Ice Storm of 2013, Whales and Wine

Ice Storm of 2013....no comparison to 1998...but still packed an unexpected punch leaving Peasley Pottery without power for a week.  It left behind down trees, fencing and an inch of ice over everything. 

 

Unfortunately, it brought my work in the pottery studio to a complete stand still for a week.  I don't like standing still.  And, it came at the worst time possible.  I have been working diligently on a large order and now I am a week off my schedule.  I am very anal about being on schedule, on time and I actually pride myself for being ahead of schedule and arriving early.....needless to say, this has screwed with my mojo, so I am dealing with a bit of anxiety!  (...and the bazillion birch and pine trees that need to be amputated so my poor fence can be mended, so the crazy beasts in the barn can be freed)...one of which being "playful" tried to have a Van Gogh moment with me in her failed attempt to steal my fleece headband...she bit my ear.....luckily, my ear was in one piece and the frigid cold temperatures numbed the pain.  Anyhow...back to the pottery......

(photo of right whale pots at various stages)

 I have been working on an order for The Environmental Resources Network (T.E.R.N.) located in the State of Georgia, for a  fundraiser to benefit the continued research and conservation of the North Atlantic Right Whale by the  Department of Natural Resources.  The fundraiser is part of the 'Weekend for Wildlife' being held at Sea Island.  For more information click on this link Weekend for Wildlife at Sea Island.

Peasley Pottery has been commissioned to create 40 vases and 40 plates depicting right whales which have been named and identified with a numerical tag.  On the bottom of each piece is their name and I.D. number.  All the whales are hand carved, then glazed to accentuate their individualized markings and scars.  Some of which are caused naturally, while others are due to ship strikes, fishing gear entanglements or other misadventures at sea.  These pieces will be used as centerpieces at each table at the event to be sold off at the end of the evening.  Each donor will receive their whale pot along with a biography of their whale which includes name, sex, date of birth, sighting dates and locations, any family history with other whales in the catalog, and other observed interactions or other historical data associated with each whale.  Not only are donors supporting a great cause, they are going home with an original work of art with historical significance.

Here are a few of the finished pieces.

 I will keep you posted as to the progress over the next two weeks and with more photos! 

One of my new year's resolutions is to be a better blogger, more frequent, on schedule.... :)   One last thing to leave you with....

The girls and I went to a wine making class.....that is what it was called, but more accurately, it was a wine tasting while watching the making....not one of us actually made anything, unless you call "making payments" for the wine... wine making.  I suppose in a round about backwoods way, we did make the wine....we paid a guy who made the wine and we supervised his making by telling him what kind we wanted and how much.  In honor of my supervisory wine making.....I made a wine bottle.  I actually did make the wine bottle and it will hold the wine I did not make at the wine making class I successfully completed.  Cheers!