Little Books & Journals

Last week I stitched a quick little journal out of water color paper. I wanted to use it to have some fun with water color splotches and ink doodles. I worked on it for just a bit everyday. It's a good exercise to stretch your imagination and creativity.

I stuck to one palette of colors for this exercise. It's a Prima pan set called "Woodlands". I plan to pop this little book in the mail and send it off to Danielle as a cheery surprise.

During this quarantine time I have also created a couple of other small journals. I am still using a simple binding method.

This one has a variety of paper types and sizes inside it. It will make a cute little art journal or a place to write down your thoughts and/or important dates. The fun part about creating these journals is using up odds and ends of paper and bits of artworks that in their original state you just weren't happy with.

Here in North Carolina we have entered into a "modified" phase II of re-opening the state. Here at 505 East Main we are continuing to stay at home and remain closed. We will give it a couple more weeks and then reassess opening our gallery to the public. In the meantime, you can buy our pottery online and we can ship or do curbside pick-up. A link to my Etsy shop is in the sidebar. Our website has links to both of our shops:

Gypsy Potters

Stay well, stay safe, stay home as much as you can.

Hibernation

Winter has finally arrived in Seagrove, NC. The last few days have been cold. Sunday, I awoke to snow flurries. This morning... temperatures in the 20's. Compared to my winters in New Hampshire, this is minor... but I have definitely acclimated to the south. It has been a strain for me to get out to the studio and make pots. I have managed to complete orders, and that one board of sponge holders, but that's about it.

I have gone into hibernation mode.

My preferred place to be is curled up on the sofa with my arsenal of books, pencils, and sketchbook. It usually takes me months to finish a book and I have nearly finished two in the past week. By evening I am ready to move towards the kitchen and cook something warm and soothing for the two of us... rice and beans, a pot of soup, baked macaroni and cheese.

Comfort food.

Evenings have been spent curled up in front of the television, Jeff by my side, cat in my lap, streaming "Nurse Jackie" on the television. We have had a couple of marathon nights when we suddenly realized it was 2:00 am and we had better head off to bed.

I realized last week that I do this every January. It's my response to the end of the holiday season and my way of coping with the worry of "how will we pay the bills?" during the slow season.

Today I will be more productive. I have pots to glaze and orders to ship. Once my to-do list is checked off, my book will be waiting.

...and so will Nurse Jackie.

uncommon clay

yesterday afternoon a sweet couple from Ohio stopped in at the pottery.  the wife told us that they decided to first visit Seagrove a number of years ago after she had read the book Uncommon Clay by Margaret Maron.  the book came out in 2001, about a year before i started taking pottery classes with Jeff at the NH Institute of Art. the book is a mystery and centers around the divorce of a pottery couple in Seagrove who have been married for nearly 25 years. 
well wouldn't you know... Jeff had a copy of the book and actually found it in the first box he opened!    it looks like a quick read and i think i will take some down time today and get into the story.  it was fun to read the acknowledgements at the front of the book since they are mostly people i have met since moving to the 'grove.
i think we need a lazy day after the very busy weekend.  the beautiful weather brought out the shoppers and in between waiting on them we loaded and fired the bisque kiln, did some gardening and finished up some pots.  we are enjoying the spring here and everyday something new is blooming...

...and my anole friends were out and about basking in the sunshine!