In another life!

In another life some decade ago I would go do a workshop in a wonderful place, clean up, pack up and leave ASAP. This time I took a deversion of a couple of hours driving and an overnight and visited two of my favourite people in the world- Ron and Hester Meyeres. A bird jar followed me home. Just when I thought I had enough of Ronnie the Rat another appears. I have changed! I now am sure to see the part of the country I have had the pleasure to be invited to. I am also very aware that you must be a friend to have friends. I'm at Sugar Maples Centre for Creative Arts tucked away in the lovely little town of Maplecrest in the The Catskills. So I have met a whole new group of wonderful people. Some have the potential of being long term friends.I'm here at the invite of Bruce Dehnert Head of Ceramics at Sugar Maples. I met Bruce in 2007 in Jingdezhen, China while I was an MFA student at USU and Bruce was building a soda kiln for The Pottery Workshop and Takeshi Yasuda. I then was invited to teach at Peter's Valley when Bruce was Head of Ceramics there. So back to Sugar Maples where I met Doc Agel 10 years ago. We have continued our friendship and love of each other as Brothers of Mud and much more. I stayed over an extra day to await visits from friends. Now with my new love of cycling the day of rest was easy to fill with riding the hills they call mountains. Patti Clafin aka Crazy Patti dropped in on her way from Nantucket Island to a cottage in Canada. Patti has been a student of mine in NC and Portugal. Doc and Ben Owen had been firing the anagama at Peters Valley a few hours away so they decided to visit while the kiln was cooling. Sometimes I feel like I am standing at a train station wondering where to go????? But I must say this there is no other destination I'd rather be than with a bunch of mudslingers. They are accepting, generous, fun, and have learned alot about expectations. Expectations are hard on people. Potters learn alot about not to expect too much and the surprises are sublime.

A teapot I made as a demo.

A jar of Ronnie the Rats that followed me home and his well used Dickle ball cap.

Crazy Patti and I out for dinner.

The Motley Crew Doc Agel, Ben Owen, moi and Bruce Dehnert

Johnnie and Mary two assistants at Sugar Maples. They totally rocked!