this Thursday, June 5/Modern Originals book event at Heath Ceramics SF

Hello dear friends!  Just wanted to announce that I am doing a book signing and slideshow this Thursday, June 5th, at Heath Ceramics in San Francisco (18th street tile factory. 6h30 to 9pm).
So happy to be home and am planning a special slideshow for my hometown crowd. Please come by, see the slideshow with lots of special hometown tidbits and get your book signed! Yes, you can bring your copy of Handcrafted Modern to be signed. (I'd be happy to!) and pick up your copy of "Modern Orignals: At Home with European Midcentury Designers". They are a happy duo.
Look forward to seeing you Thursday! RSVP here.
xx    Leslie

Guest Pinner for Heath Ceramics/

Just a heads up that I have the honor of being a Pin Pal for Heath Ceramics this week. What is a Pin Pal you ask? Well a guest pinner on Pinterest, of course! Maybe I haven't mentioned this much but I LOVE Pinterest. In fact, my breaks from writing Modern Originals usually consisted of a Pinning session of anything unrelated to my book - mainly quotes. But I digress…this week, in honor of the Heath10 celebration, I have been asked to pin my inspirations to a special guest pinboard. So check out my Pinboard here. There is also a nice little Q&A with me on the Heath Ceramics blog here.
More from Tokyo soon!

PS - image credit on this portrait of me at the Torino train station by Maurizio Beucci.

window light/

I am in love with this window at the new San Francisco Heath factory. Every time I am there I go visit it, which sounds crazy but I just cannot keep myself away! These are a few shots from last weekend. Clearly it is still a construction site in this area. Just the prettiest light ever...

heath tile factory/

The new Heath Tile Factory in San Francisco, is getting close to opening. Yesterday the new neon sign was installed. I'm looking forward to shooting this space in the coming weeks. I've been lucky enough to see it transform from an industrial dry cleaning plant to this glorious factory/retail space! The collaboration between Heath and Commune Design certainly continues to flourish.
The second shot is where the kilns are going to go. Seriously... look at that light! So gorgeous! I love that Heath is carrying on Edith Heath's tradition of a natural light factory, just like the one in Sausalito. I am sure it will be a joy to work and create in.

Eva Zeisel/RIP

On December 30, 2011, Eva Zeisel passed away. I was lucky enough to photograph her country home for Handcrafted Modern and ended up hanging out with the family for lunch and dinner while I was there. When I met her she was 102 or maybe 103. Crazy, right? And yet, she was all there. She asked me who was in my book and when I mentioned Gropius, she said she approved. What I rememeber most about her is that she was all about enjoying her life. The sun was out that day (it was May) and she just wanted to sit in the sun. At dinner, although we had a delicious spread, she ate 2 bites and said, "Ok, I'm ready for my chocolate!" But when her red wine was almost cleared before she was done, she put her foot down. Sun, chocolate, and red wine. my kind of girl! She kind of cracked me up! I mean, god knows if you have lived to be 102 you should be able to eat and drink whatever you want and soak up as much sun too! She had  a prolific, long life to be sure, but also witnessed so many changes in our society as well as art. I cannot say I was surprised when I saw the news but frankly, I was reduced to a puddle of tears anyway. She was a love.

This image is of her chair in her studio in New City, NY. And that is her butt print...I'm pretty sure....

bedrooms/

I swear, it is one of those times...I am wandering aimlessly through my images thinking what do I want to share with all of you today. And the fact is, there is SO MUCH I want to share that I have been shooting, but for one reason or another, I cannot share it! Many are jobs, and others are my own projects that will be seen somewhere else first, but still. I feel thwarted! And then I ran across this image and it calmed me down. This is Heath Ceramics owners, Cathy Bailey and Robin Petravic's home. Simple and so them, right down to the Adam Silverman/Heath light.

