The Beauty You Love

How artists can use Instagram

2015-04-14T09:34:00.000-05:00

So this happened: Christie’s had an art auction on Instagram, grossing $134.6 million. And an artist in New Orleans, Ashley Longshore, sells paintings directly from Instagram, for upwards of $30,000. Obviously there is some serious coin passing hands through an app that was designed just to share your own cell phone pictures.

I’ve grown a decent following by posting 3-4 times throughout the day. I love looking at my feed and hope Instagram doesn’t eff that up like Pinterest did (but that’s another story). My Instagram has become the main driver of traffic and sales to my website Lee Wolfe Pottery, in just 7 months. Here are my best tips for artists and artisans who want to gain and grow a following on IG for the purpose of selling their work. The basics can be learned anywhere, and by that I mean how to set up an account, use hashtags, comment on posts, etc. Let’s pretend you already know that, plus how to use your camera, editing apps, PayPal, online shipping, etc. The next level after the basics is where just being an artist, that is, having a lot of natural curiosity, an opinionated and focused point of view, and an aesthetic sense that you feel deep in your gut, will make you stand out.

1) Know who you are as a brand before you start. You might be very clear about what that is, but if you are not, try putting it into words. What is your artwork about? What larger trends, if any, are you aligned with?What are you opposed to? What need does your work fulfill? What problem does it solve? Visually, what represents you? Musically, what represents you? What gets expressed when you make things? You don’t need an autobiographical answer to each of those questions in order to open an Instagram account! But it helps if you could confidently answer a few.

2) Make sure that every post, and every element within your posts, represents you as a brand. This gets really obvious after you think about it awhile. Take me for example. Lee Wolfe Pottery is based in the organic, natural world and is connected to simple living, artfully prepared food, warm and welcoming homes that nurture and revitalize creativity. So, which of these does not belong in my photos as a staging prop?

a) a flower from my garden

b) works by other artisans, such as block printed napkins, hand carved wooden spoons, handmade soap

c) garden vegetables, fresh baked desserts, organic eggs

d) plastic cutlery from Dollar General

I hope you got that one right. It’s d.

3) Look at your posts as a whole. There should be enough negative and neutral space within each photo to allow the grid of your posts to seem harmonious and uncluttered. For example, my posts are usually shot on a white table. I space my dark background shots so that they have at least 2 white background shots before and after. This isn’t the only visual formula that works by any means! But a formula is important.

4) Be social more than promotional. A life lesson to apply: no one likes that person at a party who is always selling insurance or trying to list your house, even though you’d be likely to ask within your circle of friends when you need insurance or a listing agent. So use your IG as a window into your world more than as free ad space. Post a bit of daily life in your studio, new works shot informally, and other parts of your life that directly relate to your brand. Watch which posts get the most likes and comments and then post more like that. People will teach you about what to post if you pay attention!

5) Like and comment liberally. It’s free and it matters.

6) Space your posts out. I don’t like to post more than 1X every 4 hours, no more than 4X a day (usually less than 4). You don’t want your posts to be spam. If you have multiples of similar photos, pick only the best, the one that tells a story, the one with great lighting and composition.

7) This is really everything: always add value. If you can’t see the value, don’t post it! Give people something interesting, informative, revealing, inspirational, beautiful, and/or funny. Think about original and unique posts. Play with editing apps. Make still shots little collages. Bake things just for Instagram! Make your children hold things on their heads or until their little hands cramp while you get the perfect angle… okay, maybe not that. But do stretch your creativity and make an account that must be followed because it is that good.

you can follow me here LeeWolfePottery, if you like.

flourless chocolate soufflé with whipped coconut cream topping

2014-10-10T18:59:00.000-05:00

This is my new favorite dessert! It is gluten and dairy free, easy to make, and so good that you might have to run a finger around the bowl when done to get those last little bits of (almost) healthy decadence! The only tedious task is separating 8 eggs but once that is done it’s very simple. If you need some ramekins, mine are for sale here. Any small stoneware bowls will work. You will need 8.

Chocolate Soufflé

ingredients:

8 eggs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 lb chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 can coconut milk (full fat) chilled in fridge at least 2 hours

1 t powdered sugar

Butter the ramekins. Separate eggs into yolks and whites. Put yolks in small bowl and whites into larger bowl (or Kitchen Aid bowl). Add 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla to yolks and beat until color lightens.

