itchy feet

I can feel the itch grow in my feet... the restlessness becoming greater and harder to bear. Exotic and faraway places whisper my name and I long to see them....

But as the itch grows, the money dwindles....

the only trade-off of semi-consolation?
watching my debt wither away to non-existence.
Yes, it's happening, friends. Slowly, but surely, I'm painstakingly climbing my way to debt free with every day of rent-free-living-with-my-parents-commuting-from-the-nowheres.

then, what?
ha, like you had to ask.

I'LL SHAKE THE DUST OFF THESE ITCHY FEET!!
I'll get out to getting to see what's to seeing!

First stop is already scheduled, likely pre-debt-payoff, in Tybee Island. A quick weekend jaunt to run 13.1 miles with a few friends and a bunch of strangers, to get some sand between my toes, to eat some fresh fresh seafood and generally remind myself there is life to live outside the doldrum day to day.

skeptical dreamers

I am blessed to hold in my hands the new album from Over the Rhine, a fantastically magical group that never ceases to speak directly to my soul. They have a way of getting just the right words to play nice together, to get right to the root of your heart. I adore them. And I adore the new album.

One of my favorites from The Long Surrender:

All My Favorite People
-Linford Detweiler

"(As for) your tender heart-
This world's gonna rip it wide open
It ain't gonna be pretty
But you're not alone

'Cause all my favorite people are broken
Believe me
My heart should know

Orphaned believers, skeptical dreamers
You're welcome
Yeah, you're safe right here
You don't have to go"




I highly recommend you look into this group...and go buy their new album. Your heart won't regret it.

Really and Truly

I can only say ditto to this. I'm thrilled to have someone put it into words for me. Only, add to it an unmatchable love for Christ. I think {pray} over that often when I'm running.


In every other bit of my life is general chaos. Its week 1 of running study training and it's kicking my butt. I wasn't able to fit in my tempo run scheduled for last night so I've got to rethink the rest of the weekend to see if I can fit it in somewhere. I think the program has every potential to be a huge blessing for my running.

Christmas approaches and I'm knocking out my shopping list.

This weekend is art weekend extraordinaire. EVERYONE, or so it seems, is having a show either yesterday, tonight, or tomorrow. GET OUT THERE AND BUY SOME ART!

Hot Yoga, Jumpy Castles, and Switzerland

I tried hot yoga for the first time last week. It was... well, hot. The last time my pores oozed that much sweat was the dead of summer while training for a marathon; 6 milers, 3 times a week plus long runs, in SC humidity and the afternoon heat (the only time my weekday schedule gave me to run) all the way through October. Ah, marathon training. Hot yoga, while tough, was not as strenuous as all that. It's a little gross to be that drenched but also very intoxicating. It gives you a feeling of cleansing and purity. I'll definitely be going again. And that's not just because I'm so cheap I refuse to let my deal go unused ($20 for 20 classes), though that is part of it.

I'm about to start a running study and I'll need the yoga for cross training. I have to admit, though, I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't give up running in place of jumpy castles. Most of my friends know and understand my love for jumpy castles. Really, what's not to love? My dad came to own one by happenstance and I'm happy to admit we use it on fairly regular occasions. This weekend was one of those. We had all my nieces and nephews in town so we set it up and went to jumping. Who needs running when you have a jumpy castle? Fun was had by all, including myself.... even if I may have pulled a muscle trying to show my niece a toe touch. Go figure. Those running hamstrings really don't like doing toe touches.

Last night I had the privilege and pleasure to go to an artist talk at the Fine Arts Center. It was a double pleasure. I got to see an awesome clay exhibit on Native Clay. Beautifully stunning pieces.... I have no words. Then, Boris Bally gave a talk. What an amazingly creative, passionate, and intelligent person! I ate up every bit of it, thoroughly enjoyed his work, and was inspired by all of it. The biggest problem is my new love of Switzerland. Boris grew up there and through his few comments about the place... I've decided I may have to move there. 9 am snack? 2 hour lunch with wine? 4 pm snack? Amazing craftsmanship and intelligent design everywhere? It sounds like my kind of place!

The rest of my life has resumed its normal chaos.... plus the commute which means I sleep even less than I did when I lived 10 minutes from everything. Go figure. Alas, if this is where God will have me, it's perfect. The good news? I'll be debt free in a year, maybe sooner... given things go as planned. And not including those pesky student loans.

prayer

Please pray for my cousin who is continuing a battle with cancer. You can read more about her struggle, her fight, and her beautiful faith in Christ at her blog here.

Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

UPDATE: A website for Amy's specific prayer needs and fundraising can be found here.

words

I'm having trouble using my words properly today.
So here's a quick, unsorted, unstructured summary of my thoughts...

