Spotting yellow arrows becomes a critical skill when walking the Camino. I learned this quickly when I recently walked my first Camino de Santiago, or the Way of Saint James as it’s known in English.
Greetings from Portugal! My husband and I are visiting this beautiful country for a few weeks.
Lace, more specifically bobbin lace, is probably not something most people associate with Portugal. I had no idea either until I stumbled across this connection while researching for our trip. Whenever possible, I like to search out bloggers from my destination to get the inside scoop. That’s where I learned about Portugal’s bobbin lace. Then I discovered Vila do Conde in the northern part of the country‒a place I was already scheduled to visit‒is the primary center for bobbin lace. Clearly this was meant to be!
So on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I found myself awestruck in the small Museu das Rendas de Bilros (Museum of Bobbin Lace) in Vila do Conde, Portugal. It’s a small museum but the exhibits were well-displayed and presented with care. The lace was beautiful–intricate detailed designs executed in precise perfection. Here are some examples.
But here’s the kicker! This lace is made by crossing and twisting together dozens of strands of thread. The thread is wound onto individual wooden bobbins. The lacemaker works on a padded surface, like a firm pillow, and pins the pattern to the pillow. The setup looks like this.
The bobbins are then manipulated to cross and twist the thread into the pattern. Small pins are inserted to keep the wound thread in place.
It seems miraculous that this fine lace is the result. Conceptually, it sounds doable. But in reality, how the heck does anyone keep track of hundreds of bobbins that all look exactly the same? I examined the works-in-progress on display and could find no rhyme or reason to it. No numbers or color coding-no differentiation at all-every bobbin looked exactly the same. And there were literally hundreds of bobbins on a single project. Here’s an example of a work in progress that I studied with care.
Unfortunately there was no one at the museum that afternoon able to answer my questions. I did find this helpful diagram in the Portuguese book Rendas de Bilros de Vila do Conde. It shows the basic pattern at the mid-point (Meio-Ponto) and at the full return (Volta).
So I did a little online research after the fact. Turns out the lacemaker does indeed work the bobbins in a very specific sequence. On the YouTube video I saw (see More Info below), the lacemaker explained the bobbins are always worked in pairs. She used color coded beads on the end of her bobbins as a reminder of which bobbins were paired. She explained that bobbin lace is worked in either whole or half stitches. This means the lacemaker is consciously moving bobbin2 over bobbin1, bobbin3 over bobbin 4, and so on. She was very careful to keep her bobbins organized in sequential order on her pillow. But she only had 20 or so bobbins-not hundreds like the projects I saw.
There are numerous bobbin lace designs. The designs are sketched on paper patterns. Here’s an example of a pattern called “Braid” and the resulting lace from the Rendas de Bilros de Vila do Conde book. The piece of actual bobbin lace along the top is a bookmark I purchased. Pretty cool, right?
Another cool thing is the world’s largest piece of bobbin lace which is displayed in the museum. A group of Vila do Conde residents got together in 2015 and pieced together 437 30×30 square centimeter pieces of bobbin lace to create a 53,262 square meter masterpiece. The folks from Guinness World Records verified it as the world’s largest piece of bobbin lace and awarded the Vila do Conde team the world record. The award and the enormous piece of bobbin lace are on display for all to enjoy. It’s displayed in a life size tunnel so you can enjoy bobbin lace on all sides as you walk through.
Definitely not something you see every day!
I was impressed that the world record team included 3 generations of lace makers‒grandmothers, mothers and daughters. Of course, as the carriers of the torch for this traditional art, it’s not surprising to see the grandmothers leading the charge. Fortunately they are not the only ones, various governing bodies and arts associations in Vila do Conte are already working to pass down this traditional art to the next generations. To this end, they have established a lace making school where children and adults can go to learn lacemaking for free. Local master lacemakers teach the participants with a goal of helping to preserve this unique skill. Interestingly, this is not the first time Vila do Conde has sponsored a lace school. Back in 1919, the original Bobbin Lace School was founded in the city. Here’s a fun photo from that early school.
There’s even a Lacemaker Monument to pay tribute to the Vila do Conde women who have preserved the art of bobbin lace. The statue, created by Ilídio Fontes and Claudio Ricca, is found on Cais das Lavandeiras along the river in Vila do Conde.
I’m so pleased I discovered Vila do Conde’s rich heritage of bobbin lace and had a chance to visit the Museu das Rendas de Bilros.
More Info
The two blogs I consulted before our trip to Portugal are A Portuguese Affair and Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal. Both were packed with insider information.
