Lubec Springs to Life

I just completed another set of columns based on factory ruins of Lubec. Creating different arrangements with the individual components has enlightened me to the difference between how the ruins "feel" vs. how they "look". The above example illustrates what I feel when I stand at the ruins of the old Columbian Factory.

 

 

 Columbian Factory ruins, Lubec, Maine

 

 

 

"Rubble"

This is how I "see" the ruins.

 

 

 "Guardians"

Surface texture translated from my "Water, Wind, and Time" drawing series that focuses on details from the factory ruins. To view some of the drawings, click here.

 

The image that inspired "Guardians".

The old pilings that emerge from the sand and seaweed look and feel like keepers of the ruins.

 

 

Bouli has a thing for the camera. As soon as the photo lights turn on she hops onto the staging and starts flashing those baby blues. I'm starting to think that she might have a career in product advertisement.

 

 I'm still working on the Bay of Fundy Marathon and 10k awards. These are the 10K awards, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, for men and women. I'm closing on the finish line....so to say. 

 

 

 The 10k and marathon medallions are now in production. I had thought I would work from a mold but decided that I prefer the handcarved look....so I am now handcarving each of the eighty-four medallions. I have my work "carved" out for me!

 

 

 

 Herring Collectors Series platter, fresh from the fire last week.

 

Spring has finally sprung in Lubec. Warm days with penetrating sun, green grass, leaf buds, and daffodils grace us. The critters are coming out en masse and our yard has been playing host to all kinds of species. The porcupine seems to have found a place in our family and the deer graze on the fresh greens awaiting the arrival of our garden. Eagles and osprey fly overhead while Blue Jays take to the tree tops. The pileated woodpecker has been drumming on one of the birches, a rhythm much deeper and louder than the downy which normally claims the decaying trunks.

 

Another signal of springtime in Lubec is the return of people who scattered to warmer climates during the winter. Those who dared to face the snow and wind here on the peninsula emerge from their dens to once again be social. The market is a bit busier and the downtown shops and restaurants show signs of opening. My dream a few nights ago of the big brown bear is sort of how I think of us here. There is a deep and rejuvenating sleep in this little town in preparation for the highly contrasted alertness of the warmer months. The segue is gradual at first with thick fog banks enveloping the shoreline, but eventually sun breaks through.

 

We moved here almost twelve years ago with the plan to stay only one year. Lubec was supposed to be a transition point for us, but instead, fate found us setting up house on a permanent basis. The journey has been trying at times, but hindsight is always 20/20 they say. I am thankful for the alignment of various events and people that brought us here and feel incredibly blessed to call this tiny seaside village "home".

 

Before we moved here, Chris' grandfather would say to us that Lubec was "the perfect place for an artist and a writer." When we arrived on that late August day in 2001 to what appeared to be a ghost town of sorts, I couldn't find the wisdom in Richard's words. But now, yes, I recognize just how very insightful, and prophetic, his words were.

 

We moved to a town that was in transition, suffering the loss of a factory industry that had allowed it to, at one time, prosper immensely.  Now, almost twelve years later, there is a renaissance occurring. The streets are again filling with people and businesses are opening. Lubec has become a tourist destination to people from all over. This once-sleepy little town has been "found-out" by musicians, artists, writers, and organic farmers who revel (in a sort of introverted way) in its humble beauty.

 

At one time I used to joke that our "big night out" was a ride around town to watch the sun set over the bay. Now there are so many things happening in this region that one cannot even begin to take it all in, from theater, to musical performances, to art openings, to community-hosted potlucks, movies, and hikes. There is no greater backdrop than the majestic bold coast where we live.

 

Lubec Market re-opens mid June, the marathon soon follows, and festival planning is in place. Lubec Arts Alive is in the thick of designing the early July event and for me personally, the prep has begun for "pottery season". I am juggling production for fairs and shops while trying to wrap up the awards for the marathon.

 

I am so excited to announce that it is official - Lubec is one of the sites selected for the 2014 Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium (SISS)! You'll be hearing lots more about that as time progresses toward the event. For the short term, when enjoying the marathon festivities downtown on June 23rd, be sure to visit the Strawberry Moon Shortcake booth to enjoy some yummy fresh eats while learning about the SISS project. This is our first fundraiser for the stone sculpture that will soon grace our town and put us "on the map." Be sure to stop by!
 

 

 

 

 

Comfort in Repetition

Greenware stacking up:
items on slab roller get "trimmed and handled" later this morning.

Tea bowls trimmed, chopped and drying for the next bisque fire later this week.