I hate commuting.
I think SC needs to adopt the northern US habit of posting "Slower Traffic Keep Right" and enforce it.
I think SC also needs to adopt stricter intelligence testing before issuing a Driver's License.
I might, possibly have Road Rage though I really think it should be called Stupidity Rage.
I do not enjoy shorter days.
I do not like leaving the house in the dark to go to work. ALREADY.
I need sunshine and runs. I haven't had much of either this week.
I miss my bed, at the moment.
I love having a shower with good water pressure. It's awesome.
I struggle when friends move away. I have two kick-ass friends moving far far away this month.
I am proud and excited for them, but there are no words to describe how desperately I will miss them.
I am excited to be starting a running study soon.
I would like to make some time to finish the work I made in NY.
I am hoping to plan some trips soon. First stop? Hopefully Charleston. (then Denver, then Italy--all pending cash flow)
I am applying for my passport. Finally.
I really should look into a coffee/caffeine IV....


Things are changing, as they always do... and while I might struggle with my words today, a lot of that change is really beautiful.

absence makes the heart grow fonder....

It seems the old saying is true. At least in this case.

I'm in a honeymoon stage with my home town since I've come back. It's great timing for a return, really.... Fall for Greenville was my first weekend home, I'm getting to spend time with two of my close friends before they move at the end of the month (one to Denver, one to Italy), the studio is hopping in preparation for Open Studios, the weather has been beautifully perfect...

While there is a lot going on, I'm in love with all of it.
Ok. Almost all of it. I really don't enjoy the commute from my parents' house.
And by 'don't enjoy' I mean 'really hate.' It hasn't become a full on painful thing yet but it's well on it's way. This week is the first I'm really starting to feel it's effects on me.
I'm looking for a place to rent while fully expecting to be at my parents into November.
I'm trying to find and focus on the blessing I know God has placed there....

So, overall, things are settling back into a semblance of 'normal' and I'm still adjusting to being home. Mostly I'm loving all of it!

Take me Home, Country Road

Oh, John Denver may have been onto something....

Ok, I admit. It's an overplayed and somewhat cheesy song but it's been playing in my head the last week or two.
Possibly with good reason.

I'm packing up and heading home soon.
I return with a few more physical scars, no less wounds than before, more knowledge about myself, my work, my process, and my limits for each.
I'm excited to get back into a healthy routine, continue the artwork, love on all my people, and look forward to the next big adventure. Whatever and wherever that may be!



...to the place where I belong!.....

lame duck

There isn't any point to making new work since I'm about to leave soon.
It's been this way for about a week.

SO.

I helped prep the kiln.
Now that it's firing, we play a waiting game.
I've wrapped and packed up my finished work.
I've cleaned my studio.
Tomorrow, I'm cleaning out my car and packing it as much as I can.
We're hoping to unload Wednesday.
I'm hoping to take the work from the kiln to my car.

So, I'm hanging out. It's raining.
I'm hoping the rain clears long enough for me to hike Overlook.

waddle waddle.
quack quack.

Corn-Utopia

Having adjusted my attitude and accepted my extended stay....
(it was hard for me since I'd had a plan and a date in my head for 2 months. also I'm extremely imperfect)
we all rallied for the big event of Woodstock, CORN-UTOPIA, a fundraiser for the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild.

No, I'm not kidding.
It was a real event.

It was actually fun. But that was mostly due to 3 clay residents who took advantage of the wine, the beer, the good band, and a very open dance floor.

We had a blast, rocked it out, made our presence known (and remembered), and were generally the life of the party. Go figure.

In other news, the trees are giving us some serious "kick-ass beauty before we die" and I'm pumped about hiking Overlook one more time before I leave town. It's refreshing to be so surrounded by God's glory every day. Yesterday, I took a mental reset run (it did help my attitude along with a lot of hard core prayer) and saw a buck dart across the road in front of me. It's the first buck I'd seen so far and in the middle of the morning, too. Pretty awesome.

Delays, Waits, and Irrational Frustration

It seems inevitable.

I'm cranky and irrational.
mostly because I want to get out of this town.
away from the same 5 people.
The 5 people that would be grand if sprinkled in amongst some other people.
But by themselves drive me nuts.
They talk about each other.
to me.
I'm sure, about me, as well.
and to each other.
It's bizarre, disturbing, and more than a little disgusting.
I'm exhausted by it and simply want to escape.
Back to the familiar.
Back to home.
Back to where I know this societal truth exists but is less obvious.
Back to where I know those who love me, who is positive, who is not, and when to deal with each group.
Back to where I know the game rules and can play fairly well.

As it stands, it looks like this kiln won't get loaded tonight at all. I'll be lucky to get it loaded tomorrow. Which means I'll be lucky to get out of here Wednesday. Maybe even Thursday.

This translates to a simple frustration.
A selfish one, which only makes it more frustrating.
I have a nephew, sister, and brother in law I rarely get to visit. Suddenly, I'm close by and planned to have time for them. And it's not going to happen. This upsets me.

All of this is selfish and I know it.
I pray fiercely.
and I drink my beer.
This does not help.

So, I'm cranky. and I wait to discuss very practically delaying the kiln so that Rich doesn't go completely bat-shit crazy from sleep deprivation.
and I drink my beer, which is not helpful.

except now I have to pee.

