Tenmoku Glazed Jar

I got this urn back from the college, I nearly forgot about it. I was exploring the idea of making a creamatory urns when this one was born. I don't know who it would be for but I saw some on line and thought that they were quite dreadful, no pun intended of course. I'll hang on to this until I decide if I'll be cremated or not. I'm sort of liking the idea, well, not "liking" it but liking it in comparison to other choices. Being of good Scandinavian stock (thanks dad) a dramatic ship burning would be quite an ending too! Meanwhile back at the pottery, I'll keep this one as an ideal!

The Saori Bridges of Elm Park

I've started my banner. If it's truly a zen banner it won't matter too much if the width is off by about 1/2" will it? I hope not. Warping this yarn was a dream, I never knew it could be so quick and painless. I am supposed to use about 6 threads per inch so I put on my 8 dent reed and threaded it 0111, 0111; that should do the trick.

Trying to be so free and clever is backfiring on me, I don't like my experiments, but that's good to know...I won't be so cute on other projects since it looks....hmmm,....let's just say "bad". Then I hit upon this real happy, homey Swedish or at least Scandinavian color thing that appealed to me. Modern and hip? No. Feel good? Yes! I'm putting nubbies on it and all sorts of crazy stuff, and its all good! Well, fun anyway!

Saori Weaving

Saori weaving is weaving without mistakes, I have also seen it described as zen art weaving dedicated to self expression. This caught my eye quite a while back when I was first learning to warp my loom and stumble along with my weaving; I failed to see the errors as shameful. Saori is: do what you want, make your own rules kind of weaving. Right up my alley.

Next project - nothing but exploration by making a large banner to hang in Worcester, Massachusetts as part of a public art project late this summer.

I copied this excerpt from the Facebook page of Saori Bridges of Elm Park:

This is a "project to hang the 2 beautiful historic bridges of Worcester. MA's Elm Park August 25-29, 2010, with 64 Saori banners hand-woven by people from everywhere! We are promoting this recipe for peace in our community: Creativity, Cooperation, Contribution! Won't you please encourage the volunteer weavers and others who are Contributing their Creativity to this Cooperative art installation?"

This will be fun and liberating, I'm going primary with yellow, blue and red, that's as far as I've planned. I'll use synthetic yarn so that it will hold up to the elements and be colorfast.

The other thing that caught my attention was the fact that Worcester, MA., was the birthplace of my 5th gr. grandfather. Well...he was born in; Brookfield, Worcester County, MA. Makes it more funner to participate knowing that! Yes, Lt. Benjamin Gilbert and his wife, Esther Perkins are both buried there, I wonder if they are still there. Buried there I mean, it was a long time ago of course; the late 1700's. San Francisco dug up all their graves and dumped those dead people and coffins and tombstones out near me, there aren't any graveyards in San Francisco. Only the living are allowed there I guess. Anyhoo, is it really pronounced wuster? I've heard of wuster, MA but never knew it might be Worcester....unless I start thinking about Worcestershire sauce and how I pronounce that.

P.S. I got the image of the hands weaving from this website:http://www.stfrancishouse.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Rehab_ExpTher_Saori

Happy creating.

Big Daddy Spacecraft

Big Daddy has the coordinates for Area 51 stamped into his leg, he has 3 eyes, from one direction 2 eyes look happy and then turn him a bit and the middle and right eye look mean....later you'll see what I mean. Funny but mamma spacecraft has eyes all around her, how appropriate!

They Come In Peace

It's a spacecraft people, no need to panic. First I threw 2 bowl shapes, let 'em dry a bit, smacked 'em together rim to rim and viola a space ship. Very crazy and fun. This is the mother ship, she'll be blue--ish.

I was encouraged to explore throwing large forms and combining them for even larger forms. I didn't know this would happen but it did.