Kiln loaded to the brim.

Working out ideas with paper and pen trying to problem-solve technicalities. Back to the sketching again today with an updated plan. I think need a carpenter on board. No. I KNOW I need a carpenter on board!!!! Volunteers? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

"Most inner-oriented artists share a common characteristic, a certain quality of obsession."
(Kenneth Coutts-Smith)

Yesterday I began a deep-clean in the downstairs of the house. The floor hasn't looked so good in a long time, waxed and shiny. This kind of spur-of-the-moment, labor-intensive cleaning activity is pretty much ritual when my mind is overloaded and trying to work through ideas for a new project.

I am dragging my feet on a sculpture. This is not to say that it has not been on my mind most every waking moment, most every day, for the past few weeks. Even when I am potting or puttering around with other activities, this project looms in a distant room in my mind. I keep asking "how am I going to make this work?" The concept seems simple enough, the sketches are simple, too, but....there are the hidden technicalities that no one else sees or thinks of that need to be tended to.

I have a back-up plan. I should maybe just go with that. And I might. But, I am still toggling back and forth to find common ground between what is my most ideal scenario (which includes immense amounts of time, expensive resources, and no doubt a multitude of frustrating glitches) versus what would be completely acceptable, still get the idea across, and look great. I mean, no one else would lament the loss of the original idea if only seeing the second, right? No one but me, anyway.

So, even though hours have been spent in the intellectual realm, rather than the physical, lots has been accomplished. Yet, nothing has manifested in the form of the tangible. This is a bit disconcerting since I am working against a deadline. I am trying to remain calm. Traditionally, once I settle on a plan, the physical part of the project starts to roll at a good pace. This project, though, includes well over...well...I don't even want to speculate the number of hours. I know that once the building of it begins, I am in deep, and there is no such thing as "end of the work day". Somehow, things get accomplished, albeit leaving the artist a wee bit bedraggled, insane, and in need of vacation in some far-off exotic and remote location.

This project, like many other sculptures and tapestries that I have created the past few years, will include lots of repetition.

I have been thinking about this repetition. Maybe it comes, in part, from the pottery background. When the ware shelves are empty, I sometimes feel a bit tense, worried about what needs to be done. But when the greenware starts to roll off the wheel and stack up into patterns of bowls, cups, or (in the case of my sculptural work) grenades, I feel a sense of calm. I love seeing multiples line the shelves, tables, floors. I think I have before likened it to the squirrel who stores nuts for winter. There is a calm in knowing that there is some form of security. I guess for some people, they get that feeling with stocks and bonds. Me....it's mounds of aesthetically formed clumps of gooey dirt. To each his own, I suppose.

In the past four weeks, I have created 212 of these formed clumps of gooey dirt called pots with a few handbuilt sculptural pieces tossed into that equation. The more I see stack-up, the more I more calm I feel, and the more I want to do. I guess artists (me anyway!) have just enough obsessive/compulsive behavior to keep the ideas and projects flowing.

Art is addictive. Crazy as that sounds, it is true. There are times I go without creating, but when that craving hits, and you get into that zone, it is hard to pull away from the temptations of the clay, fiber, or paint, or whichever alluring substance is sifting through your fingers at that moment.

Today, the clay is calling. The cave is warming up at this moment. I am trying to pace myself so that I can fit several activities into one day (rather than just ten hours of say, only mugs!!!). I will attach handles to 18 items and call it good, then jump back into sketching. I had a glimpse upon waking this morning, in mind's eye, a possible solution to the the sculpture issues, so after lunch, it's back to the drawing board for me, literally.

Lots of excitement is unfolding. Tune in next week....

Sake Sets for Your favorite Valentine

Sake Sets
by Shanna Wheelock of Cobscook Pottery

Just in time for Valentine's Day!
Give your sweetie a unique gift this year:
A handmade stoneware sake set by the easternmost potter in the United States! Better yet, include a bottle of Sake and a gift certificate to his or her favorite Japanese restaurant.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/cobscookpottery

Sake Set in Mossy Forest glaze
$65

Sake Set in Northern Lights Glaze: CAT NOT INCLUDED

She's just our over-zealous, extremely curious, feline product model
$65

Sake Set in Barley glaze
$65

Sake Set in Seafoam glaze
$65

Waiting on Irene

When Chris went outside to secure the grill in case of heavy winds, the rain had quelled to a smattering of drops. Once he began the task, however, a torrential downpour stirred. Yes...I thought it was funny....and....I told him he could NOT come inside until I got a good picture for the blog!