Magic Meadow

Yesterday was the Harvest Moon, for those who didn't know.

There was a celebration up towards Overlook Mountain, in Magic Meadow. Given there is little to zero going on in this town after dark, we decided to go check it out. I figured it'd be harmless enough given the innocuous nature of this town so far. I was right.

We parked. We traipsed through the trail, knowing we were on the right path by the candle markers. ...and the distant sound of drums. Giggling all the way, with our flashlights in tow, we found our way to the bonfire and drum circle. Immediately, the smell of bonfire smoke and the cliche smell of Woodstock surrounded us. Patchouli and... well, you can guess....

We wandered around a bit. We stood and hippy-watched. There was a fire juggler, a hula hooper, and a guy dancing in his sleeping bag very enthusiastically. There were hippies stoned, hippies banging drums, hippies making food in the woods, hippies with videocameras, and hippies howling at the moon. Exactly as I would expect it to be. Apparently, they do this every full moon.

After about 30-45 minutes, we left having determined that we came, we saw, and it isn't all that. Maybe if you partook of the magic brownies the meadow would be more magical. Maybe. And, no, we didn't.

going solo

I conquered my first solo hike!

Before I have anyone freaking out. a) it wasn't anything major or impressive b) I was smart and cautious.

Now.
I drove up to Kaaterskill Falls, about an hour north, which boasts one of the larger waterfalls of NY. It's a double drop waterfall with a total drop of 260 feet. A fairly easy hike with a rocky climbing trail for about .5 miles and brings you to the bottom of the falls. It wasn't heavily trafficked while I was there so I had a lot of peace and quiet, soaking up God's glory. The weather was unusually and blessedly warm.... and highly appreciated.

I know there are other trails that take you to the middle and the top of the falls but I couldn't find trail markers, information, or any leads on where to find the trail heads for those hikes. If I get back up this way, I'll have to do some more investigating.

Altogether it was glorious and beautiful.... I'll be putting pictures up on my flickr soon.

the wedding adventure

I had some dear friends of mine get married over the weekend. I flew home for the occassion upon their insistence and financial funding. (don't worry, they will be paid heavily in artwork for that)

The weekend event was at a charming camp in NC that most definitely warrants repeat visits. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by so many friends I love and miss, to catch up just a bit, to have a change in scenery (albeit a familiar one), and a change in pace (even if slight). I loved every minute of it, every bite of food, and every drop of delicious beer. I was even lucky and fortunate enough to run into, befriend, and converse with another fellow artist.

A joyous weekend that will only feed my fire to keep steady on the course of making work and getting home soon.

CONGRATS to Alexia and Ken!! You guys had a stellar 'hitching' and I love you both tremendously!

the unloading

We've unloaded the kiln!

It's SPECTACULAR!! Picture sneak peeks coming, I promise.

UPDATE: you can see kiln and firing pics here!

Enchanted Evening

About a week or so back, the girls of the Barzin house (that'd be the clay residents) decided to venture into Woodstock in search, yet again, of some other life. A drink would also be nice.

Lo and behold, we found it. A little place called the Bear Cafe, which is a little bit of a commune in the way it's setup. There is the Bear Cafe with your cafe fare, Little Bear with a bar and music venue, and some other bear with asian flare food. All seperate buildings, all in the same place.

We got lucky. We managed to suck it up and pay the $10 cover for the Little Bear which was having some live music. We get ourselves some drinks and settle in to the opener. She was surprisingly good with Neko Case flare, a great vibe, great pipes, and a great band. Fun. We were impressed and chose unanimously and without discussion to stick around for the next group, the headliner.

The Barr Brothers. We had never heard of them though I think we'd all like to hear more. The lead singer and guitarist is the former band member of Slip, whom I know nothing about except that they were good enough to appear at Bonnaroo at least one occassion. The drummer of that group left disbanding Slip and causing the guitarist to form a new group since. They feature a harpist and some uber gifted musicians, singers, songwriters.

With a mellow flair, great songs, good sound, and an overall enchanting vibe, I was in love and completely blissed out. They aren't on itunes. yet. Keep an ear out, though. They have tremendous potential to be great and go huge.

It has made the top of my list of enchanted evenings in Woodstock. And I relive the emotion every time I play the CD.

quick update - 9/10/10

We will finally be doing a first firing early next week. I will be cranking out work til then. And immediately after since we'll be firing again just a short time after that. I am hoping the larger pieces will help fill the kiln faster. We'll see.... it all depends on if I can manage to stop killing them. I require a high tolerance of abuse from my pieces... and the change in scale means a learning curve for just how much the new scale will take. and when. It's a learning curve I'm not fond of, but necessary. I'll deal with it and learn in the process. It'll improve when my throwing large skills improve too. They often coincide.

In the meantime, it's life as normal on the side of this small mountain. I see the same few people every day. Pluse a new resident who is kind, smart, and funny. The days blur together... weekends blending into weeks and on and on. I crave my routine back home, as chaotic as it is. It's familiar and maybe that's what I miss the most.

