These are the working hours in the studio for the next few weeks into January 2013 -KILN ROOM: CLOSED from NOW UNTIL JANUARY 18th -STUDIO: OPEN until JANUARY 6th -STUDIO: CLOSED between JANUARY 7th AND JANUARY 18th. Friday Dec. 21 OPEN regular hours Saturday Dec. 22 OPEN regular hours Sunday Dec. 23 OPEN regular hours Monday Dec 24 CLOSED Tuesday Dec. 25 CLOSED Wednesday Dec 26 CLOSED Thursday Dec 27 OPEN from 1 – 5 pm Friday Dec 28 OPEN from 1 – 5 pm Saturday Dec 29 OPEN from 1 5 pm Sunday Dec 30 OPEN from 1 – 5 pm Monday Dec 31 CLOSED Tuesday Jan 1 CLOSED Wednesday Jan 2 CLOSED Thursday Jan 3 OPEN (regular hours)

Adequately insulated?

This is a view from the uncompleted wood storage shed to the small insulated studio building. We just spent the past week there checking out if our insulation work over the summer was adequate to keep us warm in the winter months. So at minus 15 Celsius we were cosy. Can we remain as warm when it dips to minus 30? Yet to be experienced. Maybe January will throw some seriously cold weather and we will see how well we did our job.

Presenting food on studio pottery

Went on a search at the local biblioteque to find cookbooks that show food presentation. I found a few mostly Asian that were interesting. Elizabeth Andoh published a few tantalizing editions of the sort of thing I was looking for. And a few of the recipes served in various pots.

Along with this is Marcia Tani Paul's blog at http://maashaclay.wordpress.com/ She presents recipes and food on studio pottery created by various artists including some of her own. I really enjoy receiving the posts she makes

I want to really get serious about what I make and how it could be used in daily food preparation and serving.Here is one approach to a banquet feast I found online from Country Homes & Interiors Magazine. I don't know who created the work but it is wonderful.

The Fire has been lit

The fire has been lit and keeping us toasty and warm. There is no snow yet but anyday it will surely arrive. We marked our roadway with posts for snow clearing and might still have the chance to raise a Tempo to keep snow off the car. Here is a picture of the stove with its first wood fire going.

Winter and a woodstove

I am still alive and kicking. We are currently in Montreal as winter looms and we still have not installed the Intrepid II wood stove from Vermont Castings. It is such a beautiful little stove and it will allow us to stay longer into the colder times ahead.

And this is the building it will keep warm once we solve some of the many small insulation issues.

I am late, I am late for a very important date, no time to say hello, goodbye... I am late, I am late, I am late.

I feel like the white rabbit these days with the move from city to Gore and then back to the city to glaze and fire. Also doing things in preparation for my niece's upcoming wedding which took me to the land of twilight while trying to be dressed in clothing I have great difficulty in relating to. I have so many deadlines and delivery of work next week I hope I don't forget my own name.