Set of four tall tumblers.

An official Cobscook Pottery website is in the works, but in the meantime, I will continue to post a few items on Etsy.



Bouli thought that she should help with the photo shoot for the Etsy site.

The mug is sold "sans Bouli".

I guess it takes a storm to bring on a day of relaxation! Quiche, peanut butter cookies, blueberry muffins, and zucchini-carrot bread have been baked. The house is clean and smells like warm toasty cinnamon. It all feels pretty mellow and homey. Yesterday was quite a few hours of prep including cleaning out the barn so that the car could be put away safe. I think that Chris has gone into "survival mode". Yesterday he cooked and dehydrated a huge batch of "Sierra Pasta" which he proudly packaged and stored away in the freezer this morning.



The impending storm has been the impetus to get a few things done around here. I even got into the garden to pluck the ripened goodies which are now washed and drying on the kitchen counter. If the storm hits, we have good food. If it doesn't, we still have good food! The cats are hunkering down with us, null in the begging department for outdoor activity. So far, we have had torrential downpours and thunder much of the late morning into early afternoon, but the "tropical storm" is not expected to hit until later this evening. Talk about a dramatic re-entry into the school year!



This past week felt most like vacation than any other week this past summer. Like most teachers, I have a summer job that keeps me preoccupied. The shop has been busy with customers visiting from all reaches of the country, Canada, and even Europe. Between tending shop and pottery production, I was hoppin', but this past week was a bit of an exhale as we had the blueberry festival vending behind us and we had slotted in some enjoyable activities. After a day of Chris and I basically sitting around in a comatose state from exhaustion, we recuperated enough to visit Geer and Pat for homemade waffles (I admit it, we beg them for these waffles every year!). It's always good to catch-up and participate in lively conversation. After our stomach-bulging brunch, Chris and I headed into Machias for a kayak excursion. There is a stream that we hadn't tried in a couple years so we gave that a whirl. It proved to be quite enjoyable and perhaps is now on my list of top fave kayak locations. We ventured off on an inlet and came upon a clay bed which was fascinating. There were plenty of tiny fish, and a few larger ones jumping, as well as a frog or two near the waterlilies. The dragonflies were flitting about and the geese, though slightly annoyed by us, didn't budge much at all as we floated by. We even saw a beaver slink down into the water and found plenty of smaller trees that had succumbed to its teeth-carving carpentry.



I spent the middle of the week cleaning the pottery cave (as much as it can be cleaned!) and then set-up the photo tent to get images of recent pottery work. My hope is that an official Cobscook Pottery website will be up and running this fall, but decided that in the meantime I would upload a few items to my Etsy site which has been void of pottery for some months now. I might try to snap a few more shots of work this week to upload, though I suspect I will have my hands full with setting up my classroom and welcoming students back.



My job teaching job changes dramatically this year. I will return to school as a half-time art teacher. This is a huge change for me as I have been teaching full-time for the past fourteen years. I am embracing the extra time to dive into my sculptural work and to grow the pottery business. I spent a lot of time this summer working out the details and game plan of how to proceed forward in my life as an artist. There is no time like the present to go after your dreams!



I hope that all my readers on the east coast have fared well and safe throughout the storm. And for those still awaiting Irene's arrival....take care!

Back to Routines at the Homestead

Pomegrenade
Ceramic, encaustic, acrylic. metal, wood
Shanna Wheelock, 2011
(photograph by Leslie Bowman)

The American Craft magazine article about my work should be on newstands soon!
(August/September 2011 issue)
to preview the article go to:
"Remote Revival"

Playing around with encaustics the past couple days, I decided to make another pomegranate.
The smooth texture and color is luscious!

This sci-fi looking contraption by John McMurray is a vent!

Honey Pot
(not yet trimmed or fired, fresh off the wheel!)

Big bowl drying on a bat affixed to the wheel.
It's a workout for my arms to center such a big lump of clay.

Bello LOVES garden time.

Bello guarding the bean pole beans.

Bouli playing inside the factory sculpture.
I had been wondering why all the furniture was tipped-over on floors one and three.
Now I know.

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Lubec. The sun is shining, birds singing, sky blue, temps warm. I rose early the past two days and accomplished throwing tasks well before noon, and that left me with time to play with wax and do a few "chores" for the shop. It feels good to have a somewhat uninterrupted week ahead to get things done. Production has been a bit behind this summer for various reasons: bees, globe sculpture, travel, but overall, summer has been productive and pleasurable. I am going to put a request in to the weather goddess for an extension - maybe an extra month or two of summer if that could be arranged? Please and thank you.

