>> Washing the Dishes

about:

Taking a hiatus from production, I focused on washing dishes in summer 2006. This continued my engagement with functional pottery without consuming more clay and energy in the firing process.

Inspiration for Washing the Dishes also came from this passage in The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh:

Washing the dishes to wash the dishes

While washing the dishes one should only be washing the dishes, which means that while washing the dishes one should be completely aware of the fact that one is washing the dishes. At first glance, that might seem a little silly: why put so much strees on a simple thing? But that's precisely the point. The fact that I am standing there and washing these bowls is a wondrous reality. I'm being completely myself, following my breath, conscious of my presence, and conscious of my thoughts and actions. There's no way I can be tossed around mindlessly like a bottle slapped here and there on the waves.

I'm interested in doing more of these dishwashing visits. If you live in the Los Angeles area, please contact me.