Photo Shoot, 17 July 2011

Don and I have been at it again in the studio, documenting some of my more recent work.  We had hoped to shoot back in April but, due to a medical emergency, Don had to take a hiatus.  He's now almost back in form and we finally got back on track a few months later than anticipated.  As usual, we had a superior supervisory staff; in this case, Dora and Doni, as we were photographing one of my newer Fancy Sunflowers.

Dora was the first to get involved, making sure the piece was properly secured to the background.  She's usually a little more reticent on these occasions but she really stepped up to the plate last week Sunday.  And, of course, Doni had to get involved as well.

Much as I like to talk about my work and what goes into it, it is always an interesting and educational experience working with Don, whether we're shooting my work in the studio or capturing some of the Clematis or wild flowers plein air in my garden.  In this instance, we rolled through about 28 pieces in record time, even with feline "assistance".

One thing I really appreciate about Don and his work is his ability to roll with the situation.  The cats are, frankly, all but uncontrollable and his ability to shoot some superb images on the fly is truly awe-inspiring.  I'm especially taken with his image of Doni (to the right), how the cat's profile echoes the contour of the wood slab we're using as a prop.  You can't get these guys to pose (although Doni did demonstrate a remarkable degree of composure during our shoot in late January) but somehow Don makes it happen.

It's not that often that the cats get that interested in our goings on - frankly, they find the studio pretty boring (Alex and Meli were more interested in the business than most of the younger generation).  Unless it's getting close to what they think is feeding time.  Then they're quite vocal and engaged and not above interfering with our "work" to get some action on the dietary front.  We got lucky this time with some great images of Dora and Doni.

Meli Topaz English, Spring 1993-May 16, 2011

If you've been visiting this site at all this Spring, you may have noticed that I haven't posted since I wrote about our loss of Alex on April 30.  I had hoped that I could post, on average, once a week, but that was a bit of blow, which was followed up by the loss of Meli Topaz on May 16; I've known I had to write about this loss as well, before I did anything else, but it's been difficult to do so.

Meli was one of the biggest kitties I've ever known, in terms of personality.  She wasn't particularly large physically but she more than made up for that in force of character.  There is no doubt that she, in fact, ran this house (and the businesses it houses), which is probably a big part of the reason it's been hard to get past losing her.

Meli was diagnosed with cancer in February of this year.  Due to the location of the tumor, and the fact it had mineralized, the vet and I agreed surgery was not an option.  It was a slow-growing form and we were more concerned with Meli's ongoing Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  The stress of Alex's passing, however, seems to have kicked the cancer into high gear and she was visibly slowing down day by day.  When I took her to the vet on May 16, I knew time was short.  I had hoped we could stay together longer but the vet and I discussed it and decided to let her go home while still the cat she had been her whole life.  The hardest part about it was that, unlike Alex, Meli was still quite articulate and engaged.  However, I could not run the risk of her suffering.

Meli came to us in 2001.  She is, without question, the most beautiful cat I've ever had the privilege of housing.  She was also one of the most expressive - and territorial.  She was a past master of exit strategies; this, coupled with her extreme territoriality, made for a challenging situation.  Somehow, she would always manage to escape when I was wearing my slippers and it was precipitating.  Except for the time she shot across the front porch, down my neighbor's driveway and stopped, dropped and rolled in the garden.  And picked up a very large leopard slug in her fur.  She got a bath that time but that didn't stop her.  (Slug slime in long cat fur is pretty gross, by the way.)  Then there was the time she took off after her "outside brother" Bubba (who lives with Kate and Jan, two houses down); I discovered her in a Mexican standoff with Bubba and his brother Pootie.

So, she was tough and fearless.  And articulate.  We had conversations.  Lots of 'em.  Mostly about her ongoing disappointment with my performance in the face of her persistent corrections.  One of the best things about the warm weather coming in the Spring and Summer was that she was a "rubber" - she would rub up against my legs; nothing was softer.  She was a kisser - I know she kissed me many thousands more times than I managed to kiss her.  (Dora is a kisser too, but not my face; only my hands.)  It's hard to go on - there are so many wonderful memories.

The house is so much quieter, now.

