I recently had the opportunity to write an article about my ceramic art practise for a local magazine called CV Collective. It was published in the Spring 2017 issue. Being a novice at this type of writing I initially found the process somewhat daunting. The editor's support and feedback was wonderful throughout the process. The article is now posted online here. If you ever see an issue of CV Collective in your travels, grab a copy. It is an excellent publication.
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The sun set a few hours ago. As my wife and I drive along Crater Rim drive in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I become more and more excited. We come out of a forested area and Kilauea caldera becomes visible to our left, glowing orange under a clear, star filled sky. As we near the end of the road the orange glow intensifies. We pull into the lot packed with cars and find a place to park. We walk through the groups of people talking excitedly. As we approach the lookout, I take a deep breath. I had no idea it would affect me this way. My wife and I both gasp at the sight before us. Halemaumau is glowing intensely. A huge lava lake bubbles and froths; a massive plume of smoke emanates from the crater. I am trying to process what it means to experience this place. It is one of the most extraordinary sights I have ever seen. My wife and I visited the Big Island of Hawaii in May staying for part of the time in the small village of Volcano only a few minutes drive from this view. We came to Halemaumau at least once each day and on three consecutive nights. It was difficult to pull ourselves away from this place. Halemaumau holds so much power and energy. I could have stayed for many hours watching and listening. It's that time of year again, the annual anagama firing with Fine Arts students from NIC and instructor Gordon Hutchens. Today we ventured to Gordon's property on Denman Island to load his wood kiln and start firing. Turned out to be another wintry day with snow most of the afternoon and into the evening. I'll return tomorrow for a shift stoking the fire and chopping wood. Tables filled with pottery and sculptures, 400-500 pieces I'd estimate and it all fits! Just before I left for the ferry home, the kiln was about 3/4 full. Another hour and the kiln would have been loaded, the door would have been bricked up and the fire started. It will be a cold night for the first shift, I wish them well. On the way home, snowing heavily on the Denman Island to Buckley Bay ferry.
Full moon on February 10th. I shot this with my iPhone and a cool adaptor that attaches to my telescope (Yes, I am a bit of a gear geek when it comes to technology ;-))
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