gettin' DOWN with Georges Le Soq...

So you know, Friday afternoon, meet up with my pals at the Chapterhouse bar at 4:20ish. Nicki was there and she is a sweetie, and my missus of course, but MAN, you should have seen Georges and Benji. Now, the thing is, Georges tried to take Benji's girlfriend (you know how the FRENCH ARE). And, well, a peaceful outing got a little rough...

CRACKED REAR VIEW

You know how it is when the plumber goes under the sink? This is what happens when the potter goes into the kiln to make repairs and the wife passes through with the camera :)

from tramp stamp to sooper bowls

You know the story. Last week I was doodling an aliigator onto bowls and then I saw the wife scrubbing the tub and her cute little back and me and my sharpie gave her a little one day alligator tattoo back there and then Nance tells her later
"nice tramp stamp Maude!" and the wife, of course, is like "I hope I don't get FIRED from work 'cause of this" and I, even though I don't know anything, say "au contraire! think of it as a resume builder!".
Anyway, those bowls popped out of the kiln looking fantastic, before the kiln broke :)



You hear about it and wonder who Lady Gaga is, and I have to admit, she is interesting

OLD SCHOOL: college is so stimulating

(me starting to fix my broken kiln, good GAWD ALMIGHTY maybe I'll finish tomorrow)

Remember the movie OLD SCHOOL? I know, a classic, the BEST, what with the KY wrestling and streaking and all, the movie described itself as 'college with all of the fun and none of the education'. When that movie came out, I was like 'I GOTTA GET ME SOME OF THAT' and so we moved to Ithaca and I am now an instructor at Cornell University's Ceramics Studio, which sounds GRAND but is really just one step up from the guy making sandwiches in the deli. Except he makes a lot more money than me. Ahem.

SO ANYWAY, day one of class today for me, and you know, I get all these FABULOSO smart people in my classes. 3 from Chile, one from Israel, plus the usual contingent of engineers and 2 mathematicians and who knows what all else. SMART people learning to make pots. I have been reclusive for years, so I go out to teach all these smart people and I have my lesson plans and all, which I think are fairly clever, but one thing leads to another and you just sorta lose track of the PLAN and teach stuff and hope that next week you won't be such a FLAKE... (although people probably expect potters to be a flake like me)
Anyway, I am totally grateful to be able to teach amongst a zillion SMART PEOPLE and it is absolutely exciting and fun! More fun than hanging around the home studio trying to fix my kiln....

BIG super dooper day

I was dreaming last night that I was zipping around on a lake on a jet ski. I have never been on one nor have I wanted to go on one (I am a total scaredey cat about boats, speed, and barrucudas and pirrahnahs and water moccasins, not there are any of those around here, but I don't push my luck--and I don't walk on frozen lakes either) and I woke up and I am wondering WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? And maybe it has something to do with the video below. I'd like to work up the courage to ride a horse though. You didn't know that about me, did you, that like when Lucy asks Charlie Brown what his phobias are and he has ALL the phobias---that's me too. Scared of everything. No I'm not. Yes I am.

ANYWAY, yesterday was a most good day until the very end. When the kiln crapped out darnitall. At least it had finished a bisque, close enough. My kiln likes to break down (don't ever buy a kiln from the company whose name rhymes with TARRAGON and starts with a P) but it has worked well for about a year so I figured it was due to break. Probably needs new elements or relay somewhere in there. I have to tear it apart. Sigh.
I have these teapots here. The spring green one just came out of the kiln, I loved the bluish one so much I wanted to make MOREMOREMORE like it. So I did. I also need a photo, or I should say photos, for the upcoming art trail thingy so I was thinking a pic of a pair of dynamic teapots would be cool.
LASTLY, my first class up the Cornell University Pot Shop starts today. Advanced. I seem to always teach Thursdays at 4, and I have people taking the class from me again like Sofia and Carol. I usually just use the same lesson plans each semester, but I don't wanna bore these guys. Somewhere on my desk there is a scrap of paper where I laid out all my new lessons for this class. I better find it. And figure out what we are doing today, for example.
I havn't been outta the house for a couple of days. I am thinking I might wear my Cat in the hat tee. That'll show the world.....



