One potter's passing

You know what makes me feel good? When people write to ask me what the hell my problem is, and why haven't I blogged lately. In a funny sort of way, it feels good to be missed.

This won't be much of a post, because I'm up to my elbows in work right now. I've got two commissions that are behind schedule and kicking my ass, and a pile of stuff to take care of - so blogging just has to take a back seat for a few more days.

But - here's the scoop, and it makes me almost teary to talk about it...

Yesterday, I bought the entire ceramic studio of a potter that passed away a few years ago. Her studio was like a scene out of a science fiction movie - it was as if she just walked away from everything in the middle of an afternoon of throwing pots. Brushes still in glaze. Pots still wrapped in plastic. Tools still covered in clay. Time stood still.

Her throwing stool makes me want to weep.



Her husband only asked that I take everything. Everything. I think he couldn't bear the thought of going through her stuff. And to tell you the truth, it's very hard on me, too.

So with the help of a couple of friends (thanks Lupe and Dan!), everything was loaded in my van and a trailer. We dropped the kiln off at my school, but almost everything else went to my studio at home, where I could sort through the boxes more slowly.



It took an hour for me to empty only two boxes, sorting everything into piles.



This is going to take days - maybe weeks. And doing this makes me think about my own stuff - what will become of it someday, when I'm gone? I know, that's morbid, but - it is reality.

I don't want to leave you on a sad note, so this should make you laugh. I've been saving up some outtakes from the videos I make. Bloopers. I have a few I'm editing into one video, but this one just cracks me up. If you don't like colorful language, don't watch it. Wuss. (Double click on the video below to watch it full-screen.)

And don't write to me if you think it's bad to post this. Lighten up. Life is short.