Put chocolate chips and butter in microwave safe bowl. Heat in 40 second intervals. Remove and stir then return for another 40 sec. Repeat until chocolate is melted. Fold yolk mixture into chocolate.

Whip egg whites to soft peaks, then fold into chocolate yolk mix. You will get a coffee’'-with-cream colored batter. There can be some striations but no large patches of marbled color. Be gentle! Pour into ramekins. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set ramekins on baking sheets and bake 25 min.

Meanwhile, open coconut milk and scoop only the white stuff into a Kitchen Aid. Whip on high until fluffy, adding powdered sugar. So easy! And this tastes better than whipped dairy cream.

Remove soufflés and try not to taste in advance if you have company. You might devour them by yourself! Serve warm or cool with a dollop of cream.

FAQ: Experimental Pieces, Prototypes,and Seconds

2014-07-31T16:09:00.001-05:00

A. EXPERIMENTAL PIECES: I was never a great production potter because my mind, hands, and heart drift into unknown territory when left to their own devices. Strict replication over endless hours doesn’t appeal to me. A case in point: while making a Raven and the Halloween Moon luminary, this owl slipped in almost on its own. Other experiments are more intentional, like trying out new materials or techniques, mixing glaze tests, or gathering objects to see what kind of textures they make as stamps. I devote at least 5 hours a week to this kind of playful experimentation.

B. PROTOTYPES: Out of the chaotic creativity of experiments come ideas that I want to explore in more depth. Prototypes are made in small series with minor differences over a period of several weeks or months. I first try out different glazes and shapes that may not be repeated, and then work on perfecting the balance and function. Now in prototype are Arabesque, the Fox Casserole, and Nebula. I sell these pieces both in my Saturday Sale and Sale section on Etsy, raising the price incrementally. Once I am sure what the market price should be, I decide whether it is worth my time to continue that prototype as a new series. If so, it is listed for sale exclusively on my website at LeeWolfePottery.com. You can check New in 2014 for the latest pieces. My newest pieces are always at the best prices for first quality work. The more popular something becomes, the more the price rises.

If you are looking for a piece that used to sell on Etsy, it may be available on my website- be sure to check. Here are the website’s categories:

C. SECONDS: Seconds are flawed or intended as a set but mismatched in some way. The issue can be as minor as a small glaze bubble, slight warp, or teeny crack or major issues such as large cracks, glazes that have run off the pot so that bottoms require repair, or large bare spots. Seconds have a charm of their own and I often like the quirky pieces even more for their peculiarities. Still, I sell them for significantly less than firsts. If you want to catch these bargains, like me on Facebook where sales are pre-announced, check my Saturday Sale and SALE section on Etsy.

Thanks for your interest!

New hosta leaf designs

2014-06-08T10:26:00.001-05:00

I live somewhere between the pure artist and the production-driven artisan. Unlike an artist, my work doesn’t originate as a concept or idea. I begin, as most artisans, with the intention to make something on my production list, such as “20 hosta plates,” a result of an order I’ve been sitting on for several months until the hosta leaves in my garden were large enough to press into clay and then shape into a plate. Mine are pretty standard, with attention to curling the edges up with graceful curves. In the middle of this process, all these new designs emerged. Really, they just happened so intuitively that I had the thoughts of a spectator in my head… “oh, I like that curl… well, that works really well… I wonder where this one is going..” etc.

You’ll be able to see the results in a few weeks at LeeWolfePottery.

knowing that you are a flower, opening

2014-05-25T13:03:00.001-05:00

I have watched the flower buds unfold this year. In spring, the tulips and daffodils slowly unfolded, showing a bit more color each day, incrementally, taking weeks to fully bloom. Now that it is summer, in the warm sun and soft rain, poppies, peonies and lilies that were tight balls the night before are wide open the next morning. And I think we are all flowers, too, bringing forth our unique thoughts, our softest emotions, our true art, more readily when the world around us is warm and welcoming.

Here are some of what’s been blooming in my garden and studio:

All pottery is available at Lee Wolfe Pottery.com

Easter table

2014-04-18T08:51:00.000-05:00

I have a beautiful Modern Lace dinnerware set in Gray and Chartreuse ready to ship, so I shot these pics on the dining room table with my garden flower arrangements for this Easter. I love the neutral table linens with bright pops of spring blooms.

