Hollyworld: teapots

Monday, November 18, 2019

So there's a chance I'm a geek.

Burlon Craig Swirl Teapot

Now, my kids would assure you that there's more than just a chance, but I've long held out hope they were wrong. Until after reading four books for an upcoming 10 minute presentation, reading a bunch of articles and an hour-long video, I realized I had another book on my shelf and picked it up and gleefully started reading it.

Do you think there's a chance that five book's might be overkill for a ten minute presentation? LOL (If my kids are reading this they're nodding.)

But here's the thing, the subject is fascinating.

My teapots.

I talked about my report in my last post. Burlon Craig. He had a long career and shaped an entire region's worth of potters. All this reading about Catawba potters led me to experimenting with alkaline glazes in class this term. And I'm planning to try swirling clay someday soon.

My Barn (well and Himself's)

My presentation is coming up and I swear I'm going to try to keep it at that ten minutes, but it's going to be tough. (To Any Fellow Student...I do promise to try! LOL) And after that, my term is over. I have one more term of ceramics. I'm only the second person in my professor's career to have a third independent study in his class. And I feel a bit panicked because there's so much more to learn and I'm not going to fit enough in just one more term.

But there's also a sense of excitement. When this term's over, I should have my own studio up and running in the back of the barn.

Speaking of excitement, I unloaded three kilns this weekend for the class. It was fun watching the kids' pieces come out and it was like Christmas whenever I pulled out one of mine!

Yes, I'm afraid my kids are right...I'm a geek. But hey, I'm okay with that! I find such glee in all the little things in life. And maybe I go overboard on a ten minute presentation, but I learned a lot with all this reading.

I'll let you in on a secret...finding things that inspire you to go into overdrive mode might be a ticket to never getting old!

Holly

PS My Hometown Hearts series is starts in January! The first book, Crib Notes, is available for preorder now! I hope you'll pick up your copy! (The first chapter is available as a sample at iBooks.) I'd really appreciate your support with a preorder! Each one gives my book a bit more visibility!

Amazon Nook iBooks Kobo

PPS Today's Trippin' with Holly and Susan video really ties into this blog post. If you've missed it, check it out! And if you follow me at YouTube, you'll get alerts whenever a new episode is uploaded!

Thursday, January 17, 2019

A Day of Beauty—Pottery

Another day...another day of beauty. This time the pottery edition.

By now, I think most of you know I went back to school last year (my brother assures me that no one can miss my pottery posts and pics on social media). I take one class a term. I'm started my 4th class this week—they've all be ceramics. Since I started taking classes, I've started looking at the world through new eyes. I think I see more. I notice texture and shape. I notice beauty. I really don't have to proclaim a day of beauty. I think most days have some bit of it, if you only stop to look. But when I looked, today was especially beautiful.

I've been talking to a lovely lady about Rob Bernard. I did a report on him and blogged about him last year. I find his art fascinating. As we spoke, I realized what a gift these ceramic classes have been. The classes have impacted my writing and my day-to-day life.

On the heels of that conversation, I ran up the studio and stopped in at The Cumming's Gallery. There's a great exhibit right now by Thomas Hubert. I love how he combines wood and ceramics. I love how he plays with unusual forms and some very large forms.

His large teapots are so much fun to study. Teapots were first made in ancient China and while most people just microwave a cup of tea, they're still a classic ceramic form. (I don't microwave cups...I brew pots.) And sometimes, like Hubert's, they're not classic, instead they're unique, bold, big and narrative. my one teapot was definitely more narrative than functional. though I'm planning to make a functional one soon.

Beauty. It's everywhere. It's in an art gallery, but I also find it when I'm walking in the morning, or sitting by the fireplace on a winter evening. It's in a good book, or... Well, you get the point!

I hope as you go about your day, you find it's filled with beauty!

Holly

(You can read some of my other Days of Beauty here.)