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

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

happenings in the hills

its a good weekend to be in the mountains!
this weekend up in asheville is the Kenilworth Artist Association's Spring Studio Tour.  this semi annual event is really special to me for two reasons. first, because it is the neighborhood where my folks have been living for the last 12 years, and you know what they say... "home is where your mom is". 
check out there website.
http://www.kenilworthartists.org/
which also bring me to my next point.  one of my dearest friends kathie kline, and her husband robert are on the tour hosting a number of artists at their home. make sure to put her house on your list of stops. you can see her website here.
http://www.centerpointclaystudio.com/
the event has really gained a lot of momentum in the last few years.  if you are in the area, make sure to hit up the tour. its going to be great!
also, this weekend begins the annual Haywood Community College graduate show.  as a proud alumni i want to encourage yall to stop by the folk art center at mile marker 382 on the blue ridge parkway, outside of asheville.
http://www.southernhighlandguild.org/pages/posts/haywood-community-college-graduate-show-may-21---july-10-2011-33.php
i am truly amazed the amount of talent this program puts out every year!

and, since you are in the area and making a weekend out of art. head on out to bakersville and check out michaels kline's pottery. bakersville is a truly lovely part of wnc. the drive out there is beautiful and michael kline's pots are amazing. they are a huge inspiration to me.

http://michaelklinepottery.blogspot.com/2011/05/38-more-pots-preview-of-this-weekends.html

i guess that all for now!
as always, thanks for reading!
wishing you well,
trista