Die Aussicht vom einem prachtvollen Gut auf die toskanische Hauptstadt und die umliegenden Hügel und Berge.

Wo: Toskana, Italien
Wann: Oktober 2009
Kamera: Fuji FinePix S2000HD

I’m excessively pleased with my Thanksgiving floral arrangement. I found the green stuff and the adorable baby brassica at Whole Foods when I picked up my pies, and then I snipped some barberry from the yard.

f2.8  1/50  ISO 400

I’m still trying to make pots for my studio sale (here), so it’s a little tight here time-wise. And we’ve just edited our Thanksgiving down from 25 to 13. Instead of writing all about the fab opening the other night at David Smith (here) I’ll show you a few new pots on their way to Lacoste Gallery (here) near Boston. You can see I’m loving the onions!

© Betty Bones

Skjønne vaser fra Rosenthal. Finnes også i hvit.

spring flowers-blue vase...copyright k.t. blue designs 2009

i just have to admit, it makes me so happy to know that a piece of my artwork has made a happy home with someone..almost like a pet – you want your artwork to reside happily with its new family…so, here’s to “spring flowers-blue vase”…its new home…and to living artfully ever after…

Jeg har leget lidt med det her “polaroidkamera” i dag -sjov effekt:-)

Billedet er fra butikken på Istedgade.

Left: Altered, darted and footed.  Right: Cut and defined lip/neckline.

Left: All four in-progress.  Right: Handles and further definition.
The first two ladies complete with their slip-trailed deco.

I began this Corset series around six years ago (a story I’ll delve into at a different time) and though I don’t actually make them often, they have become somewhat of a signature form. This vessel idea began as corset-like, becoming more literal before morphing into something I think of now as more akin to upholstered furniture than vintage undergarment.

It was gratifying to spend the last week and a half (not at my computer) making some pots I just felt like making. The four are now complete and drying slowly in anticipation of joining other smaller pots yet to be made for a bisque firing.

The images above show some of the stages in the making process, minus the most dramatic image (because it didn’t occur to me till later to document it). These begin as straight-sided cylinders…subsequently altered, darted, built, added on, refined, defined, slip-trailed, slip-sponged and carved.

First of a series of multi-media presentations on different walks of life in Cambodia. Here is a day with Moun who sells clay pots and vases from his ox driven cart through the streets of Phnom Penh.

“My name is Moun, I am 20 years old and I come from Kampong Chhnang. For two years now I have earned a living selling pots. I come to Phnom Penh to sell with my younger brother, my older brother, and brother-in-law. Every time we come to Phnom Penh we stay 15 to 20 days. I sell stoves, pots, jars, vases and other things. Some of it I buy, and some I make myself. We put the rice in the front of the cart to pray to the spirit that lives on the cart to take care of us and help us to sell.
200 000 riel (50 dollars) is the best I have been able to earn in a day. Every time I come I can go home with 100 or 150 dollars, maximum 150 dollars. I don’t enjoy this job if there was an easier job I would want to do it but I don’t have a good education and this job comes from my family, it is our heritage. The hardest problem is selling, and asking for water. It is hard to go inside the city; police don’t want us to go down the main roads, or to the city centre, we create traffic jams so we are only allowed in the outskirts. We never come alone; we have to have 3 or 4 carts so we can sleep. We can’t stay alone. In the daytime we can stay alone, at night we don’t dare to.
In the future, for my brothers, I would like to make this business bigger. I would like to ask everyone to come and buy my products so that I can go home quickly.”

For the Son of Man has come to save what was lost —

I was recently talking with someone about different views on our sinfulness. For some who have joined the conversation, ’sin’ in the Aramaic means ‘not getting to your destination’. There are some camps within Christianity who might define sin to be epidemic, as in that sin runs through all of humanity and that we all have the birthmark of sin within us no matter what we do or don’t do, we are all marred. Having said all this, I do believe we can make choices that are destructive towards our development and the development of the world and others. But as this guy and I were talking I suddenly realized something…

If we use a flower vase as an analogy of humanity; than either we are broken and not fixed. Or we are fixed and not broken. This allegory is in effect saying either through the death of Jesus, all of humanity has been fully restored from ’sin’ (from a destructive way of life) or they haven’t. It doesn’t mean we don’t have the scar that we each carry, or that we will never make decisions that will hurt or marr those around us. What it does mean is that sin as an epidemic was never meant to be seen as an epidemic.