These Easter eggs are so easy! I wanted to use the natural brown of the local organic eggs. After hard boiling, each one was wrapped with different twines and cords I had on hand and then embellished with a scrapbooking paper flower with a glue dot on the back. Sometimes the simplest projects are the most successful.

Happy Easter! Happy Pesach! Welcome spring with your cool breathe and promises of renewal.

All pottery in pics can be found on LeeWolfePottery.com

new series: Arabesque

2014-03-22T15:17:00.001-05:00

Here’s the good thing about listing stuff on Etsy: lots of people see it. Here’s the bad thing: lots of potters floundering in their own development copy it. Or try to. My flower bowls, with altered rims in a ‘flower’ shape, have more look-alikes than Cher at a drag queen show, so it’s time for something new. The Arabesque series has been in development for a year, and I finally have prototypes to test market. They will be sold on OneClayBead (Etsy store) until I decide on a full line, which will then be for sale exclusively on Lee Wolfe Pottery. Meanwhile, the prototypes are value priced, so if you like them, take advantage of that. I like the arrow points, the negative spaces between pieces, and the strong visual geometry.

Winter Snow

2014-02-15T13:43:00.001-06:00

Snow fell large as leaves and blanketed the yard with somber stillness. Each ordinary object, once outlined with white, became a discovery. I tramped through deepening drifts and felt buoyantly pulled into winter’s most glittering spell. Here is my home.

table settings for Valentine’s Day

2014-02-02T18:03:00.001-06:00

I’m not a big fan of making a big production out of Valentine’s Day, not that I haven't been there and done that a gazillion times, so if you are young and still relatively unjaded, go ahead and buy the perfect dress and pressure your lover to find the perfect restaurant, or even better, the perfect romantic weekend getaway. And good luck with that!

I’ve found that it’s pretty easy to just create a bit of magic and enchantment at home, with simple objects, whimsical plating of food, candlelight, wine (optional) and a decadent dessert (essential).

For example, here is a salad Ken and I enjoy, made with roasted butternut squash, strawberries, shitake mushrooms and greens with a balsamic vinegar dressing. On the left, I cut a heart from the squash, and on the right, I arranged the salad in a heart. It’s a simple way to make him smile.

My poppy bowls are great for evoking romantic flair without being predictably Valentine-y:

On the left, layers of patterns in table linens and textured plates set off a whimsical arrow. On the right, a simple Modern Lace bowl with a single strawberry heart are a prelude to a romantic meal.

Love lives in the moments when two people are present to each other. If you have that, it only takes small gestures to celebrate Valentine’s Day. And some of my best VD days were spent with a wonderful friend, or my child, or one time when I set the table for myself, ate a nice meal, drank for 2, sang You’re So Vain while channeling Mick Jagger more times than I care to recall. I am glad to not be in my 20’s anymore. Because love before you get at least halfway jaded is exhausting.

All pottery pieces are available from Lee Wolfe Pottery.

More Valentine Cookies

2014-01-21T20:02:00.000-06:00

Here is another batch of my gluten free sugar cookies (recipe here).

I made royal Icing with Martha Stewart’s recipe here.

I used neon food coloring, adding it in increments, from pale pink to bright neon pink, and then used sanding sugar and colored sprinkles on some. You have to put the sprinkles on right after the icing is applied as it dries quickly. I piped the icing on as an outline and then spread about a teaspoon of icing inside to fill.

These are easy and delicious!

The White Minimalist platters are available at Lee Wolfe Pottery.

Gluten Free Valentine cookies

2014-01-19T12:12:00.001-06:00

I spent a chilly afternoon baking Valentine cookies with my girlfriends. What a fun way to bring out your inner 8 year old child! I originally thought we would just bake and cover them with sprinkles, but when the sprinkles failed to stick, I pulled out some lemon curd, berries, pink sparkle gel, candies, and sanding sugar and we got creative. This gluten free sugar cookie recipe is not overly sweet so you can add sugary toppings without turning them into a lump of corn syrup. Lemon curd also adds a tart balance. The cookies will keep up to 2 weeks in an airtight container but the fruit and lemon curd need to be eaten within a few hours or they lose their fresh look. So don’t decorate alone unless you have guests eminently coming!

