Friday after school was the Lunar New Year celebration. The Peninsula Pottery showed up and had a table. They offered ceramic snakes for the year of the snake. They also had fortune cookies glazed in red and magnets of other animals from the zodiac. The snakes and all turned out positively and it was a positive experience for Matilda who hosted the table.
Otherwise, it’s been a mid-quarter grind with multiple loading of Kilns, firing of Kilns, unloading of Kilns. Student work has been fun to see, we have the typical breakdown of skill levels, and interest levels.
I’ve started promoting a Mug Club hosted by the Peninsula Pottery as a fundraiser. We will give graduation mugs as a thank-you gift for a donation. Mugs will be limited to a run of 50. As we navigate this inaugural fundraiser, we will learn what roadblocks we face. It will also be interesting to see how we move ahead.
I’ve also made progress on rocks as a glaze. Taking a rock and crushing then milling it into a fine powder. Check out the pictures of the process below.
So my goal of a weekly Thursday report of what I was up to didn’t last long. I was on track to get this week’s out until I wasn’t. If you make it through my short report, you’ll have an understanding of where things went off the rails.
Worked with the Peninsula Pottery to set up new wheels at M-A. It is fun to see new equipment and how it changes the look and feel of a space. M-A didn’t change all the wheels due to budget constraints, but even little changes make a difference.
The school week was off to a usual start with most of us looking forward to a “regular” week in terms of the schedule. We made it to Wednesday when it took a turn. Mid day and all staff email was sent from the Principal, announcing an important meeting and while it was outside of contract hours at the end of the day it was important the we all be there if we could, and by the way, the District Superintendent will be there too. Speculation of the topic started, was it about the potentially upcoming ICE raids and how to respond if someone shows up to your classroom? Was it a change in site leadership with the litigious environment we work in? What could be so important to have such a meeting with the Superintendent come to campus?
In a traumatic turn of events, and an announcement that I can’t imagine anyone was expecting, we were told a colleague of 9 years had taken their life on Tuesday night. The next hour was spent covering some large picture logistics of communications to the parents community, what the following day would look like in communication with students, ways to help support students and staff, and more.
So, what was looking like an average week became a week that will be engrained in my mind for many years to come. Certain events trigger a reaction or recollection of other traumatic events, emotions and whatever else comes with this territory. It’s a challenge.
Rest in peace Sam Harris.
ARTS AROUND
Having been a bit distracted this week, I’ll keep this to a late reminder of tonight’s opening at the Main Gallery in Menlo Park. More to come for what’s around as I build this concept into something more.
Inspired by the crosstown Trail in San Francisco. We (led by Maria) set off on our own version down here on the peninsula. Starting at Bedwell Bayfront Park in Menlo Park, we made our way along the Bay Trail to Cooley Landing. Then we went into Palo Alto, stopping at a California Native Garden tucked away in a neighborhood. We continued to Eleanor Pardee Park. Through Rinconada, we proceeded and finally ended this leg at Gott’s Roadside burger stand in Palo Alto. The distance was right around ten miles. Next time, we will start at Gott’s. We will make our way through Stanford and end at Alpine Inn.
ARTS & AROUND
I worked on some reclaiming clay, trying out a new to me pillowcase technique. I took a short video of part of the process. I threw a few closed forms and then altered into some heads. Those are coming along, and I met with Ned who is holding me to throwing larger… I now owe him a 10-pound try. The question is when? The answer is, I’ve given myself a Feb 22 deadline.
VISUALS
Check out what caught my eye in the visual report.
Here I am. New year, new attempt. Here are a few things that I found along the way this past week. This week had us travelling, part of that was in Tucson.
The Miniature Museum. Fascinating what people do. I find it intriguing and at the same time I wonder why. The mechanics are interesting but the concept of making miniatures, I’m still sitting with.
Ignite Sign Museum in Tucson, AZ. A great collection of all sorts of signs and both a neon bending demonstration and a restoration in progress. It delivered a lot more than I was expecting. I’ll go back again to see more as I’m sure I missed a bunch of signs and interesting information.
Traveling makes me tired. A few hours of driving, some amazing fry bread lunch, a few hours of flying. Makes for a bloated feeling at night.
We live close enough to San Francisco that we can visit for a few hours. Family trip to SF for a little shopping for the girls, muffaletta from Sandy’s and then a Smitski hunt. Ended up at a mall in Japantown and found some. They bought me one from the artist series. It’s called the Source, the character is pouring something out of a pot. I like the pot, it seems fitting.
We had a fun time with family friends at their annual celebration and actually I was awake for midnight, the first time in some years. Slow morning with coffee at the kitchen table this morning. Enjoying the morning sun and the trees.
I appreciate Austin Kleon’s take on resolutions, he waits for the dust to settle and then uses the shortest month of February with 28 days to start anew. There is more to it than that and if you are interested, check out more of his work.
