I feel the pull of autumn, but I'm resisting it. The days of summer are so delicious, so precious, so short, I'm feeling greedy. I want more. I want to store those hot sticky days and cool evenings up for those frigid, gloomy January mornings. When the memory of a lunch on the porch holds me until I can see the grass again.
To me, fall is the beginning of the year. It's been like this all my life. School always presented a fresh start for me, though it didn't take long for me to discover that there were no changes at school but with me.
In any case, I am slightly jealous of those students, walking back into the classroom, their whole lives ahead of them. So, so many possibilities.
It would be easy to slip into thinking that as I get older there are fewer possibilities for me. I confess I do find myself wondering about this. I ask myself if it's true that my life is shrinking instead of expanding. Then I get distracted, as so often I am, and that so called problem floats away. There are advantages to my ADHD or whatever anyone calls it. Saves me from wasting time of non-issues.
Where was I? Yes. it's still summer. Today it's muggy and hot and there are bugs to swat and the grass to mow and a garden that needs harvesting. The gallery to open, the pots to sell. Life is continually expanding. It has to. There's so much to embrace, I want it all. Ideas for the studio crowd out the duties of a business. There's always one more thing to do. Luckily, John and I have a studio next to the gallery so we can (and do) move back and forth between making and selling. Living and working together with each other. Best situation ever.
In the meantime, I'm loving this summery September day.
We're open, right now. 10-5 daily until the end of this already amazing year.
As usual, we planned on opening May 1. That's how my spring work calendar is set up. It must be the light, or the birds, or the resilient human spirit that won't accept one more snow storm anymore. It's SPRING damn it! I can hear everyone say.
And customers show up at our locked door and dark gallery: Please open for us, please?
So now, we are looking forward to seeing all you hardy adventurous art and nature lovers who, just like us, don't let a little snow dampen the feeling of spring in our hearts.
And here's the Event Calendar for May
May 7 and 8---
'What Do Flowers Want? Vases! Door County Potter's Guild Annual Pottery Tour is all about VASES. Tour is Free. Maps available at each member's gallery or online HERE. We've been having more fun than is legal stretching our pottery wings. Please come to our free demo on Sunday and watch John do some clay magic. We'll have new vases, ikebanas and small planters just pining away for some flowers. Help them out, won't you?
May 21 and 22---
Ellison Bay Arts Spring Event--each artist is planning and preparing for this "First Look' extra special Spring Event...All the new pieces are inspired by Door County and the world around us. There are new glazes and new ideas taking shape right now that can't even be described yet. That's how pumped up we are about our studio work this winter. There will be a free demo on Sunday.
May 28 and 29---
Another fabulous, varied and exciting "Almost Perfect Pottery' sale is coming up. After each firing we find we have some pieces that aren't quite up to our gallery requirements, which are dauntingly stringent: If it's not good enough for our parents, it's not good enough for the gallery. But they are good enough for a seconds sale.
May 28 5:30-7:30
Kick Off Party for the Wall to Wall Salon starts The Hardy Gallery's 2016 Season.
Save The Dates
August 21 12:00pm to 5:00pm Is our annual Anniversary Party! This year it's our 42 year here at Ellison Bay Pottery and, as you know, every day is precious. We'll have yummy food, refreshments, music and YOU! It won't be a party without you. Bring your friends too. Let's celebrate John's many years creating the pottery that I love almost as much as I love him.
June 24, 25, 26
Olde Ellison Bay Days- It's Ellison Bay's 150th Anniversary year AND Olde Ellison Bay Days 50th Anniversary year. We're having a party for ourselves, and you're invited. Read the Peninsula Pulse's article about last years 'do' HERE.
July 17-23
'Making Pottery-Beginning and Beyond'
Join John Hansen and John Dietrich for a week long workshop making pottery at The Clearing in Ellison Bay. Both Johns were mentored by Abe Cohn, Master Potter of Wisconsin and founder of The Potter's Wheel in Fish Creek, the first pottery in Door County. Both of these potters are wonderful supportive teachers. Inexperienced people welcome!
As usual, if you have a pottery emergency, call us and we'll spring into action.
Until I met John in 2003 I hadn't used a hand thrown soup mug. Years before, my Mom and I had been in John's studio to buy my brother and his fiancé a shower gift (goblets, of course) and we loved everything we saw. But I just didn't think of it as something for me. Someone else, yes. Me, no.
I had small children and I assumed that pottery was too fragile. Took too much care. Wasn't really practical.
Sale? What about the sale?
So marrying John and using pottery day after day was quite an introduction. Turns out my children couldn't easily break the plates and bowls; they tried to get out of washing dishes. They fussed over the rules a bit (one dish in the pan at a time to prevent chipping....OMG it takes sooooo long--said some whining child!). Soon it was second nature for even the youngest daughter.
Although I thought of only using the soup mugs for soup or stew, I soon learned to enjoy John's great chili in a mug and then there's the hot oatmeal in the microwave that is perfect for a morning like this. My children quickly found the soup mugs were the perfect size for ramen (with peas, or eggs, or left over chicken) and each kidlet went to college with a soup and a coffee mug.
And then there were the brilliant customers who used them as a watering dish for their bunnies and ferrets. No tipping was the selling point! More people pointed out how good they were as candle holders for pillar candles--the handles are the most romantic part.
What do you mean secret surprise gift? Tell me more, please.
And then there are leftovers: zap your choice in the microwave and TaDa----Lunch or dinner.
Easy wash up. Food safe glazes and no wacky plastic chemicals to worry about either. Sturdy and beautiful.
They are truly little works of art you can use everyday.
(Left)-FAG
(Middle)-SMSBG
(right)-AB
(front)-DO SOLD
(left)-CB SOLD
(middle)- ANB
(right)- FASBG SOLD
(front)- GR
Details of the sale:
Each mug is $44. Shipping is $15-$18 depending on the number of mugs you buy.
Special Secret Thank YOU Gift with each purchase. This gift was selected especially for this fun soup mug sale.
Send me your email with your selection and I'll send you a PayPal invoice. I'm not running this through the store this time. If you really don't want to use PayPal, call us at 920-740-5859.
As soon as I get your order I will note that sale on the website and on Facebook.
