holiday open studios.

the berkeley artisan holiday open studios begins THIS weekend and continues until december 20th. our studio will be open every saturday + sunday from 11:00 to 5:00. come and see the works of josie, christa, and me . . . and also our 3 great guest artists, diva, deanna, and susannah.

fourth & clay.

2370 4th street (@ channing way)

510.848.2390

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

baja, california

1994

i love spaces between the teeth. it adds so much character and intrigue to a face. i befriended this little girl, daphne, on the beach in baja. she would stand so close to me that all i could focus on were the spaces between her teeth. she was a sweet little girl with a big beautiful smile.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

november 2009

berkeley, california

i grew up in a chinese restaurant and there was always a giant tin of fortune cookies there. this shape is so familiar and comforting to me. and i loved the idea of the hidden message inside. like secret words from far beyond that would somehow make your life better.

a fortune + a cookie = the perfect food

trunk show.

i'm kicking off the holiday season THIS weekend at a TRUNK SHOW in alameda. there will be 5 other artists (jewelry, hand bags, scarves, ceramics, felt wool goodies, . . . ) and food + wine. the show is at the beautiful WAGNER FAMILY home and is going to be festive and fun for all ! i will even have a bargain bin of wares. isn't it time to start that holiday shopping ?!

sunday november 15th

10:00 to 5:00

27 powers court

alameda, ca

94501

(you can also get these fortune cookies here)

FUNNY or FOUL ?

does this toilette plaque make you laugh, or do you find it utterly disgusting ? personally, i think it is hilarious. why not send people into the bathroom with a sense of humor (they might need it in there) ?

i am having some fun with a new technique of making my own decals. it's satisfying and i'm so inspired, but it involves more work, as it requires a THIRD firing. yes, a third time in the kiln for yet another chance for one MORE thing to go wrong !

there may be more of these plaques in the future (depending on the response), but for now there is only one available here.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

pubol, spain

2005

i saw this dress in the gala dali castle, which was salvador dali's last workshop and the mausoleum for his muse, gala. this is one of her dresses. i love the idea of wearing a uniform everyday and if i had to, i would make sure mine was something just like this.

santa wants a cookie.

the elves have been busy in the shop making these hand painted cookie plates for santa. they know how GRUMPY he gets when there are no cookies for him. so remember to leave him a big stack of cookies if you want any of the GOOD presents !

you can get one at the san francisco museum of craft + design or at my shop here.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

plymouth, vermont.

2007

(click on image for a closer peek)

santa's workshop is OPEN.

i know it is still october (barely), but santa's workshop is definitely open . . . though the only elf is ME. i am doing a slue of shows this season and am trying to fill up my shelves NOW so that i can enjoy some spiked egg nog LATER. there will be a lot of new work, too, so stay tuned . . .

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

stuttgart, germany.

september 2000

inspiration.

today i found all of this broken glass on the street right outside of my studio. i was on my hands and knees picking them all up. i'm sure i looked like a homeless lady, BUT these colors and shapes were driving me wild. they were sparkling in the sun like beautiful little gems and i knew i had to have them.

(click on the image + scroll down to really see the beauty)

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

philadelphia, pennsylvania.

april 2006

so sweet.

i don't always take on commission work for something i have never made before (especially something with a lid, ugh !) . . . but i imagined this one would turn out sweet. and i loved that this woman wanted a sugar bowl made for her husband, also very sweet. if i used sugar, i would surely make one of these for myself, BUT i am strictly a maple syrup kind of gal.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

the sanitarium.

san luis obispo, ca

september 2009

au revoir gourmet.

i am SICK to my stomach that GOURMET MAGAZINE is closing it's doors. what is this world coming to? too much technology and not enough hands on tactility. we all need to continue buying real magazines before they become completely obsolete. there is nothing better than a chunky stack of magazines to thumb through, to smell, to touch, to read, to have forEVER. we are slowly becoming robots and i fear there is going to be a horrid backlash in our near future. let's save ourselves !

