Ashevill Adventures

I spent most of the day yesterday in the River Arts District exploring the studios of potters, painters, textile artists and more.  What and interesting place.  They have taken a lot of old brick buildings and converted them into studios next the French Broad River. I went to the Odyssey Center for the Arts and saw the Opinionated Clay exhibit.  I also walked along the railroad tracks and saw some pretty colorful graffiti.  Last night and this morning I have wondered around the downtown area and seen many of the galleries, including the Blue Spiral.  Tonight I take the shuttle up to Penland!

The following four images are the works of Timothy Erdahl.

Asheville, North Carolina

I made it to Asheville today even with the thunderstorms in Chicago which delayed my flight out of Sacramento.  I got a little carried away with my carry on so they made me check it in Sac. With the back up of flights at O'hare my luggage and I did not arrive at the same time. So now I wait.  At least I had the essential toiletries and stuff like that.  And the local Target provided a fresh shirt and cooler pants.  I mistakenly wore a pair of super comfortable fleece pants.  Big mistake, way to hot!  Well, I'm learning.  A seasoned traveler I have not yet become but I plan on changing all that so I'm taking copious notes.

My first order of business was to check in to the Sweet Peas Hostel which I would recommend to anyone.  At $26 a night for a bunk it is a steal.  And it is smack dab in the middle of the downtown club and gallery scene.  The sounds of the music playing from the club next door gently migrate through the brick walls and lends a wonderful ambiance.  The place is spotlessly clean, simple and has a great kitchen.

My second, and more important order of business was a block and a half stroll to the immensely popular French Broad Chocolate Lounge.  The place was hopping about 9pm with live music and I had to wait in line to get chance to plunge into the decadent Quintessential Chocolate Cake.  It was a thick slice of moist cake layered with chocolate cream and frosted with rich chocolate ganache.  Of course I had to order a small cup of local, organic milk, whole fat of course, because that is all that was offered.  Let me tell you, I went into a coma after that and ruined the delicious, light, healthy dinner I had just eaten.

Tomorrow I am off adventuring with camera in hand.  I plan to see some galleries, drive the Blue Ridge Parkway and go check out Highwater Clays and Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts.

Of course, tomorrow I need to go back to get the proper chocolate, either a signature truffle with flavors like white jasmin, masala chai, indian kulfi, and canela picante which has cinnamon, dark chocolate and cayenne.
  Umm, somehow I don't think that coming to Asheville is the best place to start a diet.  People here are chocolate connoisseurs and there are other chocolate cafes.  Yikes!

My body is still on California time but here it is 1:45 am so I had better get to bed.

New Website!

I haven't had time to learn the software to update my website that I had made for me a year ago.  But...I had to make one for one of my classes so this other website is what I have been working on.  Of course, at the last minute.  It's due on Wednesday.  Only four more days now until graduation.  My fingers are itching for the clay.  I haven't had time for it with catching up for my other finals.  Ugh!  Can't, can't, can't wait to go to Penland School of Crafts!!!

Lazy Daze

Aww, isn't this pathetically cute?  This is how I feel.  I have been lounging around way too much the last couple of days which is not what I would recommend the week of finals and critiques and a week before graduation!  But sometimes the body says "ENOUGH!"  Yep, my back said I had done too much and called it quits.  So I have been laying on ice, resting, going to the chiropractor.  You get the picture.  The plus side of all this is getting up from my nap and seeing this cute thing on the other side of the bed.  Indeed, a lazy daze.

Graduation Matters

My mind has been more on my graduation which is in just less than two weeks away.  Everything wraps up next week so this is the big push to finish up all the things I have procrastinated on.  Right after graduation I will be jetting out to Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina to take a workshop with Ronan Kyle Peterson of Nine Toes Pottery.  I am so excited.  I have heard great things about Penland and I can't wait to get there.  Ronan makes some very sumptuous pots out of earthenware and I am looking forward to working with him.

New Work Images

I absolutely cannot believe there are only three weeks of school left.  Normally next week would be dead week, but since we clean the studios during finals week that puts the art students ahead by a week.  Yeah! I do say this sarcastically as the realization sank into to my unprepared brain that this week would actually be dead week.  Hell week would really be a better term for it.  I vowed I would go back to school after dinner and stay up all night working but I couldn't convince my sleepy self to do it.  Tomorrow I will have to be better prepared with packed meals, snacks, rewards, anything that will keep me going because I have tons of stuff to do.  Did I say TONS of stuff?  Oh boy, I do NOT have time for sleep.  So bring on the veggies, vitamins, brain food and could you throw in some extra energy, pleas

By the way, here are some more images from my culminating exhibition.  I can barely believe I will be graduating in three weeks.  It felt like it was going to be so far away and for so long.  Not anymore.  I will officially graduate in three weeks with my Bachelor of Arts Degree.  Excited and relieved are understatements.  I am falling asleep as I type so forgive me if anything is illegible.  Have a great week.