kansas city

Work at the studio is totally backed up at the moment: wholesale and retail orders in various stages of being ready to ship, a show in Santa Monica this weekend, the five-figure order still pending, and some where in there I'm getting ready to leave for Japan on July 1st. I can't think of a better time to take off for 5 days and move my girl Christa cross country in a U-Haul to her new hometown and new job at the Art Institute in Kansas City. We talked so much as we drove across the midwest, the radio was not turned on even once. By the time we crossed the last bridge into Missouri, the studio and all my stress was so far behind me and I was completely in the moment. Christa and I are always so busy with work at our studios; downtime to talk about life outside ceramics is an indulgence and a pleasure.

First stop was Andy Brayman's ceramic studio/playland where Christa's new studio will be located. I rarely get jealous over what other people have, but I was feeling the twinge when I walked into Andy's place. The space is enormous, three floors. There was all the ceramic equipment and accouterments one could want in life, plus motorcycles, skateboards, tons of design books, a freight elevator, two loading docks, roll-up doors... not to mention interns. I ask again, where are my interns, dammit? He has a pottery decal business going on top of his ceramic work, and I was totally inspired thinking about what I could create with decals on my pottery. All of those really intricate designs I don't have the patience to carve on my pottery I could just draw out and stick it on...

Too many adventures were packed into the trip to even begin to recount here, but it involved people, animals, boats, bbq, and beer. I met some amazing artists and new pals, got some serious quality time with one of my special friends, was thoroughly charmed by Kansas City, and came back to my stress-packed life thinking that maybe it ain't so bad.