Tucson or Bust: Part III currently got pit fire in reduction

to Tonopah

Well, we arrived at Marsha Hedrick's house in Tonopah. Met her husband Sam and we were greeted by Vlad. The desert is wonderful and we parked in  the drive and hooked up. Marsha's studio is huge and her very varied art forms are marvelous. We saw her award winning native clay pieces and her new slides which are porcelain with lusters and also some marvelous miniatures. We are prepping a pit firing.

On the drive here from Palm Springs, we stopped in Quartzite and had lunch with friends and also saw the big Gem show tents and booths. Last night we chatted, had a studio tour, ate Mexican and ended up with a hot tub under the stars. Sam, Marsha's husband is loading up her work now but Vlad is still pricing his work much to Marsha's dismay- he is a slow poke.

The dogs here are Australian cattle dogs and very smart. the bird whistles microwave sounds.It is so cool to see someone else's studio and experience their work environment.

Vlad of Golem Beads has some new designs and has fabulous colors; the beads are carved, glazed in intricate patterns and fired. A very complex process and each piece is a work of art. We heard stories about Vlad's home- Tarovo, an ancient home of the Bulgarian Tsars. Lana and I are determined to visit Bulgaria and discover the riches of this ancient culture. Fascinating digs and ancient sites are everywhere.

Here are some photos from this leg of trip:

Vlad, Marsha, Lana

Vlad and Bird

Quartzite

Bandito

This morning's desert sky from Marsha's

Marsha's little girls

 whistling snake pot

murrini

Joan and Marsha

Marsha at computer and phone