The turkey shot we never got

We almost missed getting a photo again, on round two of Thanksgiving dinner 2009 at the DuPonts. I remembered to reach for my camera only halfway through Robin's carving process. It was a huge bird, and very delicious too! We were only too happy to share the holiday with fellow grads Megan and Sunshine who planned and orchestrated the meal entirely  - just in our kitchen so that we could celebrate with our kids and easily put them to bed. Which we were grateful for, especially since Isla's been feeling a bit under the weather the last couple of days. 

It was a fun evening of wine, way too much food and a traditional viewing of Chevy's Christmas Vacation - I had forgotten how funny that movie is. Happy Thanksgiving 'Merica! 

Dunn to the wire

Well it certainly feels like the holidays have already begun around here, plenty of Christmas craft fairs going on and street decorations already up, they even played a compilation of Christmas medelies during my workout class this morning at the gym! Whoa. I am beginning to understand that the Thanksgiving holiday here in the States is really the big kick off for a month long of Christmas craziness. 

Tomorrow is the big turkey holiday, which we're gearing up to celebrate with some of the other graduate students. Plenty of the students seemed to have already dispersed across the country , returning home or joining friends and relatives elsewhere. More people travel for this holiday in this country than they do for Christmas. 

Our pals Trevor and Donna headed off for the airport in Salt Lake very early this morning to catch a flight to Florida where they'll be spending Thanksgiving before Trevor heads off to China for two weeks.  

Trevor Dunn is a very recent grad of the USU ceramics MFA program. He finished his masters last spring and following graduation accepted an adjunct teaching position with USU and is also the ceramic studio coordinator (technician).  Trevor and Donna first moved to Logan back in 2006 from New Mexico where Trevor had been teaching ceramics and sculpture at San Juan College.  

In his final year of graduate school he received the 2009 NCECA Graduate Student Fellowship Award for a proposed study and film project in Jianxi, China. Trevor's project includes making a video documentary that captures a traditional potter's technique of making large coil built water jars. This will be Trevor's second trip to China, as he spent 3 months there in 2007 where he initially met Mr. Jin and first learned the coil and paddle technique. Check out his blog of this visit.

There was a lot going for Trevor this week, besides preparing for his trip to China this past week, Trevor also finished up his toolmaking class with a potluck last Friday and managed to squeeze in a firing of the train kiln to get some new work out for his upcoming "Postgraduate Fellows" show that he is part of with fellow graduates Denny Gerwin (Sculpture) and Scott Foster (Painting). The show opens up in the new Studio 102 Gallery on December 14th. 

Trevor was also kind enough to answer a few of my questions amidst his crazy week. Here's what he had to say:

Why USU?

It was my top choice for a graduate program, for many reasons including the woodfiring research and expertise going on here, the calibre of the faculty and their complementary teaching styles. Also I was looking for a program where I wouldn't have to justify why I wanted to make functional pots.

Why Clay? 

I didn't choose clay so much as it chose me. I was actually half way through completing an English Lit degree when I was introduced to clay through an extracurricular attempt to make a present for some friends that were getting married. I kept checking out the wheels and decided that despite being in my senior year of and English degree, I was interested enough to shift gears and take my undergraduate degree in ceramics and sculpture. 

What are you making now?

Right now I'm making pots again. I spent a lot of time on my thesis work over the last year and I felt like I was forgetting how to make pots. I want to make work that has gestural qualities in fluid lines. 

We're sorry we'll miss the opening on the 14th because we'll be in sunny Mexico drinking mojitos on the beach, but I don't think Trevor will notice our absence because he won't be there either - good luck in China Trevor! 

Bye Bye Grandma Lady

Who knew a month could go by so fast. We held back the tears and said our farewells to Grandma Lady yesterday. It really was such a treat to have her stay for an extended visit here in Logan with us this past month. The time flew by, but we accomplished much in the weeks she was here. The quilt for Isla's bed kept us busy the entire time she was here, but we still managed to make several outings in and around Logan, even made a special mother daughter trip into Salt Lake to witness the Morman tabernacle choir rehearse late one night. I am truly grateful to have had the extra support in the way of babysitting, but what was more appreciated was having the company. 

The kids loved her to bits and I cried watching Roscoe stand atop the stairs last night calling her name. They will surely miss her. 

 

But the good news is that in only two short weeks we'll be joining her again for a little Mexican holiday in Mazatlan! whoo hoo

Success rate

With woodfiring, it is often a given that some pots don't always make it through the rigorous process of firing at such high temperatures. Some pots crack, others become warped or come out with their parts fused together. Most woodfirers consider this loss just a part of the process, that there will be both success and failure with every firing.  They also keep this in mind during both the loading and unloading of these wood kilns, as some areas of the kiln are more prone to potential disasters. But, as with many things in life, the greater the risk - the greater the gain. And those potential disaster zones can also produce some of the most beautiful pots. 

