Hello Everyone,
I am happy to say I made it home safe and sound on Thursday afternoon, It took 3 trains, two cab rides, two car rides one trans-European flight and another trans-Atlantic flight to return me back to New Hampshire. I have to say I was sad to go as I have really grown to enjoy living in Wales with Phil, Lynne, Libby and Tess. On Monday night we had a little party with many of the Roger's friends I have gotten to know during my stay. Lynne and I baked all day and made loads of yummy foods. I learned how to made Christmas pudding and Welsh Cakes amongst other things. It was a really nice to see everyone and enjoy good food and drink.
On Tuesday Phil had to drop some pots off at a gallery that was a few hours away. It was quite posh riding in his leather, heated seats. Lynne bought me some Welsh wool yarn so I knitted all the way there. Its surprising how some galleries have such badly done art in them. The one we went to in particular was just awful. There was some nice stuff but there was just some wretched paintings and 3-d things that were grossly overpriced. It makes me wonder how one can have a gallery if one's eye cannot spot horrible pieces. It led to some interesting discussion and more learning experiences for me. Its too bad because it was a lovely space in a a nice area.
Wednesday was the day I left. I packed real quick and got all my stuff ready. Phil and Lynne loaded me up with gifts. I packed my Christmas pudding that weighed about 3.5 pounds-its quite a dense dessert. I also brought another British tradition to America- Christmas Crackers. They are these paper things that have two long ends. 2 people each hold an end and you pull. There is a prize inside with a funny hat. Also, there is some kind of mechanism inside that makes a loud "BANG". I brought a bunch home and thought it would be fun to make my family wear dorky hats. Phil says I should market them in the US as they have the potential to make millions. After big hugs and goodbyes Lynne drove me to the train station at Caeswrs. We made it just in time for me to hop on the train.
About two hours later I was in Birmingham. After another train switch I called a taxi which had difficulty finding the bed and breakfast I was staying at. Eventually he got his bearings and delivered me safely there. The B&B was bit odd because it was this old Irishman whose house I had to walk through to get to my room. Needless to say, it was clean, warm and had a TV so I could watch my last episode of Coronation Street. I went to bed early and rose at 4am. A taxi picked me up at 5-he also had a hard time finding the B&B. My plane left at 6:30 am. A 55 minute flight landed me in Paris where I had a layover of several hours. They had these really nice squishy leather chairs that were by a wall of sunny windows. I got comfortable there and knitted for a while. After finally boarding the plane which was huge, we sat on the ground for about an hour. That flight lasted six hours. I sat next to this elderly couple who spoke French. The woman kept trying to talk to me. Although her English was better than my French, I couldn't make heads or tails of what she was saying. I just kept nodding and saying Yes. When we finally touched down in Boston it was snowing and there were a few feet of snow on the ground. It took a while to get through customs and baggage claim. I saw my mom right away and was able to sneak up on my dad from behind and give him a big bear hug. I was completely knackered but very glad to see them and be back home. When we pulled into the driveway my sisters, Kristen and Hannah were jumping up and down on the front porch standing behind a snow woman they made for me. Its nice to have a big family. Today I'll be going Christmas shopping with Kristen. Keep checking my web albums for pictures of the igniting of the Christmas pudding and Crackers. I hope you all have a very happy Christmas (or Hanukkah). I will return to Wales January 22 so you can expect my weekly updates to start again. Until then, Happy Holidays everyone!
Take care,
Kari
http://picasaweb.google.com/nhthrower
http://kariinwales.blogspot.com/
Friday, 21 December 2007
Home again!
Sunday, 16 December 2007
Week Eleven
Hello Everyone,
I'm typing this email with Libby snuggled up next to me on the couch. She is such an affectionate dog with a very distinct personality. She'll scoot up next to me and lay her head right in my lap. I made some whole wheat dog biscuits for her and Tess yesterday in the shape of mini Christmas trees. They seem to like them a lot. This was my last full week in
This week Phil worked hard on some big two part bottles plus some smaller things. Towards the end of the week his shoulder was really bothering him so he decided to give the larger things a break until after Christmas. On Wednesday, Lynne and I had a girl's day out. We went to Hay-on-Wye which is a great village with tons of bookshops and other small stores. It is very quaint with winding alleys and mossy rooftops. We met up with Pauline who is one of the women Lynne went to NYC with. She is a funny lady. She used to be an actress and worked in tv for a while. She eventually found pottery and still makes things. Pauline's daughter Rachel stopped by with her three year old son and we all had lunch at this great pub that was in a very old building. After we finished eating we wandered around because it was not busy. The upstairs was a large room partitioned into two spaces by a large fireplace. The building caught fire in the early 1900's but they managed to save most of the original beams. It was a lovely place. I had a great time in Hay. I found some good pottery books and bought a few Christmas presents. There was a big old castle in the middle of the village. I could have spent a few days there just looking around.
On the way home we stopped ]to buy a Christmas tree. Lynne bought a small one that was potted. This way, they can plant it when Christmas is over instead of just throwing it away. I liked that idea. We decorated it on Friday. Lynne has a lovely garland with painted eggs she bought in
Phil's new car got delivered on Friday. It is a 2004 model with low mileage and all the bells and whistles. The only problem with it is that the seat does not go back as far as his old one did. Being 6'5" he has trouble getting comfortable in the driver's seat. Besides that it is very good. There was a little lantern parade in town on Friday night but I was feeling a bit ill so I did not go. One of the customers who came to the Christmas Sale invited us to her house for a little pre-Christmas party on Saturday. We carpooled with Pam and Jeremy, the neighbors who have the horses. It was a little awkward as most of the people were new to Lynne and Phil and almost all new to me. Lynne says I must be going a bit stir-crazy being around older people all the time. It is true that I have not met any young people in Rhayader.
We did not stay at the party too late because we had to be home in time to watch The X-Factor and Strictly Come Dancing, the British equivalents of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. It was the finale for X-Factor where the winner would get chosen. It was between three artists-a brother/sister duo from
Tomorrow I am going to learn how to make Christmas pudding. It is a steamed cake with lots of dried fruit and raisins inside. Right before you eat it, you soak it with brandy and light it on fire-a pyromaniac's dessert! Tomorrow night Lynne organized a little get together with their friends to sort of send me off with warm wishes. It should be a nice time. There will be about ten people coming. I did some baking today to get ready for it.
This week the house has thrown some problems our way. The roof was leaking into Lynne's office. Andy the builder who did all the kitchen renovations had to crawl up into the attic through my room to inspect it. After climbing onto the roof he found one of the roof tiles had a hole in it. The next day, the shower stopped working. Andy came by again and discovered the shower pump was broken. I think he will come by tomorrow to put in a new pump. In the meantime I've had to take baths. Its been absolutely horrible having to soak in hot water in a tub that's so big it could qualify as a small swimming pool. I love taking baths. Poor Lynne and Phil; I guess its all part of owning and maintaining a very elderly house. Anyway, I will write again in mid-week to tell you about the rest of my journey.
Take care,
Kari
PS- I only have two words this week
Baubles- Christmas ornaments
Faf- a big elaborate or tedious task
Monday, 10 December 2007
Week Ten
Hello Everyone,
What a windy, rainy week we've had here in Mid Wales! The same weather I described from last weekend persisted through the whole of this week. The fields are like soggy swamps with watery veins running through every wrinkle and dip of the hills. Small rivers appeared and the wind blew fiercely. At night the wind howled and pressed against the house. I told Phil it was a good thing the house had lasted over 500 years because that meant it could withstand some wind.A spectacular thing about all this rain is that I've witnessed the clearest, brightest rainbows I've ever seen in my life. You can watch them appear, dissolve and reappear in another spot within a matter of minutes. Since the sky is so open, one can see an entire panorama of the sky. Clouds, rainbows and sun create ethereal paintings which shift and morph all the time. The pictures I take don't do it justice. Sometimes when I come in from the workshop between 5-6 pm it is so dark outside I can't even see my hand in front of my face. There is no light pollution to illuminate the sky and the night is like a heavy, black curtain. The stars always look lovely though. Phil had a very productive week in the workshop. He made quite a few yunomis, bowls and guinomis. He even made some sizable bowls that he decorated with slip. He is a very determined guy and presses on working even though its clear he is in pain. He will have some physical therapy this week which I hope helps his recovery quicken. He still has pain in his shoulders and his foot.We partially loaded a bisque kiln which freed up some space in the workshop for new things. He has a new car getting delivered later on this week. He swears that his last car, a Honda CRV, is the reason he's still alive. He would not consider buying another type of car. It sounds quite posh with a leather interior and heated seats. I told Phil we should take a road trip when it comes. I tried a few new things this week with my own work. Faceting is a technique where you remove flat strips of clay off the pot with a tool like a cheese cutter. It makes flat sides all around the form. Although I learned how to do it in college, I never applied it to my own work. Phil facets a lot of his pots and I think being surrounded by them constantly made me more aware of the technique and the wheels started turning. I mentioned trying it out to Phil and he said, "That is one of the important questions- What if?" I tried it out on some small bowls and I quite like it. I tend to throw thin so it is a challenge throwing thicker. If you make the walls too thin, when you slice away the clay it will cut a big hole in the side. I also tried throwing with feldspar in the clay. I wedged (similar to kneading bread dough) feldspar gravel into soft clay and made some bowls with it. In the firing the feldspar melts creating white pearly bits in the clay. Some people who use this technique, throw with pretty big chunks of feldspar rock which I think would hurt your hands. It was fun to experiment with these techniques...we'll see how they turn out in the kiln. On Thursday Phil had to run some errands in a place called Leominster about an hour away. I walked around some shops while waiting for him. When he was done, we went in a charity shop (thrift store) because he always looks for old pots and glass bottles, etc. I had visited it before while waiting for him but did not see anything too interesting. The second time I went in with Phil I spied a small slipware dish with a cricket ball in it. I reached for it saying, "Oh, what's this". Phil said, "Looks like a horrible piece of slipware". When I flipped it over it had a WP stamp in it which stands for Winchcombe Pottery, a well-known English pottery started by Michael Cardew ( http://www.winchcombepottery.co.uk/). It is still in existence today. Ray Finch, one of the earliest workers there, still makes pots although he is over 90 years old! Phil said it was the first time he had ever found pottery from a renowned place in a charity shop. It only cost 99 pence (just over $2). It is not the best pot but it was very exciting to find it. It is a small, flat dish with cream and brown slip "quilling". Quilling is a technique kind of like marbling where a quill is dragged through wet slip to make a pattern. Phil guesses it may have been used for putting underneath a plant pot to catch the water. He thinks it was made by Sidney Tustin, one of the original potters at Winchcombe. It is said Tustin made over a million pots while at Winchcombe. What a great souvenir! When we got home I looked in the books he had about Winchcombe and I learned about Sidney and the pottery. It is so exciting to think about the history behind pots. Yesterday looked like it was going to be a nice sunny day so I went for a walk up the lane towards a trail I had seen during a morning run. I met some friendly horses who probably thought I had some nibbles for them. I think they belonged to the neighbors. It started off quite lovely with parts of the sky bright blue with puffy clouds. Other parts of the sky were dark blue like a bruise and quite menacing. Sometimes a little spot of sun would alight a single hill in the distance making it bright yellowy green. I saw a really vibrant rainbow, almost florescent, on a faraway hill. As I watched it, another appeared next to it. It was so beautiful. Slowly the bright blue sky got grayer and grayer and the rain came in. I kept walking because I thought it would pass. You know that saying "If you don't like the weather in New England, wait 5 minutes and it will change"? Well,that can be true in Wales as well. The rain drops got bigger and the wind became quite strong. I thought it might pass so I ducked into a small grove of evergreens with some sheep who eyed me suspiciously. The rain did not lessen and the path I was on had very dark clouds ahead. I reluctantly decided to head back. When I got back to the house Phil said it had not rained there at all. Oh, the volatile and dramatic weather of Wales... I learned how to make rice pudding this weekend. It is a very British dessert and quite delicious. I wonder if I can get pudding rice in America? I think Phil is over in the workshop so I'd better go and see if he needs some help! I hope you are all healthy and well. Until next week...
