absence....

i have neglected the pottery blog.

here's why.

www.eighteenlayersofwallpaper.blogspot.com

our home renovation in asheville.

things are slowing down, slightly. and i hope to regain some structure and normality to life.

i will return to the pottery blog, hopefully soon.

stayed in touch.

wishing you well

and as always, thanks for reading

~trista

handmade is always better

just a reminder!

last beaufort kiln firings part one

coasters

platter

rectangle platter

rectangle platter

oval platter

mug

mug

studio stroll

this weekend was the river arts district studio stroll...

it was fun to be a fly on the wall, while still being involved. we drove up saturday morning to see hundreds of people milling around the areas. HUNDREDS.... i was overwhelmed. luckily, my pots were in BFT so i stayed in the studio and worked on the pots i have made since i've been here.

here a few pics of my building. i wish i had taken more of the studio stroll as a whole, but....i didn't.

a couple of my super cool studio mates selling their pots

beautiful mountain morning

97 roberts street (not to be confused with the roberts street studios)

97 c thats where we b

all in a day

check out this article in the 

asheville citizen times

lots of really awesome pictures!

i've been doing a lot of hand building this week because my wheel was out of order. i learned that hand building is much slower than i thought! seemed like i used to be much more efficient. i am using some new molds: i blame them...HA!

the wheel is now back in working order. my hubby replaced the mother board (ugh, i hate that term, that same term has killed several of my computers!!!). i can't wait to get going!!!

 now, i am on my way back to beaufort. i intend to fire back to back glaze firings. i will also pack up the studio...its going to be really hard.  i loved the heck out of my little building. BUT i am so so sooooo happy to be moving into my new studio in asheville. 

thats all for now

as always, wishing you the best and thanks for reading!

~trista

reinventing this wheel

it was very exciting to go to my new studio this week and start making pots. when i went to turn on my wheel, that little green light came on, no problem, but when i pressed the pedal, this old girl had no juice.  my hubby took her apart and tried to diagnose her ailments, to no avail. ahhh, time to call in a specialist. oscar the shimpo man was super helpful and her fixes are on the way! unfortunately they won't arrive until next week.... handbuilding for me it is!

also if you have noticed my blogging absence, its because my hubby and i are renovating our new-old home in asheville. i am keeping a blog of those adventures. check it out at:

www.eighteenlayersofwallpaper.blogspot.com

as always, wishing you well and thanks for reading!

~trista

studio stroll this weekend!

come on out this weekend for the river arts district studio stroll. while you are out come on down to 97 roberts street and see where the new studio is!
unfortunately, my pots are still in beaufort, in various stages of bisque, glaze, fired-ness. i hope to have them up here by the end of next week.
while you are out stop by and see the my friends at the village potters and clayspace!
as always, thanks for reading! and wishing you well!
~trista

pictures from the new studio!

97 roberts in the river arts district

wheel

my view

me

coolness

this weekend was the craft fair of the southern highlands in asheville. i got to visit with friends and be inspired by new artists and familiar artists alike. it was another fun adventure in asheville! 

these are the latest additions to our pottery collection:

Paveen Beer Chunhaswasdikul

known simply as "Beer's", this guy in hilarious! check out this you tube video. his energy is contagious. 

he makes highly detailed recreations of machinery. referred to as trompe loie, they are AMAZING!!! but his work is hard to find. he doesn't sell online! 

Elise Delfield

i have been admiring elise's work for about a year. a lovely cone six potter, she inspired me from the moment i met her, sooooo...i finally invested!

yay! i'd say it was a good weekend!

as always, thanks for reading!

and wishing you well!

~trista

river arts district

looking down the tracks, toward the new studio...

4 a.m.

as this adventure here in beaufort is drawing to a close, each day is measured in tiny mile stones. last night was kind of a major mile stone. i worked my last shift at my favorite little cocktail bar (ever), the arendell room in morehead city. 

the evening was bitter sweet. it was so sad to start saying goodbye to all the amazing people i've met down here (bitter), but it was wonderful to feel so much love (sweet like mint chocolate chip icecream...mmmm!!!). 

but the best part? 

the next time i have to stay up until 4 a.m. it is going to be because i am firing a wood kiln... 

and that is the whip cream, the hot fudge, the cherry AND the sprinkles on top!

*photo credit robert compton pottery*

for now? firing the electric kiln today.

as always, thanks for reading

and wishing you well...