Alexander Ulysses English, Spring 1994-30 April 2011

It is with great sadness that I must report that our oldest boy kitty, Alexander Ulysses ("Alex", "Pookie Cat", "Pookie Uncle Alex", etc.), left us Saturday evening.  He had been suffering for some time from kidney failure and arthritis but it was his heart that was the real problem.  He had begun to decline on Thursday and we took him to the vet on Friday.  We decided to see what he wanted to do - I couldn't tell if he wanted to leave or if he just wanted to be left alone.  I had to go up to Mt. Pleasant for work but left him in the very capable hands of Auntie Jean, the cats' regular sitter.

Jean called me early Saturday afternoon to report that, while he was very weak and had eaten nothing to speak of since I left, that he was hanging in there.  I alerted the event organizers I would have to get out as soon as possible at the end of the event due to an impending death in the family and, with the assistance of my friends Nancy and Randy Fry, got out of the conference center in record time.  I did make it home in time to be with Alex; Jean informed me, when he started purring when I arrived at his side, that that was the first time she had heard him purr.

He was clearly struggling - he didn't want to go but his heart was giving out.  So, Uncle Tim came over and helped me get him to the emergency vet and we let him go with the with the same dignity with which he had lived the rest of his life with us.

Alex was a singularly wonderful cat.  My Housewarming Gift (he was under the yew tree in my back yard the day I moved in), he had a wonderful joie de vivre.  Alex's philosophy was that if someone had a lap and two hands, an accommodation could be made.  He was my secret weapon - even the most hardened cat hater or cat fearer was mere putty in his capable paws.

As with any relationship, we had our rituals over time.  Especially in his younger years, when I had an opaque shower curtain liner, he loved to get between the curtain and liner on the edge of the tub and bat at my legs; I, in turn, would get his tail all wet - it was so soft after he had cleaned it off.  We also did "Kisses and Rubs", when he would get up on the toilet seat after my shower and I would scratch around his head and neck and give him (literally) dozens of kisses on the top of his head.  I called him my "Itchy Boy" because he always loved a scratch or to be brushed; you knew you had hit a good spot when he would start trying to scratch the same area with his back foot.

He was pretty manic as a youngster, driving a number of the other cats crazy.  It was difficult to take a picture of him, not just because he was so black the camera didn't know on what to focus but because he wouldn't stop moving or - worse - he'd come right up to the lens to see what you were doing!

In the last year or so, Alex developed a very close and loving relationship with Dora.  They would wash each other's faces and heads (although I have to admit, she benefited more from this than he, from what I could tell) as we went to bed for the night.  I think he hung in as long as he did because of her, for which I am grateful.

We had a wonderful life together.  I am blessed that he was there for me for almost 16 years and that I was able to be there for him, especially at the end.

Leaves - Lots of 'em

I know, I know - Where the heck has she been?  Do you really want to know?  OK, well, then, everywhere from Midland to East Lansing to Kalamazoo to Taylor.  That's where.  And this week it's Ubly (that's south of Bad Axe - oh, never mind!)  Yep, I've been on the road a whole lot and will be for a lot of the growing season.

So I'm behind.  Let's see if I can start getting caught up.

Going back to the shoot Don and I did at the end of January, we shot a couple images of some redbud (Cercis canadensis) leaves with which I was working.

Although I'm inclined to look for perfect leaves, I also realize recognize that a leaf with some insect damage tells a story.  Leaf cutter bees seem to really like my redbud, so I do sometimes include leaves that have distinctive insect damage (leaf gall on oaks is pretty cool to work with).  What I wanted to do was create an image of an individual leaf that was absolutely resolved.  I used the same technique I used for the leaf wall pockets, rolling out a relatively thinner slab of clay, using a metal kidney and then rolling with the rolling pin to remove the canvas texture.  Then I would roll in the leaves - either fresh or moistened fallen leaves (with these last, make sure you've blotted them pretty dry or they stick to stuff in the ugliest way).  Using my very sharp (and I mean it's sharp!) cutting tool, I cut the leaves out.  Using some shallow bowl-shaped molds, I push the clay in to create some shape - so it isn't just flat.  Let the piece dry, peel off the leaf and use a piece of synthetic steel wool too "soften" the edge.  The pieces are then bisque fired (they can be stacked).

