Back Safe and Sound...

And MY BACK is safe and sound...phew.
So the workshop rocked!
Here is an Etsy friend chatting with Chris....









Michelle Swafford- So cool to meet my "cyber-friends" in real life:
Chris Gustin is a phenomenal potter and artist and an amazing teacher...
Here he is working on a giant bowl form...that's about 30 pounds of clay:













I raised my wheel about 2 bricks higher, thanks to Aaron, our workshop assistant.
That DEFINITELY helped my back from being terrible...
I did get soreness but it was generally manageable.
The workshop was heavy on theory and although I made and bisqued about a dozen pots, I threw them all out because it was really about being a learning experience for me and I really felt that photos would suffice!














The group was great... very DIVERSE... and I also got to meet and hang a little with my buddy from Etsy: Felicia who was working on a hand building workshop!








Her workshop continues through this week... she was able to join us as my new friend Susie (this is Susie!)
















drove us to Paul Soldner's home and studio(so exciting!!!!) and I only got us a little lost... just a little...
Here is his studio... unfortunately he hasn't thrown in over 2 years (He's 88 and in a wheel chair...)













We made it to the Harvey Meadows Gallery and we were able to see wonderful examples of Chris's work... as well as many others...
Here he is:





















I managed to purchase one of his gorgeous tea bowls...WHOOT!

The workshop was a lot of fun as the people were great...III I orchestrated this Charlie's...make that Chris's Angel's shot:








(Megan,Cara,and Jolee)
But it was also extremely intense as he was able to really get us to think about what we do and why and how design interacts with the process, etc...
I must admit...a little draining as well as exhilarating!

I left to fly from Aspen to Denver on the most NAUSEATING small plane flight at 5:30pm...to fly out of Denver to Newark at 7:12 and landed at 1am on Saturday... I checked in to a Holiday Inn right off the Turnpike to get 2 Hours of sleep and my husband picked me up around 5:45am so we could head up to "Visiting Day" and my kids' camp... It was a crazy 24 hours BUT.... it was worth it to see my boys!!!!
















Now I am in SEVERE organizing mode as they return home a week from Tuesday and the summer is moving fast... The legs for my wheel won't get here until Thursday(I am meeting my mom in Philly that day and staying over with her to give her a little "get-away"... which will be great but again... tick tock....) so I am trying use my time wisely....Wish me luck!

Heading West Tomorrow!!!

Leaving on a jet plane tomorrow to Snow Mass/Aspen, Colorado tomorrow for
Chris Gustin's workshop
The Architecture of the Pot at Anderson Ranch.
Very excited! Hope the back can take it!!!
This man makes BIG vessels.... bigger than my kids...of course well... they aren't that big....for their ages... I digress....
I get the feeling he really incorporates hand building with wheel throwing so perhaps this could be just what I need right now...or not.
I'm wide open and ready to just...EXPERIENCE...

Back Problems

Need I say more?
This is the position I am USUALLY in at the wheel... Doesn't matter what I do I am bent over like this... Honestly...













Well... that is all going to have to change because on Friday I ended up FLAT (and I do mean FLAT) on my back on the studio floor... I woke up early and wondered in and was removing work from the kiln... not heavy stuff.... until I lifted a full shelf...felt pain, quickly put it down and started heading back to my bed...SEVERE Pain... It took over me... I tried to sit in my chair... still felt overwhelmed by pain.... got to the floor and thought I was going to toss my cookies and/or pass out.

Remember... I birthed 2 babies so I understand pain but... I'm telling you... I seriously didn't know what would happen next.

So... I'm on the floor using every bit of strength to wake up my 9 year old who was the only one home, asleep in his bed... I think my scream sounded more like a BARK! But he was phenomenal. I told him "If Mommy passes out, call Daddy. If you can't get Daddy, call 911...".
It never had to happen thank goodness!

I had him bring me some clothes (because in the moments between the pain, I had decided if I was going to be rushed to a hospital or DIE... I needed proper clothes on, not a sleep night shirt... )and he helped me get dressed. Needless to say, I'm sure he is scarred for life...

Then I managed to eventually sort of get up to this chair with wheels and he helped/pushed me to the nearest bed(my studio is actually on the second floor of our home). He continued to be the best helper... bringing me everything...
Boy, I was feelin' the LOVE! BUT, I was still in so much pain.

I later got in to see an acupucturist and she was extremely helpful... but getting down stair and out the door and into my car was crazy... My husband had returned home and was very helpful...
The acupuncture definitely helped and over time that day, I appeared to improve..
I went back the next day and she had me have a 30 minute massage before the acupuncture. I feel all of this definitely sped up the healing process.

In the days that followed I improved. It seems the soreness gets worse as the day goes on. I am just taking Ibuprofen and Naproxen as needed....oh... and a little WINE...at the end of the day/night. Heating pad stuff helps...ice too...
I am calling to get more acupuncture though...before I leave...

In the midst of this I need to to pack up my kids for almost 3 weeks of overnight camp... they leave tomorrow and Sunday I am headed to "CAMP" too... I am going to take Chris Gustin's The Architecture of the Pot Workshop which I have been SO excited to do... and now... I am worried... Throwing is going to be different...

I have already decided to raise my wheel and bought extension legs that should be on their way...

















so that I can learn to throw standing up...
I am really hoping I can do it!
Any advice is appreciated!

I have already checked out Kristen Kieffer's Blogpost on this...after taking her workshop last summer when she talked about it, I should have seen that it was just a matter of time... She refers to John Glick who wrote several articles on this... I am just hoping I can figure it all out...
I will need to move some things around in my studio... which is doable... but I will need help...
Lifting 50 lb bags of clay and chemicals may not be so smart right now.....

So... I will move forward and be thankful that I am HERE to worry about such problems...
It beats the alternative!

WOW...what a day...

So much has happened...
Nah nah nah nah
Nah nah nah nah
Hey hey hey...
GOODBYE....











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