New Job

A while ago I thought I was done being an employed person, it seems I was mistaken. I have recently started work with a W-2, time sheet and all once again. I am the new glass instructor at the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg, Oregon. For those of you in the Portland area it promises to be an upscale version of the Multnomah Arts Center, a refurbished school building with a wide variety of arts and cultural events and class offerings. In my quest to hype the center over the past few weeks I have learned that some people assume that with its Native American name, "Chehalem" that the center is focused on the Native American community--not so! It is an all inclusive arts, culture and local history with current event spaces for rent and huge plans for future facilities.

I am excited about my new role in this great center (although a bit disappointed in the sign ups for my new classes), but know that once we get rolling it will be great. I am excited about working with my new team headlined by my assistant/intern Ben, my new boss Karen, the big, big boss Robin and Pam who makes it all happen. What fun!

The Dog Days of the Market

Hard to believe that we are approaching the end of the season for the Beaverton Farmers" Market. This has been my fourth year. It is a happy place, and something I look forward to weekly without regard to sales. Last week was a bittersweet one, sales were better than the prior week for all of us (the week before had the Beaverton Parade so people couldn't "get there". This week was a nice, typical market weekend which I enjoy greatly, chatting with my market neighbors, Cyndi, Paula, Liz, and Shari, Shirley, Joe, Frank, Bo, Denny, Jackie, Lisa whose family has been doing her space and of course the "berry girls", sorry I haven't captured your names adequately. My close neighbors at the market grow amazing berries of all sorts and are part of the Russian "Old Believers" community. Their produce is great and they are nice neighbors.

OOOH, Enameling

So, the Chehalem Cultural Center, my new favorite place to be (except perhaps for the Beaverton Farmers' Market) has some kilns that in my mind defy logic for glass. They are tiny, have a high, medium, low knob and a pyrometer. For glass work this spells way more attention and bother than I am willing to put up with. I fussed about them for several weeks, wondering what good use could they be put to and finally came up with a couple of ideas. Precious metal clay and enameling! PMC is pretty pricey right now with what the silver market has done, but enamel has possibilities. We went to "Art in the Pearl" a couple of weeks ago and I chatted with an artist who had some pretty incredible enameled work about my interest in learning enameling with the intention of adding it to my classes at CCC. She recommended a book which I promptly ordered. Long story short, by the time I was near the end of the book I was hyper-ventilating, the cross-over between it and my glass, oh my! I was reading it at the Beaverton Library, on my way out I looked to my right and there on the wall was an incredible wall sculpture of enameled metal with the very techniques that I had been reading about. So, I have been to this library most weeks for this entire year and hadn't noticed it before, who knew. Anyway, I took this as a "sign" and that afternoon registered for an 8 week class in enameling. Can't wait!