With this last firing, everyone was happy with the high success rate, and to uncover some gems from those risky sweet spots. 

Much like the gamble of firing with wood, the same goes for entering pots into juried exhibitions and shows - sometimes you get in, sometimes you don't.  Along with unloading a fantastic firing this week, Robin also received an email about the 2010 NCECA National Student Juried Exhibition he entered awhile back. And he was accepted! 41 works were selected from across the country, and Robin's teapot is one of 22 graduate pieces that will be exhibited in Philadelphia at the annual NCECA conference next April. Congrats dada, we're so proud of you. 

One of the crew

Despite the late start they got, Robin, Bobby and Christa finished firing the train kiln by 1 a.m. early Monday morning. I bundled up and headed over to the school around midnight to see if they were going to go all night but by then they were already at cone 11 and concerned about the silicon carbide shelves that were beginning to form drips on the undersides. They all seemed happy enough to mud it up and call it a night, and they all looked overdue for a good night's sleep, especially Christa who took on the graveyard shift the first night and spent most of it warding off sleep and hypothermia. 

Christa Ames is a classified 'special student' here at USU, which means she is hovering in that space between undergrad and graduate school, obviously committed to clay and wanting some time to develop her work in a supportive and educational ceramics environment. Which is why she chose to come to Utah in the fall of 2008, having finished her undergraduate degree at Washington State University in the Pacific northwest. In Pullman, she was the only ceramics BFA grad in her graduating class, and although found herself amongst a group dedicated to the arts, her studies were definitely cross disciplinary and she felt she wanted to work awhile within a larger community of clay junkies more like herself. 

And as it sometimes happens, people fall in love, sometimes with like minded and in this case - like obsessed. She met Bobby Free (also a USU clay student) here in Logan and together I can't decide who is crazier, but a great couple and by Robin's standard a swell firing crew. 

Here's a bit more about Christa:

Why clay?

Although my very first piece was a pink bunny that I made when I was three, still owned and cherished by my mother, I had a very inspirational high school ceramics teacher that was more likely why I got into working with clay. 

What are you making right now?

Right now I'm making these sculptural narrative scenes that are part fantasy/ part reality I guess you could say. I make reference to things that have happened to me in these scenes as well and mix it up with mythology or fairy tales. I'm also using a cross section of materials to have a certain versatile affect.

What inspires you?

I'm inspired by the natural world and how we, as humans, fit or do not always fit into it. I'm also inspired by old fairy tales, story telling, dolls and other references from my childhood. 

What's next?

My plan is to be here until May and then I'll be moving back to Helena, MT. (Christa spent last summer working at the Archie Bray during the break). But I have a couple of ideas that I'd like to pursue, such as a month long residency in Vallauris ,France. I'd also like to have a show in Seattle that features my great grandmother's dolls. 

Speaking of great grandmothers.....Christa brought over a quilt this week that has been hidden away in a trunk for many decades to share with my mom and I since we happen to be on a bit of quilt craze at the moment. Christa's quilt is called a crazy quilt that has been pieced together with a multitude of bright and vibrant velvets and other fancy fabrics that my mother has gone rather crazy over herself. The quilt is in impeccable shape considering that her great grandmother made it and how it has stood up over time.  Christa's ambition is to finish the quilt (as it was never bound and finished), and my mom has been more than happy to do a little research and give her a few ideas on how she might go about it.  

And speaking of dolls.....Christa strikes me as someone that my Isla could very well grow up to be like if she remains as engaged and fanatical about her precious dolls, coupled with her daddy's possible genetic penchant for a life dedicated to clay.  

You would think I'd have more time

...to blog of course, with my mom being here and all. But this week has been a whirlwind of preparations since the actual birthday  - we've been gearing up all week it seems, planning and preparing for the birthday party! 

And here she is in all her purple glory blowing out the big 4 candle! It was a very fun afternoon filled with balloons, wall art, a fishing game and a purple cake. Thanks to my mom, the dishes are done and little evidence remains that we had a houseful of squealing, excited children overrunning our home today. And I am exhausted! I can barely imagine how Robin must be feeling after putting in an 18 hour workday yesterday at school: loading, crash-cooling, unloading and reloading kilns only to move right into firing the wood kiln in sub zero temperatures, only to get up again this morning to put in another firing shift AND make it back in time for the birthday party. Well done dada. 

At least he took a break to have cake with his girl and share a beer after the party with our friends Dan and Maria before heading back to the school to finish firing it off tonight with Bobby and Christa. I spent a couple hours on shift with him last night in the early hours of the firing so the kiln didn't offer much ambient heat yet, and it was freakin' cold outside. We spent more time inside the studio running out every few minutes to throw wood on. At least tonight the kiln will be pumping out the warmth and there will be more action around the kiln to help pass the hours. 

Happy Birthday Belly

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday, dear Isla.

Happy Birthday to you.

 - we love you Belly. Thanks for all the birthday calls and wishes from friends and family. She had a wonderful day.