The shop is looking a bit sparse of late, but that translates as good because it means that I have had good sales. I've been throwing lots of new work but the drying time is slow: up to three weeks. I finally managed a bisque fire on Thursday and am at this moment firing a second load. I plan to glaze mid week and am looking forward to restocking shelves next weekend. Inspired by the bees, I have begun to make honey pots. The final shape is an unknown until they are trimmed, but so far, I like them. The little lids are adorable!

The past few days entailed a routine of early waking (about 4:oo or 5:00 a.m.), pottery production in "the cave", then time tending to the shop, office details, and encaustic painting. We've enjoyed the company of friends from Cape Breton and Blue Hill. Also, John McMurray, our Lubec Arts Alive sculpture expert who also is quite the engineer, stopped by with a cool new sci-fi looking contraption that will act as a vent for the pottery studio. Air quality will be much better for our lungs! Thanks, John!

All else is going well on the homefront. Bouli is growing and becoming quite demanding. Yes, she seems to rule the roost here. Bello is making slow progress toward reclaiming his space on the feline totem pole but prefers to send most of his time with the beanpoles in the garden. Compared to last summer, the garden looks fantastic! I hear other folks in more southernly areas brag about their bounty of fresh tomatoes and squash, but we have only had a few peas, three cherry tomatoes, swiss chard, and herbs to pluck. Lubec climate is a bit cooler and this is probably why things are behind. I am hoping we can harvest plenty for canning and dehydrating before snow hits!!!! All else fails, we always have the apple trees.

I have a full schedule planned for this week - appointments, shop, production, and supply ordering. I can't believe that it is already August. The Machias Wild Blueberry Festival is in three weeks and I am going to try my hand at vending once again. It's been years. The time leading up to the festival will be nonstop busy in the studio, as well as the time following. Soon I will be back to teaching and taking classes at Heartwood. Each month through November has pottery events slated. Reality is sinking in...I best finish-up this blog and get to work!

Holiday Sale

Shelves full of newly-fired pottery ready for opening day of the sale.
Cobscook Pottery & Fiber Arts
Annual Holiday Sale
November 12-14, 2010

Small bowls that cradle nicely in the hand.
$20

Mead Mug
(Works well for hot cocoa or coffee too!)
$32

Sake Set
$65

Lidded Jar
$115

Large pasta bowl.
$45

Yes. It is that time of year again. The turkey hasn't even made it out of the oven but we are already thinking jingle bells and decorated trees. This weekend is the annual Holiday Sale at Cobscook Pottery and Fiber Arts, and even though it has been warm, clear skies and not a stitch of snow, the sounds of Ella singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" can be heard from the shop.

It's always an enjoyable weekend for me. I get to visit with lots of local friends and show off the season's new wares. It is also tradition for my sister, who is the designer of the fabulous "Indigo Iris" jewelry, to visit for the weekend. In between customers, we've been able to hang out and do "catch-up" on our lives. I have also been able to fit in a bit of encaustic painting here and there. That's definitely a bonus!

Last night we celebrated work-done-well with an evening out at the Water Street Tavern and Inn. It felt good to just relax and breathe a bit, and prepare for the final day of sale, which is today. We'll still be open by chance or appointment until December 23rd, but if you are able to catch the sale in-person today, you'll get to partake of the tasty homemade cookies and cocoa! Not to mention, we are raffling off two $25 gift certificates! One was drawn last night and the happy winner is returning today for some shopping fun "on-the-house".

I need to prep, so this is a quick blog entry. I do have a poem to share, though. It was an honor to receive this worded gift by email from phenomenal writer and amazing woman Pam Brown, who is currently in California compliments of a fellowship to work on a new book. It is such an honor to make an appearance in one of her poems, especially alongside pomegranates. Thanks, Pam!
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Pomegrenade

for Shanna

Under the glamorous San Gabriels

rosy with randy sun,

this parking lot is lousy with pomegranates.

They look at me with Alhambra in their hearts –

I wish I could give Shanna a ticket to Spain.

I can't steal one, there are too many --

like this one, small though perfect

or that one, split, past its prime

or those gnawed-out black mouths

such mocking fruit

bobbing in the hot wind looking like

hand grenades something red

hot blood straining to split

the world

eros tyrannos you come

on all four legs (Sappho said)

to eat greedily and with

tearful thighs . . .

ignore them get in the Subaru

swan up the foothills

in the sheer joy of wasteful

pterodactyl

delusions

Rhythm and Repetition

Set-up and ready to start encaustics on the sequential pom/grenade sculpture series

Fusing the first layer of green encaustic medium onto the ceramic form.

