The Redheads are Back!

Wow! ... it's taken a lot longer than I thought it would to get to my second production cycle of 2014. The attempt at getting back at it couple of weeks ago with mini bowls didn't get too far as the tax man and my accountant had other plans. I am soooo happy to have taxes out of the way! I ask myself every year ... does it really have to be this complicated?!

Today was a lazy day .... the intention to hit the studio was there but the redheads are back! which brought out the camera and that was it - I was distracted (and I am so good at doing distracted :>))

Rufous Hummingbird (Male)

 Everyone .... dogs, cats, birds, flowers and potter were reveling in the afternoon sun. I caught some of 'us' in the act ....

The Dynamic Duo ...

Lily & Dash

Northern Flicker (Female)

Northern Flicker (Male)

I noticed we had a pair of woodpeckers (a check online shows they are Northern Flickers), in the old maple out front .... hard to see them in the pics as they blend in but I also noticed the old starling nest at the top has been enlarged. Hmmmm.... maybe we have a new family moving into the neighbourhood.

Enlarged old Starling nest

Kali was trying to look very casual sitting on the railing 15 ft in the air

but I suspect her real purpose was stalking the hummers

Otis, the ol' fart, is just happy to be outside after a long winter indoors ....

.... the 'fleurs' are bloomin' away

Tomorrow I WILL be back to work!

Junior Potters

Eldest grandson Ethan and I had a fun afternoon in the studio on Sunday. I trimmed the mini bowls and he pressed some tiles for me.

 

He has been 'working' in the studio since he was a little gaffer. Here he is at two, hanging out in my little potting corner of the garage at our old house in the big city ... (check out the old red kick wheel ;))

 Here's another pic at three ... very serious stuff, this pottery making.

At 8 he's joined by li'l bro, Noah, junior potter #2, who was 4 at the time.

With Ethan's first go at using the wheel, he made a cup and saucer. Second go was a matching mini teapot and an 'altered' sugar bowl. He did the throwing of the teapot body and spout and hand built the lid and handle. Gram helps with the trimming.

Both the boys are very creative (and I expect baby brother, Hayden, will follow suit). In addition to clay and polymer clay creations (and of course, Lego), they love to craft things using recyclables. We call the resulting art, Artbazooka, a 'boy' tweak on the name of their favourite children's CBC program, Artzooka, where the host Jeremy, demonstrates how to create all kinds of things using household items and recyclables. 

They are fun kids to hang out with and Gramma hopes her love of clay will rub off on them all and her junior potters will be the senior potters of the future :>)