It's cool here. Fall has hit. and you can see the evidence in the tip top of the trees.... the beginning of some kick ass beauty.

Back to the studio....

rememberings

Today, I'm thinking of everyone back home (especially my artbomb family), sending love, warm thoughts, and a lot of prayers. And I'm remembering.

frustration

There is a point of frustration in which you know you must walk away or destroy what you've just created. One or the other. This is where I am today.

I'm challenging myself by working larger. It's been going slow but surprisingly well. I clearly need practice to improve these skills that haven't been exercised in years. But, today, my muscles and my clay are not getting along. In the process, both are exhausted and my patience is pushed to its limit.

I feel I see the same 5 people every day. There seems to be a great lack in variety.

What to do now?

If I try to push through, I risk giving in to my frustration and throwing my work against the wall. Most likely while screaming at the top of my lungs. If I walk away, I risk losing precious working time.

It seems I lose either way..... which is the greater loss?

Things I Don't Miss...

and there are some things I don't miss (in no particular order):


*paying rent
*the chaos of my routine
*my creative funk (be gone!)
*the social drama that inevitably happens
*the humidity

I feel like this list should be longer somehow.... strange.

Things I Miss....

There is a long list of things I miss, but here is a list (in no particular order):

*my kitchen knife
*my cast iron skillet
*my bed
*friends and family (duh)
*living alone
*my wheel
*fireflies
*my sofa
*SC prices
*good water pressure
*my church
*studio dogs
*Barley's
*good indoor light
*my washer and dryer

today we try something new

Today... it's try something new day.

Or, I should say, try something you haven't done in years day.

I want my work to be larger... so I need to throw larger.
This is a CHALLENGE.
I know I can... I've done it before.
but..... that was years ago.

SO. Today we try something new.

Prayers, thoughts, and good vibes are highly appreciated today.
I will need a huge shield against my own frustration today.

gypsies

Not much to report.
I'm here.
I'm working.
I haven't been eaten by a bear or gone entirely stir crazy mad. (yet. if it rains again, beware.)

News? Gypsies! that play kicking music!

Turns out the Byrdcliffe Property Manager is a talented little musician and is part of a gypsy band. We happened to hear a tuba (he plays a tuba) drifting into the house the other night, realize that it was their band rehearsal.... so what'd we do?

Crash it.

We grabbed our beer and went down to the barn where they were rehearsing. It was such an enchanting experience I don't even have words for it. The barn was all clean and glitzed up since there was a wedding there this weekend... twinkle lights all over the place. And these gypsies (who aren't really)... an accordion, a tuba, a violin, and one handheld drum instrument (maybe Russian?). It was absolutely gloriously happy. We drank our beer in perfect contentment, happy as larks, bouncing around enjoying their beautiful and jovial sound.

They had a gig in town the next night. We ventured out to hear them. They had an amazing performance but it didn't have the same vibe. They are fairly new and are adamant about sticking to the streets. They will play gigs, house parties, various venues, etc but refuse to engage virtually. No facebook, no youtube, no digital. It's a refreshing change in thought.

I'm planning on buying their CD so I can carry the gypsy joy home with me.

Other than that:
We went hiking this morning. stunningly beautiful.
I'm making work... and trying to get out of my new found artistic existential crisis.
*but, as my best friend put it... "if you had the answers you'd be done... enjoy the process" and she's right. and I am. mostly. sometimes art making is a painful process... I do seem to have some semblance of a direction now, though, and that is a glorious beautiful thing.*

That's all for now. If my hiking post didn't satiate your picture lust, you can find more on my flickr. It's a pain to upload photos through blogger so I'll probably just link to flickr from now on.

I love and miss everyone back home!!

the interwebs

It would seem you'll be hearing from me more often after all!

After much insisting and persisting, my roommate has succeeded in acquiring internet for us! She needs it more than most of us given the nature of some of her work. I am grateful to have it all the same!

The interwebs company is running wire right now so we should be connected by days end!

Holla. UPDATE: APPARENTLY NOT SO MUCH. LE SIGH.

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Well Adjusted

Some might argue the point, but I think I'm well adjusted here. I've settled into a routine nicely... up between 7 and 8 each morning. I make coffee and have cereal. Waking up to the quiet symphony of the woods around us... usually I read a little while I eat breakfast. This routine may change a bit now that there is a new resident in the house, but even she seems to be falling into a similar routine.



Every other day, I end my breakfast by changing into running clothes and heading up the mountain. It's a little ways uphill, a slight flattening out near the peak, then downhill.... down down down, I fall into a rhythm of footfalls and breathing. At the bottom, I stop. I always consider running on Glasco to follow what they call "the loop" here.... I have never accepted the challenge. I don't trust the drivers on Glasco. I turn and face the uphill. Up Up Up. I walk most of it, running occasionally. It's a huff and puff challenge but one that my legs and lungs appreciate. I reach the top, rejoin a small downhill, past my cabin to the other end at Glasco. I walk the short distance back up to the house cabin.... my cooldown. Roughly 3 miles, mostly hill, in roughly 40-45 minutes. Not a great pace but considering the hill, it could be worse.



