Two and a half years ago my family relocated to Tucson, AZ. I made this move with very little enthusiasm because I knew I was leaving behind so many dear friends, a place where I found peace, and a community that had embraced me. My pottery studio was a large part of the peace that I found there, but also a place where I stepped in to the community. When I left Dixon, my wheel did not follow for many months. When it did follow, it was placed in the dim shadows of a garage. We bought a little house with a one-car garage that I thought I could turn into a studio. A couple of days in that soulless dark space had me moving my wheel onto the back porch. I need light and a view! So I battled the mosquitoes and the hundred degree temperatures and the cracking pots until we finally sold our property in New Mexico.....and then we built this little beauty. It's a small fraction of what I had before, and there is certainly not a view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, but it feels good. Really good.
I moved to Tucson with a random commission for a fermentation crock that someone had seen on my blog. I felt like it was fortuitous that my final special order was headed to the city that I was moving to. So, here I am. It's been a rough couple of years in many ways, but I am making my home here and it only feels right to re-open my studio. Today I accepted the co-chair position for the SACA(Southern Arizona Clay Artists) empty bowls fundraiser put on by ICS, so I'm also stepping into the community. It's been easy to do here. While northern NM will always be a place that I return to, I have come to love Tucson. The arts are vibrant, the food is fantastic, the scenery is spectacular, and the people are welcoming. We have made the start of some great friendships and planted our feet in the community. I look forward to participating in many local arts events and holding open studio hours.
