An Off Week

Last week,that is,at Tel Hai,must have been,because today was a different story-everybody had a bit more snap in them,and I actually got to see some fired work-students are in the habit of squirrelling away pieces straight from the kiln,perhaps not realising the importance of getting critique while the work is still fresh in their minds.Also,as a teacher,it's very hard to get into a student's flow if you don't see fired results.Demonstrated pitchers for first year students (with the Mick Casson/Harrow school pulled lip)and a rectangular lidded container in the style of Joanne and Andrew Young,excellent British functional potters who seem to have disappeared from the scene of late.I brought in a few exemplary pots from the kitchen-David Leach,Caroline Wyman,the Youngs,Antony Phillips,and a commemorative mug featuring Prince Charles with a large ear as its handle.Then to Sydney's for some more work on the kiln,and a celabratory dinner at the new kosher restaurant at Beit Dubrovin in honour of Gilad's birthday:he's on an overdue week's leave from the army.
Not a lot of work is getting done in the studio,with all this gadding about,and prospects are for more of the same-next week is Tel Hai's anagama firing,followed by a workshop on handles,Raanana pottery fair,end-of-year crit at Tel Hai,maybe a trip to Paros with Meir to see his teacher,Paul Chayleff,give a workshop on pithoi (you know what those are,right?)together with Julian Stair,one of my favourite English contemporary potters,and then-Barcelona!That takes us up to mid July,when,if the country isn't going up in flames,we are promised hordes of ravenous tourists.Whether we shall have pots to sell them remains to be seen.At least I don't have any outstanding orders,apart from a cake-plate,which I have made but am somewhat hesitant to fire,being less than confident in its structural integrity.
Thank you to the reader who sent me the address of Chabad in Barcelona-yashar kochecha!