poem – Gill 7.21.2022

Reasons to Live Through the Apocalypse by Nikita Gill Sunrises. People you have still to meet and laugh with. Songsabout love, peace, anger, and revolution. Walks in the woods.The smile you exchange with a stranger when you experiencebeauty accidentally together. Butterflies. Seeing your grandpar-ents again. The moon in all her forms, whether half or full. …

wordless and green 6.30.2022

Flattening watercolor paintings 6.16.2022

When I create a watercolor painting, sometimes the paper buckles and warps, depending how much water I use in the painting. This post shows how I flatten those warped paintings. Here you can see how my small paintings warped. Start with a flat board or surface. I'm using a clean piece of paper, too, because …

grief quote – Weller 6.2.2022

The work of the mature person is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and to be stretched large by them. How much sorrow can I hold? That’s how much gratitude I can give. If I carry only grief, I’ll bend toward cynicism and despair. If I have only gratitude, I’ll …

making bisque molds – 5.19.2022

In my small ceramics studio, I use a variety of homemade bisque molds to make some of my ceramic forms. Bisque (also referred to as biscuit) molds are clay forms I fire to about 1915 degrees, or cone 04. I wrote about how I use the bisque molds here. In this post, I'll explain how …

poem – Hoagland 5.5.2022

The Word by - Tony Hoagland Down near the bottom of the crossed-out list of things you have to do today, between "green thread" and "broccoli," you find that you have penciled "sunlight." Resting on the page, the word is beautiful. It touches you as if you had a friend and sunlight were a present …

spring art sales 4.21.2022

I'm participating in two art events this spring, both in Madison, Wisconsin. The Marquette-Atwood Neighborhood Art Walk is Sunday, May 1, 2022, from 11am – 5pm. I'll be selling my ceramics out of my garage, so I'll be there rain or shine. I'll be at 2802 Center Avenue in Madison, and my garage is behind …

using bisque molds 4.7.2022

As a ceramic handbuilder, it's nice to have molds on hand. I can use a mold to make several matching pieces, or to quickly create a form to build off of. Molds are typically made from plaster, but I don't want plaster in my home studio because 1) it takes more equipment that I don't …

poem – Imsland 3.24.2022

One Thousand by Rachel Imsland One thousand sleeps (dream chance) mornings sparrows suns twilights shadows nights (one thousand stars) And still I remember sound scent skin breath And talk to you through stars birds trees words And long for eyes song embrace you rolling down the street waving and calling hey mama and one thousand …

recycling packing materials 3.10.2022

I've long lived by the motto "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," and I bring that philosophy into my art studio, too. One way I do that is with recycled packaging materials. I sell ceramics in my Etsy shop, and shipping those pieces requires careful packaging and shipping. Ceramics are a delicate and breakable, and need lots of …