Empty Bowls @ Blues Festival

Grab $10.00 and 2 canned goods and head to the Waterfront Blues Festival this weekend at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The OPA's Empty Bowls booth is at the entry across from the Marriott Hotel off Naito Parkway. This year's chair Bill Sanchez and his Co-Chair Raybun Thompson and a group of volunteers set up the booth on Wednesday. The donated work is amazing and you'll be helping a terrific cause. All proceeds from the donated work go to the Oregon Food Bank - a much needed donation in these trying times. Hope to see you there!

TexMex Mac & Cheese

Not your granny's mac & cheese. And oh so easy.

4-6 poblano chiles-blackened under the broiler, cooled, skin, seeds & mebranes removed

6 sm white corn tortillas

1 cup fresh cilantro

1 cup 1/2 & 1/2

1 cup milk

3 lg eggs

elbow macaroni-cooked al dente

shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, sharp Cheddar, Spicy Jack-whatever you've got on hand and plenty of it to make the mac & cheese gooey

Rough cut the chiles and tortillas. Put in a blender with the cilantro & finely chop.

In a lg bowl, whisk together 1/2 & 1/2, milk, eggs, salt & pepper. Add in the chile/tortilla mixture. Mix. Add in the elbow macaroni & most of the cheese. Stir. Pour into a baking dish rubbed down with butter. Don't be stingy-you don't want it to stick. cover with remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 oven until it is bubbling, 40 minutes or so. If you can resist, let it sit for a few minutes when it is done, otherwise, dig in!

Gathering at the Nelson's Chehalem Mountain Pottery

Larry & Debi opened the doors to their beautiful home and studio for May's newer member gathering. It was a perfect late spring evening. Perched amongst the trees, we enjoyed dining al fresco and a critique and troubleshooting session during dessert. Many thanks to our guest art critic for the evening, Carole Murphy, who lead a very helpful and meaningful critique session. I'll have photos posted shortly of both the work and the food, accompanied by a few recipes. Thanks to all that participated - it was a great Saturday evening.

Tune in to Craft in America

If you missed this great series on PBS the first time around, watch OPB tomorrow evening. Check your local listings, I believe it will air at 8pm. This is a sensational series.

Artist in Residence/Clay in Education

The first window is dedicated to the involvement of fellow OPA member Jan R. and her Artist in Residence program as well as the story of how the OPA came to be and what Clay in Education is all about. The window highlights the children that Jan has been working with and shows many aspects of the stages of clay and what it takes to turn a lump of clay into a finished piece.

and more links

It is amazing that when you tell a child or a potter that it can't be bigger than a dinner plate and it has to connect to another link, go crazy, they come up with the most amazing pieces of art.

more Links

I just had to show some of the links that are hanging in the windows.

Links project at the Justice Center Windows

The Links are installed at the Justice Center Windows!

...and they look sensational.

OK this is going to read like an Oscar Award speech but I really need to...

Thank all the children and parents that made links at Art in the Pearl last Labor Day weekend. And a huge shout out to all of the potters that contributed to make this project fly. First, Annie Stecker for giving me the assignment that got this ball rolling for Clay in Education. The OPA members that came and worked with the children and got on board with the Links project, Dawn, Christine, Skye, Dorothy, Gwen. And to the potters that made links - Brenda, Dee, Audrey, Barbara, Skye, Gwen and Denise. Thank you so much Denise for spending your Sunday morning at the windows. And my fellow potters in So. Cal - Jackie & Linda - Jackie you were the seed that started this and Linda I couldn't have gotten the booth ready for the kids if you had not come for a visit and spent your vacation makin' links with me!

and now for the photos - enjoy - this was truly a labor of love and I know that it will grow from these 208 links. My goals are lofty but with the help of my friends, it will soar.

ASU Ceramics Research Center

While attending NCECA my friends and I took a side trip to the Ceramics Research Center at ASU. It is probably the most complete collection of Studio Pottery and I was overwhelmed by the vast collection. Works on display in the permanent collection included the best of the best; Voulkos, Autio, Soldner, Heino's, Natzler's, Takaezu, the list goes on and on. Also on display were the award winners from NCECA and I was quite taken with this piece from Susan Dewsnap. What do you think?

NCECA

Just back from a fantastic week at NCECA. What an amazing gathering of potters. Did anyone else attend NCECA? What were your impressions? Any favorite demo's or lectures/discussions? I attended a fantastic "roundtable" discussion on Soda/Salt firings and am now so jazzed about doing a soda firing at my studio. I don't know what re-energized me more, the warm weather and sunshine or the creative energy and buzz throughout the conference. Now it is time to get back in the studio and get ready for Ceramic Showcase. So much to finish, so little time!