julietakurth

It’s Fall!!!!

Lidded Pumpkin Mug – $55 small, $60 large

And I am taking pre-orders for more Lidded Pumpkin Mugs and Cauldron Mugs!!! A Large Lidded Pumpkin Mug goes for $60, a small Lidded Pumpkin Mug $55, and a Cauldron Mug $45. Price includes free domestic shipping, and they will all be sent out by October 19, 2020. If interested, check out my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JulietAKurthCeramist

There are other items up in my shop now, too, like Flower Offering Bowls and a new Reversible Intention Pendant with semi-precious beads and “Ansuz” rune for wisdom and connecting with your ancestors. Honestly, this is probably my favorite pendant that I’ve made! There are some Miniature Flower Pots, Flower Incense Burners, and more!

I’ve also breached the 1000 follower mark on Instagram! And that means a giveaway is coming soon. So if you aren’t following me yet, you might want to: @julietakurth .

My follow up course to the Major Arcana, “Fundamentals of Tarot – the Minor Arcana” is now open for enrollment, too! The 9 week course will meet on Sundays from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm, PST, starting October 4, 2020, and ending December 6, 2020. We will be taking off Thanksgiving weekend. The first 8 weeks we will be focusing on the cards, and then the last class all the students will practice reading for one another. The classes are live and interactive; there will be real discussions, not just people typing into a chat box and I answer the questions when I can. Because of this class size is limited, so sign up soon! And if you enroll by September 30, you will receive a 30 minute reading from me. You can learn more here: https://mailchi.mp/e74deb4637ac/minorarcana

Clearly a lot is going on, and somehow I’m managing to continue homeschooling my kids and help with the co-op as we transition from meeting in person to going online. Zoom is my new favorite app! But I will try to continue updating everyone here. In the meantime, if you’d like more regular updates and receive occasional coupons, you can sign up for my email list, too: https://mailchi.mp/68e9abb3be56/juliet-a-kurth-studios

Enjoy the longer nights and (eventual) cooler days!

JAK of All Trades

I held my first official Tarot class, sold several Intention Pendants, attended an online class myself, helped out my husband with his work (he’s an artist who works in comics as a digital painter/colorist, so I know a lot about Photoshop), decided on the layout for my next Tarot Card illustration, came up with some additional ideas for future classes, and made dinner. That was just yesterday.

One thing that has happened since the pandemic started is that I am really diversifying. Before my focus was ceramics, teaching ceramics, assisting my husband, homeschooling my kids, and doing what I do around the house. I would do readings for people now and then, but it wasn’t a big push. But now, well, it’s become so much more. The good thing about it is that all of these areas that I am working in and developing are things I love, and honestly at least for me they are all connected. The same reason why I love ceramics and plants is also why I have been studying Tarot for so many years. It’s all about connections.

We are all connected not just with every other person but with every living and non-living thing. The atoms that make up our bodies are constantly moving and exchanging with everyone and everything else. We truly are made up of stardust. And planet dust. And sometimes much nastier dust than that! And just like the ever-changing atoms within us, we ourselves are also always transforming. Like the saying goes: “The only constant is change.” But yet we still don’t descend into complete chaos. It isn’t always consistently organized, but there’s a flow that we all often follow. And connecting to that flow is when we feel most at peace. For me, Tarot is one way to consciously drop into that energy and get a sense of where it’s heading. When I make ceramics or work on a drawing for my cards, I dip right into it, floating along until whatever I’m making is completed. Learning allows me to course correct when needed. Growing and learning about plants connects me with Gaia, the source of all life for us. Teaching is a way for me to help others find their own flow. And helping my family, well, I’m a mother with two teens who have some challenges (but are doing great overall right now); that always comes first. But I am assisting in the growth of the next generation, arguably the most important work I can do and the best way to help keep the flow of life going.

So, I’ve been signing all of my ceramic pieces with my initials, “JAK” almost since the beginning. And it seems even more fitting as I’ve been offering so much more because now I can say I’m a “JAK of all trades,” and really mean it!

