Oregon… hmm… sounds like a good idea to me. Is it? Or is it not? (happening)

A friend mentioned a planned trip to Oregon… but the details are still up in the air. We talked about it in person last week… but I didn’t know just how serious he was about it. It sounds like an awesome idea 🙂 I’ve always wanted to see the rain forests of Oregon. I love the northwest coast. Plus, going on a road trip with a very good friend of mine (very good 😉 ) sounds like the perfect way to go there. I’m in  not sure what his plan is for that, but right now I am back on campus working with clay in the studio like I should be 🙂 It’s a visiting artist workshop, and today was the first day.

I didn’t know the plan for this morning, so I woke up at 8:30, made coffee with the only thing I could find (I am staying at a friend’s house and I brought a french press but forgot coffee and she drinks instant…) which was pre-ground Irish creme coffee in a little packet she found in the freezer. I didn’t do my normal morning routine of exercise. Instead, I just drank my coffee and walked out the door. I hiked up the trail to campus (steeper than I predicted). I was completely worn out by the time I reached the top. I was still panting when I got to the studio. By the time I got there, everyone was gathered in the hand-building room waiting to start discussing the grand plan. I’m glad I was there in time… I had no idea when they were going to start. Anyway, the visiting artist seems really cool. His work definitely has character, and he seems like a nice guy. We talked about firing kilns already this week… and there are so many clay bodies to choose from that I feel overwhelmed. I want to try a gritty white stoneware and a porcelanneous body that are available– I paid for a bag of the porcelanneous kind but haven’t tried it yet. We will be firing a bisque tomorrow, loading starting in the morning (first come first serve). I didn’t feel like throwing pots today. The clay I have to work with right now is too soft to make big things with it– I keep trying and I keep getting reminded of why I can’t do it. It would take a lot of wedging on a really dry surface to get all of the extra moisture out of it. Instead of throwing, I still felt like hand-building like I have been at home 🙂 I didn’t realize how much I like it these days. I will post photos of work soon… maybe sooner if I remember to think of it.