(teapots by Gary Rith)

puggys, Becky Jo and Kasey from DUH MOINES, Iowa

Becky Jo is a potter herself in Iowa, but she is desperate for a puggy teapot. I hadn't made one before, but I ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE and it looks good. So just before glazing the teapot, I am asking Becky Jo and our buddy Kasey who is an artist herself and I am like
"what glaze color do you guys think would be good for the puggy teapot?" and Kasey is like
"BLACK AND RED! The goths love black and red. Punks too! The goths totally rock the red and black" and I am like
"Kasey, the teapot is for Becky Jo's MOM, do you think her MOM is a goth?"(thinking, she might be, but.....) and Becky Jo is like
"well, um, you could do black and red, but I am thinking BLUES" which is what I did, as you see, but
KASEY'S BRILLIANT suggestion stayed in my mind, and I wanted to make a black and red item, which I have only done once or twice, and frankly, this teapot rocks too.



Here is a little unwholesome music. The wife is sitting at the breakfast table just now singing The Cramps and Bikini Girls With Machine Guns...and you just gotta have it...

WHO DAT? Georges goes NOLA

Our house guest Georges Le Soq was picking through his recipes and muttering to himself and I asked him what he had in mind
"mon ami, ees all about the, how you say, FOOSBALL" and I am like
"Georges, you mean football???" and he is like, getting all impatient,
"yesyesyes, zee game vis le pigskin. New Orleans, they win zee world series you know" and I am like
"well Georges, um, something like that" and he gets out a huge knife and starts chopping things and I am like
"Georges, what were you cooking?" and he is like
"mon ami, pour zee beers, and for zee SAINTS, I make zee jambalaya" and I am like
"!!!!! yaaaaay!"
recipe follows


Jambalaya a la Georges Le Soq--and feel free to add or subtract items as you wish

-cook a cup of rice in 2 cups water
-chop and saute a red pepper, onion, and at least 2 tofurkey soy sausages
-after a few mins, toss into the saute a half cup or more frozen peas. let all that simmer and saute 5-10 minutes on low, until the onion and pepper seem good
-add rice to saute mixture, add a sh!tload of hot peppers or tabasco, black pepper, oregano and paprika, stir on low heat a few minutes then EAT

another brilliant movie from ME

Everything Penny the beagle does is cute but:
I was walking Penny a minute ago and somebody had dropped their bagel half with cream cheese on the street and I didn't mind if she was gonna eat it but there was a little rock stuck on the cream cheese and I tried to get it off but Penny is like GOBBLEGOBBLE rock and bagel ALL GONE.

We get back from walking the dawgs early in the morning and sometimes Penny goes nuts zipping around our yard. Chasing rocks. I know, we are bad parents. But she prefers rocks to toys.

Georges thinks he is Patrick (or Demi?) in Ghost

Yesterday there is a knock at the studio door, and my houseguest Georges Le Soq who had been out partying till 3 is finally awake, and he comes in and is like
"mon ami, zees pottery, I can do zees" and I am like
"REALLY???" and he is like
"certainement, le wheel spins, you make zee bowl, eees EASY" and so he puts on the music and I was like I HAVE GOT to video this....

he said he wanted to help: Georges has a GHOST pottery moment

My houseguest Georges Le Soq came back into the studio today to "HELP" as he put it. It may not have been all that helpful, but I will admit it was entertaining. We have a MOVIE (maybe the best I have ever made, if I may say so) and will show it Tuesday here, stay tuned!

Its 3am, must be time for some laundry!

I am not one of those people who stays up late, watching Letterman, doing my nails, haunting facebook. I am one of those people who likes to get up EARLY. I remember election night 2008 falling asleep early, but wide awake at 2am wondering if Obama had won. He had.
Tonight I was dreaming I was in high school history class and got called in to talk to my teacher, actually my friend Bruce but you know dreams, and it was because I had blown a quiz. Part of the quiz was history, obviously, but I had blown the walnut counting part. I got an F there, because if you have a bowl of walnuts, do you count out all the pieces, or do what I did, and form all the little pieces together into whole nuts like a puzzle, so I had counted 23 walnuts when the answer was 100 pieces. Made sense in the dream, as did the part where the teacher told me my average was 95 so no biggy on the nuts.
Then, of course, I am wide awake and the missus is snoring, the cat is snoring the beagle is snoring* and I am thinking who won the superb bowl (HOHOHO all you who counted out the Saints--I love how in the NFL there is a different winner every year almost), not that I cared, and I am thinking of doing 2 loads of laundry and loading the kiln. I give in to it,and hop up and go out into the snow and wind with the dogs and brew a dab of espresso and join you here lovely folks, and share this dance video I made yesterday with Georges and Emily the cat :)
*OK, not snoring but a little bit of heavy breathing here and there...

