You are my Solskinn ....

It's well into October and 2019 will be coming to an end soon.  

We had a great show season!  Thank you to all who ventured out to visit with us.  

Worthy of mention -- no wildfire smoke this year.  No 100 degree days.  It's the little things.....

  

I'd planned to post my newest design before we headed to Park City but things got crazy and I forgot, so here it is.  I call it Solskinn (pronounced soul'-sheen).  I've always loved the Scandinavian aesthetic but struggled coming up with a name for this simple, warm graphic.  

It reminded me a bit of the sun on the movie poster for 'The Good, Bad and the Ugly' back in '67.  Names usually come easily but not this one.

In the meantime, my sister had her DNA tested and we were surprised to learn we have 'people' in the Nordic regions!  I love it.  Think 'sunshine' in Norwegian and there you have it -- Solskinn.

Consider yourself invited!

Studio Sale !!

You're invited to come visit!  We love opening the studio to friends and family for a chance to catch up, enjoy some home baked snacks and see what's new.  There will be deep discounts on all work, including some stuff that didn't make the cut for show this year (no one would know it but me!).

Doors will open Friday Nov 29, 10-5 through the weekend.

585 Rocky Rd   Hood River   OR  97031

Feel free to contact me via email with questions. 

We had a great time last year, hope to see you!

'Tis the Season...Gift Idea

Mugs in this new design are now available!  I call them 'Waterfall' and they're as smooth as a baby's bottom!  I can make them in warm or cool tones with a fun color inside.  $55 each or $95 for two.  

If you're interested please contact me via email.  Cheers! 

Are you sitting down??

Okay people, the website is LIVE.  I know.  There are some who believed it would never happen.

I am relieved and excited to have completed this first phase.  It's simple and it feels right. The artwork will be coming along soon and that's when it will really come to life.   I'll admit that I've struggled with having an 'online store'.  I'm not a store.  I don't relate to that reality.  We still make each piece by hand, to order.  We'll see how it goes. 

The shipping has been a real challenge -- the system is unable to calculate accurately for shipping multiple pieces so it looks that I will be refunding the difference between the calculated amount and the actual shipping cost on most orders.  I just don't know how else to do this.  Any suggestions? 

Shout out to Rob at Immense Imagery, who put up with my neurosis during this process.  I can laugh about it, but seriously........one of the most difficult things I've ever done!

I hope you like it.  We engineered to please....and hopefully make it easier to add to your collection!  Please take a few moments to peruse at https://melaniethompsonartware.com

Family

We've been working on the finishing touches for our new website.  How exciting!  It's only been 10 or 12 years in the making...... truly, I am a procrastinator.  We were asked for some 'family shots' to compliment the website.  The designer wants images showing a variety of shapes, sizes and colors that represent the collection.

It made me think about my real family-- how we are kind of like that group -- similar but different, colorful, some more serious than others.  It reminds me how blessed I am to have my family nearby.  I can't imagine my life without the drop in visits, the impromptu dinners, grandkids walking here after school.  Sweet memories are made of these.  

Re: Hood River Harvest Festival

Helllo....

Sincere apologies to all who may be hoping to visit my booth at the Harvest Festival this weekend.  Our plans have changed and I am unable to participate.  However, the studio is open and available work is on display --- you are welcome to come take a look and say hello.    I'm very sorry if your plans have been affected by this. 
Feel free to call, text or email for more info.  541) 490-7122  or tommieart@gorge.net

Thank you for understanding,

Melanie

Summer Seventeen

The age of 17 was for me, perhaps one of the best -- still a kid, almost an adult, a nice balance.  I spent most summer days at Sunset Beach in CA with my friends.  If I had gas in my '64 Galaxy and money to buy Doritos, cottage cheese and a Dr. Pepper all was well.    
Here we are in the summer of 2017 and I've just turned 60.  Reality check! 
30, 40 even 50 didn't cause a ripple but 60....sigh.  I pray for wisdom and faithfulness.  Wisdom to discern what matters in this earthly life and faithfulness to serve my Savior, eyes fixed on eternity.
Musings aside, with grateful hearts we'll return to all our favorite venues this summer!  Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and favorite places.

In early spring  I anticipate the arrival of new ideas.  There may be absolutely nothing on the radar and then in an instant that 'thing' happens!  It's exhilarating!  I'm excited about my newest designs --  drenched with a watercolor effect, finished with some loose scribble.  I've just gotten started and expect that they'll evolve,  taking their own direction.  Just wanted to say hi and sheepishly inform that there is still NO WEBSITE!

Warm, cool and smooth

                Love this!  Graphite double lined dinner, blush tri plate and a graphite stone bowl.
I've made more dinnerware sets over the past year!  I love it when my clients design their own sets, they often come up with something I'd not thought of!  This one is for Kathleen Brekken, headed for Minnesota. 

It's that time of year!

Hello 
It's springtime!  Preparation for the upcoming season is in full swing --  applications have been submitted and we've been blessed with invitation to many of the shows we'd hoped to attend!
After the usual spring clean up here at 585, it's time to step away from the garden and get busy in the studio.  This is when the ideas for this year's collection start happening.

One of my favorite things is displaying fresh new work.  The entire time I'm crafting I think about the 'story' I want to tell when I set up at my next event.  I think about different groupings -- the color combinations, graphic designs and compositions that will make a strong statement when they all come together.  I keep my eyes open for interesting things to use for display.  I love poppy pods and other structural things that have gone to seed.  Sometimes a delicate fern or a colorful succulent is the starting point.  I can't wait to bring all my goodies out and see what goes where.

