Pilgrimage!

For the past 4 or 5 years wherever I was  I phoned Chosin' Pottery every Saturday night to talk to Grass Hopper and Judi Dyelle. They both were amazingly supportive of me and helpful in ways of glaze, clay, writing and life on the mud path. Every conversation ended with a warning for me to slow down and beware of burn out. I would always reply- ya, ya, ya, ya. I'm in good health and feeling up to it all. This past year it seems I never stopped. I found myself lying on the couch at around 3 and going into a coma for an hour. My body was giving me warning to slow down.  I still believe I'm 35 years old and I try to avoid looking in mirrors.

Home from teaching in Maryland for two weeks I saw a seat sale on West Jet and phoned Judi to see if I could come to Chosin' Pottery to do nothing. Nothing at all. It's been over a year since Grass passed and being here is a kinda a pilgrimage for me.
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of moral and spiritual significance.  It is a journey to a location of importance to a person's beliefs and and faith. One of the beliefs that Judi and Grass always drove home to me was " if you live an interesting life, you will make interesting work." It is great to belong to a community of artists that provide a space for you to come and talk about making art and a life that matters. A gift I hope I  provide to those that make my home their pilgrimage.
This thought from a book I finished on the flight out here- The View from the Studio Door by Ted Orland.
"If the mantra of hot real estate deals is location, location, location , then the mantra of thriving artists groups is chemistry, chemistry, chemistry. "
This pilgrim

One of the most extensive collections I've seen.

Cupboards and cupboards full of great pots. 

fell asleep for 2 hours in the garden listening to the water from one of the many water features in this glorious place.

Music to sleep by.