bodner045

"Fine, thank you, just fine." And then the potter thought about how much there was to do that day. Sometimes my business feels a good challenge. I love being a potter, having my own business, and making pots. Money? I am not in it only for the money or things would be different here. Everything would match and I probably would not smile very much. I would not be in the studio I have now, small and off the beaten path. The studio has a good feel, especially when weather is good.It has been easier when people had a little extra money to buy things they love. And, it is so much easier when the good weather come back. And of course, friends are still trying to "fix me." Ideas for growth and success are tossed my way every day. I appreciate it but what I really need is just more time for production and to be able to think. Every day is open studio here and any artist who has ever been on a "studio tour, open to the public" knows what that is like. It m...

The NY Times ran an obit for this wonderful woman on Feb. 17th. She died at 73 with a great attitude. Homage to My Hips these hips are big hips they need space to move around in. they don't fit into little petty places, these hips are free hips. they don't like to be held back. these hips have never been enslaved, they go where they want to go. they do what they want to do. these hips are mighty hips. these hips are magic hips. I have known them to put a spell on a man and spin him like a top! Natl book award in 2000 for "Blessing the Boats:New and selected poems. Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, a $100,000 award Finalist for Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for "Good Woman:Poems and a Memoir 1969-1980 Interesting woman, interesting poems.

Additional pottery pieces added to the church collection. Oil lamp sits on small coaster. I always make extras and this "extra" splash of glaze made this one a little different than the rest. Most likely I will keep this one and it will be for sale. You must keep the wick especially close to the opening hole and use ultra pure oil so the lamps will not smoke. Some weep a tiny bit oil at the bottom, and we never know which ones will do it until they are used. That is why I recomment sitting every one on a small saucer just in case. And lamps should never be left unattended. Handle with care. Plate or patten for communion bread. Several years ago I made several communion pieces for a Christian Church in Tahlequah OK. They contacted me a while ago and asked if I could add a few more pieces to their collection. I was glad to do it and wish I had a list of every church who has and used my communion sets. I named a blue glaze after Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Tulsa. ...

Tim and Andy hold a big vase they created for their "Mom." They pressed in their hands with a heart in the middle and each chose their own textures to go with it, all made with tender loving care with Mom in mind, Later, they chose their own glazes as well as we tied the design together. Hand in hand these fellows produced, with a little help from me. They swapped ideas and worked together well spending quality time together and having fun. I had a call from Tim Baker who owns a fantastic restaurant called Sonoma Bistro and Wine Bar in the Brookside area of Tulsa. Even during his busy Valentines season he made the effort to spend quality time with his son. He wanted to do a clay project with his 5 year old son for his wife. We thought and planned a big vase for fresh flowers. It was big and certainly not a project for novice potters but we did it any way. I knew we could pull it off if I helped guide them through the whole process. We did it and they were proud. ...

Each coaster is stamped and then individually incised. When I have a special order I always make more just in case something does not work and so I will have an example to keep. And, sometimes the extras end up purchased anyway. Close up of the coaster. This is a recent project made in my studio and almost finished. I will post more photos when they are glazed. There are several glaze samples cooling in the kiln as I write this. I will publish the finished test samples as soon as they are cool. I create carefully selected special orders on a regular basis. If this is of interest to you email me at Claylady00@aol.com. (00's are numbers not letters). I will quote a price depending on the design and work involved.

Landscape women series, Created in Hawaii 2oo8. Only Half Grounded Holding on to life Cruising Laid Back Ambition. The Christian Work Ethic. The ego. As the artist churns. As the Mother gives. The time clock keeps ticking. I am getting older. Ambition is different in my late 50's compared to being 25 years old. Ambition can be a painful and or scary word as you get older. I still have a lot to do and now I have less time to do it in. I do not regret my accomplishments but I could have done more. If I could have been more selfish, I could have soared, I think. How hard to work? Do you want to be a workaholic? How important is the time you spend with your family? I have always had the attitude, "I can have whatever I want if I try hard enough". Isn't that an all American way of thinking? I look at big fancy houses and think. I could have had that if I really wanted it. Maybe. Friends have said, "Yes it is true Linda but you were not willing to compromi...