Not quite done, but has three layers of green applied.

successful glaze firing unloaded today.

I've been thinking about some of the common themes that link all my work as an artist together. There are overlaps in concept that show up time and time again: mythology, war, feminism, spirituality, culture. I have also been thinking of the more concrete connections in my process and technical aspects of my work.

It seems that repetition is a common theme. I don't know how many times I have said to folks "I am not a production potter." It is true, I don't consider myself the typical potter who spends several hours a day cranking out fifty mugs for mass sale. However, I do work at the wheel and have been known to repeat the same form over and over again. It isn't so much that I have to do that, but I am finding that the process of repeating an action over and over is meditative for me.

I have been to plenty of retreats and workshops where I am told to "clear my mind and focus..." Oh, how I try. As well, there have been several attempts in my own private space. I have used 33 RPM records with speakers "guiding me" into that far-off space, or I have tried deep breathing methods, looking at the same spot for....hours? No, probably minutes. Okay, maybe seconds. But my mind always wanders. Ten minutes a day of meditation is supposed to be fabulous for the blood pressure. Why can't I do it?

It never fails, I hear that little creak in the floor in the other room, then my mind starts to wander. Next thing I know my quite un-focused mind is planning out a sculpture or thinking about what to make for dinner.

But there are times when my mind feels completely focused and balanced, when minutes turn into hours and time passes without me being aware. It's when I am working at the wheel, forming a sculpture, drawing, or weaving. These tasks, which all involve some sort of repetition, consume me and transport me to what feels another plane.

The latest fascination in my artwork is with industrial and military images. When thinking about this today, I remembered seeing a movie a few years ago with Bjork as the lead called "Dancer in the Dark, a Dutch musical about a factory worker who is going blind (set in 1960's Washington state). She is saving money for her son to have an operation to prevent the same hereditary disease. Bjork's character, Selma, goes into a trance or dream-like state where she fantasizes being in musical skits.

I thought I would share the video of one particular scene that has stuck with me - emphasizing the rhythm of the machines as she and others dance through the factory.

And while you are grooving to the industrial sounds of factory machines, I am off to grab dinner and sleep, and hope that I can adjust to the new time change with some degree of ease.

Seasons and Routines Changing

Apples will be harvested today for homemade apple sauce

A spike pot from the Machine Series sold this week and is off to its new home in San Fransisco. This was one of the earlier pieces that I created in the series. With some artworks it is hard to say good-bye, but I met the collector and feel confident that this piece is where it is meant to be.

The most recent glaze firing (Friday, pre-Tropical Storm Earl) produced gorgeous greens and blues.

This glass case from David Brooks Goldsmith's (Hallowell) found a new home in the Cobscook Pottery and Fiber shop in Lubec. I love David Agronick's work and treasure my ring that he designed. Hallowell is losing a landmark business, but I'm glad to hear that David Brooks will still be designing, but from his personal studio rather than the downtown business.

Close-up of the new display case in the shop, showing here a new collector's series spike pot and a couple of my sister's creations from her jewelry business The Indigo Iris.

One of Kristin's (The Indigo Iris) pieces for sale in my shop - a beautiful coral fossil, fresh water pearl, and nautilus necklace with matching earrings.

Hurricane Earl swept through as a tropical storm and seemed to bring with him the seasonal change a couple weeks early. Last week's mid 90's scorching temps had us fooled into thinking that summer would never end. Come Sunday, it was too brisk to leave the kitchen door open and the warmest of socks needed to be retrieved from the over-bulged bureau upstairs. With change of season, also comes change of routines.

During the summer I am focused on primarily pottery production to keep the shop stocked. A constant flow of guests are in and out or we are on the road to visit family and friends. I wake each morning naturally, sometimes at 3:00 a.m., or sometimes 7:00. There is always a long list of what needs to be done but there is an impromptu quality that I relish.

Just before the official start of fall, routines are once again solid. The alarm is set for 5:30 a.m. and I am off to school to teach art to most all the children in this community. After school, I return home to tend to the business, and also to work on my Heartwood classes. The summer morning walks are now late afternoon jaunts and evening supper is set to a consistent time, as well as prep for the next day: lunch packed, clothes selected, and items gathered that I might need for a lesson.

