Shed Awning Project

These will be giant beads...

The beads will hold up a new awning on my clay shed...

Sunbathing and relaxing...

Gearing up for some sculptures down the road...

Decorating and drilling top and bottom holes tomorrow...

A Visit to the Lab of Ed Ricketts

My sister hanging out with Mack and the boys...

If you're one of my five loyal blog readers, you know how I feel about John Steinbeck. Once I started reading his books, I rapidly fell in love with his work. There are only a few books left to finish, and I have read many favorites over and over again. My sister gave me a thick volume for Christmas last year, Steinbeck: A Life in Letters, which is still on my tall "must read" piles. It was a treat to be able to visit the inside of Pacific Biological Laboratories this afternoon.

The docent did a fabulous job explaining the importance of Steinbeck's relationship to Ed Ricketts, how their discussions, adventures, and their parallel lives influenced each other. Sitting in Ed's living room, thinking about all of the people and the conversations absorbed in the walls was pretty wonderful. You could feel it in the room. The docent spoke in more detail about Ed's untimely death, and it's effect upon Steinbeck. How, after the train accident, Steinbeck was stuck on the east coast, trying to get a flight to see his dying friend. I will leave you with a quote from Steinbeck's forward to The Log from the Sea of Cortez, entitled "About Ed Ricketts":

"There it is. That's all I can set down about Ed Ricketts. I don't know whether any clear picture has emerged. Thinking back and remembering has not done what I hoped it might. It has not laid the ghost. The picture that remains is a haunting one. It is the time just before dusk. I can see Ed finishing his work in the laboratory. He covers his instruments and puts his papers away. He rolls down the sleeves of his wool shirt and puts on his old brown coat. I see him go out and get in his beat-up old car and slowly drive away in the evening. I guess I'll have that with me all my life."

Sadly, the lab will revert back to the city at the end of this year. I worry for it's future, based on what has happened to the rest of the buildings on Cannery Row. It feels like one of the last authentic buildings of an important era. Hopefully, the city will see it's significance.

The last authentic part of Cannery Row...

Sitting across from some of Doc's records was a treat...

Looking at Doc's bookshelves...

Old folding chairs...

Marine specimen holding tanks...

In the garage was the heart of the lab...

This desk sailed on the Western Flyer with John Steinbeck...

The view from the sea...

Close ups of the holding tanks...

Doc's son practiced his trumpet near the pilings...

All that's left now of La Ida Cafe...

Large murals of the former inhabitants of Cannery Row...

And, dinner in Carmel to celebrate the birth of grandson Gabe...

Goofing Off: Tile & Texture Scavenger Hunt

Love the texture of this planter...

Love the leaf motif...

Secret staircase...

A fountain...

Succulent pot...

Daisy eyes...

Gorgeous turquoise vent...

Hammered patchwork metal...

Crusty breads and desserts...

Love this little tile near the step...

Balcony wrought iron...

Archway...

Love the angled brick and the carved wood overhang...

The drive home...

Last Firing of Prototypes

Layer after layer of color...

Some little busts...

Cactus obelisks...

Now for some sanding...

Keeping underglaze out of my hair...

Chartreuse and turquoise, together...

Sanded and aged...

Touching up more of the dark wash, and then off to the kiln...

Lined up to be loaded, at the garage door...

Some Parting Thoughts

A best friend photoshopped this for me last year, when I was thinking about leaving a school where I had taught for 13 years. It was a difficult career decision for me to leave, but a decision that I'm happy to have finally made. I have worked as a teacher for many years, and I've learned that all children are gifted and talented in many ways. Some of the gifts are simply unmeasurable by tests. For example, during my first year teaching, I taught all of the sixth graders who were failing at math. I can honestly say, that every single student in my math group had some other major strength which compensated for the math weakness. One little girl in particular, Samantha, was a genius at technical drawing. She was also in my reading class (I taught the group of super readers), where she produced an ABC book, featuring insects. The drawings were exquisitely detailed, and were well researched. There were short poems about each insect. It was well written. It was wryly funny. Should one deficit single a student out for a segregated education? Most definitely not.

This year, I've had all ability levels in my class. It has been a treat to watch students of differing abilities interact, and influence one another. A young man who struggles academically, is gifted with a gentleness, that makes all other students feel calm. He is universally loved and respected by all. He has the gift of humor and ease. Each morning, he arrived early, and chatted with me before the start of school. I am most definitely NOT a morning person. So, for him to be able to skillfully navigate my complicated morning moods, shows genius. If I had not met him, my life would be less. I also had students who excelled academically in all areas. Super students. However, they may have had various personal, behavioral, or social Achilles heels to overcome.

It is important for kids to interact with others who are unlike them. Why? The world in which they will live, will require adults who can be kind and empathetic. Those who are talented in one area, cheer on and influence those who are weak in that same area. A room full of equal abilities doesn't actually exist. A room where everyone has access to the possibility of growth and success should exist.

Almost There

Weird, wonky arbol de vida...

These pieces are some prototypes for more work that I want to do over the summer. I was trying to solve some of the difficulties encountered during earlier efforts. There was less cracking and the bases feel steady and sure. Can't wait to get back into the studio this weekend!

This one is headed off for the last firing...

Also ready for the last trip to the kiln...

Slow Poke

White washed...

Three coats of green...

Three coats of everything else, and sanding...

Didn't finish these guys for this firing...

These obelisks only have a couple of coats of lime green...

So, it's just some arbol de vida sculptures...

Over a month ago, we were here...

Resting near LuLu's grave, in the sun...