October 17 - Thursday - Opening

Thursday evening Ju-Ian and I headed down to Rock Hill for the opening of Reassessing Tradition featuring work by Bob Hasselle, Daniel Johnston, Ron Philbeck, and Peter Rose.  It was an interesting show with beautiful work in a good space.

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October 16 - Wednesday - EcoFab Fashion show

Wednesday night I went to the Mint Museum to see the EcoFab Fashion show.  My friends Elaine and Penny both designed dresses for the show.  Many people from Clayworks were in attendance and we had quite a cheering section.  The dresses were very well made and the models had fun displaying them.

Some of the Clayworks cheering section in the lobby.

Jose Fumero in one of his own creations.
That's Dorothy on the right.

Minke and Daniel.
Minke is wearing Elaine's dress.

Minke with Elaine, the designer.

"Make sure you get the ankle bracelet!"

The back.

Elaine discussing her work.

This skirt lit up.

This is Penny's dress.

Those are clay leaves on the back that
make a faint wind chime noise with movement.

Hey, there's Minke and Daniel again.

Kim and Rae discussing the whole affair.

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October 13 - Sunday - Raised garden beds

On Sunday, Nick came over and helped me build new raised garden beds.  We used vinyl coated hog wire and silt fence material to make the walls and we built them around the existing beds.  It's always fun spending time with Nick and we had a lot of laughs while he showed me how to build the beds like his.

Next I have to get a load of compost and use some of the leftover hog wire to make rounded tops to keep the deer out.  I can also put plastic over the top to make a greenhouse that will extend the Fall growing season well into the Winter.  I'm looking forward to growing lots of vegetables.

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October 12 - Saturday CCM Pottery Festival

Saturday was the Carolina Clay Matters Fall Pottery Festival.  We had 66 potters attending in 60 booths.  One of the great things about this group is that even with so many participants it's hard to find two people making the same thing.

Since there was no call for rain I decided not to use my tent.  My glazes look much better in the sunlight and I wanted to show them off to best advantage.

There were a lot of customers and I had many nice conversations.  Oh, and I sold quite a few pots.

My friend Edson took lots of good photos and I've included them here.  I have no idea I'm making these faces when talking to people.  He's got quite the eye for a good photo.  Thanks Edson.

One wing of the booths.

My booth.

This pot found a new home.
Courtesy of Edson Scudder.

Happy guy.
Courtesy of Edson Scudder.

Clay profile.
Courtesy of Edson Scudder.

Smug garden gnome.
Courtesy of Edson Scudder.

Strange potter.
Courtesy of Edson Scudder.

Glaze detail of smug garden gnome.
Courtesy of Edson Scudder.

Study in black and white.
Courtesy of Edson Scudder.

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October 6 - Sunday - Yard stuff

Sunday I did some yard work and wondered again about a series of holes where the neighbors took down a willow oak tree several years ago.  Something has moved in and apparently created a warren with several holes in a three-foot square.  I'm assuming they are chipmunks since we are currently overrun with them.  They are multiplying conspicuously and digging dens all over the property.  I think the neighborhood hawks are falling down on the job and I think the neighbors are killing too many black snakes.

As I was walking past the huge elderberry bush that I've been meaning to remove for about three years, I decided today was the day it needed to leave.  Besides the elderberry, there was a cherry tree, an oak, and another weed tree growing in there.  There was also a lot of porcelain berry, Virginia creeper, and thick poison ivy vine.

Somewhere around four hours after I started, everything was on the curb and I was sore as hell.

But hey, it was done.

Chipmunk holes with my reading glass case for scale.

Elderberry and friends on the curb.

Here's a photo of the elderberry (large bush on the right)
from last May.

After the battle.

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October 5 - Saturday - Face and altered pots

Saturday we had a Muddy Fun class and afterwards I worked on another face and two altered pots.  I'm enjoying all of them and hope to make some more of each.

New work.

Profile.

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October 3 - Thursday - Kiln opening and raku firing

Thursday night Kim, Becky, and I did a raku firing and I collected pots that came out of the gas kiln earlier that day.  While all that was going on, Rob was doing a barrel firing.  Busy night.

I was very pleased with my pots from both firings.  You can see more of them here.

Cone 10 gas kiln pots.

Closeup of face pot.

Raku and barrel firings.

Raku pots.

Kim, Becky, and Rob labeling postcards for the upcoming
Clayworks fundraiser,
An Evening of Earth & Fire

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September 29 - Sunday - College and dinner

Sunday we went to Meredith's college and after some shopping took her back to Scott's for dinner with the family.  We ate on the deck and everyone was there.  It's really nice to have these large family dinners (and breakfasts).

I just thought everyone could use a Help button.
This one is in the parking lot by the dorm.

Eva's hydrangea is blooming again in the Fall.
I don't understand it.

More blooms to come if the frost doesn't get them first.

I caught this between Eva's and Scott's houses.
I liked the way the trees framed the sky.

Dinner on the deck.

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