More from Powell Gardens

Blue Morpho and White Peacock

Early last week I attended a butterfly photography class at Powell Gardens during their Butterfly Festival. There were different butterflies from North and Central America, but the star of the show was the Blue Morpho. Notice how the blue is on only one side of the wing?

The butterfly in the last two pictures is the White Peacock.

Hopefully I will post more of Powell Gardens later. They have the most beautiful chapel on the grounds as well.

Black and blue

Great spangled fritillary and what came out of the kiln

This butterfly was in my front yard a couple of weeks ago. It's interesting to see how different the front of the wings look compared to the back.

I did a little hand building and have a few other pieces waiting to be wood-fired next month. It's been a long time since I've gotten anything finished since I'm saving up for wood-firing, so I caved in and had them fired in the electric kiln. The first pieces can be used for sushi or soap, but I don't eat sushi or use much bar soap so probably won't be keeping these.

Off to watch the Tour de France, the one sport that I enjoy watching. See ya!

Caterpillars and pottery pieces

Am hoping to make this post short and sweet, like all my others. Here's an update on the status of my butterfly rescue mission so far this year. The first picture is my very first and currently only Monarch to emerge, as I haven't found any more monarch caterpillars.












Here are some pictures of some black swallowtail caterpillars. Just noticed that one has pupated yesterday.

This one was the daily snap on www.verbict.com.

Here are some pieces from the last few months. A couple of my pottery friends are coveting my horse hair brushes that I made in Jamaica, and I'm trying out new ways to use them for glazing. Now that I know how to make them, we can make more!

The wood firing that was planned for the end of this month has been moved to August 14th. I'm very excited about that have at least 11 pieces made already!

Summer theme song

I have been listening to Xavier Rudd a lot lately and am trying to make this my summer theme song. He plays a didgeridoo in other songs. What's not to love about that?


Here are some mugs and a pitcher that I brought home in the last month or two, made at my local clay hangouts. I still have a few more pieces to share from Jamaica.














I'm very excited to be getting ready for a wood-firing locally at the end of this month! I love the idea of not knowing where the ash will deposit or exactly how pots will look after firing and where they will be kissed by the flame...just giving them up to all the variable factors and accepting what comes out. Also have been trying to make my work more "fluid" or "organic" or "not-perfect" and playful. We'll see if you can tell.

Jamaica part 4--sugar cane harvesting

Here are some pictures from the sugar cane harvesting in the area. The cane will most likely go to Appleton Estate to make rum. It is burned first and then "combined". Yes, that's a John Deere. I didn't bring any rum home, as I knew they sell it in the states and had too many bottles of scotch bonnet pepper sauce (my current addiction) and guava jam to bring home.