If you've never seen these exotic bromeliads in person, stop by the studio and check them out. I designed my ceramics specifically to hold these low-maintenance beauties which require no soil, moderate light, and minimal water (just a good soak once a week). Their graphic, alien silhouettes really pop against the high gloss curves of my pots and provide a perfect organic counterpoint to the most minimalist of interiors. Plus, they have really cool sounding names. Let's meet them, shall we?

Victoriana: the spiky leaves flow up then cascade down the sides kind of like my hair used to in the 80's. That phallic protuberance in the center is the bud about to flower.

Juncea: (left) tall and grassy blades will yeild a tall pink spike with purple blooms if you treat her right. Caput Medusae: (right) velvety green tentacles undulate seductively and will give birth to tall red spikes with purple flowers. (They remind me of the mean Puerto Rican cashier's glamour length nails at the old Gristede's supermarket in the East Village.)

Ionantha: this voluptuous beauty turns pink before it blooms, which is appropriate since it's nestled in one of the most unintentionally suggestive pots I've ever made. Think Georgia O'Keeffe meets Eva Zeisel, with a dollop of vintage Britney thrown in.

P.S. I love the selection at Air Plant Supply Co. They have a beautifully designed website, a great logo (very important), and friendly customer service. Tell them the Rural Modernist sent you.

Rural Modernist Studio

3780 Main Street (rear cottage)

Stone Ridge, NY 12484

Open weekends from 1-4 pm or by appointment

* "LIKE" us on Facebarf and follow us on Twatter, too.

I'm almost finished with my second pottery class and here are some of the results. Similar shapes as my first attempt, except these are slightly more refined and a smidge taller. It's hard to see in the photo, but I've been dipping them in high gloss white and leaving portions natural and unglazed. I like the contrast. They look extra modern with these spiky tillandsia air plants sprouting out of them instead of baby's breath and carnations. Starting with my next class this spring, I'm going to start selling them since I'm running out of display surfaces in my own home. Would you buy one of my slightly lumpy handcrafted one-of-a-kind vessels?

CLICK IT, DON'T LICK IT:
Air Plants No dirt required and they come in a mind boggling array of bizarre shapes and sizes.
Robert The He did the cool yellow "book gun" in the background.
FLOR I shot this on my House Pet carpet tiles on the floor. I need a better tripod.

Yeah, it's another picture of my little pots. But they look so festive with candy canes sticking out of them (J.R.'s idea). Here's wishing you and yours a happy holiday filled with family, friends, booze, and good furniture. DETAILS: VASES BY THE RURAL MODERNIST, STOCKING BY HABLE CONSTRUCTION, ALUMINUM TREE AND ASSORTED FLEA MARKET PAINTINGS FOUND AT LOCAL BARN SALES, ORNAMENTS FROM THE MOMA STORE AND KATE SPADE OUTLET.

Since I spend virtually all of my time on the computer, I was itching to do something totally analog and old school and really get my hands dirty. So, I took a two month class at the Women's Studio Workshop in Rosendale, NY. I convinced my fellow country bumpkin and blog bud Joe to join me so I wouldn't be the only dude in the building. Luckily, they embraced our male auras completely and welcomed us into the sisterhood.

I started off with a big ole hunk of clay (fig. 1), gradually learned how to throw on the wheel (fig. 2), and ended up with this charming collection of vessels, vases, and bowls (fig. 3). I was very consciously trying my best to channel Eva Zeisel and Jonathan "See ya' later, decorator" Adler and it's a lot harder than it looks to get those wavy gravy curves and silhouettes. Nowadays I'm really digging the futuristic/archaic pots at Atwater Pottery and the Ernst Haeckel radiolarian inspired sculptures of Pamela Sunday. I'm looking forward to knocking them both off next semester since I'm too cheap to buy the real thing.