Therapy/Pottery

 

 Four years and a bit ago (as of today), as a way to spend more time with my eldest, and to learn something new, I took up pottery. I had zero thoughts beyond, "This will be fun for a couple months." 

A year in, I kinda figured it was going to be a regular hobby, but now, four years later, I'm addicted. 

Add in a pandemic, which has been crazy-making, and pottery is therapy, and every bit as necessary for my mental health - and the mental health of about 60 others in my studio, it seems. 

We've been so fortunate the structure of the studio - closed to the public, members only, production facility - has meant we have not had to close, except for six weeks last year - and that was torture... 

These mugs sold the day after I made them. Reclaimed clay, terra sigillata with what I thought was pink mason stain, with carved hearts a la Banksey. 

I have an on-line store if you're interested - with the caveat it may disappear in six weeks, when it is no longer free (I got a three months free deal), if it isn't self-supporting. 
muddchuchersclayworks.ca

365 RED: Hobbies; Therapy

 You just never know when your hobby is going to turn into therapy, and when a pandemic is going to come along and you`re gonna need therapy.... I mean pottery.... four times a week. 

I took up pottery as a means of spending more time with my eldest daughter, and because I`d always wanted to learn how, but with zero intention of doing anything more than learning how. I had zero intention of still being at it four years later. 

I`m grateful for this hobby, the studio, the guy who runs it - about whom a book should be written. It`s been a rough, ugly year. I`m glad to have had this place to escape to. 

If anyone`s curious, my site is muddchuckersclayworks.ca. The name is homage to my sister, who, when she was six, declared if we made some transgression (she was specific, but I forget; I was also six), our names would be Mud, "M. U. D. D., MUD!

365 RED: Destructible History

View towards north east of what was left of the Corral in February 2021

When I was a little kid, my dad used to bring us to this place, the Stampede Corral on the Stampede grounds (apologies for the adverts) for the circus and various other events. I saw RUSH in this place, and was it there so often over the years, it became somewhere just that familiar. 

A couple years ago, I was asked to photograph the building for archives. I had two days of this building all to myself, right at the beginning of the pandemic. 

I am glad to have had the opportunity to shoot this building, and to have it to myself for those two days. It was extraordinary to get into every nook/cranny, including the tunnels! Who knew there were wish-bone-shaped tunnels underneath the building. 

We happened to be driving by the grounds in early January this year and stopped to watch as the big diggers chewed up the last of the building. Before I photographed it, I did question the wisdom of tearing down such history, but it would have been so costly to bring it up to useable condition, and yes, the city does have some grandiose plans - legit - for attracting an international convention audience. If the pandemic ever sets us free.... 
 

365 RED: Leftovers

Last year's leftovers. 

 I don't know... does this count for red? 

I shot this in late March 2021 at Horseshoe Canyon, which is located about 14 kms west of Drumheller Alberta. It's our own little - and I do mean little, relatively - grand canyon. It's a fun and interesting place to go for a hike - flat mostly, or if you go off track like we did, it can be challenging. Wear good shoes, and keep an eye on your GPS/compas on your camera, 'cause when you're down there, if you can't see the sun, you can get turned around. 

It's been a year. I'll say I haven't managed at all well, between missing my kids and being really angry and resentful over shutdowns, and conspiracies and anti-vaxers and anti-maskers - and I frigging HATE wearing a mask. 

So, I thought I'd revisit this 365 blog, because why the heck not. It won't be linear, but maybe someday it will have 365 images in it. One can hope.