I arrived home after a very long flight from Houston that basically decribed my experience in Steamboat. My son grabbed the WISKEY CUPS out of my hand and exclaimed these are beautiful, did you make these. I agreed they were beautiful, but had to tell him that Matt actually made them. (want to see his work?) My work on the other hand looked more like a botched science experiment. I had about a half dozen decent pieces but no real gems, the rest were all ready for the scrap pile. At this rate my basement floor will be tiled in no time!
I hear that parental voice in the back of my head as I try to process this experience. DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING? Well, yes, I learned a great deal. I learned about why I do some of the things I do when I fire the wood kiln. Up until now so many people just assumed I knew how and why things worked, but I was merely on auto pilot, conditioned to handle the various jobs, but not fully understanding why things were done the way they were. I also learned that throwing large is not as scary as I have led myself to believe, all you need is some persistance, good tunes and to make sure that you get your head out of the work. There is a time a place to start thinking about the outcome, and its not at the start. (does that sound familiar? has my anxiety about racing found its way into my clay work too?) I also learned that I have a ton of questions for Matt. I hope he is willing to answer them! Biz's techniques were a hit too. I also got to taste one of the smoothest Bourbons I have ever had in my life.
The food was good, the company was great, the dogs were beautiful, and the antics were plenty!
Now on to my first remark, which would lead you to believe I was disappointed. Not at all. I had a few interesting things happen that made the trip have character. Gabe forgot to meet me at the airport becuase he mixed my flight up with someone elses. I had trouble with the altitude, was sick for a few days, and during that time completely forgot my pin number to my bank card, which made my bank block the account. Not to mention I freaked out about this to the point of being in a blind fury. I thought I was left in town by the group I came into town with, that was so embarassing. My pile of pots that didn't work out is starting to overrun my studio. Near the end I was actually feeling a bit homesick, maybe it was the anxiety of not having more than 10. in my pocket, and having to deal with the dynamics that happen when 12 people are put together in a living situation. If you asked me if I would do it again? The answer would be ABSOLUTELY!
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