The music I just stumbled across (in my own collection) is calming me down as well. Forgot I had this but it is amazing! Johan Johannsson's IBM 1401, A User's Manual. Take a listen to a bit... 

heath ceramics la/

What is it about tools that are so beautiful? I just found this on my iphone - some tools sitting out in the workshop at Heath LA. I really love the text on that ruler, though...it really adds something...

have a wonderful weekend my friends.

heath ceramics la/adam silverman

A few more from Adam Silverman's studio at Heath LA. God I love his work...there is something so primal about it. Some of the new pieces feel like they have been pulled out of a lava flow or  somehow excavated with remnants of the ancient earth still clinging to it like it has for thousands of years.

heath ceramics la/adam silverman

Today a couple shots from Adam Silverman's work table at Heath LA.

I shot quite a bit while I was down south, but I keep coming back to all the details on this table. The color of his brushes (and even the can there) with the terra cotta of the large vessel behind it seem like a coincidence but are the most pleasing example of complimentary contrast to me. And I love seeing the seam on those large vases in the second image.

PS - amazing trip to the redwoods!! I hope to share tidbits of it soon.

heath ceramics la/adam silverman

While I was in LA last week I finally had a chance to shoot Adam Silverman's studio at Heath LA. Haven't even scratched the surface in editing the images, but I knew when I shot this one I loved it. Had to share it before all others...

Heath Ceramics/Bailey & Petravic Residence

All this talk of Heath Ceramics makes me think about Cathy Bailey and Robin Petravic's wonderful home.
I shot it awhile back and this is still my favorite image from the shoot. There is something about their living room that says modern Victorian drawing room to me. And the wallpaper choice is inspired! I believe it is Josef Frank.

heath ceramics/sausalito factory

On Sunday, I got really caught up in the cast shadows in some parts of the Heath Factory. I have no idea what these two images are of, but I love the quality of light happening here. love, love, love.

heath ceramics/sausalito factory

Plates awaiting their turn in the Heath kiln this past Sunday. The second shot is of one of the kilns open. They are so impressive when they are open like this. I wonder how many pieces are fired at once...I bet you learn this on the official tour.

heath ceramics/sausalito factory

I still have not finished editing through all the images from my first day of shooting at the Heath Factory and I shot there again yesterday. Most of my time was spent photographing a new portrait of Cathy and Robin, which was a lot of fun.  But there is so much more factory I have to cover. These two images are from day one but the top on is a favorite and I knew it the moment I shot it. The light reminded me of some of the images Constantin Brancusi shot in his atelier in Paris in the early 1900's. The little bud vases in the second image are what hatches out of these molds.

heath ceramics/sausalito factory

More from Heath to finish out the week. Obviously these are the molds for the pitchers. I think they are beautiful. I would love to have one just sitting on my table as an objet d'art.

heath ceramics/sausalito factory

A few more images from the Heath Factory -these from the mold room. The first one made me think of Brancusi's studio...

heath ceramics/sausalito factory

As I mentioned yesterday, I have begun shooting the Heath Factory in Sausalito. It is a magical place. I found myself wondering that a factory of this type still exists. Bells ring for break times and lunch, each worker has a natural light work space and they all are working to create a beautiful craft that is born of the earth. Afterall, each piece of Heath begins as a little pile of dust.  The first place I shot was in the clay making room where they mix up the clay from which all the products are made. I was caught up in the mystery of what happens in this room. In my mind, the guy in there was mixing magic potions.

heath ceramics/sausalito

So excited! Today I am going to photograph the Heath Factory in Sausalito, CA. I have been wanting to shoot the factory for about 2 years. This shot is from a tour eons ago. Should be a fantastic two days!

handcrafted modern/limited edition prints

As many of you know my book, Handcrafted Modern, came out in october of this year. But I would venture to guess many of you do not know that there a few of my favorite images from the book that I have made available as limited edition prints. At the moment, these framed prints are hanging at Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, but here is a gallery of what is available. Most are 16x20". Shoot me an email if you are interested and I'll give you more information. info@lesliewilliamson.com

handcrafted modern/outtakes/esherick

Another view of the lowest floor of Wharton Esherick's home. To the left is the sculpture "Mother and Child".

On another note, thanks to everyone who came out to Williams Stout Annex in San Francisco last night. It was great to see so many friends - old and new.

Heading to LA today with 8 beautiful prints in tow for my show at Heath Ceramics on Saturday. Should be fun!