And speaking of my offerings, it’s not too late to sign up for my Tarot Class on the Major Arcana. We record every lesson, so you will be able to catch up. Just click here https://julietakurthstudios.teachable.com/p/home. And if you’re interested in a reading, click here: https://calendly.com/jakofalltrades99/30min?back=1&month=2020-07 and you can set up an appointment; I will send you my PayPal info. If you’d like to get a little taste of how I work with the cards, you can always check me out on IG Live most Mondays at 6:00 pm PST for my “Tarot Talk.” And of course, if you want to see what ceramic pieces I have available, check out my Etsy shop (link above).

E-mail Sign-up

Look at me! I’m posting twice in one month!

Seriously, so much is going on right now. I am doing my best to really get my shi…. ACT together! And how does that look? Well, I officially have a place where you can sign up to be on my E-mail list! Not only will you get regular messages directly in your inbox, you will also receive a free gift: a downloadable Sun Card Coloring Page from my in-progress botanical-inspired Tarot Card Set.

What’s kind of cool about this (besides the actual drawing itself) is that you can use this in a ritual or as a tool for manifesting success and happiness. Light a candle to set your intention then while coloring the page think of what goal you want completed and envision how it can be achieved. Once your done, place it somewhere so that you can see it everyday. It will be both a magnet for what you want as well as give you an energy boost to do what needs to be done. And be sure to do this during new, waxing, or full moon.

And here’s the link: https://linktr.ee/Juliet_A_Kurth_Studios . You can also set up an appointment for a 10 Card Tarot Spread if you’d like for $33, find out more about my class on the Major Arcana that is coming up, or go to my Etsy Shop and see what wares I have to offer.

Blessed be!

The Fool’s Journey

I thought I’d talk to you about The Fool, the first card of the Major Arcana in Tarot. There are a lot of negative connotations to being a “fool” in our society, but in Tarot, if it’s upright it’s a positive card. The Fool is who we are any time we start a new venture. If you get this card, it is telling you to take that leap of faith because you are divinely protected and guided as you begin moving forward on accomplishing your goal. In a sense, we are all The Fool every time we wake up in the morning and start a new day, and our attitude in many way dictates how we perceive it, too. Do we want to look at life as a series of adventures and lessons that lead us to more understanding, or do we fear change and remain stuck in our ways? The Fool challenges us to not necessarily see the bright side but instead to remember we choose how meaningful we want our lives to be.

The reason why I’m sharing this here is that I have begun working on my own tarot deck. It is inspired by both Art Nouveau and botanical illustrations from that time. Each card will have a different flower or plant as the main focus, but there will be additional imagery that is inspired from the symbolic tarot traditions. I want it to not just look good but also be something that a reader can dive into or can easily be included in someone’s spiritual practice. I personally have been reading (and collecting) tarot for about 29 years now, and I love being able to dive really deep into it as I create my deck.

In the design of my card, the flower I chose to represent The Fool is the same flower that is often shown to be held by The Fool as a symbol of innocence and divine guidance and protection: the White Rose. In addition, the white rose also means divine and spiritual love, or love on a higher plane. White also is the color that represents “Spirit” of the 5 elements (which includes Earth, Air, Fire, and Water as well). And the thorns on the rose remind us that life isn’t always easy, but the beauty of the flower tells us it’s all worth the trouble. In the background there’s a cliff with the water below. Again, The Fool is traditionally shown at the edge of a cliff ready to take a step over as they take that “leap of faith.” I wanted to give that same sense of danger and awe because who doesn’t get at least a little nervous just before we start something.

And I have another announcement: I will be teaching an online class called “Fundamentals of Tarot – The Major Arcana” starting July 26, at 4:00 PST. This class is very interactive. We will meet using Zoom, and there will be discussion each time we gather. And because I can be a bit of a taskmaster, I will be asking you to do some homework, too. This class is for those who want to go beyond reading the little book that comes with the deck and who want a relationship with their cards. We will discuss not only divination but also how to include it in rituals or your spiritual practice. And those who sign up by Thursday, July 23, you will receive a free 10 card tarot reading ($33 value), and all who sign up will also get a digital copy of my Fool Card Coloring Page. It can be used in a ritual, especially if you incorporate coloring it, to bring in good fortune as you start on a big project. Either look at the menu above and click on “Online Studios” or follow this link: https://linktr.ee/Juliet_A_Kurth_Studios if you want to learn more.