Glazing is pretty simple.  I stain the top surface to bring out the pattern of the leaf's veins, apply wax resist, then allow it to dry completely.  Then I glaze the bottom and the edge, preferably by dipping or pouring the glaze.  I fire the pieces upside down on a post so there are no stilt marks - making for a piece that folks cannot help but pick up, turn over and over and touch.

We started the bird bowl workshop at Firebrick Gallery in Rochester last week - the fabrication session went really well and we're thinking about doing another workshop on wall pockets, if there's enough interest.

The gardening season is starting - had two garden evaluations today.  Can't wait to get out in my own yard!

More on upcoming events in future posts!

Keep well and enjoy the warmer weather.


When Don and I were shooting the pieces we had a lot of help - especially from Rameses, as you can see if you look closely at one of the photos.

Staff: Cheryl M. English

Don was over again this weekend, doing some head shots of the single staff person with Black Cat Pottery (that's me, by the way).  We had a pretty good time but I have a new appreciation for how boring it must be work in films - lots of sitting around, waiting for the lighting to work, for the extras (in this case, members of the Management Team) to settle down, get the camera positioned correctly and only then realizing we need a different lens.  Rameses and Princess Nur were not really interested in the entire process; Dora and Alex really conveyed different personalities; especially Dora - she looks positively FIERCE!

But here we are - I'm only putting in a three because I see more than enough of myself in the mirror in the morning.

Heading out to Midland this afternoon for Dow Gardens Know & Grow after I finish my speaking engagement with Grosse Pointe Shores Garden Club (always a delightful group of ladies); then down to East Lansing for Wildflower Association of Michigan.  A quick stop home to make sure the place hasn't burned down and back up to EL for Michigan Herb Associates.  Good thing my friend Jeanne (known as "Auntie Jeanne" to the Management Team) can hang with them while I go make a living.

Don't forget about the upcoming Hanging Birdbath Workshop at Firebrick Gallery in Rochester, MI.  Check out their link at the bottom left of this page.

Hope to see you soon!

Management Team, Part VI: Doni

Doni, or Adonis, is Dora's brother.  We're not actually certain of the genetic reality of this, although some of her markings are exactly the same color and pattern as his and their gait is very similar; regardless of the biological facts, they came into the family at exactly the same time from the same place and are the same age, so what else would they be?

His is the longest tail I've had on a cat, which means he's got long legs, too.  He's probably rangier than Rameses but not as bulky.  Doni is definitely a very photogenic fellow and, like most cats (which are amongst the most self-aware animals with whom I am acquainted) he knows it; but he's not hung up on himself.  He's actually quite an affectionate guy and probably the most relaxed personality we've had in the house in quite a while - maybe in forever.  Doni is the antithesis of Meli - very little gets him going; he's very engaged in what's going on in the house without having to get into every little thing all the time.  Where Dora gets wound up about the birds, Doni can become a bit (for him) excited when there's a squirrel in his yard.

He is extremely attracted to food.  All kinds of food.  He has been known to attack containers of quick oats, and bagels, and granola bars.  So he apparently has a special taste for carbs.  We do keep him on a strict diet as we don't want his long, lean frame to run to fat.

All around, Doni's a pretty special guy.  Which is why I sometimes tell him he's downright "adonishing".

Management Team, Part V: Dora

This is Pandora Grace Diane, or "Dora" for short.  She came into our lives about 1-1/2 years ago, back in July 2009.  I had lost Gus and Isis within less than 10 days of one another the previous March and had thought I might get a kitten or two the next Spring.  I had a speaking engagement at Stone Cottage Gardens in Gladwin, Michigan, run by my good friends David and Mary Moore.  They have a lot of outdoor kitties that folks have dumped on their property; they do the best they can (they're both deadly allergic) in terms of feeding and vet care, but it's a challenge.

Back in July 2009, they had had a number of litters and Dora was among the kittens.  I actually met Doni, whom you will meet next week, first, but it was Dora to whom my heart went out.  When I met her, aged about seven weeks, she had a severe upper-respiratory infection, with her entire nose caked with mucus so she couldn't smell anything, and so was not eating particularly well.  I spent some time cleaning her up and treating her with some silver nitrate Mary had on hand but she was very sad nevertheless.