Take care,
Kari
http://picasaweb.google.com/nhthrower
http://kariinwales.blogspot.com/
PS- Words of the week are cookery book- cook book
Presi- Present
Post- mail something
Nutter- crazy person
A Tip- a mess
Mac- raincoat
Skip- big dumpster
Pensioner- old person
Bird- woman
Gibbons- scallions
What a windy, rainy week we've had here in Mid Wales! The same weather I described from last weekend persisted through the whole of this week. The fields are like soggy swamps with watery veins running through every wrinkle and dip of the hills. Small rivers appeared and the wind blew fiercely. At night the wind howled and pressed against the house. I told Phil it was a good thing the house had lasted over 500 years because that meant it could withstand some wind.A spectacular thing about all this rain is that I've witnessed the clearest, brightest rainbows I've ever seen in my life. You can watch them appear, dissolve and reappear in another spot within a matter of minutes. Since the sky is so open, one can see an entire panorama of the sky. Clouds, rainbows and sun create ethereal paintings which shift and morph all the time. The pictures I take don't do it justice. Sometimes when I come in from the workshop between 5-6 pm it is so dark outside I can't even see my hand in front of my face. There is no light pollution to illuminate the sky and the night is like a heavy, black curtain. The stars always look lovely though. Phil had a very productive week in the workshop. He made quite a few yunomis, bowls and guinomis. He even made some sizable bowls that he decorated with slip. He is a very determined guy and presses on working even though its clear he is in pain. He will have some physical therapy this week which I hope helps his recovery quicken. He still has pain in his shoulders and his foot.We partially loaded a bisque kiln which freed up some space in the workshop for new things. He has a new car getting delivered later on this week. He swears that his last car, a Honda CRV, is the reason he's still alive. He would not consider buying another type of car. It sounds quite posh with a leather interior and heated seats. I told Phil we should take a road trip when it comes. I tried a few new things this week with my own work. Faceting is a technique where you remove flat strips of clay off the pot with a tool like a cheese cutter. It makes flat sides all around the form. Although I learned how to do it in college, I never applied it to my own work. Phil facets a lot of his pots and I think being surrounded by them constantly made me more aware of the technique and the wheels started turning. I mentioned trying it out to Phil and he said, "That is one of the important questions- What if?" I tried it out on some small bowls and I quite like it. I tend to throw thin so it is a challenge throwing thicker. If you make the walls too thin, when you slice away the clay it will cut a big hole in the side. I also tried throwing with feldspar in the clay. I wedged (similar to kneading bread dough) feldspar gravel into soft clay and made some bowls with it. In the firing the feldspar melts creating white pearly bits in the clay. Some people who use this technique, throw with pretty big chunks of feldspar rock which I think would hurt your hands. It was fun to experiment with these techniques...we'll see how they turn out in the kiln. On Thursday Phil had to run some errands in a place called Leominster about an hour away. I walked around some shops while waiting for him. When he was done, we went in a charity shop (thrift store) because he always looks for old pots and glass bottles, etc. I had visited it before while waiting for him but did not see anything too interesting. The second time I went in with Phil I spied a small slipware dish with a cricket ball in it. I reached for it saying, "Oh, what's this". Phil said, "Looks like a horrible piece of slipware". When I flipped it over it had a WP stamp in it which stands for Winchcombe Pottery, a well-known English pottery started by Michael Cardew ( http://www.winchcombepottery.co.uk/). It is still in existence today. Ray Finch, one of the earliest workers there, still makes pots although he is over 90 years old! Phil said it was the first time he had ever found pottery from a renowned place in a charity shop. It only cost 99 pence (just over $2). It is not the best pot but it was very exciting to find it. It is a small, flat dish with cream and brown slip "quilling". Quilling is a technique kind of like marbling where a quill is dragged through wet slip to make a pattern. Phil guesses it may have been used for putting underneath a plant pot to catch the water. He thinks it was made by Sidney Tustin, one of the original potters at Winchcombe. It is said Tustin made over a million pots while at Winchcombe. What a great souvenir! When we got home I looked in the books he had about Winchcombe and I learned about Sidney and the pottery. It is so exciting to think about the history behind pots. Yesterday looked like it was going to be a nice sunny day so I went for a walk up the lane towards a trail I had seen during a morning run. I met some friendly horses who probably thought I had some nibbles for them. I think they belonged to the neighbors. It started off quite lovely with parts of the sky bright blue with puffy clouds. Other parts of the sky were dark blue like a bruise and quite menacing. Sometimes a little spot of sun would alight a single hill in the distance making it bright yellowy green. I saw a really vibrant rainbow, almost florescent, on a faraway hill. As I watched it, another appeared next to it. It was so beautiful. Slowly the bright blue sky got grayer and grayer and the rain came in. I kept walking because I thought it would pass. You know that saying "If you don't like the weather in New England, wait 5 minutes and it will change"? Well,that can be true in Wales as well. The rain drops got bigger and the wind became quite strong. I thought it might pass so I ducked into a small grove of evergreens with some sheep who eyed me suspiciously. The rain did not lessen and the path I was on had very dark clouds ahead. I reluctantly decided to head back. When I got back to the house Phil said it had not rained there at all. Oh, the volatile and dramatic weather of Wales... I learned how to make rice pudding this weekend. It is a very British dessert and quite delicious. I wonder if I can get pudding rice in America? I think Phil is over in the workshop so I'd better go and see if he needs some help! I hope you are all healthy and well. Until next week...
Take care,
Kari
http://picasaweb.google.com/nhthrower
http://kariinwales.blogspot.com/
PS- Words of the week are cookery book- cook book
Presi- Present
Post- mail something
Nutter- crazy person
A Tip- a mess
Mac- raincoat
Skip- big dumpster
Pensioner- old person
Bird- woman
Gibbons- scallions
Sunday, 2 December 2007
Week Nine
Hello Everyone,
Tacky tinsel cutouts, sparkling lights and annoying tv "adverts" are all indicators that December is here. As much as I dislike the over-commercialization of this holiday I love observing the birth of Jesus and all the warm and fun memories that are made this time of year. When you drive into Rhayader at night there is now a string of electric lights suspended above the street that reads "Welcome to Rhayader". Back home in NH a big snowstorm is expected. I was also shocked to hear about the hostage situation at the Hilary Clinton campaign office in nearby Rochester, NH. Halfway across the world, I was watching the 11 o'clock news with Lynne when the story came on. At least nobody was harmed! Now, when someone here asks where I'm from I can site that incident and they will surely know where NH is. I've noticed people here are much more informed about world politics than the average American.
At the beginning of the week Phil and I worked in the studio. He got some small bowls and yunomis made. Good news- he does not have a detached retina! Also, he got a rental car and is back in the driver's seat. I am glad he was able to jump back in without anxiety. He is having significant pain in his shoulder and in his sprained foot. How frustrating for him to be limited by these physical discomforts. He is getting bored not being in the studio so this week he is determined to get some pots made! Let's hope his body cooperates!
On Wednesday, Phil and I drove down to Jason and Julianne's for some life drawing. They live about 30 minutes away and it is such a lovely drive. It was a bit overcast and drizzly. There were fantastic clouds so low their misty bases were settled on the tops of the velvety green hills. Staring out the window was a feast for the eyes! As a painter, Julie often goes to figure drawing sessions. A few people got together and hired a wonderful model named Ocean. Phil, being the king of puns, said to her, "So your name is Ocean? Could you be a bit more Pacific?" He comes up with some good ones. I had not done any figure drawing since my junior year of college so it was good to do it again. I did make a few nice drawings, so did Phil. Lynne came back from New York City in the evening. She had a great trip with her girlfriends and enjoyed nice weather and safe travel.
The remainder of the week was spent preparing for the Christmas sale. We had to clear out the downstairs showroom, clean it and put out old pots and seconds that Phil wanted to sell. Lynne and I decorated with holly boughs with red berries and a garland made of greens and leaves. I baked cookies and some other yummy treats. By Friday, we were getting a bit worried as the BBC was forecasting some nasty weather- hurricane force gales and lots of rain. Sure enough, we were greeted by cloudy skies and blustery winds on Saturday. Although we did have some customers it was much quieter than past years. The weather was certainly the worst I've seen since my stay here in Wales. The cold air was rushing through all the cracks in the walls, making all kinds of noise. Along with the sweet treats I made, we had other yummy nibbles plus coffee and mulled wine. I was able to meet some old friends of Lynne and Phil's along with some faithful customers and collectors. It is always good to get this kind of sales experience. It was good to see how Phil and Lynne organized and handled an event like this as I hope to host my own some day. Despite the raw weather, pots were sold and most of the food got eaten. I even got a few pots myself- a lovely green jug and an inviting and generous tea bowl. I've learned so much from Phil and his pots, I wanted a few of my own that will keep teaching me when I go home and use them.
I've been doing a lot of baking and cooking now that the cooker is hooked up. I think this week I might make some more teapots. I have so many ideas of forms I want to try- jars, baking dishes, bread pans...I could take ten life times without exhausting the possibilities of clay. In other exciting news, Phil and Lynne have asked me to return to Wales in the new year. Because of the accident, we will not be able to fire the kiln in December and do some other things we had originally planned. I will be returning in mid-January and will stay until the beginning of May. I am really looking forward to it. Phil has several shows to prepare for. We will fire his wood kiln and his oil kiln, plus I will get to see the baby lambs and another lovely season in Wales! Check out my web album for new pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/nhthrower . Also, here is a link to a blog where I've posted all the Hello from Wales weekly updates, an archive of sorts http://kariinwales.blogspot.com. Feel free to share these links with friends. May you all have a nice wintry week!
