Threw and built clay. Dried clay (but not too dry). Carved, stamped, and marked clay. Dried clay (very dry). Loaded clay into kiln, fired clay, cooled clay, unloaded bisque. Repeated.

Waxed bisque. Dry wax. Brushed bisque. Applied oxides to bisque. Glazed Bisque. Dried. Packed bisque (very gently) Schlepped to kiln. With the help of friends: Unpacked bisque (very gently). Loaded bisque.

Now: Firing bisque.

Next: Cool. Unload pottery. Pack pottery (very carefully) . Schlep pottery home. Unload pottery. Photograph pottery. Inventory pottery. Price pottery. Repack pottery (very carefully). Load pottery into car. Drive pottery 675 miles to Deerfield, Illinois. Unload car. Set up display. Unpack pottery and place on display. Sell, sell, sell. Sleep. Sell, sell sell. Sleep. Sell, sell, sleep.

Either 1) load empty crates in to car and drive home. OR 2) pack remaining pots. Load car and drive home.

Remembering

Today, at 10:45 a.m. I finished 59 years of living. As I head into my 60th year, I remember a conversation I had with my dad as he approached his 60th birthday. I was 27, it was the late 70's and I was still in the "don't trust anyone over 30" frame of mind, and was quickly becoming irrelevant, by that standard.

"Dad, what's it feel like, being sixty?, I asked. "I mean, are you scared?" He thought a moment and smiled, "Not when I consider the alternative."

While I've heard similar sentiments since then, I thought, at the time, that my father was so pragmatic and so profound at the same time. Still do.

Faces

Started a new class yesterday called making faces. Recently, I have started sculpting figures and was having trouble with the faces, in particular. I started a couple of heads, but then had trouble with the eyes, in particular. Let's be clear, I need instruction on the whole body and face but these, with the hands, are particularly difficult for me as evidenced by the photos.

Oh, I almost forgot the ears, wow. I really need this class.

Anyway, I have a lot to learn, but I do love the process.

Studio cleaning today. I have a large half kiln to fill mid February, and I am way behind. So, off to the studio.

New Year Gregorian

If one is Jewish, there are several New Year celebrations each year. The actual beginning of the lunar Hebrew calendar is the month of Nissan, the month in which Passover occurs. The time of beginnings, Spring. Then there is Rosh Hashanah, which means, "Head of the Year", which occurs in the fall, on the new moon of Tishre, the 7th month. This Holy Day celebrates the "Genesis" of the earth, which, according to calculations made from the Torah (however inaccurate), was 5770 years ago. We also celebrate the Anniversary of the Treesor First Fruits.

It is only in the Diaspora that the Gregorian New Year is recognized. It is one of those things that we accept as "strangers" in another culture. Pope Gregory moved the New Year to January ( a relatively new month to the calendar at the time)from March after about 1,000 years of dispute about whether the birth (set in December instead of July/August which is probably more accurate) or the resurrection of Jesus should start the year.

I write these things to discuss the illusion of time and the individual importance of the way it passes.

'It Shoulda Been Me' Revised

Woke up this morning
It's Christmas Day
I opened the cupboard
to put Kline away
and right there in front
Just happened to sit
In all of its glory
An oil spot Britt

'It shoulda been me
instead of the Kline
It shoulda been me
While you reclined
It shoulda been me
Full of Christmas wine'

Then came a rumble
from way in the back
Things started to tumble
and started to crack
A Sheehan and Copus
were charging ahead
It was hard to focus
When one of them said,

'It shoulda been me
instead of the Kline
It shoulda been me
While you reclined
It shoulda been me
Full of Christmas wine'

Now Sheehan you know
you're better for brew,
Theriault is for lemonade,
Tinnaro is too
Britt is for chocolate,
coffee and tea
A Tanner for soup,
or stew with no beef

But when I'm reclining
And drinking my wine
Nothing compares
to the feel of a Kline.