Stone Forest Pottery Blog

Siena

2009-10-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Gothic architecture on the side of the duomo.

How do you make a gargoyle to wrap around a corner...hmmm...

Top of the duomo.

Majolica shops are everywhere in Italy.

Down a side alley in Siena... the stall where one of the contradas keeps its prized horse during the race. Someone stays with the animal 24/7 for the week before the race, to protect it from any suspicious activity.

In the main piazza where the annual horse race takes place.

The floor of the cathedral...just the floor...overall it is very overwhelming. Very rich. The floor is uncovered only once a year for viewing.

In the duomo.

The main duomo, or cathefral.

The duomo.

Last year's horse race winners...

Went to the town of Siena on Friday. This was our least favorite trip. The city has good architecture and history, but it is very urban and crowded, and there was very little time to actually see or do anything. It was a rushed trip.

Sienna is known for its annual horse race, a competition between local neighborhoods or contradas. Each contrada sponsors a horse and rider, and about ten to thirteen competitors run three (?) laps around the main piazza in the center of town. The riders must ride bareback and it is very treacherous. If a rider falls off, but his horse continues to the finish line, the contrada still wins. It is the horse the wins the race, riderless or not. This is a frenzied and highly competitive event... I don't think even the Packers and the Vikings have a greater rivalry.

The floor of the main duomo (cathedral) is uncovered only once a year for viewing, and we were lucky enough to see it. The duomo is extremely awe-inspiring...grandiose. Very beautiful, very Rennaissance, very midieval. It is dark inside...they were not yet into large stained glass windows. Built around 1250.

Rome

2009-10-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

In the New Palace, now a museum. It was built following Micaelangelo's design.

Excavated cobblestone streets among the ruins.

Colums are everywhere.

Sunset at the tomb of the unknown soldier in center city.

Base of the column that marks the center of the city.

Column marking the center of the city. I think.

Hey, I got on the computer at the hotel for a few minutes. We are in Rome now, having successfully navigated the bus, train, and taxi to get to a real room with a real bathtub. This is a luxury. We will sleep in tomorrow and then go to see the main sights...the coliseum, the Spanish steps, perhaps St. Peter's basilica (with Michealangelo's painted ceiling) and the Vatican in the distance. We were told not to go to some areas because of "the mafia"...seriously. And to watch out for pickpockets, which is evidently a huge problem.

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this whole time...just on the verge of autumn and sunny. Looking forward to having a great final couple of days. Home on Monday. Please be safe and use the contacts we sent today via email if you need us.

Love to all,

mom/teresa

Village of Volterra

2009-10-02T03:20:00.000-07:00

Volterra was our favorite town to visit. It is more rural than any others, surrounded by agriculture and farmlands. It is way up on top of a hill and takes quite a bit of stair climbing. Alabaster is one of their main products and little shops and artisans that deal in the making of alabaster ornaments are everywhere. Very, very quaint, quiet, and unspoiled. Ancient. It started out sunny, but a small thunderstorm came through just before noon. We ducked into a small trattoria in an alley way and enjoyed a lovely and romantic lunch while it drizzled and thundered outside. The food was awesome. A wonderful day spent here.

Steps leading up to the village on a rainy afternoon.

Beauty in imperfection...

Volterra horizon from the upper story of the Etruscan museum in the village

Candles lit in the side chapel of the church of St. Francis. In the reflection it looks like they are coming from the Body.

Statue of St. Francis.

Interior of the Church of St. Francis.

The Church of St. Francis, built around 1270 and connected to a Franciscan monastery built around 1220

Old and new.

Inside the main duomo (cathedral)

Inside the main duomo.

Main duomo.

A lantern hanger inside the palace.

The amphitheatre that excavated at the edge of the town.

Yesterday we saw the little town of Volterra, the most perfectly preserved midieval town we have seen yet. Less tourists, absolutely stunning architecture and history. Toured another Etruscan museum and some cathedrals.
The best for me was going into a small church on the far side of town, away from all the tourist traffic. No one around. This church was established in 1270 by the Franciscan friars, attached to a Franciscan monastery that was built in 1200 to 1220 while St. Francis was still alive. He was there and visited. Bob and I went inside and viewed the fading frescoes, the sunlight coming through the windows and falling softly on the altar and huge paintings. On one side was a tiny room with statues of Mary, the body of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene at the crucifixion. I lit two candles...one for Mom and one for Cynthia, and prayed for a few minutes. The church was completely empty and silent... A roll of thunder tumbled slowly through the sky, and it began to rain.
It was magical. I wish you all were there with me.
love you all, see you next week. Cant call or email after this... happy birthday Ben!!!! I love you sooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love,
mom