Take care,
Kari
PS: here are some more words
Chips- French Fries
Crisps- chips
Trainers- sneakers
Kafuffle- a big fuss, a big deal
Geezer- man, guy
Slapper- a woman who "slaps on" a lot of make-up and wears tawdry clothes
Advert- commercial
Porridge-oatmeal
Kitchen roll- paper towels
Toilet roll- toilet paper
Nappie- diaper
Tacky tinsel cutouts, sparkling lights and annoying tv "adverts" are all indicators that December is here. As much as I dislike the over-commercialization of this holiday I love observing the birth of Jesus and all the warm and fun memories that are made this time of year. When you drive into Rhayader at night there is now a string of electric lights suspended above the street that reads "Welcome to Rhayader". Back home in NH a big snowstorm is expected. I was also shocked to hear about the hostage situation at the Hilary Clinton campaign office in nearby Rochester, NH. Halfway across the world, I was watching the 11 o'clock news with Lynne when the story came on. At least nobody was harmed! Now, when someone here asks where I'm from I can site that incident and they will surely know where NH is. I've noticed people here are much more informed about world politics than the average American.
At the beginning of the week Phil and I worked in the studio. He got some small bowls and yunomis made. Good news- he does not have a detached retina! Also, he got a rental car and is back in the driver's seat. I am glad he was able to jump back in without anxiety. He is having significant pain in his shoulder and in his sprained foot. How frustrating for him to be limited by these physical discomforts. He is getting bored not being in the studio so this week he is determined to get some pots made! Let's hope his body cooperates!
On Wednesday, Phil and I drove down to Jason and Julianne's for some life drawing. They live about 30 minutes away and it is such a lovely drive. It was a bit overcast and drizzly. There were fantastic clouds so low their misty bases were settled on the tops of the velvety green hills. Staring out the window was a feast for the eyes! As a painter, Julie often goes to figure drawing sessions. A few people got together and hired a wonderful model named Ocean. Phil, being the king of puns, said to her, "So your name is Ocean? Could you be a bit more Pacific?" He comes up with some good ones. I had not done any figure drawing since my junior year of college so it was good to do it again. I did make a few nice drawings, so did Phil. Lynne came back from New York City in the evening. She had a great trip with her girlfriends and enjoyed nice weather and safe travel.
The remainder of the week was spent preparing for the Christmas sale. We had to clear out the downstairs showroom, clean it and put out old pots and seconds that Phil wanted to sell. Lynne and I decorated with holly boughs with red berries and a garland made of greens and leaves. I baked cookies and some other yummy treats. By Friday, we were getting a bit worried as the BBC was forecasting some nasty weather- hurricane force gales and lots of rain. Sure enough, we were greeted by cloudy skies and blustery winds on Saturday. Although we did have some customers it was much quieter than past years. The weather was certainly the worst I've seen since my stay here in Wales. The cold air was rushing through all the cracks in the walls, making all kinds of noise. Along with the sweet treats I made, we had other yummy nibbles plus coffee and mulled wine. I was able to meet some old friends of Lynne and Phil's along with some faithful customers and collectors. It is always good to get this kind of sales experience. It was good to see how Phil and Lynne organized and handled an event like this as I hope to host my own some day. Despite the raw weather, pots were sold and most of the food got eaten. I even got a few pots myself- a lovely green jug and an inviting and generous tea bowl. I've learned so much from Phil and his pots, I wanted a few of my own that will keep teaching me when I go home and use them.
I've been doing a lot of baking and cooking now that the cooker is hooked up. I think this week I might make some more teapots. I have so many ideas of forms I want to try- jars, baking dishes, bread pans...I could take ten life times without exhausting the possibilities of clay. In other exciting news, Phil and Lynne have asked me to return to Wales in the new year. Because of the accident, we will not be able to fire the kiln in December and do some other things we had originally planned. I will be returning in mid-January and will stay until the beginning of May. I am really looking forward to it. Phil has several shows to prepare for. We will fire his wood kiln and his oil kiln, plus I will get to see the baby lambs and another lovely season in Wales! Check out my web album for new pictures http://picasaweb.google.com
Take care,
Kari
PS: here are some more words
Chips- French Fries
Crisps- chips
Trainers- sneakers
Kafuffle- a big fuss, a big deal
Geezer- man, guy
Slapper- a woman who "slaps on" a lot of make-up and wears tawdry clothes
Advert- commercial
Porridge-oatmeal
Kitchen roll- paper towels
Toilet roll- toilet paper
Nappie- diaper
Week Eight
Hello All,
I have been here almost two months now....where has the time gone?! Of course the main event this week was Thanksgiving. Isn't it funny that I celebrated the American holiday of independence in the very country that the pilgrims left? It was fun being able to plan my own Thanksgiving because normally I just help out with the family one. I raided all the cupboards for the right pots to put all the food in. I really wanted to go into Phil's showroom and get all the pots from there but he always says he gets sick of looking at his own work all the time.We cooked all the food in a convection microwave, on a gas camping stove, and in Phil's small test kiln. The kiln cooked chicken and pecan pie were particularly delicious. There was only five of us, so not quite as much work went into it as it takes for a successful Olstad family Thanksgiving. We usually celebrate with my mom's family which has many members! What numerous things I have to be thankful for this year! Being in this place with the Rogers and learning with Phil has been fantastic; his survival and continued healing from the accident has been a reason to give thanks; I could not ask for a better family or group of friends, mentors and teachers...the list goes on and on. I hope we all consider the blessings in our lives this season. Phil is doing very well. He walks with a limp because of his sprained foot but he no longer uses the cane. He may have a torn retina and is going to the specialist this week.He walks the dogs with me every day and can once again throw the squeaky hedgehog much further than me. He has spent a considerable amount of time in the studio this week and has the goal of throwing some small things on Tuesday. He does still have back pain so he will just have to listen to his body and not overdo it. On Tuesday Phil's friend Peter Beard came to visit for the afternoon ( http://www.peterbeard.co.uk/). It was good for Phil to visit with Peter and get caught up with all the news of the pottery community. Lynne went to New York City last Friday with two of her closest friends. They had been planning a trip there for months. The three of them take frequent trips to different places in Europe and the UK. She was reluctant to go because of all the recent events but Phil assured her that he was fine and that it would be good for her to have fun and relax. I told her she picked a good weekend as there will probably be many sales in the shops.She will be back on Wednesday. As I write this I can hear Phil singing softly to himself. He just got an Ipod Touch delivered and he is having fun figuring it out. His office is right below my room and his voice is rising up through the floor. I have to say it is a very impressive little machine that can surf the internet, hold pictures and play music and movies. He and Lynne have these two American friends, Hal and Barbara, from NYC who have a second home in Wales. They brought the Ipod over and delivered it last night. They cost about half the price in America. The four of us went out to dinner and had a nice time. It has been a while since I have spent time with Americans. I have to say I have grown fond of the many different accents in the UK. I will miss listening to the delightful way everyone hear talks. This week I have been making jugs or pitchers. Phil and I had a critique and he showed me some issues he saw with my handles. He is so helpful and constructive in his criticisms. I've been reading a book about medieval pottery which is fascinating. The work I've been making has many pinches and dents made with my fingertips. In this book I saw pots that were hundreds of years old and using a similar decorative technique. I love the history of pottery and the connection I have with peoples of virtually every time period. There has always been and will continue to be makers of objects. How thankful I am that I can be a creator of beautiful things. I had my first personal experience with the national health care. I have been having breathing problems since I came here, probably because of Libby and Tess. Phil made me an appointment at the Doctor's. The visit cost me nothing. The doctor prescribed an inhaler for me. When I picked it up from the pharmacy it also cost nothing. It amazes me that as a complete foreigner, the UK will pay for my medical expenses although I don't contribute a cent of the taxes which fund the national health care. It doesn't seem right in a way but I'm very grateful as I can finally breathe well again. This upcoming weekend Phil is hosting an open studio sale where he will be clearing out the workshop and trying to sell as many pots as possible. It should be quite festive and fun. I told Lynne I would bake some goodies for it. A traditional British holiday food is mince pie which I've never eaten or made. I will probably learn about making them this week.The "cooker" or oven is finally wired up and ready to go. Bye bye microwave and gas camping stove! I hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving and any time off associated with it. Please keep checking my web album for photos as I will update it whenever I have new things to post ( http://picasaweb.google.com/nhthrower ). Until next week...
Take care,
Kari
PS- I thought I would start keeping track of all the linguistic differences as it is a constant source of amusement and learning. I'm often the butt of Phil's jokes because according to him, "You just need to learn how to speak proper English". As he says, we are two nations divided by a common language! Here are some words for you...
Bin= garbage can
Bin liners=garbage bags
Bonnet= hood of a car
Boot= trunk of a car
Pants= underwear (I still mess this one up a lot)
Jumper= thick shirt or woolly sweater
Wellies= galoshes
Cooker= oven/stove
Dishy= cute,handsome, attractive, associated with males
Pavement=sidewalk
Car park=parking lot
Pudding=dessert
Loo=bathroom
Telly= tv
Zebra crossing= crosswalk
Manky= dirty, gross
Naff= tacky, tasteless
Grotty= dirty, gross
Bloke, Lad, Chap= man or guy
Vicar=Pastor, preacher
Crumpet= young, pretty woman, also a food
Tea= can mean dinnertime
Donkey's years= a long time
Chemist= pharmacy
I have been here almost two months now....where has the time gone?! Of course the main event this week was Thanksgiving. Isn't it funny that I celebrated the American holiday of independence in the very country that the pilgrims left? It was fun being able to plan my own Thanksgiving because normally I just help out with the family one. I raided all the cupboards for the right pots to put all the food in. I really wanted to go into Phil's showroom and get all the pots from there but he always says he gets sick of looking at his own work all the time.We cooked all the food in a convection microwave, on a gas camping stove, and in Phil's small test kiln. The kiln cooked chicken and pecan pie were particularly delicious. There was only five of us, so not quite as much work went into it as it takes for a successful Olstad family Thanksgiving. We usually celebrate with my mom's family which has many members! What numerous things I have to be thankful for this year! Being in this place with the Rogers and learning with Phil has been fantastic; his survival and continued healing from the accident has been a reason to give thanks; I could not ask for a better family or group of friends, mentors and teachers...the list goes on and on. I hope we all consider the blessings in our lives this season. Phil is doing very well. He walks with a limp because of his sprained foot but he no longer uses the cane. He may have a torn retina and is going to the specialist this week.He walks the dogs with me every day and can once again throw the squeaky hedgehog much further than me. He has spent a considerable amount of time in the studio this week and has the goal of throwing some small things on Tuesday. He does still have back pain so he will just have to listen to his body and not overdo it. On Tuesday Phil's friend Peter Beard came to visit for the afternoon ( http://www.peterbeard.co.uk/). It was good for Phil to visit with Peter and get caught up with all the news of the pottery community. Lynne went to New York City last Friday with two of her closest friends. They had been planning a trip there for months. The three of them take frequent trips to different places in Europe and the UK. She was reluctant to go because of all the recent events but Phil assured her that he was fine and that it would be good for her to have fun and relax. I told her she picked a good weekend as there will probably be many sales in the shops.She will be back on Wednesday. As I write this I can hear Phil singing softly to himself. He just got an Ipod Touch delivered and he is having fun figuring it out. His office is right below my room and his voice is rising up through the floor. I have to say it is a very impressive little machine that can surf the internet, hold pictures and play music and movies. He and Lynne have these two American friends, Hal and Barbara, from NYC who have a second home in Wales. They brought the Ipod over and delivered it last night. They cost about half the price in America. The four of us went out to dinner and had a nice time. It has been a while since I have spent time with Americans. I have to say I have grown fond of the many different accents in the UK. I will miss listening to the delightful way everyone hear talks. This week I have been making jugs or pitchers. Phil and I had a critique and he showed me some issues he saw with my handles. He is so helpful and constructive in his criticisms. I've been reading a book about medieval pottery which is fascinating. The work I've been making has many pinches and dents made with my fingertips. In this book I saw pots that were hundreds of years old and using a similar decorative technique. I love the history of pottery and the connection I have with peoples of virtually every time period. There has always been and will continue to be makers of objects. How thankful I am that I can be a creator of beautiful things. I had my first personal experience with the national health care. I have been having breathing problems since I came here, probably because of Libby and Tess. Phil made me an appointment at the Doctor's. The visit cost me nothing. The doctor prescribed an inhaler for me. When I picked it up from the pharmacy it also cost nothing. It amazes me that as a complete foreigner, the UK will pay for my medical expenses although I don't contribute a cent of the taxes which fund the national health care. It doesn't seem right in a way but I'm very grateful as I can finally breathe well again. This upcoming weekend Phil is hosting an open studio sale where he will be clearing out the workshop and trying to sell as many pots as possible. It should be quite festive and fun. I told Lynne I would bake some goodies for it. A traditional British holiday food is mince pie which I've never eaten or made. I will probably learn about making them this week.The "cooker" or oven is finally wired up and ready to go. Bye bye microwave and gas camping stove! I hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving and any time off associated with it. Please keep checking my web album for photos as I will update it whenever I have new things to post ( http://picasaweb.google.com/nhthrower ). Until next week...