To learn more about the Bobbin Lace Museum in Vila do Conde, check the Porto and North website or the Vila do Conde website.
The YouTube video I found helpful was Video #84 Beginner Bobbin Lace Tutorial by Red Cardinal Crafts.
I was so inspired by my recent trip to Portugal that I wrote a series of blog posts about what I learned and experienced. Check out:
. Tied in Knots in Portugal (this post).
. Following the Yellow Arrows which recaps my first 110+ km Camino walk.
. Making Curls and Swirls with a Filigree Master about my experience making a traditional Portuguese filigree heart.
. Talk About Tiles! which features the beautiful tiles (azulejos) so prevalent in Portugal.
. Lavish Lalique in Lisbon which looks at the René Lalique Collection of Art Nouveau jewelry at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.
. Lines and Patterns in Wrought Iron shares a variety of wrought iron designs spotted in Portugal.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Local bloggers often provide unique insights into a travel destination.
2. Consider delving into the handmade traditions of the place you plan to visit.
3. Think about supporting local artists and art organizations when travelling.
People have been creating mandalas for thousands of years. The earliest evidence of mandala art dates to the first century B.C. Nowadays, mandala designs can be found in countless forms‒everything from t-shirts to street art murals, from tattoos to cake decorations, from garden pebbles to dinnerware. The word mandala comes from Sanskrit and means “circle”. Indeed, the circle is what gives the mandala its signature symmetry‒that perfect repetition of design elements and the radiating pattern flow. This balance of visual elements has a universal appeal.
In her book Joyful, author Ingrid Fetell Lee notes that “A love of symmetry is one of the best-studied human aesthetic preferences. … One reason we love symmetry may be that it is an outward symbol of inner harmony.” Check out the posts Joy Spotting and My Top 3 Nonfiction Reads for 2018 to learn more about how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood.
Mandalas have come to symbolize unity and harmony. In some cultures, the mandala also represents cosmic and psychic order and is used in meditation practices and sacred rites. While in other cultures, mandalas are simply treasured for their joyful beauty.
As I started to consider designs for my latest mosaic project, the mandala’s symmetry sparked an idea. I wanted to replace the cheap, boring metal frame from an oval mirror we had in our Half Bathroom. The mirror itself has a pleasing shape and fits perfectly above the pedestal sink. If you follow this blog, you’ll know I’ve been on a mosaic kick lately and had some success making mosaic mirror frames for our Master Bathroom (see Pair of Mosaic Mirrors Completed).
I wondered if it would be possible to create a mandala-like design out of mosaic to frame the oval mirror. The challenge was figuring out how to apply a round design to an oval shape. In a mandala’s circular design, the curve is consistent and all the elements are identical around the circle. On an oval, however, the curve is inconsistent and the shape of the elements has to be adjusted to match that curve. Since I planned to use stained glass for my mirror frame, I also had to ensure the design elements were self-contained and of a manageable size. There are numerous online tutorials and videos on designing mandalas which I used as a starting point. After some experimentation, I found a way to adapt the standard mandala-making techniques to my oval shape. This is the finished mandala-inspired mirror frame.
Here’s how I created the design. The first step was to remove the old frame from the mirror and determine the size of the new frame. Our Half Bathroom is small so there was wasn’t much clearance around the mirror. I decided to make the new frame 4 ½” wide. Using a piece of blank paper slightly larger than the outside of the desired mirror frame, I traced around the oval mirror in the center of the paper.
Note my approach is admittedly old school‒I used paper, pencil and scissors to create this design. I’m sure professional designers would create this design more easily using some type of design software like Adobe Draw.
Next I folded and creased the paper to divide the oval into 16 equal slices. The first fold marked the horizontal center of the oval. The second fold marked the vertical center of the oval. And so on until the oval was folded into sixteenths. Then I unfolded the paper and used a pencil and ruler to clearly mark the crease lines all the way to the edges of the paper. I divided the slices one last time, but this time by measuring and marking instead of folding, which resulted in 32 equal slices.
To mark the outside edge of the new frame, I measured 4 ½” from the oval along each line. Then the real fun began! I printed a few mandala designs I’d found online for inspiration. I also found a simple black and white mandala design in a coloring book. I marked it up into slices and used it for reference in creating my own design. My design was drawn on only one quarter of the oval. I built it up, one round at a time, as I sketched and repeated small shapes. Each shape covers two slices as shown in the below photo. I found it easiest to use paper to sketch, mirror and cut the shapes. 