The Modern Lace bowl, minimalist platter, and gray Poppy Bowl are available on Lee Wolfe Pottery

Ingredients:

For cookie crust:

1 C (2 sticks) butter, room temp

1 C sugar (I use organic)

1/2 t salt

1 egg

1 t real vanilla extract

3 C gluten free all purpose flour blend

toppings:

1 jar lemon curd, berries, whatever sprinkles or candies you like

In large bowl or Kitchen Aid, cream butter, sugar, and salt until creamy and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until batter is one consistency. Add flour a cup at a time beating on low until fully combined but don’t overbeat.

Pat into ball and into circle on floured board. Place in center of oiled 12” pizza pan, and press out to edges with a shallow lip on the rim. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees 7-12 min until golden brown on bottom. Remove from oven.

While crust is still warm, spread lemon curd over surface. Decorate as desired.For fruit decoration, sprinkle with sanding sugar and bake an additional 3 min.

Clay Club Olympics

2014-01-12T11:09:00.001-06:00

Once a month Clay Club meets at a designated potter’s studio in Western North Carolina. If my schedule, obsession with my own work, and introverted moodiness allow, I go and always enjoy meeting and hanging out with my claymates. This January was the second annual Clay Olympics, with categories such as Biggest Thrown Vessel, Blindfolded Throwing, and Ugliest Face Jug. It was definitely the most fun I’ve had I ages. Free spirited, creative and dirty… these are my people.

Tallest Thrown Vessel

Blindfolded Throwing

Team Throwing

I entered Ugliest Face Jug, where we had 8 minutes to decorate a pre-thrown jug. Here is my entry:

It was a tough competition with 20+ entries. I won 3rd place. The highlight was the experience of working side by side creatively with other potters. I want to do that more. Maybe I’ll take a class at Odyssey this year. I don’t have the temperament to work well with others but when it comes to play…. that’s easy.

Thank you, John Britt and Emily Reason, for creating and managing the NC ClayClub.

New Years Resolutions 2014

2014-01-01T16:48:00.000-06:00

Looking ahead to the new year, I’m going to explore the same themes in my pottery as in my personal life. This is no big insight or revelation to those who study the things that drive artists. No matter what we say our motives are, we also want to create something we don’t find in our life outside the studio. We are alchemists, magickians, philosophers, mad scientists, shamans intuitively calling forth objects that exist because our will, our vision, needed them to be.

For the last decade or so, I’ve worked on the symmetry of concentric shapes:

This past year I’ve been captivated by the negative space between vessels side by side. And isn’t it fascinating that the term for this is “negative space”? Since, coincidently, a lot of what sits between people as we get close to each other ain’t so harmonious. I wonder why that is. So this New Years Day, as I set intentions for the next spin around our sun, I choose to explore that gap of negative space. An old line from a Pink Floyd song played in my mind when I thought about it- “If I were a good man, I’d understand the spaces between friends.”

I think it will be an exciting and productive year ahead!

A Merry Little Christmas dinner party

2013-12-20T09:36:00.000-06:00

With my red dining room, Christmas decorating is easy! I like to set a simple table with neutral table linens and dinnerware so that the centerpieces on the table runner become a focal point. By keeping the arrangements low and using many candles, I’ve found that we can talk easily with everyone. For this table I gathered greenery from outside, focusing on aromatics like pine and lavender which is still green. I also gathered accents to spray gold. Here is my quick DIY:

Krylon metallic fast drying gold spray paint

leaves, pine cones, seed pods, dried flowers

Spray outside, wait 10 min, turn, spray backs. These accents can be used for many years. They also make a Yule/Christmas table transition into New Years with a few minor changes. Here are some I made this year:

Here are the Lee Wolfe Pottery pieces I used. Click image to see details:

You can find my recipe for the Gingerbread Cookies here- they are gluten free and wonderful.

I also used my totem animals. I enjoy making these for fun. They take a bit of time but really let you return to that magical time when you were 4 years old and a wolf could have neon eyes or a penguin chevron green wings.

With simple greens , candles, and handmade accent pieces, I’m ready for a few dinner parties and Christmas guests.

Have a merry little Christmas, Happy Yule, and dream big for a New Year!

Kiln load

2013-12-14T09:17:00.000-06:00

I had 9 orders that need to ship this weekend. Even though I have back up pieces for them all, I would much rather ship with a few days leeway, so I really wanted a good firing. I unloaded the kiln and was so happy to see a perfect, yes, PERFECT firing. Here it is, one layer at a time.

