As if hanging out with my mentor Cynthia Bringle isn’t enough inspiration, I saw and touched so many beautiful pots and sculpture that I feel saturated with art. Saturated.
NCECA in Phoenix may have been a bit smaller, and the trade show floor may have been less active than past years, but the quality of the art shows was as high as ever. And equal to the opportunity to see old and new friends.

The technical mastery involved in some of these works is so astounding that it’s no wonder some of these pieces cost the same as a car…

or two. I spent time with my heroes both in the form of their pots and their persons.

NCECA basically offers complete sensory overload, which may take weeks to unspool and recover. It was fabulous.

When NCECA comes to town, a whole motley crew of hippis, farmers, and dirty, dusty, plain folk who take over the bars and restaurants for blocks around the convention center. Conversations on buses and elevators involve tips for soda firing, glaze adjustments, and firing temperatures. The talk is talc, and everybody’s smiling. I’m exhausted. I simply can’t go back…

for at least a year.