How are you doing? I am still in Portugal. We have become a fairly cohesive group of potters. For me, the goal was to step outside of my daily life, allowing time to think about my ceramics, the gallery, and life in general. We have 6 nights remaining. I feel that I have accomplished my goals.
Happenings in West Michigan:
Did you know that on March 3, a Ceramic Cup Invitational opens at the Muskegon Museum of Art? Please put it on your calendar. Peter Johnson, Israel Davis and myself will be talking about the cups on display. They will be for available for purchase too. This is your chance to add to your ceramics collection.
Here are four cups to tease your imagination:
Studio in Portugal:
I have a new direction to follow with my clay work. No, I am not going to talk about it here. It’s between my ears right right now. I have made several business decisions that need to play out over the next three months. With almost thirty nights of solitude in a quiet Portuguese Inn, I feel ready to move forward with 2022. Did you take a minute and recognize that today is 2022-2-22? Max in our group noted that at 10pm (22 Hours), we should watch for the 22 second to appear on our phone and take a screen shot recording the day. A fun idea.
The wood kiln is firing as I write this blog post. Tony Clennell and Max are taking the final shift and getting it to our final temperatures. It’s very hot inside the studio right now. The kiln is at about 2200 Fahrenheit right now close to the firebox. They will try to even the entire kiln out – heat wise. We are firing a train kiln built by David Trueb. The studio is located on his brother’s property, Tres Marias. It is located in Vila Nova, Portugal.
Tonight, we celebrate the firing with wild boar that has been slow cooked on top of the kiln all day. The boars wander the roads and properties like our deer in West Michigan. They love to eat walnuts. According to my classmates, this meat tastes wonderful. (I am a vegetarian.). It isn’t gamey. You can see more images of this adventure on my personal Instagram account @cyncasemier.
In the Gallery:
Six of our artists are in the Cup Invitational at Muskegon Museum of Art beginning on March 3rd. (Richard Aerni, Marion Angelica, Julie Devers, Michael Kifer, Lee Ann Frame, Mike Taylor) If you like their work, purchasing a cup at the museum will support both the museum and the artist. Something to consider. If you can’t make the museum exhibit, have a look at their work here in the gallery. I always need a new cup. 😊 Take good care, C2