Soon I will enlarge this black and white drawing and fully paint it for the final image for the card set. I am also planning on making art prints of each of the Major Arcana as I go, and I promise I will post my progress here as well. And in the meantime, you can follow me on Instagram and see what I’m working on right now!

Upcoming February 2020 Events!

daffodil

(Daffodil Wall Flower – $60)

Hello, again, everyone!

Like I said, I am actually going to be posting here a little more often! I wanted to let everyone know what is happening this month. I am of course working on more pieces (moon bowls, cauldrons, wall flowers, and intention pendants), but there will be a couple of evenings where you can see me and my work in person if you’re local to the Southern California area.

First, I will be at Rothrock Studios on February 8, from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm, at 351 S. Thomas Street upstairs in Pomona, California. There will be other artists, jewelry artists, and healers, including Heather Bejar (@thegroundingspace), Crystal Basica of Vintage Fairy Finds (@vintagefairyfinds), Tamara Valencia of Dandelion and Tumbleweed Design Studio (@dts_designstudio), and The Mystic Rose (@the.mystic.rose). I will have some of my ceramics, but I will also be giving 15 minute palm readings for $22, or 30 minute palm and tarot readings for $44.

And then on February 15 I will be at Date Night Witch Walk from 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm, in downtown Santa Ana at 222 2nd Avenue. I will have a small table with just a few of my ceramic items, but I will again be doing 15 minute palm readings for $22, or 30 minute palm and tarot readings for $44. I’m not bringing as many of my ceramic pieces mainly because I need to build up my stock! But I plan on being at Witch Walk on March 21, and I will have my full display.

I hope to see some of you later this month!

New Year, New Start

Oy!

It’s been a long time. Life has a way of getting in the way of all your well-thought out plans. This has definitely been the case for me!

I’m still homeschooling my kids, now 14 and 16, still teaching at the homeschool co-op (this semester I will be teaching Photoshop – woohoo!), still teaching at AMOCA Ceramics Studio (although now not only do I teach a homeschool ceramics class, I also teach an adult intermediate hand building ceramics class), still cook everything gluten free (and often dairy free for my son, and did I mention all the things I can’t eat, too? Annoying!), and I still make and sell ceramics of my own. But posting here? Not so much. About the only thing that’s been updating here regularly are my Instagram posts, so if for some reason you’ve been checking on this site, you would have noticed that at least.

But it’s been a bit hectic trying to figure out exactly what I want my “business” to look like, and this last year and a half has been quite a bit of trial and error while I learn (often the hard way) what that might be.

Which ultimately leads me to the “new start” of this post. I will be posting here more regularly. I will also have up here my regular items that will be for sale. I am phasing out my Etsy store because they are just charging a buttload of fees once you sell, and if you don’t offer free shipping they don’t include you in their searches. With ceramics, a piece can have such varying shipping costs that it just can’t easily be rolled into the price. Bit by bit, I will get this done, though, and you will be able to shop online.

I will also let people know here, along with on Instagram, any upcoming shows, festivals, and fairs that I will be attending. This site will become a one-stop location to find out all things about “Juliet A. Kurth – Ceramist.” (Maybe not “all things Juliet A. Kurth”, but seriously I don’t think anyone wants to know “all things” about me. It can become a little difficult to navigate some of the thoughts in my head, or at least I find it difficult.)

So, please bare with me while I try this whole “new start” thing this year. And I appreciate any good vibes or advice you feel like sending my way!

Happy New Year, and to quote one of my current favorite memes, “Here’s to 2020 being a year with more “F— Yeah” and less “F— This!”

Juliet

Celiac Disease – or One More Benefit to Homeschooling

My son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease by both blood test and biopsy almost 12 years ago. We found out soon after that I have it, too, along with my daughter. What this all means is our family has been gluten free long before it ever became trendy. It was still the “Wild, Wild West” of food labeling during that time. There was food labeled and marketed as “gluten free” that was far from it, such as one brand of frozen “gluten free chicken nuggets” that caused not only my kids to get sick but nearly killed a few children who had anaphylactic responses to the wheat in the food that wasn’t listed on the ingredients. Believe me, we do not do this because “all the cool kids are doing it.” My son’s body was shutting down when we finally got the diagnosis, and luckily he turned around.