All the pieces were numbered and traced onto the paper.
After I was happy with the outcome, I used a copier to make 3 copies of the quarter-oval design‒2 copies were mirror images and 1 was an exact replica. I had to tinker with the copies, cutting and taping them together, because the copy paper was so much smaller than my mirror frame. In hindsight, it would have been much easier to simply have a copy shop make the copies. But I persevered and it worked out in the end. Here’s how my full pattern looked.
Knowing I’d be making the mosaic from stained glass, I made a second version of the full design and cut it into pattern pieces. The cut lines were drawn wide and carefully removed to ensure enough space for grout between the pieces.
A backing for the new mirror frame was made by tracing the outline of the pattern onto a piece of MDF and cutting it to shape. Here is the backing with the oval mirror and the original section of the pattern.
Then it was time to select the glass for the design‒my favorite step in the process!
The individual pattern pieces were used to cut each piece of glass. Some thought goes into optimizing the cuts so I don’t waste glass. Here’s a section ready to cut.
In this photo, the glass pieces are starting to build up around the oval mirror and the mandala-inspired design has become visible.
The rest of the process is pretty much the same as explained in Pair of Mosaic Mirrors Completed. And, finally, here’s how our new mandala-inspired oval mosaic mirror looks in the Half Bathroom. It adds some much-needed life and energy to this space–so much so that I really need to upgrade the rest of the room. And so it goes…
More Info
To learn more about mosaics, check out my posts Learning from the Ancient Masters and Gaudi’s Trencadis Mosaics. To see other mosaic projects I’ve taken on in the last few months, see Pair of Mosaic Mirrors Completed and DIY Turkish Mosaic Candle Holder Tutorial.
Check out the posts Joy Spotting and My Top 3 Nonfiction Reads for 2018 to learn more about Ingrid Fetell Lee’s book Joyful.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Traditional designs and classic motifs can inspire contemporary art making.
2. Consider re-purposing existing accessories or home decor items.
3. When uncertain how to approach a design or technique, keep it simple and just experiment.
Have you ever noticed those brightly colored, glass mosaic lampshades from the Middle East? The kind where dozens of small pieces of glass create interesting patterns and the light casts a rainbow of colors?
I purchased a few Turkish mosaic candle holders while visiting Istanbul. The candlelight really makes the design stand out.
Surprisingly, they are equally stunning in the sunshine.
This was the perfect small project to attempt while I was in mosaic-making mode. My studio was already set up for glass cutting and mosaic making. I’ve been happily puzzling together little pieces of glass and tiles for a number of projects (see Pair of Mosaic Mirrors Completed). But you don’t need to be mosaic-crazy, or ever have made a mosaic, to make one of these beauties. My Istanbul souvenirs served as my inspiration and “go-by models”. Turns out, this is a very doable DIY project. At a high level, you cut some glass diamonds and glue them to a glass globe. Then finish off by grouting the surface. But let me get more specific and fill in all the fun details. Today’s post provides easy, step-by-step instructions to make your very own Turkish Mosaic Candle Holder.
Supplies Needed
The supplies needed for this project are not extensive—everything is spelled out below the photo.
Glass Globe: A clear glass bowl measuring 3.9” x 4.9”. I used one made by Libbey Glass and purchased from the Dollar Tree in their candle section. There was a smaller size available as well. This glass globe cost only a dollar.
Colored Glass: A piece of stained glass measuring approximately 8 ½” x 2” should yield the 50 colored-glass diamonds required. I used a transparent, brilliant orange.
Clear Glass: A piece of glass measuring approximately 8 ½” x 1 ½” should yield the 42 clear-glass diamonds required. You re-purpose clear glass from a picture frame, window or the like, just ensure the clear glass is the same thickness as the colored glass (typically ⅛“).
Beads: Approximately 6 oz of 6/0 glass seed beads. I mixed together 3 colors, S/L Gold, Crystal Luster and Tortoise Rainbow from Bead Treasures.
Beading Thread: Approximately 5’ of beading or other heavy duty thread.
Paper: Several long, narrow strips of scrap paper.
Thin Cardboard: A thin strip of cardboard (such as a manila folder) approximately 1” x 9”.
Rubber Bands: 3 wide rubber bands.
Silicone: A tube of GE Silicone 2*+; Clear; 100% Silicone For Window, Door, Attic and Basement.
Grout: There are many types of grout available. I used Jennifer’s Mosaics Indoor/Outdoor Powdered Grout in white.