I also like to look at stuff with a magnifying glass.  This 'fishnet' pattern was inspired by close inspection of...( you guessed it ) my stockings.  I thought it was interesting how the mesh contoured wide and narrow when it stretched over my legs.  It's kind of fun and brings in a hit of mid-century modern. 
When it's 100 degrees and I'm so tired I can't think straight, the anticipation of seeing my 'story' come together is pretty powerful and drives me to push on.  Ha ha, I've let a little too much of my brain show.


   

My glamorous life

Hi-
Summer is officially over.  I can scarce believe it!
Thank you to everyone who kindly visited our booth at the variety of venues we attended.  I must say, my 15th show season brought us face to face with some harsh realities......like, we have become 'senior members' of the circuit and I probably won't be able to do this forever.

I remember our first year at the shows like it was yesterday.  It's rewarding and exciting but also extremely hard work.  In a blink of my contact lenses, we have arrived at that place where we need to think about a strategy!
 
I still love the pots.  I especially love the folks we interact with.  Still.....my plan is to do fewer shows next year and bring only the irresistible with me to the ones I do attend.  I'm actually pretty excited about it.
For those of you who have been collecting, I'm NOT quitting.  The brushes will need to be pried from my cold hands.  I'm just taking a moment to collect my thoughts about how to best proceed.  Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything.  Let's carry on, business as usual.  Ok?

Today, literally I am wearing all the hats.  Perry has pneumonia and there are orders to fill!  I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and had to take a snapshot of my glamorous life. I'm giggling.

Summertime.......

Hi-  
when I set up this blog I thought I would enjoy posting pictures and sharing thoughts about life and ceramics....ha!   You can see how faithfully I have 'tended the garden'!   My family continues to grow and I adore being Lola ( grandma ) to 4 beautiful children who all live within a mile.  It's becoming more difficult to leave town!
By the time I return from my travels, the light is beginning to change and summer is fading.  The kids are excited about their new school shoes and I feel I have missed out on warm lazy days on a quilt coloring and eating watermelon with them.  I have missed summer in Hood River at her finest once again.
Don't get me wrong....I do enjoy returning to our favorite beautiful places AND the acquaintances who have become sweet friends over the years.  There must be a way to reconcile this dilemma!   So.... in my quest to address this I am REALLY trying to navigate a FB biz page and complete the website I keep promising.   
If you are inclined, please visit my page at Melanie Thompson Artware (and 'like' it:)  I need your help for high visibility in addition to the festivals. I'm writing to every person who has kindly shown interest in my artware over the past 15 years.  Thank you for rewarding my efforts....truly, you're the reason I keep making it!  
Make it a great day! 
Melanie  

Welcome autumn..........

Rounding third on 2012... my yard looks like a regional conference for pine jays!

Filling orders and calling on inspiration for the upcoming season.  My newest designs maintain the essence of existing work while capturing a bit of mid-century modern (of which i am so fond).  I enjoy many styles and eras but am continually drawn to the clean and simple functionality for which those Scandinavian designers became well recognized.
 
The rock bowls...well, they rocked this year!  For those unfamiliar, these are specially crafted vessels using boulders from an ice dam on Mt. Hood as forms.  Several years ago warm rains broke the dam and rushed massive quantities of debris down the Hood River, depositing into the Columbia.  It was exciting to find beautifully smooth, round black rocks, a type I had never seen.  We carted home as many as we could, already with a vision of how they would be used.  They're lovely, unique and functional! 

Home again!

The big push for summer shows has come and gone and it's great to be home!  It's difficult to explain the mix of absolute fatigue and exhilaration we experience each summer.  It seems like I should be quite skinny based on how hard I've been working. Ha!
Our shows went well and I must thank all of you---both friends and acquaintances-- for making our endeavors successful. 
Truly, we have been blessed.
We had a blow out on the way to Park City.  We cheered the women's Olympic gymnasts!  We stayed one step ahead of wildfire smoke in Ketchum.  We ate the best burger ever in Jackson at the Rendezvous Bistro.  We shared camp with deer and moose, heard about a bear and surprisingly, never saw a single bison. 
We met future Olympians, paramedics, prayer partners, younger, elder.  We hugged on old friends, hugged on new ones.  We completely enjoyed our new toyhauler (must admit my favorite aspect is being served coffee without getting out of bed)  We shared camp with artist friends, dogs and campers we'll likely never see again.  We hit Heise hot springs outside Idaho Falls and practiced Michael Phelps moves.......our pups Roman and Tinker scored A+ the entire trip!! 
One thing I am thankful for--knowing that this is an election year, we were prepared for the inevitable barrage of political rantings----and it wasn't so!! Unlike 2008, it was pretty quiet out there.  Hmmm.  
We'll be at the Corvallis Fall Festival next weekend, come see us?  No Ducks game scheduled...:)

Hello and welcome!

Hi-- Working ever so hard to prepare for the string of events we've lined up for the summer!
Perry and I both a bit overwhelmed (what else is new?)  finally realizing perhaps I work best under the gun.
Forever grateful to the One who supplies our strength and provides for every need----certainly notice the days I fail to begin with prayer.
Looking forward to hugs and visits with friends and acquaintances in all the many places we'll exhibit---you stay in our hearts all year long, well after show season has wrapped up.
Thanks to all and see you soon!
m