I made an astonishing fourteen pieces (incl the two lids). I remember bringing home the pots from my first session, all seven of them. Two are missing – didn’t make it into the kiln on time.

Here they are, group picture:

These three and their lids were thrown off the hump, wherein you stick a large amount of clay to the wheel and only center, then throw the upper part into a pot. Then you cut it off and work at the next layer. It’s a large and fast production technique of throwing.

I don’t much like this “vase”. The foot came out too clunky, but it was interesting to carve out.

Poem 2 in the 350 poem project was sent on its way on 5 June and must have arrived at its destination (or I wouldn’t post it here!). I’ve not received any poems back as yet, but it’s early days yet.

This poem too was sent on its way on the back of a stunning art work by Pinaki Das, a Calcutta artist.

And I am here

and the everflowing Now

is in me

wishing I would

let go of it

but I want to continue

the even keel

on the free rudder

stay with me

we’re going somewhere

Amie is getting very excited about entering Kindergarten – she has an orientation on the 7th and school starts (only!) on the 10th. But she is also getting a little apprehensive. She remembers how she was comforted by a little seal doll during her first days at her preschool, and requested a new doll that  is small enough to take to school in her gigantic backpack. Thhaam obliged.

Some conversation during the project.

A: What’s that?

T: The navel.

A: The nipple?

T: No, not nipple. Navel. Belly-button.

A: And what is this?

T: Those are the buttocks.

A (smiling crazily): Yuck! Buttocks!

Oops: the hair was put on backwards!

T: Thank goodness you have two grandmothers who like stitching.

A: Oma likes stitching too?

T: Yes, she’s very good at stitching.

A: So if you die, then I’ll still have Oma… But what if you die at the same time, what will I do then?

Me: By then you’ll be able to stitch it yourself – for lack of a better answer.

Amie’s model for the face

T: She has a bit of a bald spot. Is that okay?

A: Yes, that’s what makes her so beautiful!

Meet Anya, the school doll.

A: Thhaam, this is the most beautifullest doll ever made!

I must admit that we haven’t kept up the “bridge schedule” we had planned: 3 pages of  math (we use the average exercise book) and 3 pages of reading/writing (Explode the Code) a day. Our family life  this summer has been in a mess (in a fun way, mostly), and we’ve not been disciplined enough. Especially her writing has suffered, but I’m happy enough with the reading. She is realizing that to be able to read a book yourself is a real treasure and privilege. Now comes our task of finding good books for her.

~

There has, of course, also been lots of art making. When Amie’s Dada (paternal grandfather) suggested that she become a doctor – a real doctor, not a Permanent Head Damage kind of doctor like her Mama and Baba – she immediately and vehemently protested that she was going to be an artist.

There was drawing from nature. With Thaam, the few sunflowers I managed to grow despite the squirrels and chipmunks:

The resulting drawing:

The butterfly we caught:

And Thaam (paternal grandmother) watching the fishes (love those kissy mouths):

And lots of drawing from imagination:

.                 

.                 

.                 

and my favorite:

~

Under the influence of her grandmother she has learned all the songs from The Sound of Music. I’ll try to capture her singing “Do a Deer” sometime and post it. It’s very cute, but after the fiftieth time I have ask her to sings something else.

~

Amie turned five this August – we both blew out the candles because she was, of course, born on my birthday (it’s all hers now). We had a mega party (potluck). Though she was on the verge of angry tears for a moment, when I told her I had asked people not to bring presents, she bravely listened to the reasons and then agreed. Some people broke the rule anyway (grrr!), so she did get some presents, including the pottery wheel in the picture. It needed some Mama magic to make it work.

~

The most important event was that magical two-week play date with her friend from New York City. One week they played and swam in Cape Cod, the next week they spent playing here at home. E. is a year and a half older than Amie and they get along so well. E at 6 is a fluent and voracious reader and that was a great model for Amie. They played intensely and when it didn’t work so well anymore they had no problem separating and finding a spot to be by themselves a bit.