Grout Sealer: Sealer for grout and tiles. I used Custom Building Products brand from the local home improvement store.
Tools Needed
China Marker/ Wax Pencil/ Marker: To mark glass.
Glass Cutter: To score the glass.
Running Pliers: To run the glass scores and break the glass.
Beading Needle: To string the beads on the beading thread.
Scissors: To cut paper and thread.
Globe Holder: A round bowl, cup or container to hold the glass globe so it will be easier to position and maneuver. The globe holder should have an opening slightly smaller than the globe so the globe will sit on it snugly. The globe holder should be heavy enough so it doesn’t tip over.
Craft Stick: A wooden craft stick (aka popsicle stick) to spread silicone on the glass globe.
Plastic Lid: A plastic lid from a disposable food container (such as yogurt) to hold the silicone.
Caulk Gun: To dispense silicone from the tube.
Beading Bowl: To hold and catch loose beads when gluing them into place. Look for a bowl, tub or container about 3-5” larger than the glass globe.
Spoon: To scoop beads. Any plastic or other inexpensive spoon will work.
Knife: To trim and clean off excess silicone. An X-Acto or other small, utility knife will work.
Bowl: To mix grout. Disposable is best.
Stir Stick: To mix grout.
Cotton Rags: To remove excess grout. Old cotton t-shirts are ideal.
Bucket: To hold water when grouting.
Spatula: To spread and scrape grout. Any plastic spreader or spatula will work.
Safety Equipment including Safety Glasses, Gloves and Mask.
Instructions for Turkish Mosaic Candle Holder
Preparations
Step 1 Mark Horizontal Center Find horizontal center of the glass globe.
TIP: An easy way to find the center of the curved surface is to use a narrow strip of paper (approximately 1” x 6”). Align one end of the strip with the top edge of the globe. Smooth the paper over the surface of the globe to the bottom edge. Fold the paper in alignment with the bottom edge of the globe. Trim the paper at this fold. Fold resulting strip in half to find center. Use this folded score line to mark center on globe.
Use china marker to mark dashes along horizontal center on outside of globe. Trace same dashes on inside of globe. Remove dashes from outside of globe.
Step 2 Mark Vertical Quadrants Measure the circumference of the globe along the horizontal center using a strip of paper (approximately 1” x 20”) as noted in the tip above. Fold strip into halves and quarters. Use the folded score lines to mark the 4 quadrants across the horizontal center line.
Step 3 Prepare Diamond Template Use a strip of thin cardboard (such as a manila folder) approximately 1” x 9”. Mark ½” increments along one long edge. On the other long edge, measure ¼” from end and mark. Mark ½” increments from the ¼” mark. See photo in Step 4. This provides a simple template for measuring and marking the glass.
Cut and Prepare Pieces
CAUTION: Please be careful! You’ll be working with glass. Edges are sharp. Shards may fly. Wear proper safety equipment including safety glasses and gloves.
TIP: If you’ve never cut glass or need a refresher, there are lots of great online videos and instructions available. I thought the video from Delphi Glass (see More Info below) was quite helpful. Please take the time to do some practice cuts and get comfortable with these techniques before proceeding.
Step 4 Cut Glass Diamonds Cut approximately 34” of ½” strips of colored glass. You can see the transparent, brilliant orange glass I used in the photo below. Cut approximately 26” of ½” strips of clear glass. Using the diamond template (from Step 3), mark increments along the sides of the glass strips. Join the marks to create diamonds. It should look like this:
Cut the diamonds. You will need 50 colored glass diamonds and 42 clear glass diamonds. This includes a few extra to make fitting easier.
Step 5 String Beads A row of beads will be glued to the top and bottom of the glass globe to give the edges a nice, clean finish. Measure the top edge of the globe using a strip of paper as described in Step 1. Simply hold the paper along the top edge and crease the paper where it meets. Use the beading needle and beading thread to string a row of beads to the required length. Double check the length by holding the strung beads against the globe edge. Adjust, as needed. Carefully knot the end and tie off.
Repeat the same steps for the bottom edge of the globe.
Assembly
Step 6 Place Rubber Bands Slip rubber bands around the glass globe to serve as guidelines for gluing. Use 3 rubber bands‒2 will be placed vertically and 1 will be placed horizontally. Start with one of the vertical bands aligning it midway between two of the vertical quadrant markings (from Step 2). The idea is to leave the actual vertical markings free for gluing. Repeat with the second vertical band. The bands will cross at the center of the top and the bottom. Slip on the third rubber band horizontally aligning the band’s top edge with the horizontal markings (from Step 1). The globe should look like this.