Second Visit to Florence

2009-09-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

Monday we re-visited Firenze (Florence) to see the Ufizi, a national museum of art. Here are housed some of the greatest collections of Gothic, Rennaissance and Florentine art in the world. It was filled with many, many religious paintings and Roman sculptures by some of the most famous artists in history, including Botticelli, Michealangelo, and DaVinci. . Incredibly, you are able to stand within a foot or two of priceless paintings, the most valuable of which are protected behind thick walls of glass. But you can see them clearly, close enough to touch. No photos are allowed inside so I can’t show it to you. It was striking to think that at one time the work of artists was valued as a commodity like gold and silver. But artwork is not a “thing”…it is a person’s soul. And yet many of these sculptures, statues and paintings don’t even bear a name of the creator. We viewed Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus “, Michealangelo’s “The Holy Family”, and DaVinci’s “The Annunciation”. The sun came through the windows just right, and I stood leaning over inches away from DaVinci’s work…. I have seen the very brush strokes of his hand. I was in tears.

Potting

2009-09-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Potting
Monday was spent glazing our pieces and learning about the specialized process and chemistry of “carbon trapping” in Shino glazes. This process (if we are lucky) involves filling the kiln with black smoke early in the firing, and then trapping that smoke marking in the glaze body and sealing it over with a higher firing temperature. It is fickle and tricky, so nothing may work. Each firing is unique. We will see on Wednesday how it turned out and then spend another afternoon glazing a second kiln load. Some pictures of our studio:

Assistants Lucca and Jean Lucca loading the kiln. They are so sweet and cute...

Malcolm Davis, "the king", lecturing on pots and glazes.

The dining room where we have lunch...beautiful view of the countryside.

The coffee break area... coffee breaks are at 10:30 am and 5:00 pm...a little espresso and cookies.

The studio turned into a banquet for the evening. An Italian tenor and wonderful guitar player came in to serenade us and there was a fantastic spread of food... and wine from the local vineyards. Lots of wine! We got happy. :)

Visit to Chiusi

2009-09-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

Visit to Chiusi

(photos: street in Chiusi and rosemary growing over the town wall)

On Sunday we went to visit the small midieval town of Chiusi, south towards Rome. Along with more spectacular architecture and antiquity, we had the opportunity to tour some catacombss and the national Etruscan museum.
The catacombs were built/excavated during the time that the Christians were persecuted during the Roman era (estimated to be around 300 – 400 AD).

At first they were probably begun as a single set of burial sites for a noble family, because the Romans demanded cremation for funerals and the Christians wanted to bury the bodies underground to wait for the resurrection. When the Romans began to persecute the Christians, the area was excavated to include burial sites for others in the community and also an area was hollowed out to serve as a

church for secret worship service

It was also used to hide people during the Roman era, and again during WWII. It is dank and damp, with many, many coffin-like graves and Latin writings carved into the stones. There are a few bones still lying around and still bodies down there. Tunnels go out in several directions. I just felt a great weight of sadness when I was down there.
The Etruscan museum was awesome… It was filled with pottery and bronze relics from 1500 BC through Roman times. The pottery floored me… to see the same forms and types of decorations that I do myself, with the marks of hands across thousands of years… the most vital of all items to tell us about history and the lives of other cultures. I could barely tear myself away. I was entranced. I also got some great handle and form ideas that I can apply to my work to reference the ancient styles.

Photos of Our House and Area

2009-09-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

Secret sitting spot on the back side of the house...

Picking grapes by hand in the field next door...

Old side door to the cellar on the side of the house...

View from the dining room...

Entrance area to the dining hall...

Visiting Certaldo Alto

2009-09-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we took a trip to the old town of Certaldo Alto. This is the oldest part of the nearby little village, that is up on the hilltop ("alto", high). We had a great time exploring the scenic streets and took in an exhibit of ceramic art in the town square.

While we were there, we saw a local wedding with some very stylish guests in a beautiful setting. Had to take a few photos. I know Anna will appreciate "the hat".

Again there were ancient frescoes and architecture, friendly locals and the feeling of timeless beauty. Great food at a local trattoria.

Visit to San Gimignano

2009-09-25T05:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we visited the nearby town of San Gimignano, a midevial village that has been preserved as it was around the 12th century. We were told that when the black plague ran through the countryside, the village was decimated and deserted, which in part was responsible for it being left out of the progress of arts and culture, which actually saved it from change.