A shower and a quick lunch, then down the hill to the studio by the barn. Lucy, Rich's dog will make her rounds at least once a day (sometimes she visits us at the cabin, too)



I've been increasing my creative endurance so that I'm in the studio most of the day... until 5:30 or 6 usually. (versus the 2-3 hour stretch of creative energy I'm used to squeezing into my schedule at home) Then I fade, call it quits, and retreat to the house for the evening. If we're all there and hungry at the same time, we'll cook together. One person usually taking the lead, the rest helping by chopping or offering some other ingredients to the mix. If not, we make a hodge podge meal on our own. This is not new to me.... I'm single and used to cooking for one and eating alone. Usually, nights are spent reading, drinking tea, and random chit chat with each other. Occassionally one or all of us will have the creative surge of energy and return to the studio. Flashlights are needed, for sure.



Having recently found out about a local spot that hosts open mic poetry every Monday, open mic music every Wednesday, and I hear they have bluegrass on Thursdays.... I might become a regular. Something a little different to do... different faces.... definitely some quality people watching if nothing else. We went to poetry this past Monday... I thought it was a nice mix of people. Interesting enough to warrant a return visit. Not all the poetry was good but there were some high points. One roommate would most definitely argue that... she thought it was pretty awful.



Sundays bring movie night in the barn. This upcoming Sunday will be the last movie night of the summer. Sad news... it's been fun. A few bats live in the barn, and will occassionally fly about at night, especially mid movie.



I'm well adjusted here. and my routine continues....

Overlook Mountain - 8/15/10

Me and Lucy

Trail Head

Heading to the Overlook Rock

Markings at the rock... Yes, that one is marked 1857. wowza.

View from the rock

View once we reach the top. And the Fire Tower.

From the Fire Tower:

Yesterday my roomate and I hiked up Overlook Mountain. It's a 2.5 hike up to the top, then the 2.5 back down. Not a bad hike at all. The view.... COMPLETELY worth it. I could spend hours upon hours with that view. I'll be doing that hike again, for sure.

The hike starts at the Buddhist Monastery. I haven't been in to explore but I'm sure I will. How often do you get that opportunity? My roommate says they let you stay and have tea at no charge. (yum)

The hike is a wide gravel covered trail that only narrows when you get close to the top... and is all hill. It's pretty much straight up. No switchbacks, just a steady upward climb.

At the top is a Fire Tower you can climb up and get an even greater unobstructed view. I wasn't sure I could handle the height but I managed to make it to the top and back down with no real issue. I took a LOT of pictures, so enjoy!

The dog you see is Lucy, Rich's dog. He was on vacation so my roomate was dog sitting. Lucy absolutely adored being on the trail. Apparently she went with one of Rich's pottery pals on the Appalachian Trail for about 3 weeks. She had her own little dog pack and everything. Go, Lucy!

PICTURES!!

As promised, here are some pictures for you! (click to enlarge)

Welcome to Woodstock!! (first day)

two shots of just one of the views along my running route

this is a better shot of it.... and it still doesn't do it justice.

I see deer all the time. These were taken one morning on a run...

I don't know why, but this sign I saw in RhineBeck cracked me up.

Surprisingly enough, this is the Woodstock Post Office. Fancy, eh?

This guy had breakfast with me two mornings in a row. I finally put him outside thinking he'd be safer there. Who knows.

Studio - 8/16/10

The whole point of running away from home was to focus and get some work done. Right? right.

Well, you'll be proud to know that is actually happening! I am managing to fight my way out of my funk and make some new work. I am still struggling to find some definite direction but at least work is being made. I've included some pictures so you can see things in process. I am trying out several different clay bodies to see how I like working with each and to test them out in the soda kiln. We'll see what happens! I am excited about that element, if nothing else. The opportunity to fire in soda again! ...it THRILLS me...

I've had some ideas start to roll around my brain lately, so I'll likely start those up in the next few days. You never know sometimes. It seems the best way to get these ideas out of my head is to start making them. In some cases they succeed enough to spin me into a new direction. In others, it's the failure that causes me to learn and to move on to something else. It's all part of the process....

All in all, being surrounded by clay and clay artists reminds me why I love this medium. It's also making me see just how lazy I've become. How many different clay bodies exist out there? And how HUGE of a difference can that make on your work? And WHY have I been ignoring such a simple part of the potter's process? I think partly it's money and convenience. I don't always have the money to buy a clay body. I definitely don't have the money to buy a clay mixer (oh, how I wish). And my despise of waste brings me to recycling my clay to the point of it being an indeterminate mixture of white stoneware and porcelain. It works, but is it the best for my work? I don't know the answer. And firing temperature ranges and styles... all sorts of different solutions and approaches to working in clay. I feel like I've been ignoring an elephant in the room for the past 3 years. I have much to consider, much to rethink, and much to test.

