Eastern Manitoba

For the past few weekends we’ve been breaking in X-country ski trails out in the woods at my place (my forest trails are not much used, so this includes some ducking under and jumping over fallen trees). Yesterday’s near-melting temperatures made for a delightful back-forty foray once again…

Ev single-tracking across the beaver pond.

Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba

This is a gift piece of Evelin Richter’s we recently commissioned to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of Circle’s coordinator Carol MacKay and her hubby Murray. The generous bowl (250mm Ø x 85mm thrown stoneware with low-fire 04∆ burnished steel glaze, hand-crafted wooden gift box) has a subtle yet perpetual message inscribed around the circumference (you feel it before you see it)— “…Carol loves Murray loves Carol loves Murray….”

Following the inevitable pre-Christmas artisan markets (replete with angel-themed figurines, etc.), Ev is now concentrating on figurative pieces and larger conceptual installations—she still gladly takes commissions however, and can be contacted via coordinates at her website here. View previously posted samples of her work here, and read a backgrounder (4.8 MB PDF re: Ev and her new studio What? Clay Art & Curios) here.

Frankfurt, (West) Germany

Fifty years ago I was growing up as a third culture kid in Germany. This pic which recently surfaced is of my Kindergarten class in front of our Frankfurt home on Stettenstrasse (I’m the blond kid second from the left wearing the natty bow-tie and jacket) under the über-watchful eye of Tante Henne. It must have been a special day, as we each have a token mascot or doll along (manky Teddy-bear for me) and none of us boys are wearing the habitual Lederhosen as we usually did…

Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba

My beautiful girlfriend Evelin Richter is a talented ceramist. This past year she “hung out a shingle” and officially launched her home-studio business under the name ‘What? Clay Art & Curios.’ Well traveled, a lifelong bookworm, and an avid nature lover, Ev’s works draw on diverse stimuli triggered by wonder, cultural enigma, and erotic surprise. Inspired by “the vagaries of nature and the human condition,” her characteristic ceramic style is typified by an engagingly tactile “sense of play” and an expressive “exploration of the curious.” Ev’s creations are in various private collections, she fulfills commissions, and her pieces are available through select galleries. Contact Ev via her website here. Read a backgrounder (4.8 MB PDF re: Ev and her new studio) here.

Shown above is a sampling of Ev’s recent work featuring low-fire glazes.

Steinbach, Manitoba

Our Peters family got together at my brother Jim’s place in Steinbach (about an hour SE of Winnipeg) for a love-filled family Christmas celebration yesterday. This photo of my older and younger brothers book-ending my ex-missionary octogenarian dad (at Falcon Lake in 2005) surfaced in the process… admittedly I suffered from being the middle child, but what might their excuse be?… :-)

Basel, Switzerland

I was delighted to have the chance to spend the past few days back in my childhood haunts, in and around Basel. It’s been a few years since I’ve been back, and I’d forgotten how much I miss the place (with its unique sights, sounds, and smells)… roasted chestnuts, mulled wine, tasteful shop-window displays, friendly families out on the town… brought back many happy memories. I was also able to cram in quick visits to Lörrach (where I also lived for a half dozen years), to my brother Phil’s (he and his spirited family live in Binzen, just down the road from the Vitra Design Museum [Frank Gehry’s first structure in Europe]), and to Black Forest Academy, the school I attended for many years. Ah, sweet yesteryear…

My parents were married 62 years ago today, on my mother’s 19th birthday. Retroactive congratulations are in order…

Minaki, Ontario

Our friend Silvie Engel from Freiburg, Germany has been visiting for the past week. On Sunday, Ev, Silvie and I enjoyed a day of fine autumn weather and some rock climbing at the Gooseneck crags NW of Minaki. Silvie especially enjoyed the rappelling (“abseiling” in German), as you can see…

Montreal, Quebec

An intimate ‘up close interview’ with Circle’s founder Robert L. Peters has been posted on the popular Netdiver website. Edited by Netdiver’s Carole Guervin, the Q+A piece explores Peters’ background, philosophy and approach to design.

For example, here is Peters’ response to the question: “Describe what is inspiration?”—“Inspiration is a stimulation of our intellect or emotions. The word itself means to ‘draw in’ in the way that we breathe air into our lungs. In theological terms, inspiration means to be imbued with influence, a divine guidance to the mind and soul of humankind. In more carnal terms, we could think of things that are ‘turn-ons’ or triggers to our thoughts and actions.”

Peters continues: “I believe that understanding inspiration (and how to inspire) is critical for designers who wish to engage specific audiences and then move them to take action. Inspiration can be found and stimulated in many places and many ways – the top two for me are spending time in Nature (Canada provides great opportunities for canoeing, hiking, climbing and biking in pristine wilderness) and through diverse human interaction.”

Netdiver is a new media design portal and digital culture magazine that receives 11 million hits and more than 80,000 unique visitors monthly. Since 1998, Netdiver has been recognized as a driving force in new media. It’s mission is “to educate, promote and lever design + creativity in our new international new media industry.”

Read the Interview

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