Exciting Week of Business and Pleasure

Shanna weaving poolside at the Rossmount Inn
St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada

Tapestry just off the loom
Check back next week to see the finished piece

Chris on his first-ever ferry ride, Campobello to Deer Island

"Jade Moon Night Swim"
A close-up detail of the most recent tapestry that I completed

Successful kiln firing unloaded yesterday and pots have already made it into the shop space,
as well as a few at Northern Tides downtown Lubec

Lubec Arts Alive "Art on the Beach" a success!
Gorgeous weather, lots of people creating at low tide, Mowry Beach, Lubec
Here, Kara Bennet of Texas is plein air painting.

Chanterelles!

It has been an exciting fun-filled and busy week, so much so that I am once again late to blogging. It began with a wonderful overnight trip to St. Andrews to celebrate my birthday. Chris and I ferried from St. Andrews to Deer Island, where we happened upon a sweet place called Fireball Gallery. We met the owner and learned about her beautiful glass beads and jewelry, and also bought a lovely set of wheelthrown pottery mugs by another Canadian artist. It was a reverent moment for us to also find the cemetery and grave site of one of Chris's Native ancestors. This has sparked an interest in both of us gathering info on our family trees.

The Rossmount Inn provided us some much needed relaxation. The trip was far too short, but such a wonderful treat! We swam in the pool then I was able to work on a small tapestry poolside with my travel loom. That evening, we ate a gourmet feast at their in-house restaurant. Chris had the pleasure of meeting the chef outside in the garden where he was picking fresh vegetables and berries for the kitchen. Every course of our meal delighted us, perhaps the highlight being the crostinis with chanterelles mushrooms and the dessert of bee balm poached peaches in cream with fresh raspberries over pastry. Oh my! I need to send a note to my dentist thanking him for this referral.

We ended our trip the next morning with a stroll downtown St. Andrews. The open farmer's market was alive with tourists and live music. Vendors sold wares and foods. We picked up some fresh baba ganoush from an Indian vendor and fresh beets and chanterelles from a farmer.

When we arrived home we both retreated to our respective studios. When we go away, we are always itching to get back, inspired, to create.

I also had a pile of work to do to prep for Lubec Arts Alive. Friday night we had the world premiere screening of Jon Wing Lum's "Lubec Arts Alive Documentary". It was a packed house and the film amazed many. I will be updating the Lubec Arts Alive 2010 blogsite with full info on the event and the filmmaker, as well as the "Art on the Beach" event that took place the next day. The weekend deserves, and demands, my full attention with an inclusive blog entry. I should have that site updated within three weeks with lots of fabulous photos taken by Goodman/Van Riper Photography.

The glaze firing was unloaded yesterday and I was ecstatic that all pieces survived and looked fabulous! I tried a new glaze combo and am in love! The shop is restocked, just in time, since the day was busy-packed with visitors. I can't wait to get my hands back into the clay. The one thing that is difficult with clay is that I am forced to wait so long to see the finished product. I go back into the throwing cave this coming weekend, but the pieces I make, from throwing, to trimming, drying, bisque firing, glazing, then glaze firing, will take about a month. Longer if we encounter humid weather as as we did the past couple weeks. In the meantime, I will enjoy the weaving, and hopefully finish up the current piece early next week. Morning throwing sessions, then afternoon weaving. Ahhhhh...the artist's life. (we'll ignore, at this point, all the other business details like paperwork that goes along with it...and enjoy the blissful, peaceful vision of artist creating all day long everyday.)

An added bonus to this incredible past week is that Chris and I found some beautiful chanterelle mushrooms on one of our hikes. We got proper ID from Phillipe in town who I was told was the local mushroom expert. So delicious! Last night we sauteed them with butter and garlic and served them to our dear, beautiful, talented friends Nicky and Judy. What a feast!!! The dinner also consisted of fresh pesto made with basil fresh out of our little garden, as well as a stir fry with freshly-harvested lettuce, basil, and swiss chard, broiled tofu, and cous cous. The soy flour blueberry cake wasn't too shabby either!

I am off to my next appointment. Life is split-second timing right now, but it is all wonderful!

(note: please excuse any typos..no time to proof read!)