Step 7 Lay Out Glass Pieces On a clear, flat working surface, lay out six colored glass diamonds in a star shape. Take care to find pieces that fit well together. Surround this first round, with a circle of clear glass diamonds matching and aligning edges. Finally, lay out colored glass diamonds at the six points of the star. The stars should look like this.
Lay out the side borders in a similar fashion. Start the side border with a row of 4 colored diamonds touching point to point. Add a row of 3 clear glass diamonds above and below.
Lay out 4 sets of 3 colored diamonds for the half stars.
Step 8 Adhere Star Centers Get ready to glue the glass pieces by setting up a work area. Set the glass globe in the globe holder so it’s slightly elevated and one side is facing up. You can see the plastic cup I used to hold the globe in the photo below. This wasn’t ideal, however, because it tipped over. I replaced the plastic cup with a round cardboard container. Have the craft stick and plastic lid ready. Open the silicone using the handy cutter and pick on the caulk gun.
TIP: Don’t forget to break the foil seal on the silicone tube BEFORE squeezing the caulk gun trigger. It creates a miserable mess if the bottom of the tube breaks and the silicone spreads all over the caulk gun. Ask me how I know!
Squeeze a small mound of silicone onto the plastic lid. Start with the top 3 colored diamonds in the center of one of the stars. The center point of the star will be positioned where the horizontal and vertical center lines cross. Use the wooden stick to pick up some silicone and cover the target spot for the first diamond. Try to apply a thin, even layer of silicone without bubbles or gaps. Put the first colored diamond into position. Use the edge of the rubber band for horizontal alignment. Repeat the process for the other 2 colored diamonds in the star center. Place only these 3 diamonds at this time.
Turn the globe around in the globe holder taking care not to disturb the glass diamonds already glued. The second star will be positioned opposite the first star. Repeat the process with the first 3 diamonds of the second star center.
Remove any excess silicone. I found scooping up extra silicone with a piece of scrap paper folded into a “V” was surprisingly effective. Allow the silicone to dry. According to the directions on the container, the sealant will be tack-free in 30 minutes but then it goes on to say “Do not touch or clean caulk for 24 hours.” The idea is to get these starting pieces solidly in place so they can form a foundation for the rest of the pieces. I played it safe and waited until the next day to proceed.
Step 9 Adhere Stars Remove the rubber bands. Use the same techniques as in Step 8 to adhere the rest of the glass diamonds for the 2 stars. Start at the center of the star, carefully positioning and gluing all the glass diamonds in place. As before, take care not to disturb the first star when turning and re-positioning the globe to work on the second star.
Step 10 Adhere Side Borders Starting at the center, align a colored diamond with the cross point of the horizontal and vertical center lines. Glue remaining 3 colored diamonds for the center row. Repeat on opposite side taking care not to disturb the diamonds already glued. Remove any excess silicone. Allow to dry.
Finish side borders by gluing clear glass diamonds in place. Remove any excess silicone. Allow to dry.
Step 11 Adhere Bead Edges Spread a line of silicone just below top edge of globe. Keep silicone thin enough so the beads will stick firmly to the glass without getting buried. Press beads into place aligning with top edge. Ensure a smooth connection point where the ends meet. Pull any loose ends of thread clear so they can be snipped after silicone dries.
Repeat for bottom edge. Remove any excess silicone. Allow to dry.
Step 12 Adhere Mini-Stars Use the same techniques as in Step 8 to adhere the small, 3-diamond stars on the sides. There are 4 mini-stars‒1 above and 1 below each side border. Start at the center of the star, carefully aligning the first colored diamond with the vertical quadrant marks. Glue the remaining 2 diamonds in place. Repeat for the second mini-star on this side. Turn the globe around taking care not to disturb the mini-stars already placed. Apply the final 2 mini-stars. I forgot to take a photo while gluing the mini-stars but here’s how the side will look when finished.
Step 13 Adhere Beads Filling in the remaining spaces with individual beads is the last step to cover the glass globe. It’s also the most fun! Pour the beads from their packaging into the beading bowl.
Working in sections, apply a thin layer of silicone to an open area on the globe. Hold the globe over the beading bowl. Use a spoon to scoop up some beads and let them fall on the silicone.
Settle beads into place by pressing lightly with hands. Repeat until all remaining sections are covered with beads.
Remove excess silicone. Allow to dry.