Take care,
Kari
PS- I thought I would start keeping track of all the linguistic differences as it is a constant source of amusement and learning. I'm often the butt of Phil's jokes because according to him, "You just need to learn how to speak proper English". As he says, we are two nations divided by a common language! Here are some words for you...
Bin= garbage can
Bin liners=garbage bags
Bonnet= hood of a car
Boot= trunk of a car
Pants= underwear (I still mess this one up a lot)
Jumper= thick shirt or woolly sweater
Wellies= galoshes
Cooker= oven/stove
Dishy= cute,handsome, attractive, associated with males
Pavement=sidewalk
Car park=parking lot
Pudding=dessert
Loo=bathroom
Telly= tv
Zebra crossing= crosswalk
Manky= dirty, gross
Naff= tacky, tasteless
Grotty= dirty, gross
Bloke, Lad, Chap= man or guy
Vicar=Pastor, preacher
Crumpet= young, pretty woman, also a food
Tea= can mean dinnertime
Donkey's years= a long time
Chemist= pharmacy
Week Seven
Hello Everyone,
We got the first snow of the season today here in Rhayader. It started out as sleet but turned into snow. When I walked the dogs at dusk it was very slushy. I think it is still snowing now; perhaps it will accumulate. I always get a little excited at the first snow. Phil says it never snows this early; usually it does not arrive until december. On Monday, Phil came into the workshop and accomplished some tasks. He slipped some pots and threw a bunch of tops for the press moulded bottles. I was so happy to see him in there working. He has good days and bad days. He gets pretty stiff and still has a lot of soreness in his body. I'm sure he is looking forward to the day when he can take long walks, drive the car and throw a nice tall bottle. Until then, he's doing a pretty good job keeping busy with other things and staying positive.
I worked on making teapots (again). This round of them came out well; the true test will be when I pour them. I understand why potters charge what they do for teapots- they take forever to make! They are a complicated form since they combine the elements of lid, spout and handle but it was a welcome challenge. I will continue to make them while I am here.
On Wednesday night Lynne drove me over to Jason and Julianne's. I spent the night there and rose early to help fire Jason's kiln. Jason recently retired from being an art department head at a private high school in London. They bought a house about 30 minutes from Lynne and Phil. It is a huge 16th century farmhouse. It was the summer home of the Bishop of Hereford at some point and Phil joked that I might see his ghost floating around at night. When they bought it, it needed a lot of work. They have made it into a very charming and comfortable place. It has huge flagstones, fireplaces and exposed beams. They have yet to install central heating so I was a bit chilly when I spent the night. I slept in a sleeping bag, under the quilts with 2 hot water bottles in the sleeping bag. It really made me think about what life would have been like for people hundreds of years ago before the days of modern conveniences.
Jason's kiln is interesting. He warmed it up with gas, fired with wood until 750 C then switched to oil. Since he once-fires his pots there was alot of steam escaping out of the kiln for several hours. I had never experienced an oil-fueled kiln before so it was a good learning experience. It is so much louder than firing with gas or wood! The burners were a bit sputtery and sometimes it sounded like the kiln had a heartbeat. I much prefer the snap, crackle and pop of woodfiring. Phil got dropped off later in the day and helped Jason out with the kiln's settings and cycle. It was only the second time Jason had fired it so there was still alot of experimenting and guesswork. He has never made pots full time and is trying to transition into that. I always enjoy the community atmosphere of firing a kiln. Julianne periodically brought us out little snacks and hot drinks as it was pretty cold. We sat around and chatted about all kinds of things. It was great to hear Phil talking to Jason about the kiln because he has so much experience and I can learn a lot from him. We did not stay for the whole firing. As we later learned, it stalled a bit at the end and it didn't get shut off until 3:30 am! Lynne came by the Braham's house after work and we all had a nice dinner together.
We've had a few frosts this week and they were absolutely breathtaking! There is something about the moist atmosphere here that allows the frost crystals to be really big. In the mornings when I walk Tess and Libby everything looks so still, white and silent. Winter is on the way!
I figured out how to put all my photos on the web. If you go to http://picasaweb.google.com/nhthrower you can see all the photos I've taken plus read captions. I hope this will be easier for you and will allow me to share more of the pictures I've taken. I hope you all enjoy them. Have a great week!
We got the first snow of the season today here in Rhayader. It started out as sleet but turned into snow. When I walked the dogs at dusk it was very slushy. I think it is still snowing now; perhaps it will accumulate. I always get a little excited at the first snow. Phil says it never snows this early; usually it does not arrive until december. On Monday, Phil came into the workshop and accomplished some tasks. He slipped some pots and threw a bunch of tops for the press moulded bottles. I was so happy to see him in there working. He has good days and bad days. He gets pretty stiff and still has a lot of soreness in his body. I'm sure he is looking forward to the day when he can take long walks, drive the car and throw a nice tall bottle. Until then, he's doing a pretty good job keeping busy with other things and staying positive.
I worked on making teapots (again). This round of them came out well; the true test will be when I pour them. I understand why potters charge what they do for teapots- they take forever to make! They are a complicated form since they combine the elements of lid, spout and handle but it was a welcome challenge. I will continue to make them while I am here.
On Wednesday night Lynne drove me over to Jason and Julianne's. I spent the night there and rose early to help fire Jason's kiln. Jason recently retired from being an art department head at a private high school in London. They bought a house about 30 minutes from Lynne and Phil. It is a huge 16th century farmhouse. It was the summer home of the Bishop of Hereford at some point and Phil joked that I might see his ghost floating around at night. When they bought it, it needed a lot of work. They have made it into a very charming and comfortable place. It has huge flagstones, fireplaces and exposed beams. They have yet to install central heating so I was a bit chilly when I spent the night. I slept in a sleeping bag, under the quilts with 2 hot water bottles in the sleeping bag. It really made me think about what life would have been like for people hundreds of years ago before the days of modern conveniences.
Jason's kiln is interesting. He warmed it up with gas, fired with wood until 750 C then switched to oil. Since he once-fires his pots there was alot of steam escaping out of the kiln for several hours. I had never experienced an oil-fueled kiln before so it was a good learning experience. It is so much louder than firing with gas or wood! The burners were a bit sputtery and sometimes it sounded like the kiln had a heartbeat. I much prefer the snap, crackle and pop of woodfiring. Phil got dropped off later in the day and helped Jason out with the kiln's settings and cycle. It was only the second time Jason had fired it so there was still alot of experimenting and guesswork. He has never made pots full time and is trying to transition into that. I always enjoy the community atmosphere of firing a kiln. Julianne periodically brought us out little snacks and hot drinks as it was pretty cold. We sat around and chatted about all kinds of things. It was great to hear Phil talking to Jason about the kiln because he has so much experience and I can learn a lot from him. We did not stay for the whole firing. As we later learned, it stalled a bit at the end and it didn't get shut off until 3:30 am! Lynne came by the Braham's house after work and we all had a nice dinner together.
We've had a few frosts this week and they were absolutely breathtaking! There is something about the moist atmosphere here that allows the frost crystals to be really big. In the mornings when I walk Tess and Libby everything looks so still, white and silent. Winter is on the way!
I figured out how to put all my photos on the web. If you go to http://picasaweb.google.com/nhthrower you can see all the photos I've taken plus read captions. I hope this will be easier for you and will allow me to share more of the pictures I've taken. I hope you all enjoy them. Have a great week!
