This is the front gate to Golden Bridge Pottery. GBP was founded in 1971 by my hosts, Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith. Six days a week, I cycle through this gate for a day of teaching and making. Each day is different, depending on what the students are working on and what they need. The time not spent with them is spent on my own work.
This is the handmade wooden kick wheel in my work space. I am happy to report that it is no longer this tidy.
This is another part of my studio space. There is plenty of space for all kind of work, and I started out with a supply of bisqued work I left after my previous residency at GBP in 2013.
I get around Pondy on this sturdy and reliable bicycle. My students snapped this photo of me as I was peddling along, blithely unaware that I was being watched. I am sure my helmet gets me all sorts of strange looks, but I'd rather be eccentric if it means I feel safe! Because I'm not used to driving on the left side of the road, Indian traffic took some getting used to, but I am now feeling quite comfortable. My daily cycle commute makes a nice beginning and ending to my day in the studio, waking me up in the morning and allowing me to wind down in the evening. The busy roads don't allow for much reflection, but there is always plenty to see.
I've been experimenting a lot with bowl forms. I'm excited about this new direction, where I'm finally finding a way to merge some of what I do in my wall pieces with my functional work.
I've been thinking about the insides of things; what do walls, barriers, and exteriors contain? How are hiding and containment connected? With this work, I'm trying to reveal glimpses of the things that are usually hidden and unseen. Small, functional objects are a wonderful vehicle for quietly expressing ideas in an everyday format.
This is my latest experiment. These are the first iteration of a new form, and the idea is nowhere close to resolved, but I'm very curious to see where it goes and how it evolves. Further updates as we get them!
There is a crack in everything; that's how the light gets in. -Leonard Cohen
RSS Feed