My creative funk this year may have been a huge blessing. It has given me enough pause to look into residencies... to get accepted to one, and to make the trip happen. Now that it's here, I am thankful that I have that pause to see all that I haven't thought about in years. Why? I'm not sure. Part laziness, part blindness, part stubborn youth.... I'm sure there is more to it than all that. Whatever the reason, I'm glad to be here and to have the opportunity to feed off other clay artists, their ideas, their process, and to chew on their feedback and encouragement.

I'm thrilled just to be making new work. I'm sure I'll reconsider and reevaluate my work when I get home. I hope to always keep things in check. Every artist should. Given that I have certain opportunities here that are currently unavailable to me back home, I will explore those first and foremost. The rest.... well, I'll have to make time for it on my return.

My studio!

My studio entrance...

The first of the cast feet!

And a peek at what I've been up to!

running stuff - 8/12/10

I forget who I've told what about what.... so let's just put this out there while I'm at it.

Just before I left Greenville for the Catskills of NY, I heard about a running research study taking place out at Furman. My dear friend who told me about it sent me all the info and encouraged me to apply. I did. I got accepted. I'll start the study when I get home in October.

Exciting? yes.

Fun? yes.

Am I a nerd? most likely, yes.

The study is for female runners only and will involve the effects of plyometrics on running endurance and capability. This is about as far as my understanding really goes. What I do know, though, is that as part of this study I will undergo free testing. Tests that aren't cheap... like body comp (the fancy scan kind), VO2 max, gait analysis, and jump and reach testing. Plus a free training program through F.I.R.S.T at Furman and plyometrics training.

I'm looking forward to getting into all that when I get home. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my runs here. They are challenging, though. The road is hill... and that's about it, really. I've been managing to get out there to run about every other day almost. I'm hoping to lengthen the runs at some point but, for now, the hill is enough of a challenge.

wildlife - 8/11/10

Wildlife. not Wild Life. Though, it might be the same for some. I suppose that has a lot to do with perspective.

I've seen more deer than I ever imagined. Just 2 days ago, I was resting in my room contemplating a nap when I heard my roomate gasp in the other room. I paused... a mouse? a spider? something serious? "Susan! There's a deer 5 feet outside my window!" I tiptoed into her room. (remember how quiet it is here? I wasn't kidding) I didn't want to spook it but I wanted to see. Sure enough, there was a doe not 5 feet outside her window. And then.... 2 fawns followed slowly behind her. We quietly watched, amazed, before they wandered off. It was the middle of the afternoon.

My first night here I made a quick trip to Kingston for basic groceries, passing a deer on the way. She was just hanging out in someone's yard. I'm not sure if it was the same deer but I passed another on my way back that night.

Just this morning, I saw a doe and her fawn during my run. I passed them on three different occassions. Or, who knows, maybe it was a different doe and fawn but I doubt it.

Butterflies flitter around...lingering longer than they would normally. This happened on my drive up, too. I stopped for gas in Virginia and noticed a butterfly perched on the hood of my car. I stopped, taking note, thinking it would fly off any second. It didn't. It stayed the entire time I pumed gas.... as if it were my new hood ornament. It finally fluttered off when I popped my hood to check the oil.

There is a constant symphony of crickets, cicadas, and other chirping creatures. It swells at night but plays all day long.

A lot of you kept asking me before I left if I was excited or if it had sunk in yet. I was excited. I am excited. It just isn't in the anxious butterflies-in-your-stomach kind of way. It felt like the natural thing to do. And it still does. For whatever reason, I am supposed to be here.

Now I am simply soaking in God's glory that seemingly surrounds me, sometimes 5 feet outside my window, sometimes on my run, and sometimes perched on my car like a hood ornament. Maybe it's all in my new perspective since I'm in a new environment. Or maybe it's just God smiling on me, encouraging me with little surprises to let me know I am exactly where He wants me. Either way, I'm grateful and joyful for the opportunity and trying to make the best of it.

(again, I promise pictures soon. I just keep forgetting that one cord.)

Father Woodstock- 08/06/2010

I'm currently borrowing internet from the nice neighbor lady across from the studio. I have to use the studio next door to access it... but it works. Not as speedy as the cafe I like, but it'll do for quick updates.

I spent yesterday exploring. I ventured into Kingston to find Bailey's, the closest clay supply store. I found them with relative ease. I got lost once or twice, mostly due to my lack of attention. Once I bought a box of clay, I headed off to find a surplus supply store Rich told me about. He described it as having some really great junk. My kind of store. I got lost along the way. I knew I was on the right road or very close to it.... but couldn't find the exact spot. I finally caved and pulled out the GPS. Bingo. I was about 1/2 mile off... I just didn't go far enough in that direction. Rich was right. They had some superb junk. I wandered around for quite a while taking it all in, then finally selecting some things to carry home. There was quite a lot that I may end up going back for... but didn't feel the need to invest in right away. I feel happy enough knowing they exist in fairly close proximity.