~trista

Best of WNC 2011 | Mountain Xpress | Asheville, NC

Best of WNC 2011 | Mountain Xpress | Asheville, NC

 Ceramics artist/potter

47

• 1. Mangum Pottery
  Functionality and flair are both winners as Xpress readers voted Rob and Beth Mangum of Magnum Pottery Best Ceramics/Potters in the area for their selection of high-fired tableware and sculptural pottery. “It’s such an honor to win this because there are so many great potters in the area,” says Beth. The couple met as design students at N.C. State University, and they opened their Weaverville shop in 1989. Advertised as “stuff you can use,” and with prices ranging from $18-$75, Mangum pottery is as affordable as it is practical. The biggest sellers in the shop are mugs, of which Beth has been known to make up to 100 each week. Meanwhile, Rob uses his hand-building expertise to produce more inventive (and more expensive) forms like fiddles, banjos, clocks, fountains and furniture. The ceramic clocks are fully functional, as are the instruments. But if you’re planning to audition for the Asheville Symphony, you might want to leave that raku violin on the wall. — U.G.
• 2. Heather Knight, Element Clay Studio
• 2. Akira Satake Pottery
• 3. Josh Copus

reason # 101 on the list of why i love asheville, they actually vote on the best potters. yes, there are that many! 

also, let me take a minute to say congrats to  mr josh copus aka "the man behind my new studio" in the river arts district. yay!

keep on keepin on, and makin good things happen....

Craft Rules!

What is american craft week? 

It's an opportunity to celebrate the wonders of American craft. Every day thousands of American artists share their vision and talent by producing amazing hand-made decorative and functional objects. And every day thousands of craft retailers share their love of these items by displaying, promoting and selling them. As one craft artist put it, "this is the creative economy!"

While other industry associations have long touted their products, the craft industry has lacked a single way to be highly visible. So we ask you to join us in publicizing, educating and displaying American Craft for ten days each October. Join the national celebration of American Craft!

American Craft enriches our homes, wardrobes, offices and public spaces. It contributes to our nation's economy, our balance of trade, and the fabric of our national history. It is original, beautiful and enduring, so let's tell the world!

http://americancraftweek.com/

thanks for reading and wishing you well!

~trista

I 40 East

it was definately a tough decision for us to make.  when nick ( aka my best friend, my biggest fan and my partner in crime!) and i first decided to move back to the mountains our conversation went something like this:

"i miss asheville"

"i miss asheville too"

"but i love the beach"

"i love the beach too"

"well, then what do we do?"

"well, which one would you rather vacation in?

and which one would you rather live in?"

suddenly, for both of us, our choice was very clear.  today i head home down i40 east, back to beaufort.  the thought of leaving the beach once made me sad and nostalgic. i feared leaving our coastal community behind! but as my hubby waits patiently for me back in beaufort, my fears are washed away. we are ridiculously excited to come back up to the hills where our home is.  with a little bit of luck and a little bit of determination, we both hope that soon, our path will be reversed, and that home will once again be in western nc. and that our awesome little coastal town will only be six short hours away.

for now, heading back to the coast, we will both keep in mind to appreciate these last weeks doing the things we love: riding bikes, boating, fishing, kayaking, walking on the beach and spending time with our "beaufort family" all the amazing people who have come into our life and blessed us since we went east. it will be a sad day, for sure, leaving behind my studio that we both worked so hard for. it will be sad to leave our cozy little historic town, but coming home is going to be amazing!
*

and now, for a little business...
*

stay tuned, as i am trying to coordinate a little moving sale event at the studio so everyone can come by before trista hudzik reynolds pottery heads back to the hills.

as always thanks for reading and wishing you well

~trista

a place to call home

I GOT MY KEYS!!!!
yesterday i met with my new studio mates at my new studio! the studio is still nameless... (its tough to pick a name!) but it is located on roberts street in the river arts district (RAD) in asheville. the space? a giant open space, a newly "reclaimed space", in a building not yet on the RAD map. its kind of gritty, but good gritty.  honestly, its beautiful.

so, why am i so excited (other than the obvious...sweet studio, working with good peeps, in an awesome location). because this space is still an undiscovered building it is like treasure hunting. i think something really amazing is going to rise from this dirt. litterally and figuratively. its awesome to be a part of a grassroots phenomenon! if you've been tuned in for a long time, you know its been my dream to be a part of something like this. something fresh and new, a community pulling together to make something great. there will be six of us working together. we come from all kinds of different backgrounds, but everyone's energy is fantastic!
stay tuned as i am sure this adventure will prove to be as amazing as we all hope.
in this crazy time of change i want to say thanks for staying with me and reading my rambles...
as always, wishing you well
~trista

new studio...

i am headed up to the hills this weekend.  i have a couple of things on my to do list: 

1. get me a breath of some sweet mountain fresh air, 

2. continue in the process of squaring away a home for us, 

and 3. SEE MY NEW STUDIO!!!

more details once i get home, but for now, here's your next hint...its located next to the

http://www.philmechanicstudios.com/home.html located in the asheville river arts district. 

apparently, it going to be cold this weekend! its 87 degrees here in BFT...i better pack some sweaters.

wishing you well and thanks for reading.