I decided I would take a kitten home.  But to decide between Dora and Doni was difficult, if not impossible.  Then I thought about the environment from which they were coming - highly social, outdoors, in the country -  and the one to which they would be going (especially as they would both have to be quarantined until their health stabilized)  - isolated, indoors, in the city; I decided to take them both.  My friend Theresa Dearhamer had made the trip up to Gladwin with me; she had the dubious privilege of carrying the two kittens in their carrier on her lap all the way back to the Detroit area.

The "kids" went to the vet on Monday, two days later, and we started to treat them.  Interestingly, although they had prize-winning ear-mite infestations, neither had any fleas.  The upper-respiratory infections were the biggest challenge, especially with Dora, but they both began to recover and then flourish.  When I let them out of their "room", Dora was the first to begin exploring, so I named her Pandora.

She is also the sweetest cat I've ever known.  It seems impossible for her to do anything that is not adorable, including (believe it or not) having a hairball.  So, I named her "Grace" as well, for her grace of spirit.  And she is a great hunter (she brings the mousie back to me so I can throw it again - when we play "Throw" - "Fetch" is a *dog* game) - so I named her Diane as well, which also happened to be my Mother's name.

Because Dora *is* so adorable, we have added a new word to the English language:  "Pandorable".  And she is, thus far, universally acknowledged to be so.

Management Team, Part IV: Rameses (the Great)

This is Rameses (the Great).  His middle name, Enkidu, is in honor of his predecessor, Agamemnon Gilgamesh (or "Memnon") whom we lost back in 2005.  (You'd have to know your Sumerian epics to get it - time for a trip to Wikipedia!)  He joined us at just less than four months of age in June of 2005, about two months after Memnon left us.

Rameses is the most intelligent cat I've even known - and I've known quite a few cats in my time.  I heard somewhere that most cats will only memorize a couple of "routines" (dog people know them as "tricks"), partly because a cat will not learn something if it doesn't feel doing it is in its best interests.  "Training" a cat largely consists of reinforcing behaviors the cat already expresses.  In Rameses's case, he's memorized five or six routines, some of which he executes at the snap of my fingers.  He's figured out how to open the toaster oven and pull out the rack, so I can no longer store anything he might consider tasty in there.  (My friend Catherine very helpfully asks me from time to time if he's figured out how to get in the microwave; thankfully that has eluded him thus far.)  He knows what doorknobs are for and how they work and, if he had opposable thumbs, I'd be in for a world of hurt with this guy.  (There was one time when I think he did manage to open the bathroom door when he was done eating his breakfast but there hasn't been a repeat occurrence, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that was a fluke.)

I've also realized that Rameses has some self-esteem issues.  Even though I give him lots of positive reinforcement (because, honestly, he's very handsome and healthy and lets me give him belly rubs, which I really missed after Memnon passed - among many other things), he does seem to be a bit of a bully with his brother Alex and sister Princess Nur.  (NO ONE messes with Meli.)  So, I'm working on positive experiences and using some different techniques to correct his less than desirable behavioral traits, an approach with which we are seeing some modest success.

But he is handsome, and affectionate, and very social, and has a great sense of humor and is very intelligent - so I'll take the package on this one, too!

Other news - had a great time at the Detroit Garden Center's ("DGC") Winter Gardening Series.  With the support of the attendees, Black Cat Pottery will be able to donate more to support the DGC and its programs than ever before.  Remember:  Make a purchase from Black Cat Pottery between now and the end of March and mention the Winter Gardening Series and 10% of your purchase will go to support the  DGC and its programs.  Also - got the call from Chicago Botanic Garden - and I'm in for the Antique and Garden Show in April!  OMG - that's less than 10 weeks away!  I gotta get to work!

