Colors

Just changing the colors changes everything........I never get tired of Raku firing. I love seeing the results. I used to make the fish on the red bears a red and peach color, changing to a blue/green fish makes the design "pop".

Raven/Crow Boxes

The crows that come for breakfast each morning have on occasion invited their friends when the weather happens to be colder than average. I have 4 that come each day. In the summer there were 5. Now on the coldest days there have been 6. The latest beggar is the seagull that has hung out ion the roof of the house behind mine.

Here are two new treasure boxes inspired by my crow and raven friends.

It is pretty clear the crows I feed trust me as they come to eat as soon as I leave the food out for them and go inside and close my door. When I have company they are much more careful about approaching the house and fly back and forth to the fence. It is nice to know that they trust me.

My Mom

My mother is 95 and still going strong........

Back from the East Coast

There is nothing quiet as nice as holding a baby. Here I am with my 4 month old great nephew Faelen. He is a sweetie just like his brother and sister!

Mt Baker and Glacier Trip

Gretchen
Evan, Ruth and Tucker

Our Mushroom Harvest
Coral and Chanterelles

Stunning view not far from the ski area

Basalt!

Mt Baker

My sons both live at the base of Mt Baker in a small village called Glacier. It is s funky place and in the rain forest. The residents are an odd assortment of outdoor enthusiasts and loners. It is an amazing place. It takes 1/2 hour just to get to the top of the mountain where the ski area is. Twice in recent history there has been enough snow to bury the toe lift! Tucker took Gretchen and me mushrooming. I loved the carpet of dense moss. This year it was harder to find Chanterelles. I think other folks had been through before us and got the bulk of the crop.

I dehydrated what we picked for winter use.

A time of Appreciation

Foam Patterns
patterns created by the current

Ruby Beach

capturing the light

"Balance"
Ruby Beach

"Ancient One"
Quinault Forest

Since returning to the northwest this past spring I have had a new appreciation for just how amazing this part of the world is. I decided I wanted to focus any travel to places in Washington.

I have been to the coast twice, up to the San Juan Islands and most recently to Glacier and Mt Baker. I wish I could spend a month just roaming around.

On these various trips I have had some great company, wonderful meals and an opportunity to capture some of the places I have been in photos.

I have to admit that working on One Hundred Horses has been lower on my priority list than in the past. I am just having too much fun!

Now that the weather is turning grey and wet I'll be back in the studio for longer hours. After the Christmas rush of orders to the galleries and individuals is over I'll be focusing on new work in a new direction. I'll share the results this winter.

Baby Crows

Two Adult Crows and Baby on the Left

Check out the Feet!

Moments after this photo was taken the pan fell over and the water splashed all over the stairs and 2nd floor landing. The baby crow was startled. I love watching his(her?) clumsy movements and curious nature. The baby crow spent some time yesterday pecking at my dragon flags. Was he thinking food? Not Food? Or just playing?

It is easy to spot the babies right now, from their parents as they still have some downy feathers on their chests and they pitiously beg for food. Their parents are clearly trying to encourage them to get their own food at this point.

The New Raku Kiln Shed

Workhorse in Butterscotch Glaze
Ancient Horse

Donkeys!

Kiln Shed

The new kiln shed works great. This place is very windy and the fiberglass panels keep out the wind but allow in the light. I designed it so I can take it apart and move it when I finally find a place to buy. I have the house all set up and love living in such a sunny spot with views of the Cascade mountains and the water. At night I look out on the next hillside in Port Townsend and enjoy the sound of the clock tower. I have planted some perennials and annuals in pots outside.

I have friends in walking distance and I have been walking all over the neighborhood checking out the trail system. I love snooping around looking at gardens and saying hello to the horses, donkeys, goats and chickens that live nearby.

Today is my birthday and to celebrate I had a party last night and went for a picnic on the beach with my best friend Jenny and my godson Jasper. Perfect day for a birthday. Puffy clouds in the sky, great warm, happy day.

I have been putting out all my treasures and have all my wall art up. The sun stays up very late and in the early morning the sun comes in through 4 skylights so I am not getting a lot of sleep.

I recently worked with a new photographer so I can get new photos up on my website of the new donkeys and a few new glaze options.
http://www.onehundredhorses.com/

My work is now available at Frames of Mind in the Virgin Islands...great new account. They requested the donkey and they seem to be selling well.

Upstairs sitting/sewing/jewelry making/craft area.
Comfy Bed

Having a mattress after 2 weeks of sleeping on a foam pad is wonderful.

I have my treasures and my special Gnome nearby. You can't see it but there is a stained glass window next to the bed that gives me some privacy. This is the stained glass window Bob had made for me. The lamp was a $2.00 find at the thrift store! The quilt I made anout 28 years ago!