Step 14 Clean up Examine the beaded sections and fill any gaps by attaching individual beads with silicone. Use a small utility knife to carefully remove any excess silicone from the surface of the glass diamonds or beads. Use the knife to clear the joints between the glass diamonds to make way for grout. All glass diamonds and beads should be firmly attached. Adjust if needed. Snip off any thread ends on the bead edges.
Step 15 Grout
CAUTION: Be sure to wear proper protection when working with grout. Wear gloves. Wear a mask when mixing the dry grout. Also be sure to dispose of leftover grout correctly; never pour grout down a drain.
Mix dry grout with water according to manufacturer’s directions. Typically, the grout should be the consistency of thick oatmeal before applying. Have a supply of cotton rags, a bucket of water and a spatula or spreader ready.
Use the spatula to cover the entire globe with grout. Swipe the grout back and forth to force it into all the cracks.
Following manufacturer’s directions, wait for the grout to set. This is typically 15-20 minutes. Remove excess grout with your hand and/or spatula. Use cotton rags to remove all grout from the surface of the glass diamonds and beads before it dries completely. It may be necessary to scrub with a slightly wet rag to remove grout from the bead surfaces. Take care not to make it too wet as the grout could wash away. Buff and shine the glass diamonds and beads with a dry cloth.
Following manufacturer’s directions, allow the grout to fully cure. This is typically a few days.
Step 16 Seal The final step is to seal the grout. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for the grout sealer you’ve selected. Allow the sealer to cure.
Step 17 Enjoy Your new Turkish mosaic candle holder is ready to use! Light a candle and enjoy!
More Info
I found this YouTube video from Delphi Glass, called How to Cut Glass – The Basics, very helpful. It’s a great place to start if you’ve never cut glass or need a refresher.
You may wish to pin for later reference.
Today’s Takeaways
1. A Turkish mosaic lamp or candle holder can add a colorful feature to your home.
2. This candle holder is a doable DIY project and a great way to try mosaics.
3. Consider making your own Turkish mosaic candle holder.
Last year when I posted about the Georgia Pottery Invitational Perspectives show, I readily admitted knowing very little about pottery (see my post Event Expands Pottery Proficiency). Since then I‘ve participated in studio tours, talked to potters, researched online and attended a weeklong pottery class at the John C Campbell Folk School (see Center, Open, Pull). I’ve learned a great deal about pottery but I still have a lot more to learn.
This year’s 2019 Perspectives show, held in Watkinsville Georgia and hosted by the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF), was packed with outstanding work. The majority of the 50 functional potters also participated last year but there were 5 new potters added. Potters have told me it’s considered an honor to be selected for this prestigious event. Congrats to all the participating potters!
From a viewer’s perspective, it doesn’t get much better than this. Viewers can take their time to appreciate the participating potters’ work in the Main Gallery, study and admire the pottery in the featured exhibits, and choose from the 6000+ pieces in the pottery sale.
Some of the things that I just took for granted last year, such as perfect symmetry, thin walls and seamless handles, made me stop and take notice this year. Potters of this caliber wouldn’t have any difficulty with these basics but I know from hands-on experience that it takes skill and lots of practice to master these details.
The pottery class I took was throwing clay on the potter’s wheel. But I also had the opportunity to dabble a little with hand building. It was fun to look at a piece of pottery at the Show and be able to identify which technique(s) was used. For instance, this gorgeous mug was thrown by Rob Sutherland and decorated by Jessica Sutherland.
This stoneware piece, called “Arctic Ark”, by Barry Gregg was hand built.
Some of the most interesting, and I assume challenging, work was a combination of techniques-hand building and throwing in a single piece. Here’s an example of 3 beautiful contemporary vases by Austin Lindsey.
Rob Sutherland, Perspectives participating potter and owner of Good Dirt Clay Studio in Athens, hosted this year’s Gallery Talk. Rob explained how he looks for “evidence of process” when viewing pottery. He called out several examples in the Main Gallery including these porcelain cups in this beer flight by Kathy Murphy. Thanks for a great tour Rob!
Some say pottery is all about form and surface. This is a helpful lens through which to view a potter’s work. Here are some examples that caught my eye. This vessel by Bertha Escoto has an unusual and pleasing form.
The unique pottery of Beth Tarkington was featured in the Hall Gallery. As noted in the program “Her surface work is painterly. Involving layering of slips, stains, underglazes, oxides and glaze through processes of wax-resist, texturing, carving, painting, slip trail and brushwork”. This energetic piece is called “We Each Wear It a Little Differently”.