Superb Bowls and a new azz tat for the wife

This week I am putting together the wife's lunch and get a wee little idea and try to doodle a little alligator and a heart. You know, as a lovey dovey note to toss in there with the peanut butter sandwich. The doodle looks good, so I decide it would look even better on SUPERB BOWLS and I make a couple of SUPERB BOWLS and paint that alligator on there. (not fired yet)
Yesterday the wife, that s3xy thang, is scrubbing the bathtub and I see that little flash of lower back-upper azz that always gets a man's attention and I am like
"hold still" and she doesn't hold still but I pull out my sharpie and start to draw on her and she is like
"what are you DOING?" and I am like
"drawing an alligator tat on you" and then, you know, before you know it I am taking a picture of my art work, as I do, and she sees the flash and is like
"you're not gonna blog that are you???" and really, is there any answer to that question?

Rather amusing video here from SNL with Amy Poehler and HER back tat...





My dogs are not impressed....

nope, no blizzard here, sorry!

Tis the wonder of winter 2009-2010 that we have had an inch of snow here and there and down south they have had at least 3 serious blizzards. God is playing some little jokes on all of us perhaps, or maybe just giving us here in the snow belt a little gift.
Yesterday I was over at the Cornell University pot shop making this and that and I was warm enough to take off my sweater for the first time in months! It is hard to stay warm in pottery, and I am lucky that sometimes the CU pot shop is like a sauna....




My buddy Derek is like "check this out" and you would
enjoy it too :)

Georges Le Soq, party animal

You know how it goes: Friday afternoon, get some work done at the Cornell University pot shop then meet up with Georges and Nicki and the Missus and anybody else who happens along for happy hour at the Chapterhouse Bar....

Penny the beagle and....

Buster the big lab and Spike the huge grey toger and Emily the cross-eyed and chubby little old kitten....
I noticed yesterday, which was very cold but sunny, that Penny moved around the house, cuddling with whoever seemed warmest...

broccoli burrito, ravioli burrito, applesauce cookies with Georges Le Soq

Georges Le Soq is STILL visiting, and I suspect he may never leave (unless a better offer comes along) and yesterday at lunch he is like
"I am hongry, zees leftover raviolis, zees tortillas, zis hot sauce, will be delicious, I am brilliant: ravioli burrito" and later it is time for dinner and Georges is back rooting around in the fridge and he is like
"I am hongry, zees leftover broccoli stir fry, zees tortillas, zis hot sauce, will be delicious, I am brilliant: broccoli burrito" and then, of course, after dinner he is like
" I am hongry, zee leftovers, dey are gone, I make zees, how you say, APPLESAUCE COOKIES".
I helped Georges with the cookies. I have wanted to try this recipe for years, its full of stuff but works together well: outmeal, applesauce, spices, raisins, nuts, and CHOCOLATE CHIPS. I know, you had it figured until the chips part, didn't you?





Here's a little Dutch Goth metal or whatever it is...sounds good, but not for everybody :)

Becky Jo, Frank, the secret pug teapot

(Frank, a famous pug)
My pal Becky Jo, although herself a potter, is like
"GARY! My dad raises pugs, can you try to make a pug teapot???" and I am like
"Becky Jo, I can make beagles, I can make pigs, lemme think about it..." and I say
"AH HA! Make a beagle, shove the nose IN, then piglet for lower body, HUZZAH!"
and so I make the little thing you see me holding below and I like it and keep it and then today make a teapot for her. When it is fired there will be a cane handle across the top.

(teapot and pug by Gary Rith)

I know what I want for Valentine's Day...

What do you want?????

speaking of PINK

So 3-4 years ago Bruce wants to get a pair of hippo jars for the kitchen counter at his house, his wife Maryann being, of course, a hippo nut. People are always apologetic to potters when they admit they broke their favorite pot you had sold them. But breakage keeps potters in business :) The pic down below shows the rather awesome new hippo jar, a replacement for them.


What's more difficult than getting a hippo into the back seat of your car?
Getting TWO hippos into the back seat of your car.

What do you call two hippos riding a bicycle?
Optimistic.

How can you get a hippo to do whatever you want?
Try hipponotism.



(hippo cookie jar by Gary Rith)

Pretty in Pink----always loved this tune, and this is one of those silly early MTV videos....

Georges Le Soq: nearly arrested!