After diagnosis, when he was in preschool and then public school for kindergarten and first grade, he sat alone when he ate his food in order to avoid cross-contamination and accidental ingestion of gluten. At public school he washed his hands after recess, before lunch, and at the end of lunch recess to remove any trace amounts of gluten because the schools had more bread and cookie crumbs than you could possibly believe. His hands were dry and cracked from all the hand-washing, and STILL he got gluten contamination in some way about once a week. One time I walked into his first grade class when they were celebrating Valentine’s Day. He was sitting in his chair pulled far away from his table. All the other kids were eating cookies and cake. Crumbs were everywhere: on the floor, the table, the chairs, and even his chair (which was a good couple of feet away from the other students). And the kids rifled through his papers, grabbed his pencil box and opened it, then pulled out his Valentine’s bag out of his hands to see what he got. I wasn’t mad at any of the kids at all; nothing was done out of malice or carelessness. For 6 or 7 years olds, they were very careful. They really just didn’t know that their actions would lead to him getting sick somehow, and for whatever reason the teacher, even with our 504 plan in place, didn’t realize the seriousness of it either. But my son sat there feeling isolated and scared of what would be coming his way because it would almost be inevitable that he would get sick. And he did get sick, and it happened to me as well that day. It’s not necessarily any easier as an adult to not get a small amount of gluten in a situation like that.

When we started homeschooling, Adrien’s health improved dramatically. My daughter’s did, too. And even though we would go to the park a couple of times a week to hang out with other kids or spend the whole day at the homeschool co-op they were enrolled in (shout out to TLC in Upland, California!!!), neither of them got sick anywhere near as often as they used to. There were fewer kids, and there were other families who were conscientious of our food issues and therefore made an effort to keep their kids’ hands clean after eating if they were going to play with him or my daughter. It wasn’t the reason for us to homeschool, but it certainly was an added benefit. And like I said before, if we hadn’t started homeschooling our kids, I would have never found ceramics. It all comes full circle then.

This blog of mine isn’t going to be a place where people find it in order to learn more about Celiac Disease or homeschooling, despite the fact that I’ve now devoted two columns on those said subjects already. But it is about what motivates me and why I do what I do. So, there might be a time where I share a recipe or maybe even our family experiences with Celiac Disease, food restrictions, or homeschooling. For me, my need to create something doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The same part of my brain that visualizes how to shape a piece of clay into a twisting tree limb also figures out how to turn a regular cherry pie recipe into a gluten free/dairy free cherry pie that also tastes good. Luckily for the people around me, I’ve been cooking this way for a long time, so I’m normally pretty successful at it! All of my life, the positive and the negatives, informs what I do, which really just means that what I write about here might be as diverse as my thoughts can be. I will strive to make it understandable and hopefully relatable, though (which if many who know me are correct, could be a challenge).

Trees, Trees, and More Trees

I love plants. I know others have waxed poetic about their love of plants, and I will not say I love them more than anyone else, but I really love them! Even weeds are difficult for me to remove because it feels so arbitrary that these specific plants need to go while others remain. Certainly there’s a place for them, right?

Folklore tells us that the fairies love wild places. Well, the fairies must enjoy my backyard then! I’ve added many plants; stopped the gardeners from shaping the large Viburnums and let them grow the way they should; and dandelions, scarlet pimpernel, and oregano are winning the battle against the lawn. It’s a place now that I feel I have to ask permission before I spend too much time out there, but the kids and I are always welcomed when we ask.

So, is it any wonder that much of my ceramic work centers around plants? Of course I’ve talked about my flower pots, but this time it will be about my trees: dancing trees, tree stumps, and tree limbs. A couple are solely stand alone art pieces, but most are either planters or vases. I’ve also made two or three more anthropomorphized: two an homage to Halloween and one to the Green Man of old. And each of these pieces was a real joy to create. There is something about the process of making these in particular that allows me to feel connected to all the growing things that rely on good earth in order to survive. And although, as always, some are more successful than others, I am never truly disappointed when they come out of the kiln (as long as it remains in tact, of course).