Week Six
Hello Everyone,
Sorry this update is a bit late. I spent last week away from Lynne and Phil. I was in Cranleigh, England for 2 days with Claire and her family. Then I stayed in London with Lisa Hammond for 5 days. I had a fantastic week but it was very nice to come back to Wales. I got to experience a very British tradition called Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes night. Traditionally on November 5, it is often celebrated the weekend before. It commemorates the capture of Guy Fawkes who was involved in a plot to blow up parliament in 1605. Guy Fawkes was captured then tortured and executed. There were many bonfires in England as people celebrated his capture. 36 barrels of gunpowder were to be used to decimate the parliament which has translated in to most towns and villages having a display of fireworks in the modern day celebration. In Cranleigh, the kids made effigies of Guy Fawkes (rather like scarecrows) that were put on the bonfire and burned. If you want to learn more about the history and the tradition of Bonfire Night here is a good website http://www.bonefire.org/guy/index.php. Claire's husband, Simon made me an informational packet about the holiday so I knew all about it by the time we were ready to head into the village to celebrate. Armed with three foot long torches we joined a huge group of people who were walking towards the park where the bonfire was. I think all the people in the village came out for this celebration; there were hundreds of people. When I looked behind me, torches stretched back on the road further than I could see. There was a little parade and several orchestras. It was a little strange walking down the street with a torch burning with a mob of other torch-wielding people. When we got to the field where the bonfire was we handed our torches to these men who put them on the unlit pile of burnables. It was easily the biggest bonfire I've ever seen; about as tall as my parent's 2 story house. Before the fire was lit a historical poem was read and the reader said to the crowd, "Shall we hang him?" (crowd shouts "NO!"), "Shall we drown him?" "NO!", "Shall we burn him?" "Yes!". With that the fire was lit with the torches and all the effigies started to go up in flames. It was a little macabre with all those "Guys" sizzling on the fire. It became too hot to stand near so we moved to another part of the field and waited for the fireworks display. There was a fantastic arrangement of fireworks then we walked back to the house. It was a very interesting celebration. I had a great time staying with Claire and Simon. They are very fun people and their two sons are very cute and amusing. Mattie kept calling me "Gary", because to his five year old brain my name "...sounds like Sponge Bob's best friend". On Monday I took the train into London. I got off at Maze Hill station and found Lisa Hammond's studio very easily. It is in the old train ticket office right off the platform. Lisa and her apprentice Yoji were finishing up for the day. While Lisa wrapped up her throwing Yoji and I took Lolly (Lisa's dog) for a walk in Greenwich Park. It is a HUGE and very lovely park not far from the studio. As it was dusk, we got a great view of central London's lights. Lisa has a great flat (apartment) in a residential area of London. It is a Victorian building with high ceilings, arches and area of exposed brick. She has a fantastic collection of pots. I really liked her kitchen as she had all her plates, baking dishes and bowls stored on a huge open bookshelf. Besides Lolly, there were 4 cats, (all very old and nice) living at Lisa's . She also has a 17 year old son named Bill who is currently looking at art colleges (brings back memories of my college searching days). On Tuesday I took the tube into the city. The tube is an underground train that is unbelievably easy to use. I bought a day pass for about $11 and could go virtually anywhere. I went to the Victoria and Albert which is a big art museum. They have an extensive ceramics collection but it was unfortunately shut for renovations. I was able to search out other bits of pottery here and there. The section on Asian art held many lovely Chinese, Japanese and Korean pots. I did many sketches and observations. I was fascinated by the textiles department. It was this big, air conditioned room with all these wooden frames stacked in shelves like books. There was a vertical handle on each frame. Within each frame there was a panel of cloth or bits of clothing. There was fabric from all over the world and dating back as far as the 4th century! Much of it was woven or embroidered. It blew my mind that a person sewed all these delicate and fine patterns by hand. The sense of design and pattern was astounding and inspiring. I could have spent a whole day just in that room. There was a fantastic figure sculpture room with many beautiful pieces. I enjoyed meandering about and sketching whatever I fancied whether it was a prehistoric earthenware pot, a Rodin sculpture or an Elizabethan fabric pattern. When I got back to Lisa's, Yoji was looking worse for wear as he had come down with a bad cold/flu thing. Lisa's week was packed full and very busy because she needed to do a firing. I decided to stay at the pottery on Wednesday and be Yoji for the day so he could stay home and recover. I helped Lisa load her small soda kiln which took a good part of the day. She green glazes her pieces and only fires them once so it was a whole new experience for me. We finished up just in time for her to teach her 6 pm class. The next day Yoji was a little better but did not come to the studio until much later in the day to help soda the kiln. Lisa was throwing baking dishes and I decided to make jugs/pitchers. It was like being in a Lisa Hammond workshop as I saw how she fired her kiln and watched as she made her distinctive pots. I had tried making baking dishes last spring but had some cracking problems with them. I will try her method and see if I have better results. She gave me some pointers on pulling spouts and handles. It never ceases to amaze me how every potter does basic things so differently. She told me to save a few jugs and she would fire them for me! It was quite a contrast working in her studio with the train going by every 15 minutes when compared with Phil's serene countryside environment. It was blustery with occasional rain. Lisa likes the wind because it blows the fire about leaving dramatic flame paths on her pots. Yoji came late in the day and helped spray the soda into the kiln. There are ports in the front and back of the kiln. Lisa introduces soda into the front and back simultaneously. We finished firing about 11:30 pm with everyone a little exhausted. Lisa seemed pleased with how it all went. I spoke with her a few days later when she had unloaded it and she was happy with the results.
On Friday I got a ride back to Rhayader with Jason and Julianne who are friends of Lynne and Phil. They live in a town near the Rogers but were visiting London for a few days. It took about 4 hours to get home but we had a pleasant time chatting as Jason is a potter and Julianne is a painter. It was so good to get back to Rhayader! Phil had improved a lot and was not even using his cane. Lynne had gone back to work her normal part time schedule and Phil kept busy working on a catalog for a sale of Hamada's work he is hosting in the spring. He was able to come with me when I walked the dogs in the field. I knew he was recovering because he was wearing blue jeans again. He came home from hospital in gym pants which Phil absolutely despises wearing. For about two weeks it was all he could wear because his flexibility was so limited. He hated every minute wearing those pants! It is great seeing small improvements. He is still experiencing pain in his back but Lynne and I are keeping him laughing and smiling. There is an old apple tree in the yard which had an extremely productive year. Once they were all picked, the apples filled 15 shopping bags! On Saturday it was rainy and cold. We got a fire going and Phil located a bunch of pottery dvds. We sat and peeled apples for a long time while we watched movies. It was really fun. Now there are loads of peeled apples in the freezer. If anyone has good apple recipes they would like to share it would be greatly appreciated. We've got more apples than we know what to do with! I'm planning a thanksgiving meal for next week....I think there will be many apple dishes on the table! Well, sorry this email is long but so much happened. I'm including a few pictures from Bonfire Night and some of our apple peeling fun. I hope you are all healthy and well.
Sorry this update is a bit late. I spent last week away from Lynne and Phil. I was in Cranleigh, England for 2 days with Claire and her family. Then I stayed in London with Lisa Hammond for 5 days. I had a fantastic week but it was very nice to come back to Wales. I got to experience a very British tradition called Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes night. Traditionally on November 5, it is often celebrated the weekend before. It commemorates the capture of Guy Fawkes who was involved in a plot to blow up parliament in 1605. Guy Fawkes was captured then tortured and executed. There were many bonfires in England as people celebrated his capture. 36 barrels of gunpowder were to be used to decimate the parliament which has translated in to most towns and villages having a display of fireworks in the modern day celebration. In Cranleigh, the kids made effigies of Guy Fawkes (rather like scarecrows) that were put on the bonfire and burned. If you want to learn more about the history and the tradition of Bonfire Night here is a good website http://www.bonefire.org/guy/index.php. Claire's husband, Simon made me an informational packet about the holiday so I knew all about it by the time we were ready to head into the village to celebrate. Armed with three foot long torches we joined a huge group of people who were walking towards the park where the bonfire was. I think all the people in the village came out for this celebration; there were hundreds of people. When I looked behind me, torches stretched back on the road further than I could see. There was a little parade and several orchestras. It was a little strange walking down the street with a torch burning with a mob of other torch-wielding people. When we got to the field where the bonfire was we handed our torches to these men who put them on the unlit pile of burnables. It was easily the biggest bonfire I've ever seen; about as tall as my parent's 2 story house. Before the fire was lit a historical poem was read and the reader said to the crowd, "Shall we hang him?" (crowd shouts "NO!"), "Shall we drown him?" "NO!", "Shall we burn him?" "Yes!". With that the fire was lit with the torches and all the effigies started to go up in flames. It was a little macabre with all those "Guys" sizzling on the fire. It became too hot to stand near so we moved to another part of the field and waited for the fireworks display. There was a fantastic arrangement of fireworks then we walked back to the house. It was a very interesting celebration. I had a great time staying with Claire and Simon. They are very fun people and their two sons are very cute and amusing. Mattie kept calling me "Gary", because to his five year old brain my name "...sounds like Sponge Bob's best friend". On Monday I took the train into London. I got off at Maze Hill station and found Lisa Hammond's studio very easily. It is in the old train ticket office right off the platform. Lisa and her apprentice Yoji were finishing up for the day. While Lisa wrapped up her throwing Yoji and I took Lolly (Lisa's dog) for a walk in Greenwich Park. It is a HUGE and very lovely park not far from the studio. As it was dusk, we got a great view of central London's lights. Lisa has a great flat (apartment) in a residential area of London. It is a Victorian building with high ceilings, arches and area of exposed brick. She has a fantastic collection of pots. I really liked her kitchen as she had all her plates, baking dishes and bowls stored on a huge open bookshelf. Besides Lolly, there were 4 cats, (all very old and nice) living at Lisa's . She also has a 17 year old son named Bill who is currently looking at art colleges (brings back memories of my college searching days). On Tuesday I took the tube into the city. The tube is an underground train that is unbelievably easy to use. I bought a day pass for about $11 and could go virtually anywhere. I went to the Victoria and Albert which is a big art museum. They have an extensive ceramics collection but it was unfortunately shut for renovations. I was able to search out other bits of pottery here and there. The section on Asian art held many lovely Chinese, Japanese and Korean pots. I did many sketches and observations. I was fascinated by the textiles department. It was this big, air conditioned room with all these wooden frames stacked in shelves like books. There was a vertical handle on each frame. Within each frame there was a panel of cloth or bits of clothing. There was fabric from all over the world and dating back as far as the 4th century! Much of it was woven or embroidered. It blew my mind that a person sewed all these delicate and fine patterns by hand. The sense of design and pattern was astounding and inspiring. I could have spent a whole day just in that room. There was a fantastic figure sculpture room with many beautiful pieces. I enjoyed meandering about and sketching whatever I fancied whether it was a prehistoric earthenware pot, a Rodin sculpture or an Elizabethan fabric pattern. When I got back to Lisa's, Yoji was looking worse for wear as he had come down with a bad cold/flu thing. Lisa's week was packed full and very busy because she needed to do a firing. I decided to stay at the pottery on Wednesday and be Yoji for the day so he could stay home and recover. I helped Lisa load her small soda kiln which took a good part of the day. She green glazes her pieces and only fires them once so it was a whole new experience for me. We finished up just in time for her to teach her 6 pm class. The next day Yoji was a little better but did not come to the studio until much later in the day to help soda the kiln. Lisa was throwing baking dishes and I decided to make jugs/pitchers. It was like being in a Lisa Hammond workshop as I saw how she fired her kiln and watched as she made her distinctive pots. I had tried making baking dishes last spring but had some cracking problems with them. I will try her method and see if I have better results. She gave me some pointers on pulling spouts and handles. It never ceases to amaze me how every potter does basic things so differently. She told me to save a few jugs and she would fire them for me! It was quite a contrast working in her studio with the train going by every 15 minutes when compared with Phil's serene countryside environment. It was blustery with occasional rain. Lisa likes the wind because it blows the fire about leaving dramatic flame paths on her pots. Yoji came late in the day and helped spray the soda into the kiln. There are ports in the front and back of the kiln. Lisa introduces soda into the front and back simultaneously. We finished firing about 11:30 pm with everyone a little exhausted. Lisa seemed pleased with how it all went. I spoke with her a few days later when she had unloaded it and she was happy with the results.