I am down at the store and Georges insists on joining me and we are swinging through the produce aisle and he JUMPS INTO THE BANANAS and is eating them hand over fist and I am trying to sort it out and the store manager comes along and the police, guns drawn and they are shouting at Georges "FREEZE MONKEYSHOPLIFTER" and I have to explain and pay for the bananas and Georges, frankly, is not very apologetic, and is still getting into the bananas....

Pink

(mugs by Gary Rith) These babies just came out of the kiln and make you wanna have some more java don't they?
Ready to be grossed out a little bit?
OK, one dream I had last night, I ended up at McD*nald's for the first time in decades. I ordered their stir fry (I know, since when is there stir fry?) and it was this little paper dish with mashed potato and beef and gravy---and since I am vegan I am grossed out but gonna eat it anyway, except there is this big hair on top, which I pull out, and STILL in the dream, grossed out as I am, I am gonna eat that mess....bleh.

OK, a week ago I am out having dinner at a fantastic Thai restaurant with a bunch of my buddies and Matt came along with his 7 year old girl, the only child present. She is a model guest though, a fantastic kid, she had her book, she had her IPOD, she just sat there, a charming and well behaved little adult for hours. She had on these rather amazing knee high boots: black engineer boots that zip up the side, and she was dressed like a little punk. Remember, she is 7. So yesterday Matt and I are talking about how good his daughter is, and I mention her hipster boots and he asks me if I know the singer Pink. I do and I don't. Never heard her stuff, but anyway, I have a mental image, and Matt tells me his daughter loves the singer Pink and dresses like her and wants a motorcycle jacket. And if you saw this first grader, you would agree, she already looks a lot like Pink. Here are a couple of her videos....

le ravioli casserole with Georges Le Soq

Our long term guest Georges Le Soq, who won't go away but has his uses, was bored again today, and rooting around in our fridge:
"mon ami, I am very hungry"
"well Georges, what is on your mind?" and Georges is like
"we have here zee raviolis" and he starts tossing stuff out of the fridge and I try to catch it before it hits the floor and then he is in the cupboard
"ees GOOD" he says "tres bon, we make zee, how you say RAVIOLI CASSEROLE" and I help Georges find the cook pots and he chops and simmers and it is FANFORKINGTASTIC.

Basically, boil some raviolis, make some spaghetti sauce with tomatoes, tomato paste, bits of pepper and onions and spices, tofurkey fake sausage, then layer that stuff like a lasagne in the pan and cover with vegan rice cheese and bake for a half hour.
Oh my :)

eaten by 2 lions....

I dreamt I was in an enormous tent-shaped paper bag with 2 lions who were thinking about eating me. Now I know how little mice feel around my 2 cats....

Basically, as you know I am making a series of small teapots, trying out shapes and textures and such, just little things. I pictured a red teapot Sunday and Tiffany bought it right away but I had made another like it and it came out of the kiln before I had to ship the first one. You can see I am pushing the red teapot idea around, thinking about possibilities, plus, of course, my favorite spring green glaze and piggies....






(pottery by Gary Rith)

Kittie was a HEAVY heavy metal band ten or so years ago, 2 teenage sisters from Ontario. They kicked AZZ and have gotten HEAVIER each year. I mean, like, doomsday heavy, scary heavy metal. Here is a new release from them, full of screeching, but rather fascinating too...this is NOT music most people would like


ten years ago, tis most good--I remember the DJ introducing this: "Brackish, by Kittie from the album Spit"--don't you just LOVE heavy metal, especially when it is a bunch of women who would love to kick your azz?

I am NOT Superman (contrary to what you may have heard)

Goodness, you know I work at home and blog and facebook prolifically, right???? I stumbled over my pal Becky Jo's post from 3-4 days ago and I am like "how did I miss this wonderful post?" and then I notice my pal Christi, traveling in Thailand, took a pic of this rather amusing sign. Don't sit on the hedgehog!
You also know I look like Michael Keaton's younger brother, and that I would have made a superb Batman not Superman at all, but that is not my point. My point is I have almost 250 facebook friends and about 100 blogs I am following and, well, I get behind sometimes in visiting them and making comments.
I wuv you. I will try to keep up. Be patient with me if I get behind :)

You can't touch this...

(elephant cups by Gary Rith) These are the first elephant cups I have made with an upward trunk in years, tres cute and sweet eh? Lucky too!

There was an old man in France who used to get up every morning at five A.M. He would then go and sprinkle a white powder on the roads.
When he was asked what he was sprinkling on the roads, he answered that it was elephant powder.
The person then remarked "But everybody knows that there are no elephants in France!" to which he answered "I guess it must be working then!"

Awesome studio video click here or live below :)