2010-10-23 Saturday - Making using mixed clays

I made more bowls for Empty Bowls today and then mixed some of my leftover phoenix and craggy crunch clays together to get some swirls of color and different textures.

I am getting very comfortable in my potter's skin lately.  While I am not ever going to quit my day job, I feel I have reached another milestone in my throwing skills.  My confidence level is much higher than it's ever been and I am way more comfortable making most forms than I was just a few years ago.  Don't get me wrong; I still have more than one lifetime of things to learn, but I am feeling pretty good about where I am right now.

It's all about joy...
                                       ...and the joy of the process.

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2010-10-21 Thursday - Making pots

I went to Clayworks to make some new work using speckled brownstone clay.  I made some large, low bowls for a friend and with the leftover clay I threw a rimless form since I don't believe I've ever made one.  I thought it turned out pretty well.

Part of my joy in clay is constantly trying new forms or trying new methods and styles in making my "regular" forms.  It's all about the process, and I'm already thinking about several different options for glazing and surface decoration.  Stay tuned.

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2010-10-19 Tuesday - Glazing babies

Tuesday found me glazing all my "baby" pots for the gas kiln.  I like making these small pots since they are a nice change to the larger work I make.  People seem to like them since they are tiny pots treated just like their larger cousins.  I throw them in cone 10 clay, glaze them in the same styles I use on "regular sized" pots and fire them in the cone 10 reduction kiln just like the big boys.

Fun stuff.

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2010-10-18 Monday - Kale: It's not just for breakfast anymore...

I have recently discovered the joys of kale and pasta and am exploring that whenever I receive kale in my Absolute Organics delivery.  This week's entry was pasta with homemade tomato sauce, kale, chicken, and cannellini beans.  I'm hooked on kale.

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2010-10-17 Sunday - ClayMatters raku workshop at Pottery Central

Sunday we had our Carolina ClayMatters Guild meeting at Pottery Central.  We had a small, but hardy group attend who were ready to do some raku.  Folks used several different methods and materials including copper lustres, clear crackle, naked raku, horsehair, and some commercial glazes.  Good results were revealed each time the pots were removed from the reduction cans. 

We had a good group, the weather was perfect, and we had our usual treat of good food and great fellowship.  Thanks to Andrew for hosting us at Pottery Central.

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2010-10-16 Saturday - Pho and Muddy Fun

Saturday, Nic and I went to the Vietnam Grille for lunch and had grilled pork on rice vermicelli with crispy spring rolls and fish sauce.  Amazing.

After a great lunch we headed back to Clayworks for a Muddy Fun class.  I also did more of my cone 10 glazing.

Yum!

Nic thinks so, too.

Ann and Angela teaching Muddy Fun.

We only had three students this week.

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2010-10-13 Wednesday - Little Making

Wednesday night saw me making small pots.  A customer at the Barn Sale bought all of the small pots I had and needed a few more for bridal favors so I bent to the wheel and turned out some more.  I figured why stop at the required amount while I'm making them, so I made more for me.

I throw these "off the hump", meaning I put a large lump of clay (6-8 pounds) on the wheel and throw these on the top of the "hump" cutting each one off as it's finished.

Now, on to bisque, glaze, and cone 10 reduction firing for these babies (and I do mean babies, see the ball point pen I put in the shot for scale).

Baby pots.

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2010-10-09 Saturday - Fall Barn Sale

Saturday was the Carolina Claymatters Fall Barn Sale.  It was a beautiful day and there were lots of people enjoying the day and the pottery.  Kim was kind enough to lend me her shelves and having my work spread out and at eye-level really seemed to help.  Thanks Kim!

Everyone I talked to said they had a good sale so it was a good day all around.  It's nice when everything comes together:  the weather, the crowds, and the art.

 Elaine and I shared a booth.

 Susan and Elaine.

Serenading Elaine.

"Make the World Go Away"

Some friends dropped by.

Paul finished the show in grand style.

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2010-10-07 Thursday - More pictures

Some more pictures from latest work.  Lighter and lighter.

2010-10-07 Thursday - New direction

I am exhilarated by the new directions my clay exploration is taking me.  I am still doing the slip/sodium silicate process, but now I am using phoenix and black slip and pushing the clay to it's limit (and sometimes beyond).  I call these pots my "balloon pots" since they are so thin.  Sometimes just taking them off the bat is dangerous.

As you can see in the pictures the teapot form was so thin it  just collapsed straight down from its own weight.  I was thinking about tossing it into the slop bucket when Greg told me I should make it a teapot.  Thanks Greg!  I think it came out pretty well.  More to come.

Heady times, these.

 New batch.

 Sometimes form trumps function.

 Meteor strike.

Alien?

Somewhat more subdued.

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2010-10-03 Sunday - Kiln opening

Sunday saw the kiln opening to reveal what I think is my best load of work to date.  To say I am excited about this new direction would be an understatement.  I am thrilled.

I'm only posting one picture here due to time constraints, but do check out the rest here.

New work!

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2010-09-30 Thursday - Making

Thursday night saw me back at Clayworks making more pots.  I'm really having fun with this new work and am pushing it to its limits.  I wonder where this new direction will ultimately take me.  Stay tuned.

 New pots.

The two in the front left are pots I made at

Festival in the Park while I was demoing.

This little twirl of clay rolled up while I was

smoothing the rim and I think it looks like a bud.

 "Fuzzy" texture.

Some older decorating techniques caused holes during the stretching.

Stoneware is so forgiving that the pot still stands.

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