On Friday I got a ride back to Rhayader with Jason and Julianne who are friends of Lynne and Phil. They live in a town near the Rogers but were visiting London for a few days. It took about 4 hours to get home but we had a pleasant time chatting as Jason is a potter and Julianne is a painter. It was so good to get back to Rhayader! Phil had improved a lot and was not even using his cane. Lynne had gone back to work her normal part time schedule and Phil kept busy working on a catalog for a sale of Hamada's work he is hosting in the spring. He was able to come with me when I walked the dogs in the field. I knew he was recovering because he was wearing blue jeans again. He came home from hospital in gym pants which Phil absolutely despises wearing. For about two weeks it was all he could wear because his flexibility was so limited. He hated every minute wearing those pants! It is great seeing small improvements. He is still experiencing pain in his back but Lynne and I are keeping him laughing and smiling. There is an old apple tree in the yard which had an extremely productive year. Once they were all picked, the apples filled 15 shopping bags! On Saturday it was rainy and cold. We got a fire going and Phil located a bunch of pottery dvds. We sat and peeled apples for a long time while we watched movies. It was really fun. Now there are loads of peeled apples in the freezer. If anyone has good apple recipes they would like to share it would be greatly appreciated. We've got more apples than we know what to do with! I'm planning a thanksgiving meal for next week....I think there will be many apple dishes on the table! Well, sorry this email is long but so much happened. I'm including a few pictures from Bonfire Night and some of our apple peeling fun. I hope you are all healthy and well.
Week Five
Hello Everyone,
I have good news to report, Phil came home from the hospital on Monday. He is doing very well walking around by himself although he does have to use a cane. Lynne was concerned because the staircase to the bathrooms and bedrooms is quite steep. Although he's a bit wobbly on his feet, we were both impressed at how well he was able to move about. Phil is a very determined person. He is really itching to get back in the studio but he knows he should really take it easy for a week or so. It is great to have him back; everyone at home missed him. Although he feels badly that this happened, it has given me an opportunity to ask many questions about pottery since he can't do much else except sit and chat. I have been working on teapots; they are a bugger to make. Most of them will not get saved as they are just practice. I came in from the workshop at dusk. Phil was sitting in front of the fireplace and we talked for an hour about pricing work, pottery trends in different countries and his path to becoming a potter. It is great to have these conversations; they are a valuable part of my time here. Oxford was fantastic. I was picked up by a friendly Welsh potter named Jennifer Hall on Friday afternoon. We made the 3 1/2 hour journey safely and in good time. Jennifer makes low-fire slip ware that is quite decorated. I was able to help her set up her booth and lend a hand to a few other potters. I only had to put out some leaflets and books on my little table, it was a little depressing. My table was next to Lisa Hammond's booth (www.mazehill-pottery.com). Lisa is a talented potter who lives in London. I first saw her work when she was featured on the cover of Ceramics Monthly this summer. She is a good friend of Lynne and Phil's. She has a Japanese apprentice named Yoji Yamada who came to help her at Oxford. After set-up we met up with John and Jude Jelfs (www.cotswoldpottery.co.uk); both are artists and organizers of the fair. The Rogers always stay with the Jelfs during this fair so they graciously hosted me for the weekend. Lisa and Yoji also stayed with the Jelfs. Jack and Lucie, the Jelfs' 30 and 26 year old children, came in from London to help for the weekend. It was a full house but we had a fun time together. John and Jude live in the Cotswolds, an area of England that is characterized by sandstone architecture. When you drive through their village, Bourton-on-the-water, all the houses are this toasty, gold color that almost glow when the sun is low in the sky. Regrettably, the weather was unsuitable for taking pictures. Like the Rogers, the Jelfs' house is FULL of pots and lovely art treasures. I enjoyed being a guest in their home. The fair was busy and crowded. I got a big piece of poster board and put it out for people to sign as a get well card for Phil. Jack drew a funny comic on the front. By the end of the weekend, there was hardly any space left on it! Many people came to Oxford to see Phil and buy his pots. Imagine their disappointment when they were instead greeted by me and the horrible news of his accident. There were many concerned friends and customers (or "punters" as they're called here). I got to meet Ruthanne Tudball (www.ruthannetudball.com), a potter who was born in California but now lives in England. I knew her work from a soda-glaze class I took in college. Other potters I met were Mike Dodd, Peter Beard, and Micki Schloessingk. What a great experience! On Sunday, Yoji and I went out for a walk around Oxford while Lisa kept an eye on my table. Oxford is a very big city and you would need more than a week to see everything. I don't think we even got into the heart of the city. There were many colleges and beautifully landscaped courtyards and gardens. Many of the buildings looked like they used to be churches and had intricate windows and brickwork. We found a canal lined with fancy houses and boats and also, a good Lebanese restaurant that sold a delicious lunchbox meal for 3 pounds! In all, I had a good learning experience and was able to see a lot. Sunday night, after the 2 day fair, Jennifer and I made the long journey back to Wales, exhausted. It looks like this weekend will also be an adventure. Lisa is coming to visit tomorrow and I will be going back to London with her. I will stay with Lynne and Phil's daughter, Claire, for a few days then stay with Lisa for a bit. Claire and her husband Simon have two boys, 8 and 5. Claire says the older one, Charlie will be fascinated to meet me as he knows America to be a land of yellow taxis and Disneyland. The British children are so cute with their accents. There are many museums and sights to see in London so it should be a great trip. Phil is hoping that when I get back he will be a bit more mobile and strong. To pass the time, he has been looking for another Honda CRV and doing computer stuff like designing postcards and sending email. The get well cards have been pouring in, including some from the states. I am happy to say that he is staying positive and determined. Let's hope his progress continues and that his recovery will be thorough and quick. The pictures I have included are of Jennifer Hall and her booth, Yoji with Lisa's booth, all of us who stayed at the Jelfs (Yoji, Lisa, Lucie, Jack, Jude, John and me), and the venue- a building at St. Edwards which is a prestigious private school. There was a gorgeous rings of solid lavender in the middle of the green in front of the building. Thank you to everyone who has sent their warm wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery; they are much appreciated.
I have good news to report, Phil came home from the hospital on Monday. He is doing very well walking around by himself although he does have to use a cane. Lynne was concerned because the staircase to the bathrooms and bedrooms is quite steep. Although he's a bit wobbly on his feet, we were both impressed at how well he was able to move about. Phil is a very determined person. He is really itching to get back in the studio but he knows he should really take it easy for a week or so. It is great to have him back; everyone at home missed him. Although he feels badly that this happened, it has given me an opportunity to ask many questions about pottery since he can't do much else except sit and chat. I have been working on teapots; they are a bugger to make. Most of them will not get saved as they are just practice. I came in from the workshop at dusk. Phil was sitting in front of the fireplace and we talked for an hour about pricing work, pottery trends in different countries and his path to becoming a potter. It is great to have these conversations; they are a valuable part of my time here. Oxford was fantastic. I was picked up by a friendly Welsh potter named Jennifer Hall on Friday afternoon. We made the 3 1/2 hour journey safely and in good time. Jennifer makes low-fire slip ware that is quite decorated. I was able to help her set up her booth and lend a hand to a few other potters. I only had to put out some leaflets and books on my little table, it was a little depressing. My table was next to Lisa Hammond's booth (www.mazehill-pottery.com). Lisa is a talented potter who lives in London. I first saw her work when she was featured on the cover of Ceramics Monthly this summer. She is a good friend of Lynne and Phil's. She has a Japanese apprentice named Yoji Yamada who came to help her at Oxford. After set-up we met up with John and Jude Jelfs (www.cotswoldpottery.co.uk); both are artists and organizers of the fair. The Rogers always stay with the Jelfs during this fair so they graciously hosted me for the weekend. Lisa and Yoji also stayed with the Jelfs. Jack and Lucie, the Jelfs' 30 and 26 year old children, came in from London to help for the weekend. It was a full house but we had a fun time together. John and Jude live in the Cotswolds, an area of England that is characterized by sandstone architecture. When you drive through their village, Bourton-on-the-water, all the houses are this toasty, gold color that almost glow when the sun is low in the sky. Regrettably, the weather was unsuitable for taking pictures. Like the Rogers, the Jelfs' house is FULL of pots and lovely art treasures. I enjoyed being a guest in their home. The fair was busy and crowded. I got a big piece of poster board and put it out for people to sign as a get well card for Phil. Jack drew a funny comic on the front. By the end of the weekend, there was hardly any space left on it! Many people came to Oxford to see Phil and buy his pots. Imagine their disappointment when they were instead greeted by me and the horrible news of his accident. There were many concerned friends and customers (or "punters" as they're called here). I got to meet Ruthanne Tudball (www.ruthannetudball.com), a potter who was born in California but now lives in England. I knew her work from a soda-glaze class I took in college. Other potters I met were Mike Dodd, Peter Beard, and Micki Schloessingk. What a great experience! On Sunday, Yoji and I went out for a walk around Oxford while Lisa kept an eye on my table. Oxford is a very big city and you would need more than a week to see everything. I don't think we even got into the heart of the city. There were many colleges and beautifully landscaped courtyards and gardens. Many of the buildings looked like they used to be churches and had intricate windows and brickwork. We found a canal lined with fancy houses and boats and also, a good Lebanese restaurant that sold a delicious lunchbox meal for 3 pounds! In all, I had a good learning experience and was able to see a lot. Sunday night, after the 2 day fair, Jennifer and I made the long journey back to Wales, exhausted. It looks like this weekend will also be an adventure. Lisa is coming to visit tomorrow and I will be going back to London with her. I will stay with Lynne and Phil's daughter, Claire, for a few days then stay with Lisa for a bit. Claire and her husband Simon have two boys, 8 and 5. Claire says the older one, Charlie will be fascinated to meet me as he knows America to be a land of yellow taxis and Disneyland. The British children are so cute with their accents. There are many museums and sights to see in London so it should be a great trip. Phil is hoping that when I get back he will be a bit more mobile and strong. To pass the time, he has been looking for another Honda CRV and doing computer stuff like designing postcards and sending email. The get well cards have been pouring in, including some from the states. I am happy to say that he is staying positive and determined. Let's hope his progress continues and that his recovery will be thorough and quick. The pictures I have included are of Jennifer Hall and her booth, Yoji with Lisa's booth, all of us who stayed at the Jelfs (Yoji, Lisa, Lucie, Jack, Jude, John and me), and the venue- a building at St. Edwards which is a prestigious private school. There was a gorgeous rings of solid lavender in the middle of the green in front of the building. Thank you to everyone who has sent their warm wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery; they are much appreciated.
Week Four
Hello Everyone,
I'm afraid this email will not be as cheery as the former ones.Phil has been in a serious car accident. My last email mentioned he was going to England for two days. On his way home he was involved in a head-on collision. Phil had to be cut out of his car and airlifted to the hospital. It is going to be a long recovery but as far as we know there is no internal damage. Although they surely saved his life, the airbag fractured some of his ribs and the seatbelt bruised him deeply. He will probably be out of commission for 6-8 weeks. I went to visit him yesterday and he seemed much more like himself. Although he was still in a lot of pain, he was cracking jokes and smiling a lot. He jokingly said, "I think hospitals try to make you look as ridiculous as possible while you're in them so you don't try to escape". He has a good sense of humor. Hopefully he will be coming home on Sunday or Monday. I have been cleaning up the studio, answering phones and taking care of the dogs, doing whatever Lynne and Phil need done. The>hospital is an hour away from their home so Lynne has done a lot of driving. Their daughter, Claire, who lives near London, has been staying with us>since Sunday. She is a very witty and lovely person. I have enjoyed getting to know her. Phil and Lynne really want me to go to the CPA show in Oxford this weekend so I will be going without them. Although they decided not to send his pots along, Phil had a book recently published about his work that I will be selling. Everyone tells me Oxford is a fantastic city. I am looking forward to meeting all kinds of interesting and talented potters. These past few days potters and friends have been calling from all over the world to send their best and wish Phil a speedy recovery. What a supportive community he has! Libby and Tess (the dogs) have been looking a bit dejected as I'm sure they can tell something is not right. The weather here has been gorgeous. I thought when I came here that it would rain everyday. That is certainly not the case as blue skies and green hills greet me outside quite often. Tomorrow I will do some work in the studio as Phil said he wants me to take advantage of it although he's not there. Please keep the Rogers family in your thoughts and your prayers.