~trista

horizons...

new and exciting things are on the horizon!
i love beaufort. this place has been so wonderful to me right from the second i got here. when i left the mountains, my life was good, but parts of it were in a funny kind of rut.  driving down 70 east that august day, i had no idea what was ahead of me. bft was like some secret superpower... it was just what i needed it. i  have felt more alive than i have in a long time. 
the last two years have taught me a lot, as a person and as a potter.  i have stumbled, for sure, but i have grown so much on this path. i feel blessed and unworthy of the wonderful life that fell into my hands when i moved here.
BUT...
in the back of my head laid a sweet little mountain town. driving into those mountains is like driving into a hug. climbing that hill, to be closer to the clouds, where the stars shine brighter, it always makes my eyes burn with tears. i push the pedal closer to the floorboard. sweet mountain air curls in through my car window. i reach the top and snuggle into the resting place of my mountain town. i am home.
its beauty, its nature and its wildness is uncomparable. its full of old timers, with their wisdom and tradition that i can only hope to someday understand.  the streets are flooded with the hipsters, in their way too tight jeans, the musicians making songs that sing to my heart. the artists leave a piece of themselves on every place they touch: the store windows, the sidewalks, bridges, cars, whatever. the extreme conservatives, the extreme liberals, the extreme treehuggers, in this town you are free to be exactly who the "eff" you are. its a strange cultural paradox. its beautiful.
i once saw people protesting outside of taco bell to save the tomato farmers. on the other side of the street were protesters, protesting the protesters. i was so moved, i wept. (yeah, whatever, everything makes me cry!except the stuff that should...). iknew this town was part of me forever.
we knew our days in BFT would be numbered.  we have taken time enjoy every single second of it. but now, the call of the hills is so loud, it is starting to hurt my ears. and so we go. back to asheville.
come november, we will settle into our mountain town once again. i have a new studio to move into (more details later!). i am so excited!!!  it will be a community space, a community space!!!!!  hurray. its what i need, right now, what i have needed, for awhile. i cannot wait.....another crazy blessing that i cant even fathom! your first clue: http://www.riverartsdistrict.com/.
for now, dear beaufort you will always, have a giagantically huge piece of my heart (yes there will also be another blog entry about that, at some point in time).  thank you for taking me under your wing. i will be back. the ocean will always call my name.
maybe someday we ll be back to stay....(probably to move back to asheville again. and then back to beaufort again. rinse. and repeat). but in the meantime, please stay close to me...

thank you for reading.
and wishing you well.
trista

rumor has it!

there is a rumor flying around that THR pottery might have some big changes in store...

oh, the mystery! oh, the suspense!

(did i stir your curiosity?)

stay tuned for updates!

as always, wishing you well and thanks for reading

~trista

things that make my heart melt...

it is pretty much a known fact that i love dogs.  i mean looooooove dogs. and most of the people who are close to me would probably tell you, maybe a little too much.  

once, when ophelia was sick and i was playing "at home vet diagnosis via the internet " (ps... NEVER a good idea!!!), i came across the story of a beaufort couple whose dog had suffered from a heat stroke. it was a beautiful summer day and they took "rover" on a walk, like they had probably hundreds of times before.  i will skip the details but  their plea to make sure your dog drinks enough water while taking even the shortest of walks really struck a chord with me. BFT is a super dog friendly town. i can't count the number of dogs that walk by my studio every day. the day i read of that couple's sad story (even though it was december), i promptly put two water bowls outside of the studio door. 

since then, part of my morning routine is to refill and change the doggie water bowls. i never really knew if anyone necessarily used them or cared. but one day i came to the studio and found a picture slid in the crack of the door. this picture actually brought tears to my eyes. this was the picture:

there are two morals to this story. the first being: make sure your dog is well hydrated. but you knew i was going to say that. the second moral is about doing things for people. its the little things that we go out of our way to do, that make someone else's day. you might do them, and think no one notices. trust me, someone out there does.  keep doing it. and let me throw in a third moral. this small token of my neighbor's appreciation, has meant so much to me!!! and inspired me to want to be more thoughtful, and take time to thank people for the little things they do. so today if someone is doing something that you really appreciate: your family, a friend, a stranger, the mailman, whoever...take a second to thank them. write them a note or bake them some cookies or just stop them and tell them how much their actions mean to you. whatever it may be, you will never know how much that means to someone, until someone has done something nice for you. so....

