jbf times

2018-05-24 - Thursday - Yunomi and fish

2018-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Thursday night I made some more yunomi and started on some more fish.

2018-05-22 - Tuesday - Pots

2018-12-11T02:37:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Adrienne was making a stamped platter. I really love the way the different sized stamps give it a lot depth.

I made some darted pots. I enjoy making these and they seem to be popular.

2018-05-20 - Sunday - Clayworks

2018-12-11T02:31:00.000-05:00

I grab a bite at the Common Market sometimes on the weekends and I saw this magnet there on Sunday.

I was taking a break from making yunomi at Clayworks.

When I left, I left some footprints behind me.

2018-05-19 - Saturday - Invading army

2018-11-21T18:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday I noticed a fleet of railroad service vehicles parked on the tracks by South Blvd. It looked like an invading army all lined up. I've never seen that many service vehicles in one spot.

2018-05-18 - Friday - Grass and fortunes

2018-11-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

We ran out for a quick meal of Chinese food and as usual, a fortune cookie.

Not sure about this one.

Later I opened a Dove candy. I like this one better.

2018-05-17 - Thursday - Raku class firing

2018-11-20T18:30:00.000-05:00

At Clayworks we have a Thursday night raku class. Greg teaches it and he pushes the boundaries of the medium. Sometimes he does a tumble stack on a large platter which he calls a dragon's eye. It really makes for some interesting results.

2018-05-16 - Wednesday - James Taylor

2018-11-20T00:42:00.000-05:00

Wednesday we went to see James Taylor at the arena. It took me 48 years to see Mr. Taylor, but I finally did it. It was a great concert and JT actually stayed out on the risers during the whole mid-concert break taking selfies with people and signing autographs. Bonnie Raitt was supposed to open for him, but she was under the weather so James did a longer show.

A huge thanks for my lovely wife for getting the tickets for us.

2018-05-14 - Monday - Parents visit

2018-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

My parents were visiting and we always go to Ru San's for the sushi lunch buffet when they're here. It's good stuff.

Another sign that they're visiting is the tow dolly in the back yard that they tow their Prius on for the trip.

On another front, my favorite mixed nuts now have no Brazil nuts, my favorite nut. When I looked around, all the brands have dropped Brazils from the lineup. It appears that the Brazil nut harvest has been dismal and companies have all replaced them with other nuts, like pistachios. Bummer.

2018-05-13 - Sunday - Fortune

2018-11-15T23:30:00.001-05:00

Ancient fortunes about emails... Who knew?

2018-05-10 - Thursday - More voluminous pots

2018-11-15T23:27:00.000-05:00

I'm working on volume and lines.

2018-05-09 - Wednesday - Altered and slipped pots

2018-10-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

Wednesday I slipped and altered some of the pots I made.

Slipped.

Altered: side view.

Altered: top view

2018-05-08 - Tuesday - Blue-Eyed Grass

2018-10-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

The blue-eyed grass is growing well and the ferns are happy too.

I voted in the primary. I didn't used to vote in primaries. I like to think I'm doing better.

I made more voluminous pots tonight.

2018-05-06 - Sunday - Mowing the lawn old school

2018-10-22T17:00:00.000-04:00

Sunday I pulled out the old manual lawn mower. I haven't used it in quite a while and it still works great.

But I still have the problem with my socks coming off --especially the right one.

2018-05-05 - Saturday - Muddy Fun and slip

2018-10-22T01:47:00.001-04:00

Saturday was Muddy Fun Saturday!

And I slipped some of the voluminous pots.

Film at 11.

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2018-05-03 - Thursday - Grass, chipmunks, pots, and fire

2018-10-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thursday I went out at lunch time and cut the grass. My gait has changed so much in recent years that I constantly walk out of my right sock. I don't understand it.

The blue-eyed grass was in full bloom.

I found a chipmunk burrow. One of many.

The mostly native plant flower bed.

Thursday night I made some more voluminous pots.

Raku class happens on Thursday nights. Tonight was a firing night.

2018-05-02 - Wednesday - Modified Pots

2018-10-19T19:30:00.000-04:00

I decided the pots from last night were too boring so I decided to play with them a bit. We'll see.

2018-05-01 - Tuesday - Lunch and Other Things

2018-10-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Tuesday I went over to my friend Herb Cohen's house to help him with some printer problems he was having. After getting the printer problems sorted, Herb offered me lunch. We had a delicious meal made better by good company.

On the way home I decided to check out our park. I was told that the playground equipment was gone and I found out it was.

Tuesday night I threw some voluminous pots.

2018-04-28 - Saturday - Jackie's First Collector's Piece

2018-10-18T20:00:00.000-04:00

I went to the Thrown Together Sale on Saturday and bought more than I should have. What else is new?

While there I met up with my friend Jackie. I was present when she bought the first piece of pottery for her collection so I had to document it.

Jackie and Ron.

2018-04-22 - Sunday - Art on the Green, day two

2018-10-18T07:30:00.000-04:00

Day two started out very gray and iffy. It cleared up nicely and it was a good sales day.

At the end of the sale I was frantically trying to get my booth broken down and packed up since there was a concert on the green after the sale. In the end I was only able to get out of the way with the help of Celena (pictured here in the booth behind mine) and some of her friends. They grabbed the last load of stuff off the green and carried it to my van before the concert started. It would have been very awkward without their help.

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2018-04-21 - Saturday - Art on the Green, Davidson

2018-10-17T20:00:00.000-04:00

Saturday I set up my booth for Art on the Green in Davidson. It's a two-day show with lots of great art and artists.

Later that night I took a photo of Cate Blanchett off the television screen in the Hobbit. I love the mirth and joy in her eyes in this scene. There's also a little bit of the wild forest in there too. Amazing actress.

2018-04-20 - Friday - Cheez Waffles

2018-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

I stopped by Harris Teeter on Friday and found an oddly bent cart in the line-up. It had a graceful curve pushed into it and it fascinated me for about 60 seconds. Life pushes you past things like that, but I thought I would grab some photos to try to capture it. The curve just changed the everyday into something different and I wanted to absorb it.

Who remembers Cheez Waffles? I'm pleased to tell you they are just as good/bad as you remember them.

Later, we went to Taipei South for supper.

I think everyone is more influential than they think they are. I have had several people repeat back to me some offhand comment I said to them in the past that they took to heart. It's amazing to me that people actually take me seriously outside of my day job, and listen to what I say.

Speak carefully and thoughtfully.

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2018-04-18 - Wednesday - Josh Copus

2018-10-16T22:10:00.000-04:00

Wednesday I went to the Mint Museum on Randolph Road to hear Josh Copus talk about his art, life, and philosophy. It was very nice to see him again and also to meet his fiance, Emily.

As you'd expect, the talk was energetic, passionate, and informative. Josh's personality is bigger than one person can normally contain. He is an endless font of energy and it energizes you when you're around him.

It was a great talk.

2018-04-14 - Saturday - Contrails to slip trails

2018-10-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

When I walked out Saturday morning I was amazed at the number of contrails criss-crossing the sky. We have a lot of jet traffic.

It was Muddy Fun Saturday at Clayworks!

I worked on some tumblers I have a special order for.

Then I added some slip to the voluminous pots I made the other night.

2018-04-13 - Friday - Spring ferns

2018-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

The Christmas fern fiddle heads are up, and the lady ferns growing happily this spring. Have I mentioned how much I like ferns? I thought so.

2018-04-11 - Wednesday - Exercises in volume

2018-10-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

Volume, since:

We throw clay to shape a pot,

But the utility of the clay pot is a function

of the nothingness inside it.

- Tao Te Ching: Chapter 11