Challenges

My new photo challenge is to get a photo of Abby and her Big Bro together - a good one! It is hard to get a pic of Abby, she moves too much, or she wants the camera so she can see pics of the "baby", but both of them together will be even more challenging. I want her to "remember" her brother when she is older. Poor Abby has been very sick, so she looks a bit disheveled.

My other challenge is creating an entry for the Crab Fest Art Show. Hopefully I don't blow this one one, f-up the glaze, etc. It looks a little strange right now with the underglazes on it, but the whole piece will be covered in a blue glaze and the underglazes blend in. I wish I would have taken a pic sans the underglaze. When pieces are leatherhard is when I like them the best - so supple.

It's a large piece. Shawen calls it somethjing like a big monster. When Peter saw it the other day he also remarked how large it was. Hopefully people see more to it than that! I have poured about 40 hours into this piece all-in-all. It is an "Octopus' Garden", where I also would like to be. Thanks John.
Of course I can't just make one piece, I have to make an entire kiln load. I made some votives, what will be corked jars, and a few large, simple bowls.
If I look tired it is because I am! I have also been sick, but I keep pushing myself.

Yesterday I traveled out to Port Lions village for a meeting. The school, where I was most of the day, is quite nice and deluxe for the 30ish students. I am not sure what "village" life is like. It looks like it might be nice, but then again, maybe not enough to do? Of course all I like to do is go the beach, go on walks, yoga, and pottery, so....what would I be missing? Well, in Alaska I am missing warm weather, so I see no Alaskan village life in store for me. There are parallels to any other small village though, which is where I ultimately want to be - a lot of the food is subsitence, a lot comes by plane or boat, goods also by plane or boat, hmm, yep, unless you're making/getting it locally everything would have to be shipped, but is that much different from going to Wal-Mart? It's just shipped directly, at a much higher cost. Why do I need so much stuff anyway?

I will be visiting Ouzinkie for just one day, and Old Harbor for three days, so perhaps I will get a taste of what living in such a small community is like. I imagine it is similar to like living in Mt. Adams or South Park, but then there's nothing beyond South Park or Mt. Adams, so you would have much less contact with people outside of South Park and you'd be stuck with all the same people that are in South Park, for better or worse!

I went to Port Lions to facilitate the return of human remains to the Native Village of Port Lions for reburial. I have been working on NAGPRA and the Kodiak Alutiiq Reptration Commission for several years now, so it will be a good day to see these people reburied.

Fond memories of Kodiak

When I look back on Kodiak there are several distinct memories I will have.  You wonder why I am thinking of fond memories of Kodiak now, when I am still here? Perhaps it is the additional snow we received that is making me yearn for warmer places - my mind is definitely there.  

Of course I will think of baby Abby, here asleep on my teddy bear.

The majestic dumpster chicken visiting our yard.

Spending time on the beach and going on walks.

And of course pottery, the "what do I do inside?" hobby.

Slushy goodness

It is a snow-rain mix today, which creates a gel-like coating on the ground. It's fun to walk through!

I sent the above bowl and jewelry to be auctioned off at WSU's Arts Gala, but the bowl broke in transit. It had a design from the terracotta on the Miami Hotel, which is no longer in Dayton, but in the dump, scattered in my parents yard....When it got demolished we would go late at night and collect pieces. They finally put a fence around the site and we got caught inside the fence. Rather than scurry away, my mom boldly went up to the guy, pointed to a piece of Greek Key terracotta under the large track loader, and said, we want that. After some discussion (I had long since split), I think he said something about wearing hard hats, we left. The next day the piece, although somewhat smaller and broken since the loader ran over it, was sitting by the fence.

I began pottery again. Been cleaning the garage for the past few weeks and last night I did a warm-up throwing session. I am trying to get a "masterpiece" done for Crab Fest. That's soon! Too soon to maybe make a whole kiln-load?