I'm afraid this email will not be as cheery as the former ones.Phil has been in a serious car accident. My last email mentioned he was going to England for two days. On his way home he was involved in a head-on collision. Phil had to be cut out of his car and airlifted to the hospital. It is going to be a long recovery but as far as we know there is no internal damage. Although they surely saved his life, the airbag fractured some of his ribs and the seatbelt bruised him deeply. He will probably be out of commission for 6-8 weeks. I went to visit him yesterday and he seemed much more like himself. Although he was still in a lot of pain, he was cracking jokes and smiling a lot. He jokingly said, "I think hospitals try to make you look as ridiculous as possible while you're in them so you don't try to escape". He has a good sense of humor. Hopefully he will be coming home on Sunday or Monday. I have been cleaning up the studio, answering phones and taking care of the dogs, doing whatever Lynne and Phil need done. The>hospital is an hour away from their home so Lynne has done a lot of driving. Their daughter, Claire, who lives near London, has been staying with us>since Sunday. She is a very witty and lovely person. I have enjoyed getting to know her. Phil and Lynne really want me to go to the CPA show in Oxford this weekend so I will be going without them. Although they decided not to send his pots along, Phil had a book recently published about his work that I will be selling. Everyone tells me Oxford is a fantastic city. I am looking forward to meeting all kinds of interesting and talented potters. These past few days potters and friends have been calling from all over the world to send their best and wish Phil a speedy recovery. What a supportive community he has! Libby and Tess (the dogs) have been looking a bit dejected as I'm sure they can tell something is not right. The weather here has been gorgeous. I thought when I came here that it would rain everyday. That is certainly not the case as blue skies and green hills greet me outside quite often. Tomorrow I will do some work in the studio as Phil said he wants me to take advantage of it although he's not there. Please keep the Rogers family in your thoughts and your prayers.
Week Three
Hello Everyone, It is hard to believe I have been here for three weeks already! Time is flying by and I am loving it more and more. To start off the week I went on a 10 mile walk/hike that was organized by the local forest rangers. It was through parts of the Elan Valley although we did go up some pretty steep hills. The day started off drizzly but cleared right up. The hills are starting to turn from green to gold as the new season approaches. At the top of the hills mountain heather covers acres of land. Although the flowers had gone by when I saw it, there were a few of the delicate purple blossoms remaining. There were 5 other people who went on the walk and it was fun to learn more about the Welsh landscape from them (they were all native to the UK). We found some huge trees that were over 300 years old. There was one giant Ash tree whose fallen leaves made a lovely solid yellow carpet on the ground. We walked through muddy fields (or as the Welsh say, "boggy bits") and through wooded forests where moss covered most of the trees and rocks. What a great way to spend the day! The next morning, my body was reminded of how out-of-shape I am! I have been trying to get up in the mornings and go for a walk or run. By the time I get done working the sun is going down and the early morning is the only chance I get to explore. Today I got up and walked the dogs. The first frost had fallen, crystallizing all the grass into bluish-white blades. The sun was coming through the trees, melting the frost and painting long strips of the field back to their vibrant green color. I soaked all this in while hearing nothing but birds singing and the occasional bleating sheep. Refreshing! I have been working on making the press molded bottles . There are many sizes and shapes that Phil needs. He has been making large jars which are constructed by throwing three sections and joining them all together. He works so fast and has many things going at the same time. Being a potter is all about finding a rhythm to work in. It is great to watch Phil work because he has a very efficient rhythm going. We listen to the BBC radio all day which is really entertaining. It is a good mix of news, music, politics and fun stuff. This week there have been many distractions for Phil as the kitchen is being redone and also the heating system. It must drive him crazy to be right in the middle of throwing something when the new "cooker" gets delivered or he has to tell the builder where to put the cabinets.
Since I have been here I've been delighted by the formality of tea. In America, if you order tea you just get hot water and a bag. I was at a cafeteria that was not particularly fancy or anything. When you ordered tea or coffee you were given a tray with a teapot, a small creamer, and a cup and saucer. During the workday, Phil and I don't have afternoon tea where we sit down and eat crumpets or anything. We do usually stop at some point and make coffee or tea with the tea brewed in a ceramic teapot. I've never used teapots before I came here and I must say, I really enjoy it! Sometimes we have biscuits (or cookies) with our tea. Phil is going to England for two days so I have some time to throw for myself. I am going to tackle teapots. They are complicated to make because they have so many elements to them- spout, handle and lid. It will be a good challenge. Today I made some large mugs that I will put handles on tomorrow. Last week I made some small shallow bowls. There are so many forms to explore! As one can imagine this environment breeds nothing but ideas for me. Phil has a large collection of books and an even larger collection of pots that are all at my fingertips. In the evenings I read, look at images and sketch ideas. As I become familiar with the pots in Lynne and Phil's kitchen, my hands are observing these new vessels and making notes too. I must admit that I did bring a few favorite pots over here with me...fortunately none of them were broken on the voyage. I made an American classic for Lynne and Phil- apple pie. It came out really well. Instead of having vanilla ice cream with the warm dessert, we had vanilla custard. They both said we can celebrate Thanksgiving if I want so that will be a fun thing to do. By then, the kitchen will be done. Yesterday, I went with Lynne to a city in England called Hereford to look at counter tops. It was an hour away and what a feast for the eyes! It was very sunny out and the the landscape was just beautiful. One thing that is a little frustrating is the hedges on both sides of the road. They can block the view but they also provide homes for the wildlife. We passed many picturesque black and white English houses with old perennial gardens and mossy stone walls. Of course the battery in my camera needed charging so I was not able to get pictures...another day perhaps. Hereford itself was a great little city with all the storefronts maintaining their historical architecture. Most buildings have slate roofs and there is a lot of plastered brick with exposed beams. Lynne took me in some interesting shops. One was a fashionable clothes/ grocery store....interesting combo. I will go back there again just to look around. The architecture and oldness of the country makes the city so interesting to look at.
Since I have been here I've been delighted by the formality of tea. In America, if you order tea you just get hot water and a bag. I was at a cafeteria that was not particularly fancy or anything. When you ordered tea or coffee you were given a tray with a teapot, a small creamer, and a cup and saucer. During the workday, Phil and I don't have afternoon tea where we sit down and eat crumpets or anything. We do usually stop at some point and make coffee or tea with the tea brewed in a ceramic teapot. I've never used teapots before I came here and I must say, I really enjoy it! Sometimes we have biscuits (or cookies) with our tea. Phil is going to England for two days so I have some time to throw for myself. I am going to tackle teapots. They are complicated to make because they have so many elements to them- spout, handle and lid. It will be a good challenge. Today I made some large mugs that I will put handles on tomorrow. Last week I made some small shallow bowls. There are so many forms to explore! As one can imagine this environment breeds nothing but ideas for me. Phil has a large collection of books and an even larger collection of pots that are all at my fingertips. In the evenings I read, look at images and sketch ideas. As I become familiar with the pots in Lynne and Phil's kitchen, my hands are observing these new vessels and making notes too. I must admit that I did bring a few favorite pots over here with me...fortunately none of them were broken on the voyage. I made an American classic for Lynne and Phil- apple pie. It came out really well. Instead of having vanilla ice cream with the warm dessert, we had vanilla custard. They both said we can celebrate Thanksgiving if I want so that will be a fun thing to do. By then, the kitchen will be done. Yesterday, I went with Lynne to a city in England called Hereford to look at counter tops. It was an hour away and what a feast for the eyes! It was very sunny out and the the landscape was just beautiful. One thing that is a little frustrating is the hedges on both sides of the road. They can block the view but they also provide homes for the wildlife. We passed many picturesque black and white English houses with old perennial gardens and mossy stone walls. Of course the battery in my camera needed charging so I was not able to get pictures...another day perhaps. Hereford itself was a great little city with all the storefronts maintaining their historical architecture. Most buildings have slate roofs and there is a lot of plastered brick with exposed beams. Lynne took me in some interesting shops. One was a fashionable clothes grocery store....interesting combo. I will go back there again just to look around. The architecture and oldness of the country makes the city so interesting to look at.
This upcoming week will be busy as all three of us are going to Oxford England for a 2 day pottery fair. It is through an organization called the Craft Potter's Association ( www.cpaceramics.com). I am really looking forward to this as I will get to meet many great people, be in a great city and see great pots! I hope this email finds everyone healthy and well. Have a fantastic week!
Since I have been here I've been delighted by the formality of tea. In America, if you order tea you just get hot water and a bag. I was at a cafeteria that was not particularly fancy or anything. When you ordered tea or coffee you were given a tray with a teapot, a small creamer, and a cup and saucer. During the workday, Phil and I don't have afternoon tea where we sit down and eat crumpets or anything. We do usually stop at some point and make coffee or tea with the tea brewed in a ceramic teapot. I've never used teapots before I came here and I must say, I really enjoy it! Sometimes we have biscuits (or cookies) with our tea. Phil is going to England for two days so I have some time to throw for myself. I am going to tackle teapots. They are complicated to make because they have so many elements to them- spout, handle and lid. It will be a good challenge. Today I made some large mugs that I will put handles on tomorrow. Last week I made some small shallow bowls. There are so many forms to explore! As one can imagine this environment breeds nothing but ideas for me. Phil has a large collection of books and an even larger collection of pots that are all at my fingertips. In the evenings I read, look at images and sketch ideas. As I become familiar with the pots in Lynne and Phil's kitchen, my hands are observing these new vessels and making notes too. I must admit that I did bring a few favorite pots over here with me...fortunately none of them were broken on the voyage. I made an American classic for Lynne and Phil- apple pie. It came out really well. Instead of having vanilla ice cream with the warm dessert, we had vanilla custard. They both said we can celebrate Thanksgiving if I want so that will be a fun thing to do. By then, the kitchen will be done. Yesterday, I went with Lynne to a city in England called Hereford to look at counter tops. It was an hour away and what a feast for the eyes! It was very sunny out and the the landscape was just beautiful. One thing that is a little frustrating is the hedges on both sides of the road. They can block the view but they also provide homes for the wildlife. We passed many picturesque black and white English houses with old perennial gardens and mossy stone walls. Of course the battery in my camera needed charging so I was not able to get pictures...another day perhaps. Hereford itself was a great little city with all the storefronts maintaining their historical architecture. Most buildings have slate roofs and there is a lot of plastered brick with exposed beams. Lynne took me in some interesting shops. One was a fashionable clothes/ grocery store....interesting combo. I will go back there again just to look around. The architecture and oldness of the country makes the city so interesting to look at.
