Roadside Flowers

These little darlings are my new favorite roadside flower. They are small in size and pink lavender in color (they look more blue than they truly are on my monitor). I especially like the sharpness of the four petal tips. 

New Treasures

These magazines were purchased the other week at Carolina Clay Connection in Charlotte. They include articles by Molly Hatch and Shoko Teruyama about their forming and surface decorating techniques. I am most interested in trying mishima, a traditional Korean slip-inlay technique that Molly Hatch uses. I could then draw on clay with fine lines resembling pencil or pen marks on paper. I love the motifs that Shoko scratches into the white slip (a technique termed sgraffito). Both ladies utilize translucent colored glazes over their images. 

Turning 10 and playing with clay

Yesterday I hosted a birthday party for 10 year old Emily at the new Mud Slingers location. There were 13 girls including the birthday girl and older sister (who also had her birthday celebration at Mud Slingers!). We made "tube vases," using paper towel and toilet paper roles to form the shape. The ladies were a rambunctious group, but all went smoothly. After everyone went their separate ways, the new and larger studio was quiet as I cleaned the equipment, broke down tables, and wedged up scrap clay. I really enjoy this work of helping construct an event, but it's just not the party part. It's the urgent sense of making sure everything is prepared, the loud celebration, and the serene after math. I am in the center of attention for a moment when attempting to give clear and concise directions, but then, I am allowed to be a fly on the wall as I watch the quirks and joys of being a birthday girl play out. Yesterday, I gained a bit of hope and was reminded that I might really like teaching middle schoolers science, and that I'm not just biding my time until I can move on to do pottery full-time. 

Brickmakers of Afghanistan

Afghan brickmakers video

Cows & Hens

A couple of our hens were digging and pecking away at the dirt and grass on a sunny day this weekend. The cows in the neighboring field were congregating under an abandoned trailer in hopes of finding some relief from the afternoon sun.

Cordyceps fungi

This is the latest awesome video posted on the Science Friday Blog. There is also a neat video on mudskippers from a few days ago that's worth checking out: Mudskipper video.




The first bisque firing was a success! I could barely sleep last night. I woke up several times in hopes that I would be able to witness the peak temperature for cone 05 (1881 degrees F). The electric kiln is not as exciting and active as an anagama firing, but nevertheless, really exciting! Glaze load, coming up next!

Identifying wildflowers

I was excited to identify a flower I photographed last spring in the Wildflower book I borrowed from the library. The common name for the white flower below is Rue Anemone and is in the Ranunculaceae family (which is the same as buttercups). 

Also, I remembered that I had looked up the blue flower on my blog header before, Speedwell or Veronica. They are in the Scrophulariaceae family, as are Indian Paint Brush. 

I enjoy knowing the true names of plants I encounter. Remembering their names feels as good as remembering a person's name that you've met before and being able to address them properly. 

Thalictrum thalictroides (L.) Boivin

Veronica persica Poiret

Woodfired bottle

This is a small bottle that potter, Alex Matisse, fired in his new wood kiln in Madison county, NC. Not only is the form and surface beautiful, the handles give the bottle an interesting edge. The round holes in the handles can be viewed from the given angle and draw you in. To me, almost like you are able to see multiple dimensions at once. The piece activates my curiosity and I long to pick it up and hold it in my hands. This guy throws some amazing pots.

Early Spring Starts

We have begun constructing some more raised beds, visiting the Barrier's for cow manure, and planting seeds indoors. Some of the tomato varieties have sprouted along with the lettuce, peas, and lacinato kale. I have also started some nasturtium, calendula, and pepper seeds which have yet to peak their way out of the soil. The daffodils planted in our garden near 601 have multiplied. We dug up some bulbs down at a creek off of highway 601 a few years ago and they're makin' it. I'm shoveling manure, reading about sedimentary rocks, preparing inquiry activities about the cycling of matter, and throwing clay. It seems that dirt has filtered into every facet of my life, and I love it.