Back in the World!

Wow - it's been a LOOOONG time since I've tended to this blog.  So much has happened in the last few years - retiring from teaching, a global pandemic, lots of time to learn new things, practice old things, let go of lots of things.....
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The year I retired (2020), I waved goodbye to my sweet students from a screen, and went into rest mode. I also chose a word of the year that really fit the year 2021 for me - meander.  Not only did I walk (many, many miles) during the time we were all staying home because of Covid, I "meandered" through art and creative processes that I had either set aside, or had always wanted to explore. I PLAYED! It was a wonderful time of diving into new things, and quite a departure from the way I had always needed to squeeze in my own creative time around my teaching schedule for the last 20 years or so.....

​Here are some of the ways I played with new and old creative processes...
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Dyeing fabric with foraged natural dyes~ black walnut, acorn (there is a squirrel loose in the studio story with that one...), berries, flowers, leaves, avocado - you name it, I tried it. ​

​ A full day of indigo dyeing was probably my favorite...

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​While I was walking, and walking, and walking....I was inspired to create linoleum blocks, which I use to print onto linen fabric that I sewed into useful things like zipper bags, placemats, coasters, eyeglass holders and quilts.....thank you YouTube for countless tutorials.

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​and did I mention that I created soft and cuddly stuffies? So many stuffies. I don't know what came over me....I just had to make sweet and huggable things while the news was filled with so..... much......well, so much of everything scary and sad. 

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So many ceramic artists that I admire offered online courses. And I enjoyed learning  MANY new techniques, and being inspired to look at the world in new and different ways to find inspiration. ​

All of the meandering was fruitful.  I carved new bisque stamps for impressing in clay that were inspired by the fabric printing linoleum blocks - and have been using them on new slab built designs.  It is so lovely to have the time to develop new work.  I am excited to be joining the West Seattle Studio event in September to share some of the work in the world!