Jesus says it this way, now watch his word choice: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which WAS lost”… (Matthew 18:11). Note: There are scholarly disputes (and you might see this in some different bible versions; for example, this verse doesn’t show up in the New Living Translation but will in the KJV)). Through his own words, we can see that Jesus assumes that what he came to do will actually work. Or HAS already been put into motion by just being with us. That his death and resurrection, but not just that, his being present with humanity is enough, will bring about a new identity, not just for a few, but for all of mankind. That all will get to experience this ‘new creation’ that another biblical author calls this journey.

The Aramaic word for lost is Abedah. It means something that has been destroyed or is perishing.

The Son of Man wasn’t a special title for Jesus, in fact, it was a title for anyone. In Aramaic it means ‘man of the earth’, when rendered correctly, it means ‘I, anyone or someone’…it could mean one of these three. It was a term of humility. And so essentially Jesus is saying from a place of humbled reverence for the lost.

Now, if this verse is supposed to be there (which again is under strong scrutiny, but let’s assume it does belong there for this study)…the lost wouldn’t be a general term, it would refer to those who have forgotten what it means to be a child. Those that have lost their innocence and wonder of life.

Those who have let the attempts at status drive them in all they say and do. (Read the whole of the Chapter for the context). Some might take this out of context and mean this verse to pertain to those are not in the ‘Jesus Club’, but if we take this all into context, then the lost become a very specific group of people, and even in this instance, it might even include those who follow him who have seemed to drop the ball (See the first few verses of the Chapter).

(the hebrew word for ’seek’ is baqash, which means ‘aim’ –) save in the hebrew means ‘to heal’

Jesus might say something like this now: I am here (or my aim is to) offer healing to those who have lost their innocence.

OR

I exist to be a person who shows others what it means to rediscover who God has meant them to be in light of these children that surround them.

In light of the WAS phrase another rewording might sound like this: I have humbly arrived in the here and now to fully heal those whose innocence has been destroyed…and teach them to rediscover what it looks like to be innocent once again…

This is a very different understanding of what most of taken this verse to mean. Having said that, it doesn’t mean that Jesus didn’t come for our redemption, it just means in this verse here He was talking about something a bit different than what we might usually hear which is still good news and part of the full gospel of Jesus. Which is that he invites us to surrender our ideas and find our innocence and children are that reminder.

This stunning 6″ Catalina Pottery (Gladding McBean, c. 1940s) bud vase will be a featured item at tomorrow’s Billy Blue Eye exhibition at the Long Beach Antique Flea Market.  With its luxurious, creamy exterior and the contrapuntal turquoise interior, it will be a highlight of your collection.

McCoy Pottery’s fabulous series of Arcature vases are known for their whimsical view of a bird in a cage.  This prime example is from 1951 and will be featured tomorrow at Billy Blue Eye’s exhibit at the Long Beach Antique Flea Market.  Look for us at Booth A853 (first row by the east parking lot.)

Billy Blue Eye, every third Sunday of the month at the Long Beach (California) Antique Flea Market on Conant Street (east of Lakewood Blvd.) at the Long Beach Veteran’s Stadium.   Hours are 7AM to 2PM, entrance fee is $5.00.

Another set of stoneware thrown pieces with a base glaze of tenmoku.

A vase made with Chinese Chun that produces a pleasant light blue colour.

A rice husk chun bowl showing how the glaze runs on the inside surface.

A close up of the way rice husk chun creates a light and dark pattern as it runs over the slippery tenmoku glaze underneath.

cred

cred

via desire to inspire

via trying is lying

via we heart it

via my private paradise

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Design Sponge

As our forefathers waged battle against enemies in various wars past, it turns out that they also spent much idle time in the horrific conditions of the battlefield trenches.   Many soldiers passed this time by creating unbelievable works of art from the objects at hand, including shell casings.

Here is a superb example of what has been termed “Trench Art”.  A WWI artillery shell re-worked into a stunning vase with an intricate oak leaf and floral design with fluted edges.  The pictures don’t do it justice.  This is a 75 mm shell — 0ver 13 inches tall, 3 inches wide and heavy.

Soldiers, we salute you!

Iubit popor,iubiti romani!

Sa ne unim cu toti eforturile ,cei care nu dorim sa-i mai aruncam gologanul, in poala, acestui cersetor pervers numit Basescu , sa punem mina de la mina si sa ii facem cadou, un mandat cu transmisie permanenta live ,sa aiba o Romanie numai a lui,cea din propria celula!

Sa-i spunem ,intreg poporul,la unison:

„Mars la puscarie ,escrocule!Mars la puscarie,Satan!”

Popor roman, sa-i dam un sut in cur lui Satan si tiitoarei sale diavolesti,Elena Udrea!