GO BUY SOME MAGAZINES !

o chamé + clay.

yesterday i had lunch at o chamé, one of my favorite restaurants ever. i had a gigantic bowl of soup with soba noodles and grilled oysters. it was so clean + pure + delicious . . . just like nectar of the GODS. and one of the best things about o chamé is that it is right down the street from our studio. and speaking of our studio, it's the first saturday of the month, so we are OPEN all day.

come down and kill 2 birds with one stone. o chamé + 4th and clay.

(and we always have cookies to eat and dogs to pet).

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

flying into athens, greece.

09-17-07

with a grain of salt.

salt's profound impact on human civilization spans recorded history.....and precedes it.

kosher salt, sea salt, fleur de sel, rock salt, celtic salt, black salt, etc.....i love all salts.

here are some new salt bowls in my shop.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

nova scotia.

annapolis royal farmers market.

september 20, 2008

girl in hat.

i just purchased this oil painting in san luis obispo. i was instantly drawn to it, mesmerized even. i love her hat (i have one just like it) and i love the sparsity of her closet. i feel very attuned to this girl, and i am going to be happy to see her every day.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

the sanitarium.

san luis obispo, california

september 13, 2009

the right tool.

i love old kitchen tools. they seem to be much higher in quality than tools of today and more earnest. i bought these tools at an antique store in san luis obispo. i am inspired by their shapes, their details, and their colours. plus they evoke a certain sense of nostalgia that makes me feel grounded.

the central valley.

yesterday we took the train from san francisco to san luis obispo. it was stunningly beautiful. the central valley is extraordinarily picturesque from the train perspective. picture. postcard. perfect.

it makes me proud to be a central valley girl.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

san luis obispo, california

november 2006

(discovered the lupini bean......so delicious)

nothing to laugh about.

i LOVE fake teeth. i think they make everybody laugh and are a good mood booster. but right now, nothing can get me to laugh. i am having the HUGEST glaze problem that i have ever had. i am getting tiny bubbles and blisters on the entire piece and i can't figure out why. i've done 4 firings in my test kiln (5th one firing now) and all have been the same. it's as if someone sprinkled sand on the entire piece. and this is the same method, the same clay and the same glaze i've been using for 15 years. i tried a new batch of glaze, changed the brush, applied a thinner coat of glaze, made sure there was no dust on the bisque ware, and still BAD. very bad. i'm at my wits end. and i've ruined a lot of custom orders . . . please bear with me. if i can't solve this problem, i may have to change careers. no joke.

any ideas anyone?

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

vermont.

august 2009

(click on image for up close + personal view)

trunks and trunks.

in vermont.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

new york, new york

august 2009

vermont.

finito.

my first firing in my brand new vermont kiln.

jump in the lake.

vermont in august is simply sublime. the weather has been impeccable (a couple of thunderstorms only add to the magic). and the lake water is just-the-right temperature. time to jump in the lake !

new york, new york.

i found this silk-screen screen on the street in new york and i felt compelled to take it. it's really pretty but quite large. i think it will end up staying in vermont, as i dread lugging additional dead weight all the way back to california. and someday i will actually try printing it.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

vermont.

08-08-09

abode de annie.

i've been in new york all week staying with my friend annie. she has a gorgeous apartment in the east village. and though it has been hideously HOT all week, i have been out everyday walking the streets. miles and miles of inspiration, energy, and delectable food + drink.

these are a few images of the details in annie's lovely apartment.

tools in vermont..

these my only tools . . .

a box cutter.

a rusty nail.

rocks.

et voila.

BEFORE.

AFTER.

check list.

- a big deck.

- a bag of clay.

- a cute bottle of wine.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

rutland, vermont.