Of course, combining form and surface in the service of a function makes it even more interesting. Take this teapot, called “Blueberries: Teapot” by Sandy Culp, for instance. Yes, it’s an actual teapot! You open it by lifting the center leaf and pour through the stem. Granted, you’d probably never actually steep tea in it but isn’t it amazing?
Here’s another example of an unusual teapot. This is “Blue House Teapot (Orange Circle)” by Glenn Dair. It was constructed from slab construction.
While teapots seem to be a favorite, pottery can serve many functions. There are bottles, bowls, cruets, cups, mugs, teabowls, teapots, jugs, pouring pots, lidded containers, platters, plates, vases, vessels and so on. Here’s a colorful and lively small pitcher by Barry Gregg.
Pottery can, also, serve to add beauty and interest without being functional. There are figurative and abstract sculptures, forms and panels. Here’s a closeup from Kathy King’s multi-piece wall art called “Do the Walk of Life”.
Last year, I fell for Michael Klapthor’s old-timey robots. I was equally enthralled with these charming fellows this year-especially after following him on Instagram to see what’s involved in his process. This is “Analytic Robot – PWL-118”. It’s hard to gauge size from this photo but this guy is over 4 feet tall.
Another potter that captured my attention is Keok Lim. Her porcelain pieces are very detailed, colorful and whimsical. This piece, “Colorful Dreams”, would have to be my favorite piece in the show this year. It’s just so joyful!
How could you not smile every time you looked at her?
More Info
You can learn more about the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) on their website. They host the Perspectives Georgia Pottery Invitational event every year in late August/early September. Here’s the link to my post Event Expands Pottery Proficiency from the 2018 event.
You can learn more about Rob Sutherland, who hosted the Gallery Talk, and his work and studio on the Good Dirt Clay Studio website.
Here’s the link to Michael Kapthor on Instagram.
Several of the artists in the show are members of the Athens Area Potters group. Their website showcases the potters and their studios. It also announces local events such as studio tours and pottery sales.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Well-executed evidence of process sets apart handmade work.
2. Consider the process(es) used when admiring artwork.
3. When creating your own art work, remember evidence of process is an asset.
It was tempting to title this post “An After Action Review of my First Cutting Garden” but I suspect only those who spend their working hours conducting such analyses would see the humor in that headline. So instead, I’ll share what went well and what could be improved with our first cutting garden and just call them “tips”. The idea to build and plant a cutting garden was triggered by a very simple goal—to enjoy fresh cut flowers in our home.
I’m a long-standing, avid flower gardener with a strong preference for perennials and shrubs. Over the years, I’ve started more than my fair share of flower beds and gardens as we moved from house to house (even country to country). The challenge has always been waiting for the plants to get established and the flowers to start blooming. Every bloom is eagerly awaited and I can’t bear to snip them off to display in vases. So that’s why the idea of a cutting garden is appealing. Flowers in a cutting garden, typically annuals, are grown to be cut for arrangements and displays.
Things came together this past spring when I built and planted our first cutting garden. We’re nearing the end of the season so it seemed timely to take some notes for next year. The notes are organized into 5 categories: Location, Construction, Plant Selection, Seeding, Maintenance, Harvesting & Enjoying. Here are my top tips by category.
Location
A new gardening bed was needed for our cutting garden. Our home sits on a sizable lot so there were many options for locating this new bed. We chose an east-facing location which gets full sun in the morning and slightly shaded sun in the afternoon. The new bed was positioned along our lower patio so it’s convenient and easy to access. It’s also close to an outdoor water faucet. Another advantage of this location is the ample space surrounding the bed; it allows for additional perennial beds to surround the cutting bed and help it blend in. The location worked well. This is how the design evolved.
Here’s the current view from the lower patio looking out over the cutting garden (on the right).
Construction
After clearing the location of grass and weeds, the soil was broken up and prepared for the new bed. We built a simple rectangle of concrete blocks (13 blocks length x 2 blocks width) to create a raised bed.
It took some effort to get everything level and even but it was quite straightforward. A few rebar posts were inserted to keep the blocks in place. The outside dimensions of this raised bed are 3’ 7” x 16’ 10”. We filled it with garden soil from a local garden center.
The bed construction has proven to be solid and stable. As it turned out, I only planted half the bed with cutting flowers so it appeared to be bigger than required. But as the plants started to grow, I realized I should have used that extra area to allow more space between the plants (more on that in a minute).