We toured the duomo (cathedral), and saw the most overwhelming interior of original frescoes and architecture... the artwork and the sheer splendor and quantity of work is stunning. No photos are allowed, but you can probably look it up on the internet to get an idea of what we viewed. There are a few frescoes in outer courtyards that somehow have endured for several hundred years without completely fading out. Perhaps some of them have been restored a few times. I have a photo to include of a plaza area that has the original 11th century stonework, frescoes and a water well, all still intact. You can envision the knights and peasants passing through.

There are towers througout the town that are several stories high.... In the 1300's, wealthy families wanted to express their prosperity, and since they could not build "out" into the town space, they built "up"! The wealthier the family, the taller the tower. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to climb all those steep and narrow staircases in rennaisance clothing. Each level was basically one room. We went up to the top of the tallest, the Great Tower, and had breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. What struck me most was the lack of highways and cities... I can't think of anywhere in the US that you could see so far without seeing a four-lane highway somewhere nearby. Except perhaps for Mt. Rainier or other mountain tops.

We had the most drop-dead wonderful gelllato in a little shop... Deep chocolate, coconut, and raspberry with rosemary. Oh my gosh! They also had gorgonzola, nut flavors, and melon flavors...all kinds of stuff.

Today in the studio we are winding down our "making" phase and everything has to be dried and ready to bisque by Saturday. I have made several small teapots and olive oil cruets, hoping to bring them home. I purchased several bottles of local award-winning olive oil today. Bob took a ride to the neaby market about an hour ago and is picking up some breads, cheeses, fruits and such for next week's breakfast and snacks.

We have had the most wonderful lunches every day from the studio's resident chef. Today was a tiny type of gnocchi tossed in freshly made basil pesto with pine nuts; a roll of roasted turkey breast stuffed with zucchinni, egg, prosciutto, and cheeses; fresh green beans roasted with potatoes and carrots; and for desert an apple tort in lemon curd with phyllo crust. And of course all the local wine, red and white, that you want. And espresso to finish.

Ahh.... it is a difficult working vacation, but we are hanging in there. :)

Pictures of Tuscan countryside

2009-09-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the countryside where we are staying.

Blossoming Tuscany

2009-09-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

We are having a great time in the Tuscan countryside!! We are staying in a farmhouse that is over 300 years old, just up the road from the studio. When they were renovating the house many years ago they felt a soft spot under the flooring and looked to find an Etruscan tomb directly beneath the house that was a couple thousand years old

Several students are staying at this lovely home, and it is a blast.

Our room is on the very top floor, with beautiful views of the countryside!

The end of summer here was rainy, and has delayed the grape harvest. They are just now beginning to pick them, mostly by hand. There are vineyards and olive orchards everywhere, with a few pastures in between. This is definitely farm country and is very beautiful. It is quiet...in the mornings we wake to a distant rooster crowing, and the crickets sing loudly at night. Last evening several of us sat before the big open fireplace after supper and sipped local wines while we enjoyed the fire. We had a special cooking demonstration by one of our hosts' family, and we had an olive oil tasting. An olive oil from "two hills over" won a world class award this year! I will bring some of it home

Tuscany!

2009-09-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

OH!!!! MY!!!! GAWD!!!!
There are no words.... I am floored by the beauty of this place! I wish that every one of you were here with me to experience it... that is the only thing that could possibly make it any better.
I'll start with some photos from Florence, where we began the adventure. We spent most of the day on Sunday walking through the city and trying our best to drink it all in. There are lots of tourists. Still, it is difficult to order a meal in a ristorante if you don't have a smattering of Italian. However, they are patient.
Words to describe Florence: Sundrenched....terre cotta roofs....antiquity....gardens...crowded....narrow streets....street markets....old, old, old. Some of the buildings here are easily 500 years old or more. Standing before huge stone fortresses and buildings with fading frescoes, you can imagine the knights riding past and the hear the bustle of the market.
I'll post here a few photos of the Duomo (cathedral), built in the 11th to 15th century, the old city wall, and the replica of David that stands in the Michaelangelo plaza on a hill overlooking the city. We will go back to Florence the day before we leave, and spend more time exploring...Happily! You could spend a week here and not regret it. I believe it is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it deserves it. I will add my sentiments to some graffiti I saw written on a wall near the Michaelangelo piazza.... "Look after my heart. I have left it with you."

Next I will be posting some photos of the villa where we are staying during the workshop. We are in a farmhouse that is over 300 years old.... you would not believe it.... the grapes are hanging heavy in the vineyards and the olives are ripening in the orchards... last evening we watched a thunderstorm roll in across the hills and shared a glass of very good chianti. Holy cow.

Love you all,

mom/teresa