2009

back it up.

i spent a week in vermont without my computer. oh, it definitely had its pros + cons, but i am happy to have her back. we had to do a complete erase + install (by we, i mean my husband . . . i'm the luddite in the family). which means completely erasing everything on the computer and then re-installing the software. LUCKILY, i have a husband who was backing up my computer at home (there is NO way i would have done it on my own) and THANKFULLY, we have a friend who went to our house and fed ex'd the hard drive to us here. i feel complete again. and if there were only 2 words i could say to the world, it is "BACK UP !" apparently, this will happen to EVERYONES computer at some point in time. i'm just glad that my turn is OVER . . . now i can really enjoy the rest of my holiday !

the glitch.

happily, i am vacationing in vermont. sadly, my computer is also on vacation. she was working the day we left and decided to STOP working the day we arrived. her name is big edie (named after big edie from the fabulous movie, grey gardens) and the funny thing is that i watched that movie the night before we left. but there ARE no coincidences, right?

we spent the first 3 days of our holiday trying to get her to work, i was on the phone with apple tech support for 2 hours, we drove an hour to take her to town to have her looked at, my husband was on the phone yesterday with apple tech support for literally 4 hours straight, but still, no one can figure her out. it is quite annoying, especially since she is a brand new fancy pants macbook. and i really do feel kind of naked without her ! it appears that i have been sad mac'd, just like carrie bradshaw.

but i think the universe is trying to tell me something. i should be running around out in nature rather than being hunched over my computer. so, after being completely frustrated for a few days, i have given in and am letting go of my need to feel "connected" to the world. what could i possibly be missing out on? i am in a beautiful remote part of the country, completely surrounded by trees and wild animals, i have fresh bags of clay and a brand new shiny kiln, a sketchbook, a lake to jump in . . . and there is a possibility of her being fixed next week.

inspiration.

i found this lovely collection of sea glass at the beach yesterday.  it isn't often that you find RED sea glass . . . so beautiful.  and today we leave for a month long holiday in new england. i'm looking forward to a LOT of relaxation and a LOT of new inspiration. i have a new sketchbook and nothing but time for a while . . . 

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

malaga, spain

1993

(click on the image for a super close look)

KEEP CALM & CARRY ON.

Back in the spring of 1939, it was an anonymous civil servant who was entrusted with finding the slogan for a propaganda poster intended to comfort and inspire the populace should, heaven forbid, the massed armies of Nazi Germany ever cross the Channel.

70 years later, this slogan has resurfaced and is now a common phrase seen and used everywhere . . . . due largely in part to people like victoria smith of sfgirlbybay (she is also mentioned here).

to me, it is such a wonderfully poignant sentiment. this is my tribute and interpretation of that ever so touching statement.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

sifnos, greece

22 september 07

i love COOKIES.

it is a huge honor for my CUSTOM BABY PLAQUE to be featured in the COOKIE MAGAZINE annual top 100 items. it's the AUGUST 2009 issue and you really do NOT have to be a parent to love this magazine. it is loaded with  great design ideas, inspiration and interesting articles.

i actually refer to these plaques as the "owen plaque," as my original baby plaque was made 13 years ago for my newborn nephew, owen. who knew that i would end up making these for thousands of other babies ?!  someday i will post photos of the evolution of these plaques. they have come a long way, baby.

you can order a plaque here, but orders taken now won't be ready until september.  i am taking the entire month of august off for travels in new england and lots of much needed r and r.

wilma's birthday.

today wilma turned 4.

see her birthday party HERE.

(cake platter by whitney smith)

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

philadelphia, pennsylvania

september 2006

vive la revolution !

happy bastille day! 

tonight i am  having dinner at cafe bastille to celebrate this day with some of my french friends.  and what a perfectly  beautiful warm night it shall be. 

i've loaded up my store with some french wares for the occasion.

trailer trash.

is there a horse in the trailer . . . or is it a donkey or a mule? no, it's NONE of those things. this is the trailer we borrowed from a friend to haul my work down to palo alto. thankfully, it was mostly filled with trash and empty boxes on the way BACK from the show. despite "this economy," i was lucky and had my second best show in the 10 years i've been doing it.  

it was a fun weekend to hang out with all of my clay-mates in sunny palo alto. even though it poured down rain for 10 minutes in the middle of the show . . . so funny.  we ate and drank and swam and hot tubbed and sold lots of pots.

and though i was looking forward to NOT touching clay for a while, i came back to a chunk of custom orders that i need to fill before i go away for the ENTIRE MONTH OF AUGUST.

when it rains, it pours.