Fostering a new renaissance through creativity, authenticity, spirituality, and art
Polly Castor 
I’ve been wanting to try this technique for some time. Sgraffito is the process of scraping away underglaze while a pot is leather hard to reveal the clay underneath, before it is bisque fired. In the case of these three pots, I used colored underglaze, and scraped down to the white clay with a tiny … Read more
My article titled “Waging Peace” is running today in the Christian Science Monitor’s religious column. Click here to read it online. It is always an honor to be published in this excellent international daily newspaper, but it was an additional thrill to have my article chosen to be printed in the weekly print edition as … Read more
I’m not totally thrilled with these, but I share them as stepping stones in my process. I tried out some new ideas here, some of which worked and I’ll explore further, and some of which I’ll let drop. I am in an expansively experimental phase in my artwork and have a zillon ideas I want … Read more
Secret Sometimes when the morning sun streams through the kitchen window and I’m washing the dishes or opening a can of cat food or sweeping potato peels and onion skins off the linoleum floor, I get so taken with the way my arms move back and forth with the broom or how pretty my … Read more
As I mentioned, my daughter is taking a Botany class a couple mornings a week with a homeschool group north of here in New Milford, Connecticut. While she’s in class and it is is either too cold or too wet for painting (see here) or hiking (see here and here), or biking (see here) or … Read more
Hope you enjoy your holiday! (Check out my newspaper article about Halloween if you missed it last weekend…)
I’ve been enjoying intermittently exploring the area a bit north of here while our youngest daughter is taking some classes there. The Housatonic River is particularly lovely. I so frequently hanker to go to the Alps or linger in remote fiords or something, but days with views like this remind me that beauty is everywhere. … Read more
Recently, we took my 12 year old SAAB in for service only to find out that it needed more repair than the car was worth. This car has been wonderful for us, and other than the service light giving us warning, we had no idea that it was ailing. It still seemed in good shape … Read more
Yesterday I attended the dedication service for the new building of the local Lutheran church. It is a lovely, rather Nordic structure, that has been quite a project in the making for years. Below, in the bottom photo, you can see a “before” picture to show you how far this congregation has come to be … Read more
These are delicious: spicy but not too spicy. The homemade red enchilada sauce makes them all the better. I made the ones shown here with our last peppers of the season from the garden. Red Enchilada Sauce: 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons flour 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 canned chipotle chili (packed in adobo) … Read more
I am a regular contributor to the Danbury News Times Forum on Faith column, which is also picked up by the Connecticut Post and the Stamford Advocate. You can read the article online here and here and here or read it below: See Beyond the Masks on Halloween In the Christian Science church, there is … Read more
Unlike my husband who likes broccoli raw or just steamed, I’m not a broccoli fan, but have finally found a way I truly enjoy it. Not surprising, I like it better roasted –I like roasted vegetables in general– and then adding these few yummy accents helps this vegetable be actually delicious. Give it a try, … Read more
We consider ourselves
personal thinkers
independent authors
innovative makers of things.
I didn’t like this book much and am posting this mostly to let you know not to waste your time on it.
Friday while taking the cliff photos, my dear old camera freaked out and died. I had been having trouble with that camera intermittently for about