I was hunting some fairly specific objects.... and when I asked the man in charge at the surplus supply, he directed me to an emporium in town. I found it easily and without getting lost. (Success!) Sensory Overload, I'm telling you. It felt like a magical wonderland. I could have spent days in that place happily finding all sorts of treasures. Unfortunately, it seemed they knew they had some treausres and were appropriately asking you to pay the price. I did find my oddly specific objects. They were perfect. Sigh. And I paid the price. The good news? I think I can cast them. We are going to give that a whirl... if I have a mold, all the better. I can use the objects but forever have the molds.

After I did that end of adventuring. I wandered into a differest section of Kingston to find the Salvation Army. It seems in my zealousness to not overpack (which I still think I did in some ways) I didn't pack as much as I thought. I think some got pulled out when I was struggling to zip my bag. Like I said before, I'd make a horrible gypsy. Since I really only need a few more studio t-shirts, the Salvation Army was all I really needed. I found it with ease and got some great $1 t-shirts. I need to figure out the laundromat hours in town and do a quick load of laundry. It seems a good bit of Woodstock runs on different time. From there I bought some groceries... the prices were a bit of a shock. It seems I'll be continuing my artist eating budget up here... Essentials purchased, I headed to my temporary home.

I wanted to explore Woodstock some more and it seemed on foot was the best way. Groceries put away, clay put in the studio, objects tucked away... Me and my roommate parked and wandered through town. She showed me a few of her favorite shops and we ended up buying a cup of coffee and sitting in the town square for a bit. Lo and behold, Father Woodstock showed up. He's a bearded man with a modified bicycle who wanders town happily posing for pictures and talking to whoever. My guess? He's been here since the first Woodstock and never left. He told me I was beautiful. That I would grow more beautiful in the sun, like a flower. And that I would continue to grow more beautiful every day of my life. I like this man. My roomate tells me he told her the same thing. Maybe he tells everyone that. Who knows. But it sure does make you feel fuzzy inside.

I'm growing accustomed to the quiet and am enjoying falling into a natural routine. I have run twice since I've gotten here. The road I'm running on is mostly hill but an out and back makes it about a 3 mile run. If that doesn't get me in shape, who knows what will. McDaniel is nothing to this road, I tell ya.

I'm throwing a good bit and have a lot of forms to play with at the moment. I still don't have much in the way of artistic direction. That will come, though, in good time. Or so I'm telling myself. I'm working and that's a big part of the solution. Right now I'm playing with one basic idea, making multiples of them in different clay bodies so I can see how they do in the soda kiln. From there I think I'll be able to branch out into some other ideas. I'm reading a lot at night which is going to feed my artistic fire as well. Good things!

So, there's your quick update. Pictures will come, I promise.

FAIL.

I forgot to bring my magical cord that allows me to get pictures off my phone and onto a computer/interwebs/whatever.... SO. You'll have to wait. That piece of technological magic is still sitting in my cabin.



I have found a much better spot for internet so I expect to become a bi-weekly regular.

Thank you to those who send prayers and well wishes my way (via facebook mostly)! I won't be replying to them there as I'm trying to limit the various locations of communication since it's limited anyway.

next time. I will try to do better about getting that cord in the backpack to upload pictures, okay?

Woodstock Beginnings

I have arrived.

Be warned. You will get few updates and blog posts from me. Why? It's not for lack of trying. This is far more remote than I had anticipated. Yes, there is a town. Don't blink too much though... you might miss it. Yes, I'm only 2 miles from that town. As I have found, though, 5 feet can make or break your internet connection. SO. Don't expect much, okay? And don't even try to call. Though, I usually get my text messages!

I'll try to post something every other week or so as I get down to the library or the coffee shop to do some work.

This week's update includes..... not much.

Not much has happened really. I survived the long haul of a drive. I have massive mosquito bites on my feet from a backyard in Arlington, VA. (Thanks, Cody. I appreciate that memento.) Thanks, Mom, for the magical ointment. It's working wonders. I also managed to drive through NJ Turnpike traffic and not die. Or kill anyone else. Marge's window (my car, Marge) is still yelly and unhappy.... but we managed. With the right crack of the window and appropriate volume on the radio, you hardly notice. If it's raining... well, it usually pipes down during rain. The real problem remains a mystery. Rich, the ceramics coordinator suggests I call NPR's Car Talk. I think this is a fantastic idea. If only I had a cell signal to do that.

It's going to be an adjustment, living here. Those who know me, know that I don't handle silence all that well. It's REALLY quiet here. I mean, really. quiet. I am enjoying the fresh air, untainted by soggy hotness. I love falling asleep to a symphony of crickets, cicadas, and who knows what else. I've been told there are bear and coyote and I hope not to run into any. One of my roommates (there are 3 of us in one house, not 10. yaay! apparently the Ceramics residency is separate. and more fun. go figure.) informed me she saw a bear on the road a week or so back... thankfully she was in her car. Hmmm... Thanks, Dad, for that unreasonably large maglite. It's coming in handy. It's also SUPER dark. It's both nice and really odd. Maglite.... super handy. So, yeah, I'm the city girl from South Carolina.... who isn't really a city girl. except by comparison.

