Are you getting any better?

And what are you doing about it? Facebook calls your attention to the passing of time and it has been a great way for me to follow my wood fire family. It was three years ago this September when I started the voyage with 11 potters on a wood fire mentorship sponsored by the Hamilton Potters Guild. These remaining 5 have been on every voyage with me and now I see them charting their own courses in new rivers of fire. I have this secret underground of friends that keep me posted as to how they are doing. Once their teacher always their teacher.

Emma Smith went off to the wood fire conference in North Carolina to fire with Josh Copius. Word came back they want to keep her there. Fat chance we need our closer. Anne Marie Row, Chris de Takesy, Teresa Dunlop and Jen Drysdale went down to Peter’s Valley to fire with Takuro and Hitomi Shibata to fire in the noborigama. Word from the tick infested forest of NJ is they were the best. America ya can’t have anyone of them either. There stands my opener, my night shift and my middle innings and organizer. 

I am not surprised to receive the compliments! People that get better work at it. You can get better working alone. I did it for over 20 years however I found I got better a lot faster when I worked with someone else.

When I think of the combined knowledge of this group over the past 3 years it has been amazing. The pots have gotten better, the firings have gotten better and the roles we all play in this team make the next steps in the learning process easier. Walk tall and carry a big stick!