Since I have been here I've been delighted by the formality of tea. In America, if you order tea you just get hot water and a bag. I was at a cafeteria that was not particularly fancy or anything. When you ordered tea or coffee you were given a tray with a teapot, a small creamer, and a cup and saucer. During the workday, Phil and I don't have afternoon tea where we sit down and eat crumpets or anything. We do usually stop at some point and make coffee or tea with the tea brewed in a ceramic teapot. I've never used teapots before I came here and I must say, I really enjoy it! Sometimes we have biscuits (or cookies) with our tea. Phil is going to England for two days so I have some time to throw for myself. I am going to tackle teapots. They are complicated to make because they have so many elements to them- spout, handle and lid. It will be a good challenge. Today I made some large mugs that I will put handles on tomorrow. Last week I made some small shallow bowls. There are so many forms to explore! As one can imagine this environment breeds nothing but ideas for me. Phil has a large collection of books and an even larger collection of pots that are all at my fingertips. In the evenings I read, look at images and sketch ideas. As I become familiar with the pots in Lynne and Phil's kitchen, my hands are observing these new vessels and making notes too. I must admit that I did bring a few favorite pots over here with me...fortunately none of them were broken on the voyage. I made an American classic for Lynne and Phil- apple pie. It came out really well. Instead of having vanilla ice cream with the warm dessert, we had vanilla custard. They both said we can celebrate Thanksgiving if I want so that will be a fun thing to do. By then, the kitchen will be done. Yesterday, I went with Lynne to a city in England called Hereford to look at counter tops. It was an hour away and what a feast for the eyes! It was very sunny out and the the landscape was just beautiful. One thing that is a little frustrating is the hedges on both sides of the road. They can block the view but they also provide homes for the wildlife. We passed many picturesque black and white English houses with old perennial gardens and mossy stone walls. Of course the battery in my camera needed charging so I was not able to get pictures...another day perhaps. Hereford itself was a great little city with all the storefronts maintaining their historical architecture. Most buildings have slate roofs and there is a lot of plastered brick with exposed beams. Lynne took me in some interesting shops. One was a fashionable clothes grocery store....interesting combo. I will go back there again just to look around. The architecture and oldness of the country makes the city so interesting to look at.
This upcoming week will be busy as all three of us are going to Oxford England for a 2 day pottery fair. It is through an organization called the Craft Potter's Association ( www.cpaceramics.com). I am really looking forward to this as I will get to meet many great people, be in a great city and see great pots! I hope this email finds everyone healthy and well. Have a fantastic week!
Week Two
Hello All,I am quite settled into my routine now. Lynne and Phil have made me feel very at home here. The day usually starts at 8 am when I get up and head down for some breakfast and tea. Phil and I are usually in the studio by 9 and work until 5 or 6 with multiple tea/coffee breaks throughout the day. In the evening after dinner I have been getting educated about British TV. II am not much of a tv watcher myself but since that is what Lynne and Phil do in the evenings, I join them. am learning that the UK has some interesting sports. Rugby, which I had heard of but had never seen played, is practically a religion in parts of the UK. The Welsh team has a following much like the Red Sox because they are the underdogs but have an occasionally miraculous season. Rugby has some interesting terms like "ruck" and "scrum". Although it is a violent sport, similar to American football, the players wear no helmets or protection. Some of them wear this interesting hat that is tight and covers their ears. The playoffs were this week and the big game is this Saturday. Sadly, the Welsh team did not make it. Another sport I've learned about is called "conkers". In this game, the players collect horse chestnuts (which also grow in America). They drill a hole through them and string one on a leather boot lace. Two people each have their "conker" and they swing at the other's, trying to break the chestnut. Whoever first succeeds in breaking the other's conker, wins the game. I have to say it sounds kind of fun although when Phil went and looked for a conker for me, the tree did not produce any this year. I will have to wait for next fall when my neighbor's tree drops all its chestnuts. When I told Phil we had no such game in the US he exclaimed, "My goodness, you Americans need to get civilized!". I told him "We are civilized; at least we don't hit each other with tree nuts!". This week I have been making press molded bottles for Phil. It is a process where you press flat slabs of clay into a three-part mold. The result is a square or rectangular bottle with very precise corners. It is nearly impossible to get such straight corners from a wheel-thrown piece. It is a time-consuming and tricky process. I used to think that using molds was a much faster way to make things but now I see how wrong that misconception was! I also threw some of my own pieces. I was nervous and self-conscious with Phil right there but he did not really watch me. He commented on my speed saying I filled up my board with cups, "...rather quickly". Later after I had decorated them he said they were "....quite nice and very distinctive". I was relieved to hear the encouragement. I will be putting all the work I make into his wood kiln in December. We will fire it and unload it right before I leave.
This past weekend Phil and Lynne took me "to the countryside". They took me to this beautiful place called the Elan Valley. It is a long valley that was flooded on purpose. Several huge dams were build and are still in operation. The water was so still it looked like a giant mirror. It was a bit overcast that day but it was still lovely. I took some good photos and had a nice walk to one of the dams. Yesterday Phil had to go to a college gallery in Aberyswyth so I went with him. It is small seaside town about an hour west of Rhayader. Whenever I ride in the car I get a bit nervous because the roads here are so different. They are very windy and in some areas are only wide enough for one car to pass through. If two cars are headed towards each other, one has to either pull over to the side or, if there is no shoulder, back up far enough to pull into a driveway. Needless to say, I brought a magazine to look at instead of the road. We made it to Aberyswyth and I got to see not only a great little show of Phil's work but also the college's ceramic collection. There were some great pieces there, historical and contemporary. Although this specific college has no ceramics program, every 2 years they host a large ceramics festival. Over the years they have purchased many pieces from the demonstrators and artists that attend. Phil has been part of the planning committee for the festival in years past. Aberyswyth is a lovely little town and I took some nice pictures there too. I still can't get over all the sheep here! The other morning I was taking a shower. I looked out the window and saw three lone sheep right next to the house. Normally the sheep are in a field a good distance from the house. Somehow, these Houdini sheep had gotten through the fence. They probably thought the grass was greener on the other side. On the way to the Elan Valley last weekend there were many sheep grazing right on the side of the road! They were not even afraid of the cars. I have to say, I am getting a little fond of sheep. Well, It is getting close to my bedtime. I've got a pile of bottles to make tomorrow. Feel free to pass along this email to anyone else who might enjoy it.
This past weekend Phil and Lynne took me "to the countryside". They took me to this beautiful place called the Elan Valley. It is a long valley that was flooded on purpose. Several huge dams were build and are still in operation. The water was so still it looked like a giant mirror. It was a bit overcast that day but it was still lovely. I took some good photos and had a nice walk to one of the dams. Yesterday Phil had to go to a college gallery in Aberyswyth so I went with him. It is small seaside town about an hour west of Rhayader. Whenever I ride in the car I get a bit nervous because the roads here are so different. They are very windy and in some areas are only wide enough for one car to pass through. If two cars are headed towards each other, one has to either pull over to the side or, if there is no shoulder, back up far enough to pull into a driveway. Needless to say, I brought a magazine to look at instead of the road. We made it to Aberyswyth and I got to see not only a great little show of Phil's work but also the college's ceramic collection. There were some great pieces there, historical and contemporary. Although this specific college has no ceramics program, every 2 years they host a large ceramics festival. Over the years they have purchased many pieces from the demonstrators and artists that attend. Phil has been part of the planning committee for the festival in years past. Aberyswyth is a lovely little town and I took some nice pictures there too. I still can't get over all the sheep here! The other morning I was taking a shower. I looked out the window and saw three lone sheep right next to the house. Normally the sheep are in a field a good distance from the house. Somehow, these Houdini sheep had gotten through the fence. They probably thought the grass was greener on the other side. On the way to the Elan Valley last weekend there were many sheep grazing right on the side of the road! They were not even afraid of the cars. I have to say, I am getting a little fond of sheep. Well, It is getting close to my bedtime. I've got a pile of bottles to make tomorrow. Feel free to pass along this email to anyone else who might enjoy it.
Week One
I have arrived safely in Rhayader, Wales. After a long night and day of traveling I made it with only one small transportation hiccup. I stood up to get out at my stop on the train and the doors never opened. I pushed the open button but nothing happened. The train started to go with me still on it.The train staff was very friendly and they helped me get back to the right stop. There are sheep everywhere. I asked one of the train staff how they keep the sheep from wandering onto the train tracks. He said, "Well, I suppose we hit one every now and again". Fortunately that did not happen while I was on board. It took an extra 1.5 hours due to the missed stop but I got to see a lot of the countryside and listen to some of the people speaking in Welsh. Welsh is a very hard language to pronounce. When I asked someone how to get to a place I usually had to just point to the word on a paper. I was greeted at the Caersws train station by Phil Rogers and we went right to his house. I met his wife, Lynne and their two friendly collie dogs. I got a tour of the Rogers' home which is over 500 years old. There are many exposed beams throughout the house. The walls are stone, covered with plaster, then painted. There are pots EVERYWHERE which is fantastic. Today Phil opened a cabinet full of pots and I handled many Hamada pieces and a few by Bernard Leach and Michael Cardew. Interestingly, Phil says he does not have many of his own pots in the kitchen for use because he gets sick of looking at them all day in the workshop. Phil showed me his three kilns, a gas, a salt and a wood. He estimates we will be doing a woodfiring in mid December before I leave. He has a beautiful showroom and workshop which are in a building that used to be a cow barn. Today I learned how to properly mix clay. Phil uses this big machine that used to mix dough in a high school cafeteria. Instead of measuring out dry materials by the gram, we measured it out by the 25 lb bag! Tomorrow I will be mixing it by myself so Phil can do some throwing. He uses several clay bodies but they all have very similar ingredients. I am getting well acquainted with Libby and Tess, the two collie dogs that live here. They love to play ball or catch Frisbee. They are very affectionate and have a habit of wedging their faces between my knees when they feel I am ignoring them. I ran around with them in a big field this morning carefully trying to avoid the thistles and many "sheep patties".The sheep each have a spot of blue or red on their backs so the farmers can identify which animals are theirs. Although it rained later in the day, when I woke up this morning it was very sunny. It got cooler as the day went on and I was glad to have a cup of tea with my lunch. There are a few interesting things I've noticed: the hot and cold handles on the faucet are backwards with the hot being on the right, you have to flip a switch when you plug something into an electric outlet and American plugs don't fit into the outlets here. Many things are the same; some of trees change color just like they do in New Hampshire and the Welsh people take pride in their heritage, just as Americans take pride in the state they are from. The people here are very friendly and have offered me a generous welcome. I am attaching some pictures. One is of my bedroom, another is of the Rogers house and the last is of a nearby field.I know I will have many more stories and pictures to share in the weeks ahead.
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