The studio struggle is officially over.  My first day at work in this gorgeous space took me from morning to evening, forgetting to eat or drink.   Just as I had imagined, I was lost in work.  I threw, I read, I wrote.  It was a complete day.

My new wheel performed admirably!  Funny thing was learning to throw without engine cues from my old wheel.  Sound had become part of the throwing process – high pitch for centering, low whirl to shape, deep purr for the wind down.  This wheel – a Shimpo – is almost sound free.

I’ve dedicated one corner of the space to a study area where I can read and write in silence and without disturbance by the phone or distraction by family members.  My friend Martha came through with this wildly out of place table – that comes with 3 inserts and could comfortably seat 12! It was dining room table brown, and I black glossed it up.  Its brass lions paw feet are the crowning glory.  This table will see a lot of me, so I welcome it as a full stripe member of the studio.  It’s been a long haul from the first chilly days in the trailer.

Most of the books I have recently ordered have been published within the last 4 or 5 years.  The first one I plan to tackle is Thinking Through Craft, by Glenn Adamson. Let’s see if my own ideas of the broad umbrella of visual/tactile art find voice in this book.

I gathered the kelp this summer with the help of a few friends who wrestled a tangled mass from the water onto the rocks at Ford’s Cove.

My last show of the year is on December 19 at the Community Hall here on Hornby.  It opens at 11, closes at 4.  I’ll have my “Hornby Only” specials, which are really really good seconds that I only sell here on the island.  Hope to see you there!  Merry Christmas and wish everyone wellness and contentedness in the New Year.

Now that the studio is slated for completion near December – Doug and I can take that well-deserved break in the New Year! So I guess while all my fellow friends are enjoying (or not) the Olympics, I will be feasting on a Philly Cheesesteak! Then again… Philadelphia in February might not be the very best time to experience that part of the country… we’ll see.

Doug rustled up a posse of fire fighters to transport my kiln (sedan style) to its new home. This model must weight 500lbs and these guys carried it 20 meters to its new home on the covered deck of the studio.

Alas, the kiln took a tumble and landed fully on its side. Relatively little damage; the elements all leaped out of their shelves and there’s a decent dent with a few cracked bricks. But heck, it’s under cover and a we’re all a step closer to saying goodbye to the trailer.