Get Dirty

8am the music started to play from my iHome. 

I rolled out of bed, showered, ate, and headed off across campus this Sunday morning to Owen Hall, the art building, to ceramics. 

For all of you art aficionados, Owen Hall stays open every single day from 6am-2am. 

Meaning the only time it is closed is that 2am-6am period. 

So as I made my way across campus, I was not shocked by the emptiness of the main quad due to it being a Sunday morning. 

But as I reached the art side of campus, I was pleased to see some active artists in the ceramics room, working away as if the time of day did not mean anything. 

Which it really doesn't... 

That's why I like dedicating an entire day to ceramics... or any art that I love. 

You cannot just start and stop a piece - you need to get into it...

In the case of clay, you need to get dirty. 

And I have gotten my jeans plenty dirty over the past few days. 

The clay's dust... 

Water... 

Clay itself. 

All of which turns my jeans to brown, but will wash right out. 

In addition, the dust and clay gets all over my hands and arms from me leaning over and working. 

All of this makes the cliché of "getting into your work" that much more funny. 

But the time flew past as my iPod music kept me company in addition to the surrounding people, and a dog. 

Yep, a dog. 

Artists and their dogs - what can I say? 

Turns out, on Sundays, one of the workers/artists loves to bring his dog. 

His dog, Scout, loves everybody. 

He didn't harass anybody's work, he just wandered around - checking up on everybody. 

Regardless, the hours passed as everybody, including me, worked... 

Art is a great program at UNC Asheville. 

Now that the first semester is coming to a close, I can say I finally feel like I know my way around the art building. 

But art is more than just the building, or the tools. 

It is also the people who surround you in your class... and the city around the school itself. 

I think that Asheville has that perfect balance of spunky, yet grounded artists. 

I could not imagine going to school anywhere else. 

Here are some quick shots of the ceramics room. 

There are other side rooms that include more kilns, etc. - if you want to see it all, you should come and check it out for yourself.