This may seem a bit crazy to some, but I enjoy the changes. I don't mind that summer wanes and that soon it will be dark by late afternoon instead of 9:30 at night. I look forward to nor'easters and hunkering down by the warm fire while I watch out the window at swirling snow and swaying trees. But until that time is here, I will take advantage of the warming sun and the delights of autumn in Lubec.

Yesterday Chris and I hiked at West Quoddy. We watched the waves comb and rift with ferocity, greeted a pup seal that peeked its head by the shore, who just as amusingly watched us for a few moments. The birds were out in mass: honking Canadian geese, cranes, plovers, eagles, and others we did not recognize. The walk was the perfect end to a busy day of writing and sculpting.

Today has a full agenda as well for both of us, but we will also take the time this afternoon to harvest some apples to cook and can homemade sauce. Our garden, planted a month late, did not produce as much as we had hoped, but being our first garden, it has been an educational experience that will help us plan for next summer's crop. Basil has grown in abundance and we have enjoyed many batches of fresh pesto. Tomatoes, swiss chard, peppers, sage, cilantro, dill, tarragon, and thyme seem quite happy here. Something chowed the broccoli and none of the squash made it, except for one sort-of pathetically small spaghetti squash. Green beans are growing faster than we can eat, so we decided to can some of them. We discovered that a HUGE pile of green beans does not amount to very much when canned. But it was our first canning experience and we needed to begin somewhere.

The past week was busy but settled. The week before I was out of town with a family emergency. That event put a lot of things into perspective for me, as to what is really important in our lives. Know what is precious in your life and never take those things for granted. We never know for certain what the universe has in store for us, so be sure to live each day thoughtfully and with meaning.

I was glad to return to Lubec after almost two weeks away, to see Chris and Bello, and to be in my studio, creating, and in Lubec, celebrating the beauty of this magical place.

Before I sign off, I want to mention a couple of things going on around here. A lot of folks who pass through my shop are sort of out-of-loop on all the events that are happening. I always suggest that they check in with the visitor center/tour stop located at the Historical Society building. Ruta and her gang offer a wealth if information. The Visit Lubec Maine website is also run by this business.

A great resource for all events cultural and artistic is Culture Pass. If you go to their website you can subscribe to the listserve. Every Sunday you will receive an email listing all the events from St. Andrews down through to Campobello Island. This are is rich with culture. If you are thinking of visiting I suggest you sign on.

Two Countries One Bay Art Studio Tour
Culture Pass sponsors the Two Countries One Bay Art Studio Tour. That is coming up in two weekends, September 18-19, 2010. It is an annual event where you can tour through artist studios in both Canada and Maine. It is an often rare glimpse into the working lives of artists and should not be missed. I have been on the tour for four years now and look forward to the weekend and meeting some many wonderful, curious people. It's a great time to visit the artists, since they usually have some yummy goodies and interesting demonstrations happening those two days. I usually have supplies for folks to weave on the outdoor Earth Loom. I have another plan in mind too and will see if that develops, time permitting.

Last winter I hosted figure drawing sessions with pregnant model Anne Grant of Eastport. Anne also modeled in Eastport at Heidi Reidell's studio. The drawings that were created by artists throughout Anne's pregnancy and post-birth with baby Cecelia are currently being exhibited in Eastport at Heidi Reidell's Gallery/Studio. Please read the press release below and head on over to check out the show!

The Art of Life
Reidellevison Ink's Eastport School of Arts/Catbird Seat Gallery
Eastport, Maine
Through Sept. 24, 2010
Open 10-5 Tuesday-Sunday

The Art of Life show of drawings, sketches and some finished works depicting an entire pregnancy cycle and mother and child will continue at Reidellevision Ink's Eastport School of Arts and Catbird Seat Gallery #3 Dana Street in the Masonic Block in Eastport until September 24th. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m Tuesday through Sunday.

This exhibit , showing model Anne Shields Grant in all stages of her child's development, and with infant model Cecilia, ( who modeled at three and four months of age,) shows the work of Bonnie Beard,Jean Bookman, and Shanna Wheelock of Lubec, Barbara Kendall of Calais, Kristie of Deer Island, and Arthur Cadieux, Elizabeth Ostrander, Patricia Johnson, Susan Bailey, Joyce Weber, Alice Bragdon and Heidi Reidell of Eastport .

It is rare to have an opportunity to draw and sketch a single individual throughout these human changes. Throughout the winter, Anne alternated between Shanna Wheelock's North Lubec Road studio and Heidi Reidell's Boynton Street apartment, offering life drawing opportunities.

