Maintaining

I've given the old kick-start to my studio this week! It fired up slow and reluctantly though, reminding me of my beloved Honda XR75, back in the day. I sat at the wheel, threw a lump of clay on the wheel head, and gave it a whirl. In no time, my kicking leg started aching and I wondered how it was possible to be so out of shape. That didn't seem fair since I work out almost every day. Then I thought way back to the original construction of this kick wheel. My dad and I built it together. I had a vague memory of his instruction to grease the fittings every year or so to keep the bearings from drying out. That was in 1994. Maintenance jobs are mundane. But, also apparently necessary. So, I found the grease gun out in the garage and lubed up the first one. Easy enough. But, how to get to the other fitting? I discovered that if you lie upside down under the inside of the frame, you can get catch a glimpse of the second Zerk fitting. And, if you reach into the 3" gap underneath the brick wheel, holding onto the tube of the gun, and with the other hand the gun itself, you may be able to grease it up. But, you may very well need a third hand to pump the trigger, in which case it could be possible that you'll have to use your head. Yes, indeed, you just might. Oh, the lessons to be learned and the resources that need to be tapped to maintain my sanity.  Ironic, isn't it?

The wheel was now humming. But, there was a little bit of unfurling to be done after being away from the wheel since last December. It was hard for me to listen to the rotation of the wheel and bring the pot up gently, guiding it with my fingers. I could feel the tension in my shoulders and the unevenness of my rhythm. The first pots ended up too thick and got chucked into the recycling bucket. I decided to throw some cylinders, the most basic of forms.  Finally, my breath slowed down. We were both centered, and it felt great.

Then I contemplated some designs for the pots. They submissively sat, waiting for the possibilities. I could cover them with a variety of glazes, etch out a form maybe, an image, or even a pattern. I could sculpt onto the pot and add dimension. I looked through my photographs from last summer. In a Minnesota February, that kind of beauty seems impossible to have happened in my backyard. I shaped my ideas onto the clay. I am so happy to be back on the saddle.

Week Six Theme: In the Shadows

five o'clock shadow

I have been scouring my world for good shadows this week. And, hoping to find something lurking in one. The most colorful shadows come out just before sunset. The footprints in the snow come alive with blue and pink depth. Inside the house, the low sun projects images on the wall with a golden hue.

last bite of the sun

The first effort at catching the shadows on the wall was pitiful. I snapped one shot of the fruit bowl's projected silhouette, and the sun's intensity suddenly vanished. The window of opportunity was gone. But now I had an idea that could steep, like a good tea. The image was too flat. It needed layers. More shadows. Then it dawned (eveninged?) on me that I could place something "in the shadows" myself! I am generally passive when it comes to photography. I don't know who told me that it's cheating to alter what you discover naturally in order to make a better picture. There is something superior to me about a site left untouched, though, perfect just the way I found it. But nothing was going to conveniently get in the shadows for me at exactly the right moment. So the next time the sun was playing it's lighting game on the walls, I grabbed my camera, a few pieces of fruit, and manipulated the situation for my benefit. If you are staging the shot, I guessed there's simply no limit. I could try to fool the eye by mixing up the order of the fruit. The fruit on the island could be placed in a different arrangement than the pieces set on the counter top. A complete visual conundrum! Well, I expect no one's socks are going to be knocked off by my shadow puzzle, but at least there's dimension to the piece. And, something in the shadows. Goal accomplished.

Week Five Theme: Sporty!

Sporty Suzy

I had to mock the word just a little. Because, for me, the word "sporty" is an attribute people are usually trying to put on. It brings to my mind such images as a woman applying lipstick in the rear view of her red convertible, a tan blazer slung nonchalantly over a smiling man's shoulder, or a snow bunny putting on her lip balm mid-way down the slopes. Models. Sporty models. Someone very deliberately trying to look natural in his or her active and hip lifestyle. Also, the word feels somehow dated, and for me, that means The Seventies. And "Suzy Chapstick" is as sporty as they came back then. This photograph is to be a tribute to her, albeit a bit tongue 'n cheek. I am thankful to my friend who posed for this shot. She is genuinely active and hip and moreover gifted with an appreciable sense of humor.