Have bowl, will eat.... chili

Last night was the Chili Cookoff at Genesee Center for Art and Education. A ticket gets you a ceramic bowl of your choice and samples of chili from 17 particpating restaurants. There are lots of bowls to choose from and it take awhile to find just the right bowl... your bowl of destiny.

I was there early because I was working the bar (believe it or not - don't get too excited, I was just opening bottles of beer) and I spied my bowl right away. It had a handle! Aaron got a really cool bowl with a nifty foot.

After my volunteer shift, I got to join my friends sampling chili. There were spicy ones, sweet ones, smokey ones...

We had a lot of chili.

Maybe too much chili!

Clothesline Festival 2014

It's time for the Clothesline Festival again and I worked at the Genesee Center for the Arts and Education table for a couple hours.

This time we were printing up coasters for visitors. It's fun mixin up the designs.

After my shift it was time to shop! I hit up all my favorite Rochester artisans. I got a mug from Katie Carey, Interstellar Love Craft earrings, Knitty Owl necklace and a pumpkin stake from Cat Clay!

End of second pottery class

The spring quarter of pottery class at Genesee Center for Arts and Education is drawing to a close and that means trimming and glazing!

I had to do a lot of trimming on this family of plant hangers.

And I made a grumpy owl for this pot!

We had a glazing pot luck party on our last day of class. It was so much fun to snack and glaze and nibble and glaze. I can't wait to see how my stuff turns out!

Throwing plates

Making more pots in pottery class.

And a bigger mug for Aaron since the first one turned out much too small.

And a plate! I learned how to make plates!

Weekend Events

We have family in town this weekend, but if you are free, there are two events you should check out today. This afternoon, Spokes and Ink is at the Genesee Center for Arts and Education. There is a bike poster sale, printing demos, live music and more.

I had a poster in the sale again this year. I featured an enterprising spider who wished he had a bike.

In the morning, The Fast & The Furriest is being held near Rochester Animal Services at Brown Square Park. There is a 5K, 10K, Dog Walk and a Pet Festival with food trucks, pet vendors, pet contests and more. Plus adoptable cats are $10 and dogs are $20! Take home a new friend!

Pottery class #2

Look who I talked into pottery classes! Tina is joining me in wheel throwing classes at Genesee Center for the Arts and Education on Monday nights. She centered like a pro. We had fun and rounded out the evening with clay on our hair, glasses and iPhones.

Finished pottery

Tonight I stopped by the Genesee Center for Arts and Education to pick up half of my finished pieced from pottery class.

The handle I put on my little mug stayed on!

My little yarn bowl is ready for a ball of yarn.

I was so excited to see how the glaze turned out. When you mix them you never really know how they might look after they are fired.

Some were a real surprise.

I tried to go with a theme. I dipped each one in white and then the tops in a different color.

This one will be perfect for one of my airplants.

I still have ten more pieces I need to glaze.

This class was so much fun. I'm taking it again because I think I could use some more practice before I take on the intermediate class.

Here they are all lined up!

Hearts and handles

More progress in my pottery class. I made my first handle. I was surprised at how handles are made. I thought you used some sort of extruder machine. But we learned how to pull at clay with water to make a handle. Now this really looks like a mug!

I also tried adding some decorative elements. Like a lil wee heart at the bottom of this bowl. I can't wait to start glazing!

Pottery progress

Every week I'm learning more at pottery class.

I learned how to trim pots when they are at the leather stage. I cleaned these up and gave them bases.

I carved into this bowl to make it a yarn bowl. You can put a ball of yarn in it and pull the yan thhrough the swirl cut-out.

This is what the pots look like after the first firing.

The one on the right is going to be a mug. Next week, we are learning how to do attachments, so I'll add a handle to it.

Pottery class

Last June, for our ninth anniversary, we got each other gifts that matched the theme of "pottery". Aaron got me pottery classes at Genesee Center for Arts and Education.

I was interested in taking the second letterpress class so I held off on the pottery.

Introduction to wheel throwing started this month and I was ready to take the class.

I made a big mess but I was surprised that I actually had two things that looked like bowls by the end of the evening of my first class. I had fun, but don't look at the bowls too closely. I think once they are glazed they will be just fine. The magic is in the glaze!

Great Roc Derby bout & signed poster!

Aaron and I stopped by the Roc Derby tonight at the Dome Arena.

Number one - I was excited because the bout benefitted the 678 Program at Genesee Center for Arts and Education where I am a board member.

Number two - I did the poster for the bout and was able to get a poster signed by the members of the Rottenchesters, 5-H8-5s and Midtown Maulers. I love seeing all their unique names and can't wait to frame it!

Spokes and Ink 2013

This Sunday is Spokes and Ink Fest at the Genesee Center for Arts and Education! I am super bummed to be missing it, as I'll be in San Diego. I tried moving flights and vacation around every which way and just couldn't get it to work. It's my favorite event at the Center as it combines bikes and print! If you are in town, you must go!

This is my poster submission for Spokes and Ink this year! It will be for sale along with other bike posters at the festival. The design has to be 100% original so I recreated that map of Rochester in Illustrator. That. Took. Forever.

These are some pictures I took at Spokes and Ink last year.

Bike beauty shots!

Some wood type and other letterpress pieces.

LJC in wood!

Inky.

Ready to print! They will have letterpress postcard printing again this year and lots of other fun activities, bands and food.

You can check out all the info at the Spokes and Ink website. The festival will be noon to 6pm on Monroe Ave and Oxford... across from the Starbucks. Please go and have a good time for me!