Moving In

Yikes- Unpacking Hell

Before my stuff arrived...

One HUGE moving van!!!!

Well I am in unpacking hell. Upstairs is mostly done, office needs work and the kitchen is 90% done.. The livingroom is full of boxes. I borrowed a truck and will recycle the boxes and newspaper tomorrow. Exhausted! I have been weed whacking the overgrown grass when i need unpacking breaks. the kiln wiring and raku kiln shed are happening this week! I should be up and running next week and have 6 orders to galleries to get out!

Had dinner with Rex and Carrie Ricetonight.They serve halibut their son caught in Alaska. Excellent.

Now I will take a bath by candlelight. A good book to read in my comfortable bed...yes!

The Great Cross Country Trip

Lonely Place

Utah

Close up Rock Formation in Eastern Washington

Wind Farm

Into Wyoming

Not Yet Spring

Rock formation just before Yakima Valley

3010 Miles Later....................here are some photos of the trip.

On the road 8 days. these photos of landscapes were taken through my windshield while I was going pretty fast!!!

Back home ..or at least back in Port Townsend in my new place. A completely new experience!

Planning the Trip Back

Well the plan is to head out on the 27th. The moving van is supposed to get here on the 26th.

My first night I will be in Louisville, KY staying with Meg Wilburn who I know from Port Townsend, WA. I have never been in Kentucky so this will be interesting. My next night will be somewhere in the great borings...Kansas.

Next stop is in Loveland, CO to meet Nancy Zoller in person. She is a potter on wholesalecrafts.com. The next leg is a stay over in Park City, UT where I stayed on my way here. I'll be staying with Rita and Craig Miller. Their daughter is married to Bob Parrish's nephew. I met them when they were vacationing in Port Townsend.

Next stop is to see my nephew Marlen and his wife Dayna and their two sweet boys in southern Idaho.

I'll have one more night in a motel somewhere in eastern Washington on the last night and should arrive in Port Townsend by April 4th. Phew!

There may be an extra day on the road if I decide to take a break at some point.

I have some wiggle room.

Packing up all my "treasures", photo albums, office, studio, kitchen etc...it appears I have very little clothes or furniture and lots of art!

Since I am renting the house I will be moving into I can see I will have to haul all this stuff again if I find a place to buy in the future! Maybe I will find a way to let go of some of my stuff!

I just took a quick trip to Sevierville, TN as my sister Ronnie, her husband Mark and their son and granddaughter were staying there on vacation. I also wanted to meet Billi Rothove in person. She and I have been friends via the internet and phone for several years...another wholesalecrafts.com artist.

TN is beautiful where it hasn't been ruined by commercial development.

I got to meet my great neice for the first time. Charlie is bright, outgoing and full of life.

Billi took me to see a gallery that carries my work in Gatlinburg, The J. Alan Gallery and to see Arrowmont School where she ran several of their galleries. It is a beautiful area.

Today I pack some more and this evening I will be going into Asheville to spend a night on the town with Liz Dickinson. She has been helping me part time in the studio.

Life is Change

Sweet Kitchen

The view from the 2nd Floor

Ruth's New Home and Studio starting in April

Studio is in the ground level

Three Ravens at Sunset Mirror

New Tile Design

After many months of feeling conflicted I have decided to move back to Port Townsend, WA. It has been difficult decision. I've been living out in the country in Horse Shoe, NC sharing a studio and home with Jim Whalen, Paradox Pottery. Working and living along side of another artist has been a great adventure.

The landscape is beautiful. The summers are hot and humid. I wilt!

I miss Port Townsend, my dear friends there, the cool summers, and my 2 sons. Even though Evan and Tucker are grown up and I know I won't see a lot of them it is nice to know that we could see each other if we wanted or needed to.

I miss the water and the great local, bountiful organic food.

I have not been posting for a long time. I have felt withdrawn, stuck and depressed and less myself.

I had this vision that I could move to NC to be with Jim and rebuild much of what I had in Port Townsend. Not so! So I have had to choose between the two and that has been very hard.

So here I am looking at all this stuff I am so attached to...lots of artwork, a collection of art tiles, big ceramic pots, my office, studio equipment etc and I have to pack it all up again!!

I have some things that will not come back with me but mostly this stuff I call my treasures will.

I am faced with another cross country drive. I'll take a slightly different route this time and look forward to the magic of being on the road......again!

After getting the studio up and running my next order of business will be planting the garden. So dear friends plant a few extra seedlings for me so I can transplant them into my new garden space. If you are thinning perennials I'll take them!