Come celebrate the arrival of the beautiful Cecilia, and gaze at the wonder that is new life in the making.

New Beginnings in Teaching and Art

The new (old) Ashford spinning wheel
Thanks Judy!!!!

Pottery Studio/Basement insulation has begun!

Rack of greenware almost ready to bisque




I have been recuperating this past week from a minor procedure that left me with a big headache and a noggin full of stitches. In usual Shanna fashion, I assumed that that life would proceed as usual with a butt load of work lined-up to complete. I had marked-off one day in my daily planner as "recovery time" and was looking forward to a few days at home to spend in the studio. I learned a bit of a lesson in slowing-down, and though it was difficult to be so "still", I managed. Timing worked out well, actually, as I needed to write my proposals for the upcoming semester at Heartwood. I now had plenty of time to sit still and think!

Looking back over the past few days, even though I was "laying-low", I realize that a lot has occurred.

I had been talking about getting a spinning wheel since 2007, but time and resources haven't come together to make that happen. Recently I decided that I would like to incorporate spinning into my upcoming tapestry project. I mentioned this to our friends Nicky and Judy while visiting for dinner two weeks ago, and to my delight, Judy offered me her wheel! Wow! Talk about putting something out there to the universe. Within days, a wheel was sitting in my studio. Of course, I have no clue how to work a spinning wheel. Thankfully, the universe had that one figured out as well. Our friend Barbara, an accomplished artist/weaver, came right over and created a list of what parts I needed to to order. She also offered-up her talents to teach me what I need to know to get me started. I can't wait! Oh, incidentally, the fiber supplier I called in Wisconsin may be a distantly-related relative. I received some interesting information on my family's genealogy. (assuming we are the same line of Wheelock?). It's a hoot to call someone so many states away who I have never spoken with before - who just might be related to me.

This next part of the blog is for those of you not from Maine who think that Moose sightings are a myth to try to get tourists to visit us here. Yes, I swear to you, this huge creature really does exist.

About mid week, Chris packed-up his gear and headed off into the woods for an overnight camp. He does this occasionally and perhaps my sitting around whining about my pain and inability to get anything done prompted this bit of out-of-the-blue behavior on his part. I dropped him off at the trail head and off he walked into the woods with gear in tow. While he camped, I snagged the opportunity to pull-together his birthday surprise. Though I wasn't up for hours of pounding out clay, I managed to wrap gifts, create a treasure hunt, bake a cake, and prepare one of his favorite meals, malai kofta. I picked him up from the trail head about 24 hours later, excited to see his reaction at the surprise awaiting him at home.

I know that his little bit of the week had nothing at all to do with my path as an artist, but, it is too good to pass up. Apparently, while Chris was in the pitch black of night standing on a rock, watching the shooting stars, he heard this loud repeated snorting noise followed by several heavy stomps. After this happened a few times, the animal ran in what sounded like circles.

Hindsight, it appears as though Chris might have set-up his tent in the sleeping spot of a moose! My dad is a hunter safety instructor and thought that the "perfect tent spot" that Chris found was purposely packed-down field grass for moose-sleep-comfort, complete with scat markings that Chris considered a minor nuisance and had kicked "out-of-the-way" for tent placement.

The disgruntled moose seemed to want to challenge Chris, but thankfully it eventually backed down. Mind you, this was in the dark of night and Chris could not see what animal was making this noise. Upon his return home, we found the online sound byte of a moose. (click on #1 or or #12 to hear what he heard!) What a close call! I'm glad he's home safe.

Yesterday, myself and the kindergarten teacher from school attended a workshop at the Tides Institute and Museum of Art in Eastport. We are participating in a pilot program for something called "Visual Teaching Strategies." I'll be posting more about this as we move further into the process. It's an exciting way for students to develop critical thinking and language skills through the arts. The pilot program we are participating in is a partnership between the Tides Institute and The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The presenter from Boston was phenomenal and I can't wait to get this project rolling in the classroom. Speaking of which, I can't believe that school begins in less than two weeks!

While I was in Eastport for training, my dad and his friend Gene visited from central Maine. Along with Chris, they insulated two walls of the basement, a.k.a. "The Pottery Cave". Last winter it was extremely cold down there, and even with two heating sources, it would take almost three hours to reach 60 degrees. Chris will soon begin insulating the ceiling. Working down there this winter will be much more tolerable and pleasant experience than last year. After blogging, I will head downstairs to finish the nailing and taping, then will clean-up the mess and get all equipment and furniture back into place.