JOS TIRANUL!VIVAT PATRIA!

Bravo,Mazare,mi-a placut!Bravo, Mircea Dinescu!Bravo, Mircea Badea!Bravo,moguli!

Bravo baaaa,romani!M-ati uns la inima!

ASALT FINAL : REDUTA DIN COTROCENI!

Suntem alimentati de Basescu,ca mogulii reprezinta raul acestui neam.

Tot ce e potrivnic lui Basescu este impotriva interesului national.

Basescu se crede interesul national.

Mogulii sunt :

Liderii rezistentei poporului roman in fata unui dictator .Traian Basescu.

Traian Basescu este: CANCERUL ROMANIEI!

Mie nu mi-e scarba de Romania,nu mi-e scarba de institutiile statului.

Mi-e scarba de Traian Basescu si Elena Udrea!

Nu-i inghit nici cu un camion de lamai,vorba unui apropiat.

Traian Basescu a amenintat ,furios ,ca daca mogulii o sa mai „muste din Romania” o sa le arate el in viitorul mandat.

O amenintare.

Un atac direct la libertatea presei.

Traian Basescu spune :

”Daca nu va astamparati comisarul Daniel Morar va va ingropa in dosare!”

„Baaaaaaa,va fac dosare,lasati-ma sa ies presedinte!”

Traian Basescu isi elimina opozantii prin dosare de politie politica.

Curata mizerie!

Odios acest chelios si chior presedinte al Romaniei!

Cine sunt „mogulii”?

Dan Voiculescu si Sorin Ovidiu Vantu.

Fratii Paunescu proprietari ai televiziunii B1TV,unde se difuzeaza emisiuni de genul „Nasul” un fel de „Telejurnal” de pe timpul lui Ceasca nu sunt moguli.

Difuzeaza conform directivelor materiale de propaganda basesciana si exulta in laude.

Daniil Sihastru,din viitoarea chilie Gherla, maraie ceva de escrocii astia doi,fratii Paunescu ?

Mogulii au cladit prin munca imperii financiare.

Dau de lucru oamenilor.

Fac cinste Romaniei in relatiile internationale.

Se zbat,construiesc,nu dorm noaptea.

Investesc.

Sunt oameni de afaceri romani,fac parte din acest popor.

Mogulii sunt piinea de pe masa a multora.

Nu au averile ca Basescu si Berceanu dosite prin offshore-uri,nu au vase care navigheaza sub alte pavilioane.

Pe unul din acele vase se intoarce capitan ,Basescu?Nu mai apuca!

Procurorii de la DNA iau leapsa mereu de la avocati,de la ei mai invata si ei cate ceva.Politia politica DNA,nu respecta legile tarii si drepturile omului in Romania.

Ce sa faci cu facultatile private.Ecologica ,auzi!

Morar de la DNA, un fraier ca si Placinta Constantin, care copiaza rechizitoriile.

Morar este un papagal foarte bun cand ii rasuceste Basescu cheita.

Doru Tulus,Ionita Vasile,Doana Vasile: cheita si spaguta.

Basescu e nemultumit ca ,cei mai bogati romani, nu i-au aruncat gologanul in poala de cersetor lui si curvei aleia.

S-a lamurit lumea buna dupa cazurile Anghelescu si Becali.

Sa nu mai vorbim de consilierii prezidentiali care au zburat ca potarnichile in toate cele patru vanturi!

Arunca dupa ei cu scrumiera.

Baaaaa,mogulilor dati-i bani lui Basescu sa cumpere voturi!

Fara moguli la ce ne-am fi uitat?

La TVR unde,tara arde si baba se piaptana,la B1TV unde se lafaie Talpes protectorul criminalilor si Udrea santajista ?

Suntem o tara de manelisti sa ne uitam la „Taraf’ si mai stiu eu ce mizerii de televiziuni de-ale lui Prigoana ?

Nu mai zic de televiziunea care era favorita mea PRO TV care traieste,parca,intr-o lume paralela.

Dan Diaconescu e mai libertin,apare orice numai sa platesti factura,daca mai e vorba si de pupat in cur basescu e si mai bine.

Din care Romanie musca mogulii?

Romania este mosia masii,a lui Basescu?

Ce a facut acest betiv in viata?Nimic.

A furat banii impreuna cu frate-sau si Udrea.

De la primaria capitalei,de la ministerul transporturilor,de la Cotroceni.

Au nenorocit judetul Prahova cu furaciunile lui William Branza,Andrei Volosevici,Roberta Anastase si cele doua curve de pe centura politicii,Florin Anghel si Emanoil Savin.

