in and around our (present) studio

These days in our studio, we are:

- working at filling the 350 (or so) cubic feet of kiln space we have built- and getting excited to fire this spring

- adjusting to 'green glazing', where the slip or glaze goes onto the pot in the raw, unfired state . . . it takes a bit of getting used to, but we're starting to really like it

- imagining what said glazes and slips will actually look like . . . we've used and tested many of them over the years, but some are new to us, and every kiln and every firing is different . . . so we really are imagining (this is both liberating and completely frightening at once!)

- making large pots (ok, Nathan is making large pots) and smaller pots, among them at the moment are cookie jars, giant vessels, bottles for flowers, pasta bowls, put-away pots (our version of Tupperware!), wine cups, ice cream bowls, butter keepers, mugs, and 'tp towers' (yes, really)

- celebrating (oh so cautiously!) that our 1 1/2 year old puppy, Lego, has 'graduated' from his crate to free-in-the-studio, passing the hours on his bed by the stove (or right by our feet, or somewhere underneath our wheels smelling dried up flies and clay scraps)

- watching Lego watch and nuzzle with Troy, our friend Joan's greyhound, knowing they are happy to have each other around

- collaborating!  (the large pot in the photo above was thrown by Nathan and given the 'Becca treatment' of a wavy rim)

- enjoying each others company as we share the studio . . . usually our 'free' days are spent kiln building or kiln shed building or some such thing at home (roofing) or on the farm (forestry) and the rest of the time I work in the studio while Nathan goes to teach, but this winter we are spending that 'free' time in the studio and my goodness, it is NICE.