Empty,but not for long...

I just picked up my bowls from the big group firing that Dan Kuhn did for everyone down at IUP. I am very pleased with how they came out and I think these will make real nice soup bowls for the folks to pick up at our upcoming Empty Bowls Fund Raiser. The event will take place this coming Tuesday, March 2 from 11-2:00pm and all the money will go to the Indiana County Food Bank. I am volunteering to ladle up the soup on one of the soup stations that day. Nancy has organized 4 or 5 different soups that are available to choose from...several individuals are making home made soups and a couple local businesses are also donating. Josh Floyd and Harmony Ritchie have also been key in getting this event off the ground. Another great stroke of generosity came in the form of a painting donated by Kamal Youssef who lives in the local Smicksburg area. Here's a little about Mr Youssef,"Among the first Muslim artists to exhibit in the West, Kamal represented Egypt in International Biennials in Venice, Italy (1950); Sao Paulo, Brazil (1952); and then exhibited in the Biennial in Alexandra, Egypt (1955). The Museum of Modern Art in Cairo mounted his one-man show in 1952."

Its a great piece that I would love to have hanging in my house...this painting will be raffled off for 20.00 a ticket during this soup(er) event.

Here are a couple details of some of my bowls from the group firing. The shinos are looking nice and warm and the tenmoku glazes are working overtime. Come on out if you are around town and grab a bowl and fill'er up...ten bucks...you eat yummy soup...you keep the bowl...you help fight hunger. See you there.

Who's got big bowls...

...I got big bowls...and 20 of them ready for the bisque almost. That will be my small contribution to this year's Empty Bowls Fundraiser event that will take place here in the greater metropolitan area of Indiana, PA. on March 2 right outside the Commonplace Coffeehouse. Nancy Smeltzer, Josh Floyd and Harmony Ritchie are organizing this year's event and potters from all around the area are donating their bowls and time. It also serves as a nice kick in the ass for me to get back into the studio...brave the snowy roads and just get back to doing what makes me feel good. I spent a couple days in the studio throwing and trimming 20 or so bowls that I will be firing with a group of others down at IUP. My friend, Dan Kuhn, who was recently the grad assistant there, will be firing all our work in the big Baily gas kiln. Other local potters will be stopping by the ceramic department there for a bit of a "throw down" in the next couple days. IUP is supplying the clay and the firing...awfully nice of them...all you have to do is show up and crank out some bowls. Above are bowls by Nancy that she threw for her friend and neighbor Marilyn to carve and decorate and below are some of mine from the other day. More to come about this event!

Speaking of snowy roads, the winter is dragging on here and the snow seems never ending..."relentless" as a friend put it to me today. The studio up at Nancy's is half buried in snow and the kilns, like us, just seem to be waiting for some better weather. In the meantime, I am getting back in the swing of things and plan to be making a good bit of work including a bunch of teapots for a show I will be in this summer in Chautauqua.

Whenever it decides to stop snowing and our weather changes a little for the better, I will be ready to load a kiln and chuck in some wood. Until next time...think warm thoughts.

Let it snow...

..and snow it did...and it is doing it again!

I just thought I would post about the weather...well mainly our big snow storm that just whipped through here. The best part about it was that I was at Peak'n Peek in New York snow-tubing and sitting in a hot tub. The bad part was that I came back to my driveway totally plowed under in about three feet of the fluffy white stuff. It took me about an hour to dig out the driveway so I could pull in past the sidewalk. Thank goodness I was keeping my back good and limber sitting in a hot tub.

We also went over to the Chautauqua Institution to see it in the dead of winter. The lake was completely frozen into a gigantic chunk of snow topped ice. The Art School was up to its steps in snow and the studio looked so different than the way I usually see it during the summer season. I must admit that having lived in Florida for 36 years of my life, where the temperature rarely got around 40, I am endlessly fascinated with the winter and especially the snow.

Another thing that I am endlessly fascinated with is, how well chicken wings and beer go with winter weather. Here I am with my daughter sampling a veritable cornucopia of the local buffalo wing fare. Our timing was perfect this weekend, not only did we miss the big ass snow storm but I was here for the big wing festival too! ...and by the way, French Creek Tavern won.

So, here we are "bracing" for another 10-14 inches on the ground by this evening...SNOWMEGEDDON as CNN puts it...I love the non-stop coverage of the weather... I say...whatever...bring it on.... get it over with already because I am ready to go back in the studio and make some bowls for the upcoming "Empty Bowls" event in March. Heck, I am just ready to get back in the studio. In the meantime, check out my etsy shop...I just posted a bunch of new stuff. Did you know...online shopping is a great way to pass the time during a snow storm!