Five Weeks and Counting

The year is 2005 and the Chairs of Ceramic Showcase are Natalie Warrens and Ginger Steele and the President of OPA is Larry Nelson and this little nugget of wisdom was written in the member newsletter:


"An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the woman one day by the stream: "Old Woman, I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The woman smiled and replied, "Cracked Pot, did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on Perfect Pot's side? I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house"


-Author unknown

And Best of Show 2005 is Babette Harvey.  I asked Babette her process and where she drew her inspiration and this is what she wrote:

Best of Show 2005
Babette Harvey

"My art is an expression of thoughts and feelings regarding the relationship of humanity to nature.  I suppose it is an environmental statement.  I believe we need to make serious changes in how we live on this planet and how we think about the natural environment.  Through my art I hope to add a voice for envirnomental stewardship of this beautiful planet.


This figural piece was made at a time when I was exploring the idea of morphing the human figure into something which shows our kinship with other creatures in the natural world.  This human is shedding her skin and becoming the nature bound creature hidden under her human facade.


Her legs are joined in a spiral of shell, feathers, and dragonflies.  One shoulder becomes a nautilus and the other is beginning to take shape of a bird.


Maybe she'll find that she has wings to fly!"