 do something nice today :).

anyway, as always thanks for reading...
and wishing you well.
~trista

preview

this is a sneak preview...
these pretty little beauties have been sitting in the studio too long!
my kiln is moved way too frequently i'm sure.
its first home was in jackson county, r2d2 became mine in 2006 and has since lived in asheville, then in storage for a bit, in fines creek, and now in beaufort.  since we moved to the coast, we bring r2d2 from the lean-to, to inside my concrete block studio every time the threat of a hurricane is eminant. of course, she came in when irene threatened. since then, we have had a constant storm lying south of us out there in the sea. we are suffering from paranoia, i know. but within a day or two we will know whether or not katia will make her way to NC. keep your fingers crossed. i have a lot of pots that need some heat.

in progress...

well, i evacuated bft due to irene's impending doom. around 11 a.m. on friday, after  i sought council from a life time native, i decided to hit the road and high tail it up to take refuge with my folks in asheville. in less than 30 minutes, i had myself, several of our dogs and my little prius packed, just in time for the first rain band of irene to push its way in.

photo in carteret news times. by dylan ray.

the next 36 hours were insanely scarely. leaving my hubby, our kitties, a dog and the rest of our life behind was tough. nick lost power around 1 a.m. friday night/saturday morning. i woke up in asheville at 5 a.m. i sent nick a text message. he was already without power and had no idea what was going on.  i spent the next 12 hours back and forth between the tv (every news channel was camped out at atlantic beach) and the computer, trying to keep him updated and trying to keep me sane. irene made landfall in north carolina with the eye passing directly over beaufort.

photo from carteret news times. by dylan ray.

thank goodness for text messages. i stayed updated with my friends here in bft. and say what you want about facebook, but it was a huge resource for everyone to check in and let their friends and family know they were ok. one of the best uses was the way in which the towns used facebook to communicate. emergency officials could actually go check on people's property and ease their worries as the entire bogue banks was under mandatory evacuation.

taylors creek
this photo was taken by my friend becky bartel

photo by becky bartel

now, i am back in beaufort. we were lucky here. other places both near and far were not as lucky as we were. my heart goes out to all the people who lost not only in carteret county, but eastern nc and all of the east coast.
for now, the clean up process is time consuming. i am working on getting the studio back in place. i have a lot of pieces that i am thoroughly excited to finish.

crazy video of the bridge at atlantic beach during the storm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OflsIydqs5A&feature=share

for now, thank you for reading. i hope everyone is safe.
wishing you well.

irene...

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at201109_sat.html

looks like she's heading right for us folks...i'm doing my best to hold down the fort and prepare the house and the studio. keep you fingers crossed for us... everyone stay safe out there. wishing everyone the best!

staycation with the hubs....

i feel kind of bad for playing hookie this week! 

"The first week of August hangs at the very top of the summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone. There is no thunder, no relieving rain. These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after." 

-Natalie Babbit, Tuck Everlasting

i need to be making pots....lots and lots of pots. but oh well, it seems i never get enough quality with my hubby. i fit in a few mornings here and there at the studio but the boat and some fishes were calling my name.  i'm excited to be back at it today. i ve missed the studio!


wishing you well and thanks for reading!

love this!!!

i often start or finish my day reading other blogs of people who inspire me. this is a blog post by one of my favorite artists, jenny mendes. check out these super cool illustrations!

Jenny Mendes: Venturous Vegetables etc.: "I love these illustrations by T. Benjamin Faucett! I found them after I had been painting my own tomato people. Now I feel even more..."