Baaaaa chiorpecu’ dracu’ la Ploiesti ,la gazari,a fost republica.

Noi l-am dat pe Caragiale,noi l-am dat pe Nichita Stanescu.

Ioan Grigorescu ,un pionier al documentarului de televiziune, e tot al nostru.

Nicolae Iorga a trait,a scris si a murit tot la noi in Prahova.Hasdeu asisderea.

Ploiestenii nu sunt prosti.

Noi aveam lumina la coltul strazii cand toata Europa nu avea.

Noi ,ploiestenii,americanii si rusii,am invatat intregul glob petrochimie.

Prahova a fost rezervorul de petrol care a alimentat masina de razboi germana.

Americanii in al doilea razboi mondial nu stiau unde e Romania,dar Ploiestiul il stiau ca pe tatal nostru.

Pe noi ,prahovenii,ploiestenii republicani,ne pune in genuchi ,prostituata Elena Udrea si proxenetul,Traian Basescu?

Rusine prahoveni,rusine romani!

Are dreptate nu iti trebuie prea multa carte.

„How much?”sau „Skolko?” si „OK” sau „Davai”

Ce sa mai facem cu invatatorii si profesorii?

Le dam droguri usoare si prostituate la copii.Ce ne trebuie noua educatie?

Primul program al presedintelui american Barack Obama,se numeste „CARTI NU ARME!”

Investitii colosale in educatie.

Ai copii stiutori de carte,ai elita.

Valabil si in sport si in arte,cultura.Nu sadesti in pepiniera ,nu ai de unde sa culegi!

De unde echipa nationala daca nu mai avem un lot mare de selectie?

Am ras de „Daciada” lui Ceasca,luati sportivi,acum!

Copiii nu mai merg la sport de performanta.Nu au cadru,nu au burse de merit.

Un speculant,un bisnitar,un betiv,un curvar!

A adus el si piticul din Twin Peaks-Boc ,tara asta in sapa de lemn.

Niste diletanti la carma Romaniei!

Pe Basescu il deranjeaza 100 de oameni in plus in Parlament.In plus sau in minus ,cu toate cheltuielile aferente,nu insumeaza la un loc cat o singura teapa ca cea data de ministrul sportului Placinta.Un demagog.Cel mai prost presedinte al Romaniei!

Bag mina in foc ca l-a asasinat pe Anghelescu Florin.

Prea s-a atacat ,marti,cu internetul.

Sunt bucuros ca sunt in atentia presedintelui.

Multumesc de confirmare:Traian Basescu este un asasin!

Sunt responsabil pentru aceasta informatie difuzata in premiera de subsemnatul pe internet.

Sherlock Holmes ,sunt!Lazarus ,pe cai!

Romania este si a mogulilor dupa cum este si a mea,a altora ca mine dar si a ultimului maturator din tara asta amarata!

Nu o sa mai fie a ta,Basescule!

Era plin portul.,vanzoleala ,strigate de hamali,chingi care zburau prin aer.

Pescadoare pline cu peste.

Ma minunam ca un copil.

Cunosc portul din Constanta ca pe propriile mele buzunare.

Am avut cunostinte la capitanie.Oameni de treaba.

Machedoni de-ai lui Becali.

E pustiu azi.Unde-i flota tarii mai hotule,mai escrocule de Traian Basescu ?

Decat incarcaturile cu armament ale lui Mircea si arabii lui Ioan Talpes.

Transportul e gratis.

Iar marinari filipinezi sunt garla,cand nu mai are cu ce-i plati ii arunca peste bord.

Marinarii romani sunt someri.Au limbarnita.Cum sa-i angajeze?!

Neamul lui Basescu este inrudit cu Onasis,armatorul miliardar grec,nu stiati?

Va spun eu.

Garjania mamilor voastre de hoti!

Un popor de elite a ajuns sa fie condus de un proxenet.

Traian Basescu si cu Elena Udrea sunt criminali.

Liiceanule,elitistule sari dracu din bmw-utul tau pe care l-ai botezat,semn al senilitatii,fa ceva,repara ce ai lins in cur!

Florin Anghelescu ,bietul negustor,evazionistul de casa al lui Basescu, i-a carat valize cu dolari in campanie si l-a lasat sa moara ca un caine sau chiar i-au comandat asasinarea(vezi articol pe blog).

Cazul Gigi Becali:„Azi te beau,maine te iau!”

Dupa ce a baut cu Becali,i-a ticluit miseleste arestarea.

Sunt criminali.

Ce mod pervers de a-l mulge de bani.

