Urban Farmer, Police Wife, Mother, Potter, Fiber Artist...Living in the Mountainwest

I graduated from Westminster College with a dual degree in Art and Mathematics. I have taught pottery and worked as a potter for over 15 years. My functional clay work is heavily influenced by Utah's beautiful landscape, and I use local clays for much of my work. I lived and worked on the Navajo Reservation outside of Blanding, Utah as part of a pottery internship, learning the traditional Navajo pottery way, and also how to bead and weave. I fell in love with Navajo-Churro sheep while living on the Reservation. I've participated in multiple national gallery shows in the past 17 years, and taught pottery for many years at the Pioneer Craft House in Salt Lake City. I'm also a full-time statistician. Sixteen years ago, our little family started with a tiny apartment garden and the vision of a simpler life. Two acres in suburbia, an 11-year old son, a 100-year old house, some deeply troubled roosters, heritage turkeys, endangered chickens, a couple of goats, some gorgeous dairy cows and a flock of Navajo-Churro Sheep later, we are fully embracing the simple life. We actively breed many endangered livestock breeds and are members of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC). We homestead in the heart of the Wasatch Mountains. The views are beautiful and the challenges never-ending. Currently, we raise almost all of our own food, including meat.

Dec 28, 2012

And it snowed and snowed and snowed...

The weatherman said that it would be the driest winter we'd had in Utah for a long time. It was a dry summer; we rationed the irrigation water in the face of drought. We got much less hay than usual out of our pastures during the growing season. 

Yet, we had two feet of snow in early November, and now - we are going on 5 straight days of snow. It is much needed water, but I can't help but feel that the weatherman doesn't know what he's doing. 

The cows are not amused.


They think the sheep and ducks are crazy -  standing out in the snow. The ducks try to bathe in the drifts.


 The turkeys, seemingly armor-plated, don't mind roosting outside, even though there's plenty of space inside the barn.


In the studio, I'm working on dual-clay, multiple color designs. 

I messed around yesterday with these layered pendants/ornaments:


 And two-tone containers. I just love the contrasts of the dark and light.


We are planning a quiet New Year's celebration at home. How will you be bringing in the New Year?

9 comments:

Heather H said...

Julia, that container is BEAUTIFUL!!

December 28, 2012
Linda Starr said...

Funny how the animals like the snow. The two tone is unique, wondering what glaze will be on the two tones.

December 28, 2012
Sandy miller said...

So far this morning it's snowing hard. Hunkered down and headed to the studio. The chickens are not amused! Just heard our weather guy say we should get above normal snow in January. Our neighbors are getting together for New Year's day dinner. New Year's eve night will find me in front of the wood stove reading or sketching :)
Have a happy new year!

December 29, 2012
Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

giving experiences rather than gifts for Christmas - thank you!

December 29, 2012
gz said...

Its all going to be a mystery here in NZ...
usually the New Year is seen in at the beach, but we are wet again today, with the tailend of cyclone Evan (that flattened Samoa and Fiji). Now cyclone Freda (?) is wreaking havoc in the Solomon Islands, who knows what we'll get in a week or so!!

December 29, 2012
Julia said...

Thank you Heather! I hope you guys are all doing great!

December 30, 2012
MomCavePottery said...

I love your pics. That's a nice looking pot but I worry about lid fitting issues when I use 2 different kinds of clay...shrinkage differences you know. My chickens won't go outside if the sun isn't shining. I think it will feel like a long winter for them. And as for New Years...I might celebrate with Great Britain if I can't manage to stay up for our New Years. Hope your Christmas was very merry and happy New Year!

December 30, 2012
cookingwithgas said...

I love seeing your snow and hearing about your Christmas.
Happy New Year my friend!

December 31, 2012
Gary's third pottery blog said...

I am with the cows and our 2 feet of snow: NOT amused! Happy new year :)

December 31, 2012

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