Plant Selection
There are endless varieties of flowering plants from which to choose. Based on a little research and my personal preferences, I chose 4 annuals:
. Zinnia elegans, OKLAHOMA PINK
. Cosmos bipinnatus, SENSATION MIX
. Nigella damascena LOVE-IN-A-MIST
. Gomphrena globosa, QIS™ FORMULA MIX (aka Globe Amaranth)
I ordered the seeds online from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Their seed packets provided clear seeding and maintenance instructions.
Obviously, based on the title of this post, zinnias have been my favorite. I am convinced zinnias rock! The zinnias sprouted incredibly fast (in only a few days) with nearly all the seeds germinating. The plants are solid and sturdy. They started blooming after only 5 weeks and have provided a steady supply of fresh flowers every day since. I think the blooms are beautiful.
The cosmos weren’t quite as successful. Perhaps if I’d given them more space and better support they would have put on a better show. The few plants that thrived and bloomed are lovely, though.
There were just enough cosmos blooms to make a few small bouquets like this one which I placed on the top of my dresser. Aren’t they pretty with the mother-of-pearl jewelry boxes?
The nigella was a disappointment. Nigella, or Love-in-a-Mist as it’s commonly called, should look like the below when mature and dried. I first shared this photo from a Southern Living Idea House in the post, Decorating with Texture , because of the amazing texture the Love-in-a-Mist seed heads provide.
The globe amaranth is just now starting to bloom and looks promising. It may still produce blooms that I could use to decorate wreaths like this one I saw at Biltmore Estate. See the post Holiday Wreath Inspiration from Biltmore for more ideas using dried flowers and natural objects.
Update Jan 14, 2020: When I originally wrote this post in September, I was disappointed with the globe amaranth. But it rallied later in the season and I was able to harvest a significant quantity of magenta, mauve and cream blooms. I recently used the dried flowers to decorate a sweetgrass wreath I made. You can see the results in the post My Sweet Sweetgrass Wreath.
Next year, I will plant more zinnias and cosmos and skip the nigella and globe amaranth.
Seeding
We were out of town during the ideal planting window so my seeds were planted a little late. I planted in two rounds—first on June 12 and then again on June 29—to extend the blooming season by a few weeks. Johnny’s Selected Seeds seed packet for the zinnias stated “Spacing: 9-12” apart. No support is necessary.” I admit I ignored that spacing instruction and tucked my seeds into the ground only a ½” apart. Everything looked promising about a month after seeding.
But then the zinnias took off and grew to be over 4’ tall. They quickly crowded out the other flowers and started tumbling over the sides of the bed.
Next year, I will get an earlier start and space the zinnia seeds further apart (as instructed!).
Maintenance
These plants don’t require much maintenance but they do need regular watering. I watered with a hose almost every morning. Extending the drip irrigation from the perennial beds into the cutting garden would be an improvement.
Ideally, the zinnias and cosmos would be staked for support. As noted above, these plants grew taller than expected and the bamboo support grid was too low. Next year, I need to build a higher support structure.
For weeks, I was able to ignore the occasional chewed up leaf. But then some kind of inspect invaded and started to cause serious damage. As much as I wanted to avoid spraying anything on my cutting garden, I had to relent and break out the insecticidal soap. I’ll try to be better prepared and address insects more promptly next year.
Update July 31, 2020: We’ve had a large number of butterflies visiting our cutting garden this year. As a result, I am not using insecticides of any kind.
Harvesting and Enjoying
The standard advice for picking flowers is to cut in the early morning, strip the bottom leaves off the stems and put them in water right away.
A steady supply of fresh flowers provides the perfect opportunity to display some pretty vases. If you have a weakness for milk glass (like I do), you’re in luck. A simple bouquet of cheerful, pink/magenta zinnias in a shiny, pure white milk glass vase is a thing of beauty.
And if you happen to have more than one milk glass vase… well, that’s even better!
I simply pull out the spent blooms and replace them with fresh ones every morning. A sprig or two from my gardenia shrub adds some greenery. Every other day, I replace the water and snip off the tips of the stems for a fresh cut.
This keeps the bouquets in top form and has allowed us to enjoy these same bouquets for weeks. Which is, of course, the whole reason I planted a cutting garden in the first place!
More Info
You can learn about Johnny’s Selected Seeds on their website.
For reference, I garden in Georgia in the southeast US, in a plant hardiness zone of 8A.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Consider creating a cutting garden for a steady supply of fresh cut flowers.
2. Evaluate a few different flower varieties to see which will perform the best in your location.
3. As with any new endeavor, you may want to assess your first cutting garden to note what went well and what could be improved.