Visual Tour

Travel by trike at Howard House, a gallery on 2nd Ave in Seattle;
Take Lauren Grossman's lead. Explore cities, precarious;
Portending our future?
Mountains cast of heavy language
speak words of the prophet, Issiah,
cast shadows,
and doubt, yet shed light.
So intriguing because they seem to tell us something!
But what are they saying?
Let them mystify... There is beauty to be found in the materials, industrial,
and the mechanics are oh, so pleasing!!
Here is a show where you can touch, if you like, think too, if you dare!

Felt Hat

While suffering from a creative itch in Denmark, I was spurred on to begin this felting project.

It was knitted in Denmark, Nuremberg, Sweden and Seattle.

The over sized result did not shrink as much as I had expected. Washing machines are hotter and more vigorous in Denmark, where I washed my sample. So, surgery was necessary.

I just cut the darn thing down to size and stitched it back together using a blanket stitch!

It is extremely cosy!

Perfect for donning in the evening while reading or daytime buzzing about the town!

Truth be told, my friend, Mary Jane, Knitter Superior, and lovely Veida, who was busy knitting and felting in Svendborg, have been very inspiring!

I think that knitting makes a great traveling project!

Back to "Work"!

Finally!
At last! It feels wonderful to be back in the studio and working in clay again!
"Fancy", Seattle's very stylish jewelry store, has just ordered these rings.
And, the glazing room is filling up with mysterious pink dishes. Actually, that's just the color of the clear, final glaze.

But, let me digress! There was one little detour before I could really get back to work...
No sooner had we landed, after 2 months in Scandinavia, Nigel and I were setting out to the airport again for a red eye flight. This time, our final destination was Utica NY! Nigel was to be inducted into the International Kayaking Hall of Fame, which also includes Rowing, Canoeing and Cycling.
The ceremony, at the Childrens' Museum , was a special experience for both of us.
But, there was also opportunity to explore the Erie canal,
to drive along the Mohawk River;
To marvel at the Autumn foliage in the Adirondacks Mountains!

Then, it was really "back to the studio, again!"
This time of year I am primarily working on orders for Christmas. If all goes a planned, some of the dishes I am making will be used for Thanksgiving dinner!
"greenware", waiting to be painted with under glaze and decorated.
My head is bursting with new ideas!

So many items I would like to create! and myriad color combinations that I am lusting to use!
I have been stimulated and there are not enough hours in the day to realize everything!
...Stay tuned for final results!
And, visit The Kri Kri Web Store to see what's ready now!

Wind Power

The wind blows quite strongly over the relatively flat country of Denmark, and the Danes have a history of harvesting this energy.

Denmark supplies both technology and know how for wind generating energy throughout the world .

On the west coast of Denmark, in the region of Thy, one can find the village of Klitmoller.

Frequently buffeted by strong winds blowing off the North sea,

it is paradise to wind, kite and board surfers

as well as to those hoping to catch some waves in kayaks.

Thy has 70% of its electricity generated by approximately 230 wind mills.

Additionally, heat for homes is supplied by burning waste, geothermal heat and from burning straw.

We passed 2 modern windmill factories during our travels, and marveled at the insides of the long pipes that support them!

In 1996, Thy became the world's leading producer in the field of windmill operations.
Today, the Island of Samso is completely energy sufficient and actually exports energy! Asked if bothered by the ubiquitous windmills, the Danes I inquired responded that the windmills had a positive presence.

They are making clean energy for Denmarkand inspire hope for more sustainable energy in the future!

En Route to Scandinavia

This time Nigel had an idea. We would spend the day in Amsterdam before heading on to Sweden. I was excited!
Though we are always passing through the airport, it was my first time in the city.

We ambled through narrow lanes and along canals, slowly making our way to the Van Gough Museum. What a treat! Though crowded, we were in no rush, so just inched along with the masses and soaked in the multitudes of rich images.
Morning light filtered through trees, casting dappled patterns on the water.
The city was summery and colorful. As we strolled, we were mindful of the multitudes of cyclists zipping to work One must be on the alert, always!
Little things are different in Holland! I enjoyed stopping to watch canal traffic, imagining having a boat instead of a car, and speculating how one would get in and out of ones car when parking with the driver's side opening on to the canal!
After walking and the museum, we were knackered!
We fell asleep on a bench, on the train on the way back to the airport, and in the airport.
Fortunately we made our flight!
While in Sweden, Nigel and I will be doing a photo shoot with Point 65,
followed by some casual paddling with our friends Britta and Roland in the Archipelago. Afterwards, we will meet a group of Stockholm paddlers and continue on for an instructional tour.
Then we move to the West Coast, meeting up with Thomas at Orust Kajak for 2 tours and a weekend symposium.

What happens next? Lots of fun with Nicolai at Nicus Nature in Denmark.
We are hoping to meet up with my brother, Eric and his daughter, Ella, while there. Nigel and I will be traveling for 2 months this time, checking e mail and hoping to post on our blogs. Don't forget to check Nigel's web site for dates and more info on classes!

Mosaic Project

Once I had some spare time and thought that making a mosaic tile back splash for our bathroom would be a fun and useful way to pass the time..

Step 1; Simply roll out some clay and start cutting, rather than drawing out the pattern you wish to see in tile on your wall.

Trim crumbly bits off.
Step 2: Select colors and paint 3 layers of underglaze on each piece.

Be careful not to mix up pieces, not to forget to do 3 layers on each piece and to be sure that it is the same 3 colors on each piece;

step 4; Transfer all those pieces to the kiln and do a bisque firing.

Step 5; Remove from kiln and put 3 coats of gloss glaze on each tiles. The concerns are the same as in step 2, also be careful not to get gloss glaze on the backs of the tiles. They may stick to the kiln shelf if you do.


Step 6; Transfer mosaic tiles to installation location and glue in place.
Step 7; Grout mosaic.
Now wasn't that easy!