other.

Monday, November 09, 2009

FUNNY or FOUL ?

does this toilette plaque make you laugh, or do you find it utterly disgusting ? personally, i think it is hilarious. why not send people into the bathroom with a sense of humor (they might need it in there) ?

i am having some fun with a new technique of making my own decals. it’s satisfying and i’m so inspired, but it involves more work, as it requires a THIRD firing. yes, a third time in the kiln for yet another chance for one MORE thing to go wrong !

there may be more of these plaques in the future (depending on the response), but for now there is only one available here.

toilette, toilette plaque

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

santa’s workshop is OPEN.

i know it is still october (barely), but santa’s workshop is definitely open . . . though the only elf is ME. i am doing a slue of shows this season and am trying to fill up my shelves NOW so that i can enjoy some spiked egg nog LATER. there will be a lot of new work, too, so stay tuned . . .

santa's workshop

Friday, October 23, 2009

inspiration.

today i found all of this broken glass on the street right outside of my studio. i was on my hands and knees picking them all up. i’m sure i looked like a homeless lady, BUT these colors and shapes were driving me wild. they were sparkling in the sun like beautiful little gems and i knew i had to have them.

(click on the image + scroll down to really see the beauty)

broken glass, gems, inspiration

Monday, October 12, 2009

so sweet.

i don’t always take on commission work for something i have never made before (especially something with a lid, ugh !) . . . but i imagined this one would turn out sweet. and i loved that this woman wanted a sugar bowl made for her husband, also very sweet. if i used sugar, i would surely make one of these for myself, BUT i am strictly a maple syrup kind of gal.

commission, sugar, sugar bowl

Monday, October 05, 2009

au revoir gourmet.

i am SICK to my stomach that GOURMET MAGAZINE is closing it’s doors. what is this world coming to? too much technology and not enough hands on tactility. we all need to continue buying real magazines before they become completely obsolete. there is nothing better than a chunky stack of magazines to thumb through, to smell, to touch, to read, to have forEVER. we are slowly becoming robots and i fear there is going to be a horrid backlash in our near future. let’s save ourselves !

GO BUY SOME MAGAZINES !

gourmet magazine

Saturday, October 03, 2009

o chamé + clay.

yesterday i had lunch at o chamé, one of my favorite restaurants ever. i had a gigantic bowl of soup with soba noodles and grilled oysters. it was so clean + pure + delicious . . . just like nectar of the GODS. and one of the best things about o chamé is that it is right down the street from our studio. and speaking of our studio, it’s the first saturday of the month, so we are OPEN all day.

come down and kill 2 birds with one stone. o chamé + 4th and clay.

(and we always have cookies to eat and dogs to pet).

fourth and clay, o chame, open studios

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

with a grain of salt.

salt’s profound impact on human civilization spans recorded history…..and precedes it.

kosher salt, sea salt, fleur de sel, rock salt, celtic salt, black salt, etc…..i love all salts.

here are some new salt bowls in my shop.

salt, salt bowls, salt cellars

Sunday, September 20, 2009

girl in hat.

i just purchased this oil painting in san luis obispo. i was instantly drawn to it, mesmerized even. i love her hat (i have one just like it) and i love the sparsity of her closet. i feel very attuned to this girl, and i am going to be happy to see her every day.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

the right tool.

i love old kitchen tools. they seem to be much higher in quality than tools of today and more earnest. i bought these tools at an antique store in san luis obispo. i am inspired by their shapes, their details, and their colours. plus they evoke a certain sense of nostalgia that makes me feel grounded.

Monday, September 14, 2009

the central valley.

yesterday we took the train from san francisco to san luis obispo. it was stunningly beautiful. the central valley is extraordinarily picturesque from the train perspective. picture. postcard. perfect.

it makes me proud to be a central valley girl.

Friday, September 11, 2009

home sweet home.

even though i had a great month in vermont, i am glad to be home and sleeping in my own bed.

there is no place like home.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

nothing to laugh about.

i LOVE fake teeth. i think they make everybody laugh and are a good mood booster. but right now, nothing can get me to laugh. i am having the HUGEST glaze problem that i have ever had. i am getting tiny bubbles and blisters on the entire piece and i can’t figure out why. i’ve done 4 firings in my test kiln (5th one firing now) and all have been the same. it’s as if someone sprinkled sand on the entire piece. and this is the same method, the same clay and the same glaze i’ve been using for 15 years. i tried a new batch of glaze, changed the brush, applied a thinner coat of glaze, made sure there was no dust on the bisque ware, and still BAD. very bad. i’m at my wits end. and i’ve ruined a lot of custom orders . . . please bear with me. if i can’t solve this problem, i may have to change careers. no joke.

any ideas anyone?