I have missed working with the clay this past week. Why is it that when we are unable to be in the studio that we are also the most full of ideas?

Talking to Pots

Mini Pottery
(4" tall)
Sea and Sky Glaze Motif

Clay balls, wedged and ready to throw on potter's wheel

Vases
Wheel-thrown and drying before trimming

I doubt that most people know fully what goes into the making of a piece of handcrafted pottery. Folks visit a pottery shop, pick up a mug or bowl, and if the vessel has the "right feel" they pull out their credit card or checkbook and walk away with it securely wrapped in tissue or bubble wrap. Hours of enjoyment ensue, whether gazing adoringly at the newly purchased fine craft or enjoying the ritual bowl of breakfast oatmeal.

Seemingly simple to the average person, but to the potter, it is a labor of love, sometimes blood, a lot of sweat, and occasionally tears. (I'm not joking here....I'll spare you all the gory details, but trust me, it isn't all fun and games!)

Throwing a piece of pottery begins with the clay. Some potters dig their own, myself, I drive a couple times a year to Portland (a six hour jaunt) to load up on the mucky, earthy-scented joy mud. Chris, without complaint, unloads the hundreds of pounds of boxes into the basement pile and there it sits until I am ready to do what I call a "pottery run".

In the past, a "pottery run" consisted of a few ten-to-twelve hour days in a row. With the new set-up, I tend to throw about four to five hours at a time, first thing in the morning. If I am well-prepared, I would have already wedged the balls of clay, in and of itself, a time-consuming task. Wedging is much like kneading bread. It aligns the clay particles in a particular manner and if done well, relieves the clay of little air bubbles, which can be the death of a pot long before the glaze ever graces its sides.

Each ball of clay is wedged about 100 times then set by the wheel for the next step.

Slung upon the wheel-head, the speed is increased and the task of "centering" begins. It looks easy if you watch a skilled potter at the helm. But rest-assured, a first time thrower may be dismayed when they experience the wobbly disobedience of the mound.

The clay is coned, re-centered, and opened. The walls are raised, the lip compressed, the shape formed. Then the base is trimmed (first-time around) and the pot removed from wheel.

Once the pot is dried to a leather-hard stage, it is again placed on the wheel to be trimmed. After that, I attach a "chop signature", add handles if needed, and carve if the pot deems carving, then set the pot aside to dry. This could take two days or three weeks, depending on the humidity. This summer, it has taken the latter.

The first firing is called bisque. It basically removes the moisture from the clay. Pots are loaded, and stacked inside one another for efficiency of space. That firing, to cone 05, takes anywhere from 9-12 hours. After cooling for several hours, the kiln is re-opened, and shelf by shelf, the pots are removed and bottoms waxed to prep for glazing.

A kiln load of pottery takes me about 16 hours to glaze. That's one very long day or two, depending on my stamina and schedule that week. Pots are reloaded into kiln, this time much more carefully, and fired to cone 5 (approximately 2150 degrees fahrenheit).

The entire process, from wedging to removing from the glaze firing, is about a six week span of time. So when I run out of a particular item that is in demand, it is not as easy as saying "I'll whip-up one of those for you for the weekend."

An extra "step" that I add to my pottery is that I "talk" to the clay. I tend to be a bit eccentric and did inherit my Nana's pension for talking when no one else is around to listen. I also get a lot of stares and smiles in the market as I walk the aisles and talk to myself about what ingredients are in a special recipe. I also talk out loud when alone when I do my three mile walks, planning out the next art project and what process might work best. So, there's a lot of unrequited talking going on here.

But what I say to my pottery while it is being formed is unique, I think. As I center, I remind myself to find my own "center. When I center I also push down upon the clay as I exhale and say "letting go". (Don't we all have something that we need to let go of?)

As I push my finger in to the spinning mud, I repeat" opening up to love" and as I push the clay from the side walls back to the center opening, I repeat "sending the love back into the center of the universe for all to receive." I pull up the pot walls and speak of "strength and fortitude" and remind the clay that anyone who holds the pot in their hands will experience a deep capacity for love and kindness toward all beings.

It's a tall order, I know. At first when I began this ritual, I thought that I was merely sending this energy out to the folks who purchased a piece of my work. Then it dawned on me; I am touching this clay for hours on end, days on end. Am I not receiving this abundance of healing energy myself?

I certainly believe I am. And this recognition has me wanting to sit at the wheel more and more to soak up the feel-good vibes that the clay and I are exchanging.

I do hope that anyone and everyone who holds one of my "made with love" pots feels that love overflowing in their lives as well.