For Your Inspiration: Chicago

I spent an absolutely lovely weekend with my sister in Chicago.

(all of these were taken on my iPhone with the photo synth app) 

For Your Inspiration: the Tuba Exchange

I had my horn in to "the guy" who does the best brass work in the area.

His shop happens to be part of the Tuba Exchange in Durham, NC.

It's a lovely little place - if you are in the area it's worth the trip.

For Your Inspiration: Seagrove Pottery

Turn and Burn Pottery

Seagrove is a beautiful rural town, right in the middle of North Carolina. It's half way between Charlotte and Raleigh, out of everybody's way but well worth a trip. Because of it's abundant and diverse clay deposits it has been a center of pottery since before europeans arrived on the continent. 

Eck McCannles Pottery

My mother was a potter and I remember playing around on the kick-wheel in the basement. One of us would sit on the kick-wheel underneath while another would spin the wheel on top. She also made beautiful work and will be again as soon as her shed is finished. I love pottery.

When you visit Seagrove you can stop by the NC Pottery Center and see samples of potters' work and pick up a map and plan your studio visits. Or you can drive around and stop at whichever place captures your fancy. It feels like every other building is a pottery studio. After the first hour we could go in a place and know in a few seconds if we wanted to spend any more time there.

And then... we happened on Eck McCannles' gallery.

Eck McCanless Pottery

I think I fell in love. He layers four different colors of clay then throws the pot, lets it mostly harden, then carves to reveal the most amazing patterns. I only came home with a few little mugs. As much as I wanted the vases and plates I don't have anywhere kid-safe to keep them yet.

 Works by Eck McCanless

I couldn't help buying these tea mugs either. Even though the artist is not from NC they just sang to my heart.

John Bandurchin

John Bandurchin

For Your Inspiration: NC Beaches

joie de vivre

For Your Inspiration: clouds in Ohio

Living, as I do, in the land of "if you don't mow or pave there's a tree" I treasure long views.

It's beautiful to see a vista full of blue and gold, of clouds and light.

It was thrilling to drive between two storms - watching them over the course of almost an hour.

We didn't quite miss the rain, but it afforded a beautiful view.

For Your Inspiration: time travel sweetness

On a recent trip to Philadelphia we did a little time travel....

 

My brother and daughter....

 

(messing around with the Autostitch app)

 "kid in the candy shop!"

(all photos taken with my iPhone and manipulated with the Snapseed app. Funnest toys ever!)

For Your Inspiration: Verbesina + Kaleidoscope

 Verbisina

 (and a little time with Paint Shop Pro's kaleidoscope feature)

For Your Inspiration: Philadelphia

I spent a week with the family in Philadelphia over the 4th of July.

A city where old meets new

One of the nations first banks (I think)

The Barnes Foundation - one of the worlds greatest collections of art.
Watch the documentary "The Art of the Steal"

For Your Inspiration: Snoqalmie Falls

 Near Seattle, WA

The roar - the volume of water - the spray - it was powerfully and overwhelmingly beautiful!

These panoramic images were created with Autostitch on my iPhone.

(I truly believe that the iPhone is the funnest toy and greatest tool ever invented!)

Rattlesnake Lake

On a side note: my mother and I both have brains that don't have any long term recall. If I want to remember something from childhood (even most of my teenage-hood) I call my sister and ask her about it. I don't have many visual memories - which might seem odd for a visual artist. The sense of SMELL, however, can bring back amazingly powerful emotions, if not images. This lake smelled like pure joy!  My family spent summers camping in the high Uinta mountains and we had a very happy family. Still do.

For Your Inspiration: Hanging Rock, NC

Kalmia Latifolia (mountain laurel) by Lyric Kinard

happy feet by Lyric Kinard

Rhododendron by Lyric Kinard

Waterfalls and Peace by Lyric Kinard (and the autostitch app on my iphone)

It was an absolutely lovely day spent with good friends in a spectacular setting.

Don't forget to stop by these blogs for more Artspark May Day tutorials!

May 3 - Judy Coates Perez

How Can You Resist Such a Simple Technique?

Lisa Engelbrecht's

Script Lettering Tattoo Style

For Your Inspiration: Spring in North Carolina

My yard is SO colorful this week!