FEATS OF CLAY

These plates from Alice In Wonderland are nearly as tall as I, at 5' 2". They are actually part of the Gladding.McBean terra cotta factory production pieces, rather than the Feats of Clay competition. Somehow, I put them in the wrong Picasa album as I struggle to become more technically savy. Today, enjoy some of the artwork on display from the Feats of Clay.
Of the 1,000 entries, only about 58 were on display. The winners were chosen by one judge, which I thought a bit strange. Maybe the single judge wasn't as strange as his choices, in my opinion. Still, I shouldn't be critical when I know not the criteria used for judging. I've hosted a series of judges for our Calaveras County Arts Council display at the local fair and have a pretty good idea how judges work on these projects, including ceramics. I collect pottery and am want to think I know good stuff when I see it. I've posted those I liked best. None were among the winners. In the end, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are 28 photographs in the album at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/1579penn/FeatsOfClay#

DAFFODIL DAYS

Kautz Winery hosts Daffodil Days each spring in Murphys. Millions of them pop up along the vineyards and roadside leading up to the winery. Buckets and barrels of flowering bulbs surround the tasting room and patios. The cool spring has been especially beneficial to the daffodils, encouraging them to hold their blossoms longer than usual. There is still time to see them before they fade. The celebration includes a competiton for best showing of daffodils. The blossoms are picked and displayed in vases at the winery and will remain for the rest of the week for viewing although the judging was finished on Sunday last. Its positively amazing how many different and exotic varieties of daffodils are grown and admired. Come see!