First, an anecdote regarding that big-nosed man in the lower-right corner of my mom’s montage:  We were taught even at the earliest ages in the clay classes at Laguna Gloria to follow “The Rule of Thumb”, which is to say, “Do no allow any piece of your clay creation to exceed the width of your thumb in thickness.”  Because of this rule, that prominent proboscis had to be filled with a tight ball of newspaper.  Had I not conscientiously added nostrils, this would have been the last we ever saw of the daily edition; however, for almost a decade, if the mask – or even the wall on which it was displayed – shook for any reason, gray airy ashes would begin to sift from his sneezer.  :)

Now, middle of the three sisters mentioned in the previous post, Julianna has taken it to the next level.  Recently, when Jules was so nice to host me at Old Dominion, we spent a Saturday morning in the ceramics department. It was peaceful, and cool, and everything was covered in a layer of gray clay-dust.  Jules was hard at work at the wheel, making three symmetrical shapes for one of her first assignments (and I was very impressed with her ability to keep the chunk of clay in the center of that spinner).

Above is a view of one of the rooms in the ceramics studio and pictures and Julianna while she is throwing one of her three shapes.  (How she manages to get her hands to look that graceful in wet clay, I don’t know.)  Neither of us like the gritty feeling of the clay on our hands as it dries (or baking flour, or pastel on paper, for that matter), which might put a damper on its potential for a long-time occupation.  But while it lasts, I wanted to feature some of Jules’s great work.  However, adorably, her current work-in-progress is a planned Christmas present, so I can only give you all a small sneak-peek here.  This is only the greenware stage (when the clay is dry, but has not yet been fired.) I can’t wait to see how the glaze smooths itself over those hexagons.

Thus ends our posts on ceramics-related topics – for now at least. We may have more after Christmas! Have a great week!

ART REVIEW: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The semi-functional and figurative ceramics created by three sisters during the decades preceding their formal educations are presented in a contemporary studio space perfect for observing the nuances of the collection, which causes one to ponder the cultural influences surrounding the sisters during their formative years.

Teehee, you just have to love a little artspeak every now and then. Here is one of my favorite gallery shows: the curator of this show (that would be me) has arranged the works of lumpy ceramics, which have been created by our three girls, in a linear presentation along the top of a studio bookshelf.  If you have lots of loving clay creations around your house, and don‘t know what to do with them, celebrate them in your own exhibition space!  You might even “rotate your show” as new additions arrive in backpacks and lunchboxes.  And, if you have some that are just too large to display, “catalogue” them … this is my subtle way of saying, “take pictures of them before you have to send them to pottery heaven.”   Below are some photos of the pieces that live in our permanent show, from which I find inspiration every day.

If you have a special way of displaying your children’s artwork, we’d love to hear about it – or see it!  You can email any photographs to share@cathyhecknurseryart.com, or tell us about it in a comment.

I promised I’d get back to it, so here’s my ode to Stonemountain & Daughter, the cozy little fabric store on Shattuck in Berkeley, CA.

Nowhere else can you find an entire shelf of cotton organized by the theme “mushrooms.”  Though it may not have the quantity of your local Jo-Ann store, Stonemountain and Daughter carries a tastefully selected assortment of high-quality fabrics with a sophisticated (and yet still fun) design sense. You can find all the Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner, and Moda, as well as Japanese fabrics, batiks, and African fabric. This is definitely the place to be if you are in search of quilting materials. It is also the place to go if you are interested in taking a sewing or knitting class, as they have group classes scheduled frequently in their upstairs sewing/sale room.

Worth stopping by, even if you just want to be inspired by the color-coded bolts and yards of patterns.