March 2 - Saturday firing

Saturday we went back to Hal and Corine's to help fire the kiln.  It was a great time as always but it was a bit colder this time than the others.  Corine made sure we had a steady supply of hot boiled peanuts to keep us going and Adrienne made sure everyone was drinking plenty of water.  Corine also rolled out a delicious lunch which we scarfed up quickly.  There's nothing like a hot lunch on a cold day to keep you going.

We stoked the kiln until we could see the cones had fallen and then took a much-deserved rest on the porch with our beverages.

Good times with good friends.

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March 1 - Friday Loading the Kiln

Friday we were at Dedmond Pottery loading the kiln for the firing the next day.  The loading went quickly with Hal inside the kiln and Adrienne and I passing pots to him.  Soon it was back to Charlotte with visions of finished pots filling my brain.  Tomorrow will be fun.

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February 28 - Thursday Empty Bowls and Glazing

Thursday was the 13th Annual Empty Bowls event for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.  It's the event that all our furious bowl-making leads up to.  It culminates in a large crowd of people lining up to come in and choose a bowl, take part in a silent auction, and have lunch.  It's a wonderful time.  Everything is donated so Second Harvest receives the proceeds to continue their important mission.  It's amazing how many pounds of food they distribute to people that need it, and there are more people right now that need it than ever.

Kimberly and I demoed in the lobby and talked to folks about Clayworks.  I'm pleased to report that there was a lot of interest.  Several people stopped by at the wheel and told me that they chose one of my bowls, which made me feel good.  It's always nice to know people enjoy your work.

It's almost time to get started making for next year.  I have some ideas for new glazes combinations...

Choices and choices.

Kimberly making and watching.

Thursday evening, it was back to Clayworks to glaze some pots for the wood kiln firing with Hal and Corine at Dedmond Pottery.  Once again, I was trying some new ideas (go figure!).  I spoke with Greg and he was kind enough to give me some new directions to explore.  We shall see what emerges.

On of our high-tech spray booth.

All those beer bottles don't get recycled by the county.
Some get recycled on my pots.

First coat done, second coat to be applied in Lawndale.

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February 27 - Wednesday another face pot

On Wednesday I worked on the second face pot in the series that I started last week.  The clay was a bit drier so it cracked when I pushed out the nose and chin, but I like the way they look so I left them that way. Each face gets a bit more detailed so I'll see where this goes.  I plan on making more of them and maybe even using a photo to work from instead of just making a random face.  It's a learning experience.  If you've read this blog for any amount of time you know that everything I make is an experiment of some sort.

Life is an experiment so why shouldn't my art be?

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February 23 - Saturday throwing pots for the wood kiln

Saturday (a bit late) I started throwing pots for Hal and Corine's wood kiln firing next Saturday.  I have to hurry and get them dried and bisqued before I can glaze them for loading on Friday.  Let's see if I make it.

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