I have another load firing now that will be ready to unload Sunday morning, I hope the kiln gods smile on me once again. I love seeing new pots in the bright winter sunlight streaming in my windows. It’s a magical feeling. The pieces that were not preordered are for sale on my website Lee Wolfe Pottery and Etsy shop, OneClayBead.

Pumpkin Pie French Toast with Cranberry Relish – Gluten Free

2013-11-27T19:04:00.001-06:00

This turned out to be one of my best recipes of the year! We ate it for dinner and then had a second helping for dessert. I will serve it for brunch during the holidays. The trick to getting great French toast from gluten free bread is to whip the eggs until almost frothy, keep the eggy mix thick, and cook slowly. Adding pumpkin thickens the egg mix and also tastes incredible. If you don’t have time to make the relish, just whip up some of the best French toast ever!

My Cranberry Ginger relish recipe is here. Make this at least 4 hours in advance. It keeps for weeks. Well, theoretically it does. In our house it gets eaten up pretty quickly.

Pumpkin Pie French Toast with Cranberry Relish

serves 2

4 slices gluten free bread (or sourdough)

1 egg

1/2 C canned pumpkin

1/3 C milk

2 t pumpkin pie spice

2 t powdered sugar

butter for pan

Whip egg until almost frothy; blend it into 1 substance until the yolk and whites are all one. Stir in pumpkin, milk, spice, and sugar until smooth. On a hot griddle, add a pat of butter then reduce heat to medium high. Dip both sides of bread into eggy mixture, allowing it to soak in and leaving a nice coating on the outsides. Use a spatula to remove bread and place on the griddle. Cook both sides until golden brown, approx 3-5 min each side.

Place 2 slices of French Toast on a plate with a healthy dollop of cranberry relish in between. Add a dollop od relish on top. If you are really ambitious, you can top with sugared cranberries. But only if you are serving mimosas or another drink where your beautiful cranberries can be used as a garnish.

Well, it is Thanksgiving eve and I still have a pie to make. I unloaded a great kiln load today, so check out my adorable new Owl Bowls!

From our Thanksgiving table- Roasted Butternut Squash, Garlic and Onions puree

2013-11-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

The flavors of roasted root vegetables are intense and I can’t get enough of them! I’ve tweaked this roasted butternut squash recipe until it is absolute perfection. I also made it dairy free by using coconut milk which improved the taste even more. It’s not hard and you can’t get it wrong; just adjust the salt and pepper to your satisfaction at the end. I serve this in my 4 cup flower bowl for a pretty presentation.

Roasted Garlic, Onion and Butternut Squash puree

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1/2” cubes

1 whole garlic pod

2 med. onions, peeled, cut in wedges

2 T olive oil

1/2 C coconut milk

1 1/2 t thyme

toasted black walnuts (or other seeds) for garnish- optional

Wrap squash cubes drizzled in olive oil in aluminum foil packet. Cut top off garlic so that every clove is exposed, place on foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap into closed packet. Place onion wedges on foil, drizzle with oil, wrap into packet. Place all your packets on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for 50 min.

Remove squash and onions from packets and puree together in a food processor. Add roasted garlic by squeezing 9 of the cloves into processor. Save the extra cloves for another use. Add coconut milk, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. You may have to puree in batches and transfer to a larger bowl, in which case, just stir it all together and then add the salt and pepper. Serve hot. This can be made a day ahead and heated up before serving with garnish.

You can also make this into a soup: Put puree in a saucepan with 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock and heat.

You can make it into a pasta sauce by adding 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock.

If you have to serve a vegetable dish on Thanksgiving, this will hold its own.

Remember to count your blessings! I count you as one of the things I am grateful to have in my life. It’s a treat to find people who share my passion for tasty, wholesome food that is beautifully served.

Gluten free stuffed French toast

2013-11-20T11:39:00.001-06:00

I worked 18 hours yesterday. It’s probably crazy but it doesn’t feel like a long day to me, even though I was in my studio until 2:30 am. It feels like this moment, then this moment, then this moment. On Thursday I will be able to open the kiln and see what my long day produced. There are many preordered nesting bowl sets, and one new Modern Lace platter that I glazed in gray and chartreuse that I want to see.