Management Team, Part III: Princess Nur

Princess Nur joined our family a week after Meli Topaz. They actually had lived in the same house, along with our cat, Isis, who left us almost two years ago. Princess Nur is a lovely black and white tuxedo but, despite the rather masculine attire, she is every inch a lady. She is our acrocat - she eats on top of the refrigerator, leaping effortlessly from the floor to the stove, to the microwave to the top of the refrigerator. Actually, I've been making her jump from the microwave to my shoulder to the fridge so we have a little "thing" just the two of us can do; she puts up with that quite gracefully. I also call her my "Package Cat" because she's just the right size for holding in my arms and giving scratches and rubs, which she loves.

Princess Nur has had a tough time; she lost her best friend, Agamemnon Gilgamesh ("Memnon") in 2005 and she's never really recovered. She tried to become friends with Gus, who tolerated her but her feelings were, by and large, unrequited, so I've been trying really hard to fill the gap. She's thoroughly sweet and keeps me company every night. I don't think I could get a decent night's sleep if I didn't have at least one cat on the bed (and the more, the better!)

Don came over and spent many hours shooting pottery yesterday. We got quite a lot accomplished, with the help of our supervisory staff (mostly Rameses and Doni). We've nailed down the dates for the Hanging Bird Bowl Workshop at Firebrick Gallery and Pottery Studio in Rochester - three Tuesday evenings, starting March 15 - we'd love to have you join us! Go to the Firebrick website (firebrickgalleryandpotterystudio.com/workshops.html) for more information.

Lots of snow coming, or so they say - be safe!

Management Team, Part II: Meli Topaz

Please meet Meli Topaz, also known as "Her Imperial Highness" to all inferior beings, which are, actually, all other beings. Meli (which means "Honey" in Greek, because she has naturally honey-colored highlights for which Jennifer Aniston would pay thousands of dollars; she is capable of being very sweet; and she "sticks" to me in a very non-klingon way) joined us in August of 2001. We're not certain how old she was and, besides, you never discuss a lady's age, right? So we just say she is "mature" and leave it at that. Meli is a long-haired tortoise-shell kitty. She is certainly beautiful; everyone says so and, let's face it, if you're just plain beautiful it's no longer an issue of vanity, right? It's just a fact and you live with it, no sense in false modesty.

Anyway, like many "torties", Meli has what is commonly called "Tortitude" or, as I prefer to describe it for the uninitiated, extremely rapid-cycle bipolar disorder. You never really know when the toggle will go from "kiss" to "kill" (it never seems to go the other direction with these rapid changes in mood). It doesn't help that she has a severe digestive disorder - I'm willing to bet there hasn't been a day for a very long time that she has felt genuinely well.

It's for this reason that Meli is one of my heroes. She's got a tough row to hoe but she sticks with it, giving me kisses (nose kisses are especially rare and treasured), grooming my hair and just generally keeping me on the straight and narrow. I couldn't do the things I do without her help. Thank you, Meli.

Management Team, Part I: Alex

I thought it was about time everyone met the the folks who are really in charge - because, let's face it, I certainly don't do this all on my own. I have a crack Feline Management Team of six superior cats. Over the next six posts, you'll have the chance to get to know each of them just a little bit (because no cat tells all of its secrets - even to its favorite human)!

This is Alex, or Alexander Ulysses for those more formal introductions. Alex was under the yew tree in my backyard the day I moved into my house in June of 1995 (there was a bowling ball under there, too, but I didn't find that until later). He is, by far, the best house warming gift a girl ever received. We pegged him at about a year old at the time, so he'll be 17 this year. He's all black except for little patches of white on his chest and belly, plus quite a bit of gray earned by having to supervise, well, me. He's a very sweet fellow, spends a lot of time with me in the studio (my students will attest to this). He looks quite distinguished in this photo; he's actually quite easy going.

Been busy working on the bird bowl project - have almost 8 of the 35 trees done. Had a great time at the Detroit Garden Center Winter Gardening Series on Saturday - Janet did a great job, as always. I hope you can make it this Saturday as Suzan Campbell and I will both be doing programs on Native Plants, a big topic these days. And Black Cat Pottery and Notable Greetings products will be for sale, with 10% of your purchases going directly to benefit the Detroit Garden Center and its programs.

Thank goodness it's starting to warm up - it was pretty darned cold this weekend (the coldest so far this winter); I'm glad to see it warming up!