And seriously, there are few things that are as inspiring as trees can be: the peeling bark, the twist of the limbs, the hollow formed as a tree nears its end but still not only manages to live but also provides shelter for other animals and plants, a hidden beehive tucked into the tight juncture between two or more limbs, or the fungi and moss that help to decompose what’s left behind so that the soil that gave life to the tree is replenished and can support other growing things. If you don’t find that visually interesting, at the very least the story of the life cycle of these organisms must stir something inside.

I guess what I’m trying to say is I really love plants….and trees…. and fungi…. and of course ceramics since it allows me to connect and express this love. Hopefully some of you can appreciate my work and feel a little bit of this yourself.

Homeschooling or How Life Sometimes Takes You to Unexpected Places

I homeschool my kids, or more accurately, we are a homeschooling family. I bring this up because it is so much a part of my life and my family’s life that it would be disingenuous of me not to mention it from time to time.

For a little background, we never intended to homeschool when we first decided to have kids. Adrien and Rowan just very quickly after starting public school made it VERY apparent that it didn’t work for either of them. My son Adrien is kind, has a strong sense of what is fair, will defend to the very end for what he feels is correct, is as sharp as a tack, and knows more about geology than many college-level geology majors. He also has severe ADHD and General Anxiety Disorder that together manifest themselves as extreme emotions that run amok. My daughter Rowan can have a conversation with anyone and makes no judgment against someone just because they have a menial job or maybe talks slowly or with a strong accent. She’s an amazing artist who is passionate about pollinators, and by extension the environment, and wants to be an environmental scientist when she grows up. She, too, has ADHD, the distracted type, and General Anxiety Disorder. She’s internalized that anxiety which caused her to pull out all of her eyelashes and most of the hair on her head for 2 1/2 years, but she has improved greatly and has a full head of hair and most of her eyelashes now. Regular school was too difficult for them to manage, not because the work was too much but because of the pressure from testing and the social hierarchy that occurs when large groups of kids have little input from adults on how to treat each other. The district offered other schools for kids with emotional/behavioral issues, but they were not designed for kids who despite their challenges still excelled academically.

Thus, homeschooling became the answer for us, and we have few regrets. They have so many friends now who appreciate them and all their quirkiness. We can focus on their emotional and behavioral issues when needed, and I personally have made many friends who came to homeschooling in a similarly roundabout way.

And if we hadn’t needed to homeschool our kids, I would not have found ceramics. I won’t go as far as saying, “Ceramics saved me!” as one artist told me, but I feel most myself FOR myself when my clothes are covered in dust and there’s a fine layer of wet clay on my hands as I shape, sculpt, and carve. Not that I don’t feel like myself when I’m a mom, but this is most me when I don’t have to also be there for others. Life can certainly force you to go in a direction you never intended or wanted, but sometimes it can lead you to where you really belong.

Bleeding for Your Art (or Don’t Worry; It’s Organic)

One of the first things I learned when I started ceramics was that all organic material burned out when you fire the clay in a kiln. This was a reassuring lesson since I seem to regularly find my hair (and yes, sometimes blood when I’m particularly clumsy) in the pieces I work on. And should any crime be committed with my greenware (maybe by throwing a heavy lump of clay at someone?), all DNA evidence would be erased, not that I’ve thought a lot about that….

All kidding aside, the fact that organic materials burn out in the kiln can actually be a design advantage. You can use natural fiber such as silk, wool, or cotton, plant material, hair (which I’ve discussed already), and even species from the animal kingdom in a variety of ways. I’ve seen some beautiful pieces where someone takes cloth, dips it in clay slip, then plasters it on to another piece. Others have inlaid plant material onto a plate, leaving beautiful impressions after being fired. And some have even created molds from tree branches. Heck, you could probably memorialize your beloved dead pet by pressing it into a slab, letting it all dry, then firing it. Of course, this might be very smelly and messy, so maybe this isn’t the best way to have a lasting reminder of your pet.

Either way, know that when you buy one of my pieces that although my blood, sweat, tears, and probably hair may have been incorporated into the clay initially that it has all been burned away by the time you get it into your hands.