This morning I made a wonderful French toast with gluten free bread. It is tricky because the gluten free breads are dense and don’t absorb the eggs as readily as wheat breads. I overcame this by soaking in a thick eggy mix, and using my old cast iron griddle. I stuffed this batch with peanut butter and jelly and it is about as perfectly tasty as any breakfast could be.

Gluten Free stuffed French toast

serves 2

1. In a small bowl, whip 2 eggs with 2 T lowfat milk. Substitute dairy free or water if lactose intolerant. Pour a depth of 1/4” into a plate with a deep lip. I used one of my salad plates, which are 7 1/2” D and worked perfectly. You want the egg mix to soak into the bottom of 1 slice of bread without touching the top.Soak 3-5 min.

2. While waiting for the bottom to soak, coat a separate slice of bread with peanut butter and jelly. Remove soaked bread and set atop the PB&J with the eggy side up. Pour 1/4” of eggy mix in the plate and use a spatula to transfer your sandwich onto the egg mix in order to soak the bottom. Cook on buttered griddle on medium high heat, approximately 3 min per side. Watch for the eggs to set, turning a golden brown.

I served mine with a pat of butter and maple syrup. Powdered sugar would be tasty, too.

I’ll be making this more often!

Thanksgivukah! Thanksgiving + Hanukkah

2013-11-13T09:13:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving and the first night of Hanukkah coincide for the first time in 125 years! Latkes and cranberry ginger relish, hey, what’s not to love about that? The food is easy since our Thanksgiving dinner is served early afternoon so we can waddle off for a hike afterwards. Hanukkah will be my homemade latkes, rustic applesauce, and an extra dollop of leftover cranberry relish on top, with the sour cream optional. I’ve always served gingerbread Hanukkah cookies for dessert. So the only problem left is how to set the table to morph easily from the riot of fall colors to the cool blue of Hanukkah. My solution is to go with showy white flowers, vases and candles, accent the rustic side of Thanksgiving décor, add gray as a transitional tone, and use blue for color pop. My husband made the new rustic menorah, which we will light fully for the afternoon meal, and reset for Hanukkah in the evening. Here are some style shots you can use to help style your own Thanksgivukah.

May we be forever grateful for the miracles of light that bless our lives with hope and abundance. Have fun setting your table! The pottery here is available at Lee Wolfe Pottery.

2013 Ornaments

2013-11-05T20:33:00.001-06:00

It’s a magical time of year! Here are some things to celebrate the holidays:

Click any image for shopping details.

Happy Halloween!

2013-10-31T16:49:00.001-05:00

I had to try these Halloween ghosts made with marshmallows from Martha Stewart!My first ones looked like neighborhood bullies had attacked a snowman with blowtorches. Eventually I made ones I like. Here are my tweaks to Martha’s ghosts. First of all, select only the roundest marshmallows. I made a bit of “glue” by microwaving a marshmallow for 10 sec, until it melted a bit and then used the sticky part to attach the parts. I also used an edible food coloring marker for the faces. Test it first because if you press too hard the ink blurs.

I also made a few place settings with my marshmallow ghosts, dried seed pods, candles, and mismatched plates and my River Journey bowls. Each setting becomes a bit comically spooky by using odd angles. My table centerpiece will be a simple arrangement of candles sitting on pods, dried leaves, plastic spiders, and white pumpkins painted with glow in the dark paint so they will glow. Here are some settings:

I love the one night when we let kids fly their freak flag, stay up to late, and eat too much candy. The laughter and excitement lives in our memories throughout adulthood. May the magic and freedom you felt as a child on Halloween carry your spirit aloft tonight!

Simple and natural holiday table

2013-10-26T13:22:00.001-05:00

My favorite meals are with a few people at a time, and I like an intimate setting that lets us all shed our worries, relax, and enjoy that exquisite pleasure of being appreciated. Without taking hours of time, I make a few welcoming arrangements of candles, flowers and pottery in my foyer, living room, and dining room. I like this a lot better than an over-the-top table runner packed with tall, intimidating objects so that you can’t see across the table. These look great when you are making them, but I’ve found that they aren’t truly inviting. No one feels comfortable being the only one who can’t recognize a Rookwood vase, or comment knowledgably on Japanese floral arrangements. I pull more precious objects out for large gatherings but for my small dinner parties, I like simple and natural. Like this:

Click on any pic here to see details or purchase. Hope you have some guests over soon!

