I am writing from Woodstock, New York where we have taken up summer residence. I was fortunate enough to take a class which gave me unlimited access to the incrediable Byrdcliffe Pottery here. Run by Rich Conte for the past 27 years this funky old barn used to be just that…the house for cows and horses for the Byrdcliffe Utopian Community that was begun in 1908. As I don’t have a studio of my own here I spent many hours in this wonderful funky place and loved every minute. Byrdcliffe is totally about throwing and cone 10 reduction firing…very different than my usual studio practice. I spent my days throwing some very agreeable stonewear clay and trying to figure out how I was going to incorporate “me” into the process. It was a experiment in trust… I am not a “dunk in the bucket” kind of glaze girl but dunk I did and I think I came up with some pieces that reflect both me and Byrdcliffe. A great learning experience for this old dog!

In about a week we start our return trip across the country in our little trailer. I am excited to get back to work in my Berkeley studio. I am full of new ideas!