staring into fires...

today was a wild one.
gray and cloudy skies greeted me too early.
but it was off to the studio.
i spent the morning blowing glass with Scott Benefield and Andrea Spencer, dear friends freshly engaged and currently engaged in the production of a large architectural installation.
we made flat oval plates all morning...experimenting with color combinations from a furnace with molten blue and several additions of bars of color.
it was so nice to be using glass again...my first time since i've been back here.
refreshing to focus on clean gathers and fluid efficient movements.
bright hot fires burning before me.
at ten til one i jumped on my bicycle and raced across the north sea canal and through the edges of amsterdam for my blacksmithing lesson. a free day as bert was busy with clients. so daniel, my fellow student and i took turns masticating iron with our unskilled hands. staring at the black wreathed fire in the forge i danced with the metal finding the right heats to make some traditional tapered rings and then loosening up to slowly meticulously smash a chunk of iron into an undulating leaf thin and delicate. pictures will come soon.
before i new it the afternoon had been burnt up and i jumped back on my bike and retraced my steps under the emerging sun...back to the studio, with burning thighs, to do some clean up and organizing in the work shop and then to take on my last firey challenge...grilling two whole racks of lamb for dinner. a feast with lentils and mint sauce and a nice spanish wine.

three fires...three crafts ascending into art.

"a goddamn beautiful day!!"