 T. Benjamin Faucett

new!

adventures in fishing

what's for supper yall...
okay last post, vegan. this post doesn't get more "local" than this...

yep. we ate stingray! while we were out at "shack" fishin on friday evening, nick caught a monster stingray.. our friend dave was with us ( a life long carteret county native) and explained that string ray was some pretty good eatin'. he was right! we fried it up and put in some fish tacos (yum!). nick, wasn't the biggest fan, but i gave it two thumbs up. who knew?

what is on my mind today...

http://blueridgedreams.typepad.com/journal/page/2/

"...the view stretched on and on across rows of blue mountains, each paler than the last until the final ranks were indistinguishable from sky. It was as if all the world might be composed of nothing but valley and ridge." Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain

whats for supper....

the somewhat-mostly-vegan strikes again:

finding vegan foods my meat and potatoes hubby like to eat is sometimes a challenge (eg "really? stir fried variation of tofu again??"). mexican anything, spelt crust pizza, spelt crust calzones, lasagna, lentil cakes and vegan gravy, pad thai and stuffed portebella mushrooms are always good, but i still need more recipes...

my momma came to visit this week. she brought me a whole mess of her "mountain pride" tomatoes fresh from her garden. yu-um. figured they would be awesome in a tomato pie.
here's the basis of my recipe:

(i re figured it to be vegan with a spelt pie crust, of course):

ingredients:
one 9 inch pie shell
4 or 5 medium tomatoes peeled, sliced and drained (use a paper towel to remove excess moisture)
3 spring onions chopped
1/2 onion chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
chopped basil (optional)
1 ½ cups extra sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper (to taste)

directions:
bake pie crust according to directions and cool. Next, cover the bottom of pie shell with sliced tomatoes.Salt and pepper tomatoes and sprinkle with basil and onions. Then, in a small bowl, combine cheese and mayo. Cover tomatoes with cheese mix and spread over entire pie. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown. let cool for 5 minutes.

http://www.keepitsimplefoods.com/vegetarian/southern-tomato-pie/#comment-1487

i served it with a side of crunchy oven baked kale chips.

i think its a keeper!

try it at home. thanks for reading!

between this guy









and this girl...



it has once again been an unproductive week so far. spooky with an infected bite wound to the head and ophelia with the general ins and outs and aches and pains of just plain old age has spent some quality time in morehead city visiting bridges professional park animal hospital. i love my vets, i really, do but NO ONE loves their vet this much!!! sheesh!!!
i am happy to report ophelia is feeling better and spooky is..... heavily medicated....but on the mend.
taking pictures of pots and putting on handles and throwing today. stay tuned. maybe i'll take some photo documentation!
for now, happy wednesday.
as always thanks for reading!
wishing you well
~trista

where i live

taylors creek, beaufort nc

my dogs eat more meat than i do...

lots of folks have been askin me about my home made dog food...this is my jumping off point.
.
 here's the link.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/buddys-and-bubbas-homemade-dog-food/Detail.aspx   Buddy's and Bubba's Homemade Dog Food

Rated: Submitted By: BKBISHOP Photo By: Chantelle Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours 15 Minutes Servings: 10

"This is a healthy addition to, or replacement for, your dog's daily meals that he will happily devour."

Ingredients:

2 chicken leg quarters 1 pound ground beef 2/3 cup rolled oats 1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans - rinsed, drained and mashed 2 carrots, shredded 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

1.	Place the chicken leg quarters in a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 40 minutes. Remove the legs and allow to cool. Strain and return the cooking liquid to the pot. Once the legs have cooled. remove and discard the skin and bones; chop the meat, and set aside.
2.	Stir the brown rice into the reserved chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, and add the rice to the bowl with the chicken.
3.	Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the ground beef. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly and no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Pour off any excess grease, and place the beef into the bowl. Stir in the oats, spinach, broccoli, kidney beans, carrots, and olive oil. Store the dog food in resealable containers in the freezer. Thaw the daily portions overnight in the refrigerator.  because i have 900 million dogs i do 50 servings and freeze it.... i have learned to start by cooking the chicken and the beans all day in the crockpot, and add the veggies and oatmeal in last. i mix up the veggies everytime. i often use black beans as well as kidney beans. i also usually get stew meat, a very lean pork, lean ground turkey or fish to mix up instead of the 1 lb of ground beef. they also all get a multi vitamin (calcium is muy importante!!) and fish oil. its so good, even my hubby will eat it! hope someone atleast finds this enteratining!

art show

just came across this little snapshot.

i wanted to post this picture from our art show back in the beginning of the month.

my "sister" liz, visiting from her home in sweden, took this picture.

love it!!!!

cool artist and no sleep in BFT

a couple of nights week i work at the arendell room in morehead city, the premier place in eastern nc to get a fabulous cocktail. this week, the men of AR have taken a roadtrip. watch out! us ladies are taking over! the late night hours are not conducive to my early morning pottery making, so my studio hours this week are very limited. in the meantime, i can still eat, sleep, and think pottery.
check out todays cool artist alert!

katsuyo aoki

AMAZING!!!

as always, thanks for reading and wishing you well!

~trista