ON THE TABLE

On the table ....

or on the shelf ....

or any surface ....

preferably scrubbed wood

in a kitchen ...

in the studio ....

in the homes of artists.

Catherine White's blog held me captive for days and nobody could get any sense out of me until I had finished reading it from one end to the other. I love the way Catherine writes and thinks. I love her ceramics and the way she photographs pieces against hand painted backdrops. And I love her choice of poetry and excerpts from the books she reads.

"Sometimes when asked how I chose to make pots I jokingly say that in a household of artists the only space left to express myself was the table. The family dinner table was the place of sit down meals, jokes, shaggy dog stories, limericks. Grandfather White's round robin letters were read aloud and our day-to-day adventures recounted. While conversations whirled around me, I studied the flowers, the pitcher, the sugar pot and the coffee cup, often imagining them with cartoonish variations." - Catherine White

The three images above are all Catherine White's. Visit her blog here.

"My dream, was to make an evocative setting of plates, some cups and a teapot to nourish my friends and to fill the table with pottery" - Catherine White

I can't resist weathered or scrubbed wooden surfaces. Perfect for Watanabe Takayuki's ceramic pieces. Photo credit: Nazara Lazaro. See Watanabe's website here.

More of Watanabe Takayuki's work. Photo credit: Nazara Lazaro

An old favourite of mine, Elaine Pamphilon's paintings. See more at her website here.
Elaine Pamphilon
Elaine Pamphilon
On Tim Johnson's work table. See Tim's website here.

Elizabeth Bunsen's tables are always laden with inspiring, arty things. See Elizabeth's blog here.

Stephen Croeser's work table. See Stephen's work here.

I love this image of African carvings which I found on Pinterest. I would love to give credit to the photographer if anyone knows anything about it.

Link to my Pinterest board, On The Table, here.

TURNING THE PAGE

Lament, Wooden book by Karen Kunc

With the new year approaching I am ready to turn the page and start afresh. On the inside cover of my journal for 2012 I have written a quote by Carl Sagan.

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known".

What better way to start a new year than knowing that somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known!

Thanks M for reminding me.

Everything/Something by Karen Kunc. Wooden book: screenprint and gouache.

A big thank you to all the wonderful people who visit my blog. The blog world has certainly enriched my life. A few days ago I was feeling a little frazzled as I usually do at this time of the year and after visiting a few blogs where I read many words of wisdom and encouragement I came away feeling refreshed and filled with hope for the new year. Thank you dear friends for your wisdom, enthusiasm and support!

Wishing you all the best for 2012 and many fulfilling hours, days or months of creativity!

Reference by Karen Kunc. Wooden Book, screenprint and gouache.

Also, a big thank you to all those artists whose beautiful art fills my blog gallery. What a joy to feast my eyes on such extraordinary work!

Though many of you have seen Velma Bolyard's amazing Rock Books, I wanted to celebrate them here on my blog. Click here to read more.

Christina Wiese's ceramic book. See website here.

Check out Wendy Kershaw's series of porcelain books on Flickr, here.

I discovered this photo of Anselm Kiefer's Standing Book on Catherine's Flickr photostream. Many more amazing gems to be found on Flickr. Click here.

Arabesque by Dot Krause. A cast iron book with thin sheet of polymer clay. Website here.

Falling in Place. A series by Redredday on Flickr. See here.

A bundle of Elizabeth Bunsen's little books. I check in on Elizabeth's blog regularly because her photographs and words make my heart sing. See blog here.

Book by Carol E McMahon. See website here.

Book from Ronald Chase's Play series. See website here.

Beautiful handmade pages by Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord. Click here to see The Spirit Book series.

"Each page is a meditation that echoes nature with both repetition and variety. "Reading" the book is meant to be a contemplative experience that takes the reader out of the everyday world and into a state of gratitude and reverence". - Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

Photograph by Helena on Flickr. See more of her Diary of the Book-Lover series here.

2000 year old lead codice. Read about it here.

"May peace and peace and peace be everywhere".

- The Upanishads (c.900 - 600 B.C.)

JOURNALS AND INSPIRING QUOTATIONS

Artist Book by Margo Klass. Click here to see Margo's website

I've been collecting inspiring quotations since my school days, often scribbling them down on scraps of paper and later writing them out neatly into my quote journal. There's something very empowering about the words of others especially when they mirror one's own thoughts. So often I just can't put into words what I am feeling and when I find a quotation that expresses these thoughts clearly, it's very satisfying.

Leatherbound journals by Teo Studio. See Teo's Etsy shop here.

Journal by Teo Studio. See Etsy Shop here.

Emerson began writing a journal at about 15 and in it he wrote his thoughts, experiences and quotes from the books that impressed him.

"Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”
__ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Another journal by Teo Studio. See Teo's blog here.

I have found beautiful handmade journals and artist books on the web, all of which would make wonderful quote "bibles".

Miniature Journal by Teo Studio

If you feel like sharing your favourite quotes I would love to read them.

Leather notebooks and journals by Scaramanga. See more here.

One of my many favourite quotes is by Nigerian writer, Ben Okri ......

"We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn't have expected."

Journal by Bridgette Guerzon Mills. See more at amonobooks here.

Journals by Bridgette Guerzon Mills at amanobooks.


Journal by Luthien Thye. See more at Luthien's blog, here.

Artist book by Kathleen Amt. See Kathleen's Flickr photo stream here.

Embroidered Notebooks by Heather Shaw. See Heather's Etsy Shop here.

Journals by Elizabeth Bunsen. See blog here and shop here.

TIME FOR A TEA OR COFFEE BREAK

Back to Reality, Coffee Time. Found on Tumblr, here.


It's time I took a break from blogging. I know .... I always say I'm going to take a break and never do because I just can't keep away but this time I have to be disciplined. A few great carving projects are coming up and I really need to put my nose to the grindstone so that I can meet deadlines. Keep the seat warm for me and I'll be back in a month or so to share a cuppa and chat.


Photograph by Allison Cecil. See Alison's Flickr photostream here.

Coffee Plats and Cups for "ART TELLING by Turkish Coffee" Found on Tumblr here.

I love this photograph by Elizabeth Bunsen. See Elizabeth's blog here.

Two of Cups by Elizabeth Bunsen. See more glorious art and photographs here.

This piece is by Michele Maule. See Michele's Flickr photostream here.

Pinched Cup by South African-born ceramist, Priscilla Mouritzen. Priscilla's pinch pots are so beautiful they make me feel quite weak at the knees. See more here.

Pinched Porcelain Tea Bowl by Priscilla Mouritzen.

Life Cycle of the Termite Cup by Priscilla Mouritzen. See Flickr photostream here.

Papier Mache Coffee Cup by Cecilia Levy. See Cecilia's Flickr photostream here.

Porcelain Tea Set for One by Sarah Walters, South Africa. See more here.