I'm going through some disconnect withdrawals. I'm oddly accustomed to seeing quite a lot of people in one day. And accustomed to having the interwebs at my fingertips. Odd on both counts. I will adjust, in time. Needless to say, I miss everyone.

I am settling into my studio, which is awesome! I rode up with Rich to Albany to get some clay this morning. As potters do... we stopped at a local Italian bakery. I bought some bread and can't wait to have some of it. Cheap and delicious. There is also a closer clay supply in Kingston which is a short drive... I'll be going there later this week. I'm throwing new work... trying to get my bearings on where I'm going with everything and planning to fire the soda kiln by month end with Rich. HOORAH!!

That's all for now. I'll see if I can post some pics tomorrow.
love from Woodstock!

tick tock

I can almost feel my summer slipping away from me. I have a few short weeks before I head up to Woodstock, NY for the remainding 2 months of the summer.

Every weekend of my calendar until then is full and bursting at the seams.
an impromptu 3 week show.
Helping my sister move.
Packing my own apartment.
a Yard Sale.
a 5k race.
2 hopeful concerts.
a sleepover with my niece.
Moving my apartment.
and hoping to make some artwork in the midst of all that.

so much to do, see, and soak in.... and so little time!

SALE!

I've slashed prices on some things over at the etsy shop.
Go.
Check it out.
Maybe buy something.
C'mon, it's cheap art.
How can you resist?

In other news....
I start packing up the apartment this weekend. Let me tell you how excited I am about that. oooh, boy. LOADS.

I'm running a 5k this weekend. YAY. I'm looking forward to it. It should be a good time and a good way to test my time.

No news on the kiln building. I'm working on it. It's there. ....no real progress to report.

And I'm trying to fight my way out of this creative funk. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. I'm thinking I'll bust out of it within the month. WOOHOO!

...and that's all my news....
Carry On.

Preparations

I'm decluttering my life in preparation for the upcoming transitions in my life....



moving out of my 3 year apartment

going to Woodstock for 2 months

coming back to who knows what



SO.... it spells pain for me.

but good news for some lucky consumer!



I have a Black Walnut Coffee Table I crafted during college that must be sold to free up some storage space.



Check it out. And spread the word.

slacker

I haven't been very diligent about keeping up with this blog, for a variety of reasons. I'll spare you the list that just cropped up in my brain.

At any rate, I'm still around....

And I'm running. I had a 2-3 week hiatus recently as I had a Spring Show to prepare for and a corporate boss in town. I have new orthotics and took them for a 3 miler yesterday. The orthotics were great. My body was not. In a short period of time, I have lost some of my already short endurance. I'm starting this week easing back into a routine. 3 miles, 3-4 times a week, cross training in between. I'm tired of battling shin splints. I'm bound and determined to shake them this summer. It's going to take effort and focus on my part, but I know I can do it. Once we get there, I'll start on my next goal. McDaniel. the entire length of it, no walking. From there, I hope to be training for a fall half.

I'm still in the studio. I have been sitting in an artistic funk since March. I'm attempting to pull myself out of that dreadful hole day by day. I've been accepted into an artist residency program in Woodstock, NY this fall. I'm pumped about that opportunity and the breakthroughs that go with it. It's a huge incentive to get myself creatively juiced up before I get there. In the meantime, I'm simply saving cash like a madwoman in an effort to be able to eat while I'm up there!

I'm hoping to use this blog as a way to streamline keeping people informed during the two months I'll be in Woodstock. I know I'll have a lot of people wanting to know how I'm doing and what I'm doing. check here. It'll be the easiest way for me to stay in touch.

In other news, I am working on getting rid of those marathon pounds I gained over the winter. I've shed some of them, still working on the rest of them. I have a feeling that if I stay focused, get rid of my shin splints, train smart.... I'll get back to where I want to be.

In the meantime, I have a dear friend signed up to run Nike Women's with Team in Training this October. I cannot wait to run with her, train with her, and help her along in her experience with TNT. I miss it and cannot wait to do another race with a great and amazing organization.

Refocus

I had a visit to the doctor yesterday for my yearly checkup.
I wasn't pleased.

The 7 lbs lost during marathon training have returned with a little extra pound. *sigh*

It's time to refocus.

I need to buckle down and stay on top of my workouts.
I need to change my recently sloppy eating habits.
I need to realize I'm getting older. It's time to stop cutting corners. Eat Breakfast. Eat Smart.
I need to crosstrain and strength train.
I need to get detached from my couch.

Come on, Spring! The sunshine and nice temperatures always help fuel me!

So, here's to owning my mistakes and refocusing on my healthy goals!
I'm running a 10k March 27... let's see how I do!