Valentine Angel $75 Be Mine Valentine $60 Loved this post about the history of Valentine's day via Kokopelli foods blog. I have sold their wonderful beans and more in my pottery shop for many years. Thank you for this history. Maybe now I will stop complaining about Valentine's Day to my wonderful husband who does not like to celebrate holidays with me. Some of these customs are very interesting. I used to make special pots for this holiday but it does not actually seem to be a very popular day for pottery sales. So...here is some info anyway. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th by many people throughout the world. Couples exchange gifts and cards to express their love and devotion to one another. Worldwide, the most popular gifts are candy, flowers and jewelry. In the U.S., heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and red roses are the most common. • The first heart-shaped box of candy was sold in 1868 by Richard Cadbury. Chocolate has long been considered an aph...

OK so this blog is about as much about food as pottery. I'm guilty, I'll admit it. I love to cook good food. Most potters do. Make bowls and plates and fill them up with homemade food made with tender loving care. I learned something from my tiny little mother in law would not eat a real piece of cheese or butter if her life depended on it. She said, Desserts should not be diet food. Agreed. I think back to the family reunions in the country in Osgood Indiana when I was a little girl. I just realized maybe that affected me more than I thought. Like Water For Chocolate kind of ladies with skills mostly in German foods like potato salad, coleslaw, macaroni salad and heavy casseroles. All those large boned ladies in their feed sack farmer's dresses. They loved to cook and there were tables full of bowls with rich mayonnaise ridden foods, not to mention the fried chicken and whatever. It would be fun to go back in time and have a good look to see what really was in a...

I remember when Katy was born. She was a tiny twin. Now she is a vivacious 8 year old. She is lucky to get to be tutored in clay every week. Even when the shop is cold, Katy wants to come to pottery class. Yes Katy plays Little House on the Prairie with me and that involves working in the slightly cold pottery shop and throwing our clay water out to the imaginary horses at the end of class. Katy has a vivid imagination and works hard at her clay work and occassionaly gets in little trouble at home for creating clay studios maybe where she should not. She has decided it is worth it. Katy's energy is high and she does both hand building and throwing. She shows a lot of independence and like to do things her way lots of times. Most people won't let 8 year olds throw but we do it anyway and she loves it. She loves the thrill of the clay spinning in her hands and sometimes we get traditional pots and sometimes unique pieces of sculpture. Anyway, we are having fun and I lo...

As I walked into the church ready to start teaching a new 8 week class of pottery to fourth graders I was passed by what seemed like a million high energy kids following a flag with a 4 on top. Could it be? Could that be my new group. I continued down the hall way pulling my clay. clay paddles, texture makers and such on my squeaky old luggage roller. "Was that the fourth graders going by?"I asked as I pulled my heavy wheeled supplies to the edge of the hall waiting for my turn to use the room. "Sure is!" replied the other teachers. And then two helpful ladies corralled the forth grade boys and lead them into the room like while bulls at a rodeo. They were gobbling their snacks and pushing a bit and bouncing off the walls. "This is gonna be a fun challenge." I thought and dug out my singing bowl from Tibet and began to play it. Their eyes came my direction and they became mesmerized by the sound. "What is this?" I asked them. No one knew ...

Brookside Pottery Adult Classes 1138D East 37th Street, Tulsa, OK 74105 918. 747. 7574 Linda Coward, Teacher Tuesday Evenings Beginning Handbuilding, the basic techniques, pottery, 6:30-9 p.m. six-week classes are designed for beginners and those getting back into clay. Students will learn how to make pinch pots, slab pots, coiled pots and hollowed-out forms and how to create pots using a combination of these techniques. Students will also get an introduction to firing and will glaze their own pots. During each class, students will watch a demonstration of a new technique and then work to complete their own forms. The atmosphere will be relaxed and productive. Class size 5-8 persons. Advanced or repeating students will be given more challenging versions of the above projects or they may repeat any project they desire. Be sure to let me know you are repeating and send in your deposit ASAP. Wednesday Evenings Beginning and Intermediate pottery, 6:30-9:00 p.m. Class size: 6-10 This cla...