~

When you ask her “What will happen in September?” she’ll respond: “Pottery class with Lisa!” I enrolled her in a hand-built clay creations class with my teacher, Lisa Dolliver. Let’s see how much she will insist on working on the wheel -  wheel throwing only starts at age 11. She’ll be getting a break as it is, because the clay creations class only starts at Grade 1… Oh, and then there is, of course, also Kindergarten.

Here is a video of my wonderful teacher, Lisa Dolliver. Her work is for sale at  her studio, Earth Changes, in Maynard, and her pieces are featured in the WGBH auctions (for which this video was shot).

I like the lidded pieces (except for the glazing on the one), and the “urn” (first picture), but for the rest I feel I am stuck in a rut, which my teacher generously calls my “voice”.  This session I promised myself to be bolder!

Here Amie is sketching a ceramic horse. She was very careful about the knees – one of which had to be lengthened so the horse could “nibble at it” as in the original. I love the way she drew the saddle.

Here we plonked down in front of one of the Melendez still lives. We first looked at all of them and she chose the cauliflower. We discussed the painting, how one thing is in front of the other, but when she started drawing she started left to right, the metal flask first (notice the line of light), then the pewter bowl. Then she found she had too little room for the cauliflower, but that was okay since she doesn’t like cauliflower anyway. The large brown blotch on top is actually the background, which she says she’ll fill in “later” (not going to happen).

One of the tasks in the scavenger hunt was sketching this Babylonian lion with the help of a grid. That grid really threw her off.

In the same room we found the oldest art work in the museum: a vessel in the shape of a hare from neolithic times. She was intrigued by its age and insisted on drawing it and annotating the drawing. For its age, I asked to write 8 first, then add a 0, another one, and another one. “It is so old it is very delicate and you can’t reach through the glass to reach it” (sigh of relief from Mama here) “and because it is so old it is also very tired.”

We kept the Create a Creature with clay for last. I’m afraid Mama had to get her hands dirty as well: she had to make that turtle.

~

And here is Amie, “throwing” a pot, and then inspecting.

She can’t wait to take a pottery class with my teacher!

…

One thing I absolutely must do today is carve the vase I made in my pottery class. I had a lot of help from my lovely teacher, so now I need to “make it mine,” as she puts it, by carving it. It will make for a lovely present, and I’m happy it will be kilned, glazed and ready before the holidays. I’m thinking a fine botanical pattern winding all around…

…

Here’s a thing I like  a lot, how life, family (multi-generational too), work and business share one smallish space (1200 sq.f.).

…

{later}

1. carve pot – v
2. laundry – v
3. bread – v
4. air house – v
5. rake tons of leaves – v
6. compost and straw on beds – nope

]]> http://blog.bolandbol.com/2009/11/09/another-indian-summer-day/feed/ 0 http://blog.bolandbol.com/2009/11/03/home-made-field-and-art-material-bag/ http://blog.bolandbol.com/2009/11/03/home-made-field-and-art-material-bag/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:03:53 +0000 brooklinemama http://blog.bolandbol.com/?p=3032 After being slowed down for the so-manieth time when running out the door by having to collect all of Amie’s desired art materials, I decided to make a field bag, like the one on Camp Creek Blog. One of DH’s ruined khakis served just fine, and the sewing machine cooperated.

I just cut out a piece of a leg to the height we wanted (the largest sketchbook) plus extra for the seams. I turned it inside out, stitched the bottom together and seamed up the top all around. I cut a back pocket out of the pants and sewed that onto the front. Then I cut a narrow strip along the seam of the other leg for the shoulder strap, stitched along the other side, then turned it inside out, and sewed each end to the bag.

What’s in it?

Maybe I can make one for a girl whose sixth birthday party we’re invited to, to stuff with art materials like these. That would make a neat homemade Christmas present for kids and adults alike. I could embroider something special but simple on the front to make up for the messy seams. And I’m going to need one too. I like the second bag Lori made, which integrates the back and the side pockets: I’ll try that next!