I have a sweet small house with space for a studio in Port Townsend that will become my new home. It comes furnished so getting set up will be easy. My focus will be on the studio when I arrive. I need to get that up and running so I can make my living. My landlord is having 240 electric receptacles installed inside for my bisque kiln and outside for my raku kiln. I will need to build a shelter for the raku kiln to keep it dry and to protect me from the wind while I am firing.

Work has been steady all year and I am grateful to continue to make a living as an artist in these difficult times. I seem to be recession proof. A few of the galleries I have been in for years have folded but new ones also are being opened. I love shipping my work all over the country. If is a great blessing to be able to live where I want and be able to ship the work to the places where there are people who "get" what I am doing.

I do feel supported.

HOT &HUMID and Studio Pets

Baby

Fred, our neighbor's dog that hangs out in the studio.

Fred is very afraid of thunder and lightening and gun shots. He will hide under my work table and shake with fear. He is old and has bad arthritis and sure could use a serious bath. I have been removing the loose fur that he is shedding. I even broke down and bought a undercoat hair brush so I could finish the job. He doesn't get much TLC at home. He smells awful and I keep threatening to give him a bath. We also have a cat named Baby that hangs out in the studio. She was a wild kitty, and is the last of a litter that has lived in the area for years. She adores Jim and he has taken on feeding her and getting her veterinarian care. The vet guesses she is about 12 years old.

Turquoise Fishing Bear & New Red Small Bear with Fish

The air is so thick and heavy. Can you imagine me doing Raku in this weather? 90 today and 50% humidity....

Picture this: I have to wear a heavy sweatshirt, welder's gloves and open a kiln at 1850 degrees!!!!

The sweat pours down inside my clothes as I take out each piece one at a time and place them in a container of sawdust and whole oats or shredded newspaper. At least I like the way things have been coming out!

I have a new glaze I have been playing with. A red hot red! I like it. I did a Fishing Bear in the new red with a blue and turquoise fish and I also tried the Small Bear with Fish in this color combination. Actually, the colors were suggested by a gallery owner in Seattle. Suzanne owns Afishionado Gallery and has been ordering from me for several years. Thanks for the suggestion Suzanne!

In this photo the fish on the red bear is not as intense as I am now doing them. Picture a fish that is blue and turquoise...deeper in hue.

Talking to myself?

Fish Cigar Box (a long ago project)



From time to time I find out that someone is reading my blog.

Mostly posting feels like I am talking to myself.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO......................

Will all you lurkers out there please leave me a comment to let me know you exist and are reading these posts?

Jim's Pottery

The final firing is done in a barrel.
Sunburst Pot by Jim Whalen, Paradox Pottery
This one is Mine!!!


Ruth and Jim - Thanksgiving 2009

If you would like to see Jim's official website go to: http://www.paradoxpotteryjimwhalen.com/

Baskets and Pam

Ruth and Pam- The good bye party Sept 09Pam at the basketry workshop spring of 2009Ruth's basket backpack -Spring 2009

My dear friend Pam sent me an email yesterday that was so beautifully written that I want to share her words with you.

My dear friends and family,

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I rarely mark traditional contact days with any sort of card sending or annual report of the doings of Pam and Dave ....Yes, I think sending pre-processed thoughts to numbers of people a lame cop for real contact, but, thinking how much I miss my community of far flung loved ones , I decided tp send this to all the most special people on my mailing list. That decision resulted in scrolling down though my list, visualizing you and feeling your presence with me for a moment. I miss you. If we were spending time together, there is so much that we could/ might do...conversations on hold or unfinished, things we might share that would delight and astound us both.....adventures in action and thought...in creativityand mischief..in stillness and sound...in the mundane and mystical. To be sure, I might not choose to ski down steep slopes anymore or jump high jumps on the back of horses, but, as I now take delight in sending spark to tinder and blowing up fire I know it is not too late for any of us to engage in new adventures together and /or apart. I wish it were possible to have the opportunity to be fully present with you in a way that would nuture our relationship and delight us both at least each week or month if not each day That not being the way of things, I just wanted to let you know that I am thing of you and do think of you and send my love. Pam

A little background:

A few years ago I met Pam and her husband David at a wonderful place called Hanazono, a noodle house next to the Rose Theater in Port Townsend, WA. . Pam and David were recent transplants from New Hampshire not very far from where I had lived in Putney, VT, we even knew a few of the same people. I instantly was drawn to her and we became friends. The transistion for Pam was rough at first, mourning the loss of her friends and family in the east. Being a strong spirit Pam dived into exploring the northwest and all it had to offer. She was a joiner...and tried out all kinds of groups and activities and used her garden building as a way to work through her sorrows and her joys. Saying goodbye at my going away party was very, very hard....Pam and I talk on the phone but I sure miss our meals together, walks on the beach and garden tours. Pam is a deep soul with a bright smile and the kindest of spirits. She is a friend that I miss with all my heart.