The Moody Side of Autumn Beauty

2013-10-13T12:54:00.001-05:00

Before the magic show of turning leaves, autumn days have a soft foreboding quality that I find beautiful. The last roses bloom pale and their petals will drop soon. Full round pumpkins have hard shells to insulate against the coming chill. Preservation. Harvest. Gathering in.

It seems like we have so many seasons when we are young but as we age I’ve come to understand that the reason seasons repeat so continuously without variation is that the lesson to be learned is hard. Things change. Bodies change. Relationships change. All that is mortal is impermanent. If you are very, very blessed, you have stumbled upon what endures. I hope you have.

I took these shots at the Arboretum yesterday, where I laughed and felt lighthearted with my husband and daughter-in-law Hayley. Only later did it occur to me how somber the photos are that I took. Perhaps it is because I walked here so many times with my baby, with a group of small school children, with my husband when we were younger and newly in love. That’s the seasons; all that has passed. Our family, though it looks quite different, is still here. And the same gaiety I felt as a child myself at mums and pumpkins and twilight.

More Adventures in Photo Styling: Rustic Wood Planks

2013-10-12T09:24:00.001-05:00

I have found myself lately captivated by logs in our woodpile. There is so much recorded in the growth rings, the peculiar places where a branch emerges from the trunk, the darker striations of bark like wisdom lines in a human face. The shapes and textures inform my ceramic work at deep levels beyond a conscious choice to illustrate. There is just a delight and fascination in picking up each log that emerges with no effort at all in the organic shapes of my trays or the combed facets on mugs and vases.

I decided to use a rustic wood plank as a styling board, and went to Asheville Hardware to look through their selection of slab wood and reclaimed lumber. The selection is intoxicating! From beautiful slabs of maple, poplar, oak and cedar to reclaimed barn doors, vintage flooring, and bins of scrap wood to rummage in. Half a day later I selected a slab that my husband has lovingly hand sanded. It is not yet stained nor oiled but I’ve already begun shooting pottery on it. Plus planning several future purchases!

If you are planning to use rustic wood planks as a table centerpiece or styling board, look through the thinner slices because wood is pretty heavy. You can use the pieces that aren't as prized for tabletops and shelving because irregular shapes, holes, and knots are visually interesting. Personally I love love love the bark left on. You can spend as little as $10 for an unsanded piece that is quite wonderful, or as much as $600 for a finished piece of the same size and quality so you can save a bucketful with a bit of DIY. Also, Asheville Hardware’s prices were 1/3 of what I found on Ebay, so definitely visit them if you are in Asheville. Or hunt down a similar store selling rustic planks and reclaimed lumber.

Here are my initial results:

I want to thank my husband, my most incomparable love, for his help. Besides sanding my rustic board, Ken is the gardener whose flowers give life to my vases. He also dropped my off at the opening weekend of Trader Joes where a parking place was nonexistent and the traffic was slightly insane so I could buy the little squash and other food staging necessities. He then parked blocks away. I think I owe him a nice home cooked meal after I get done using it for my food styling!

Lemon Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Beets

2013-10-02T10:21:00.001-05:00

I recently stumbled upon a new type of artisan food shop specializing in flavored balsamic vinegars and olive oils. They are phenomenal! I made this simple, low fat, gluten and dairy free veggie dish in 30 min. Served in one of my flower bowls with brown rice, it was a perfect autumn evening meal.

Lemon Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Beets

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
1 large clove of fresh garlic (crushed/minced)
1 tbs lemon juice
1 large head of fresh cauliflower
3 fresh beets
zest of half a lemon
Kosher salt
2 t lemon balsamic vinegar
optional garnishes: chopped green onion tops, sesame seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix together oil, curry, garlic and lemon juice in a large bowl.
Cut florets off cauliflower, and put in bowl.
Cut beets into thin rounds.
Sprinkle in the lemon zest and mix to coat.
Spread the veggies on a cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with a few generous pinches of Kosher salt.
Place in oven to roast for 25 minutes (turn a couple times during roasting), or until cauliflower is soft and caramelized in spots.
Transfer to bowl, add balsamic vinegar and stir to coat
Top with garnishes as you like

Here is the vinegar and olive oil I used

And the flower bowls, in Autumn glazes

Enjoy!