Generalii de opereta Oprea si Iordanescu,evazionistul nr.1 in alcool,Netoiu, prostituata ,blonda falsa,Udrea,vor club de fotbal.

Inaintarea e Hagi,probabil inghioldit de DNA cu dosarele lui cumnate-sau Gica Popescu.ISM.

Au fost presedinti si Ion Iliescu si Emil Constantinescu,dar nu au facut golanii din astea .

Traian Basescu este o „hurjuma”,un neica-nimeni care o sa arda in iad,la smoala.

Un astfel de diavol criminal nu a mai stapinit Romania.

Romania are nevoie de moguli !

Unire!

Astfel de oameni construiesc,Basescu,darima!

Sa nu mai credem in povestile plasmuite de Petre Ispirescu- Basescu cand mogulii refuza sa sustina financiar despotul.

Strig:

Baaaaaa,mogulilor, hai sa-l dam jos pe Basea!

Cum rabda omul de afaceri ,Videanu ,sa fie coordonat de un excrement ca Basescu ?

Mai nea Videne,e prost rau seful asta al dtale…

Vasile Blaga-cap de porc,este un alt exemplu:

adica el cara bani pentru tot partidul sa cumpere voturi si pentru el nu putea?

Parol,Udrea l-a lucrat cand a candidat la primarie.

Bai,Vasile Blaga ,daca taica-tau vindea branza,il stiu.

Daca ala-i taica-tau,cum a iesit un prostavan si un hot dintr-un om asa istet si cumsecade ?

Stolojan este un alt exemplu:

i-a distrus in mod ireversibil cariera politica,i-a furat in mod nedrept imaginea,capitalul politic.

Scapati,mai oameni buni,de Satan si tiitoarea sa!

Apropo,cu cine are Basea un copil?

Cu Boagiu?I-a umblat ala micu ,Sida la motor?

Nea Bebe cauta-i femeie neinceputa la baiat,ca Eba ii distruge copilaria.

Aia e muiere in toata regula ,vorba lui Vadim !

Udrea Elena este Talpa Iadului!

Basescu este insusi Scaraotchi-capetenia dracilor.

Scarbit de Basescu am scris catre:

US-President,Mister Barack Obama,

US-Vice President Mister Joe Biden,

prestigioaselor Washington Post,Il Messagero,The Guardian,The Independent si institutiilor UE

Am mai scris tuturor presedintilor europeni.

Asa sa stii betivan ratat-Basescu!

Scriu tot ce stiu si este adevarat pe internet sa te ataci tu .

Mor de el, e vax,cel putin se crede Ganditorul de la Hamangia sau Esop.

Esti varza mai ticalosule!

Mars la puscarie!Ia-o si pe Udrea!

I-a mai ramas un singur sustinator ,curva cu care face sex oral in biroul de la Cotroceni,Elena Udrea.

Idiota suna la Realitatea cu vocea pitigaita de atata vascozitati care ii astupa gatlejul criminal.

Huoooooooo,cuplu odios,Adolf Hitler si Eva Braun !

Cu astia nu putem sa ne comportam civilizat, trebuie sa ne comportam ca pe stadion cand ne fura arbitrul echipa de suflet.

Cu prietenie si devotiune pentru poporul roman ,

Florin MIHAI.

http://florinmihai.wordpress.com

http://dinscarbadebasescu.blogspot.com

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/florinmihai

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Sorry for the delay since my last post. I’ve had a bit of time off, some of it spent in Paris where I got engaged (squeal!) but enough about that. I’ll be posting shortly about a couple of exhibitions I’m taking part in during December. I’ll give you details once one of the images is back from being framed and the other is created (ulp!). In the meantime I just wanted to show you this fabulous vase I got in Paris. I can’t really attribute it to a trend apart from maybe the Mug Mayhem post I wrote a while ago. It also reminds me of the cake stands by Let Them Eat Cake I mentioned some time ago. I think it’s fantastic and really good value. It comes in 3 different sizes and makes me think of something so traditionally British – the good old cuppa! Incidentally one of my friends also got engaged last week – over a cup of tea. Maybe I should give her one of these as an engagement present!

The vases are by the very talented Ruth Lodder and I got mine from the brilliant shop Fleux - 39 rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie – 75004 Paris.

I like the random, uncontrollable but undeniably beautiful effect produced when chun glazes are added over tenmoku on stoneware pieces. These two vases have been made with Rice Husk chun which produces white/pale yellow waves and runs.

A simple vase.

A vase with a more pronounced lip and a bare section of unglazed clay at the base.