2018-01-26 - Friday - Muddy Fun with the ASC

Every year the Arts and Science Council holds a Connect With Culture event on Saturday. This year we had the first ever Muddy Fun with the ASC on the Friday night before the main events. Adrienne asked if I would teach it and I didn't have to think twice about it. I love helping out with Muddy Fun and teaching it if nobody else is available.

This was a first; participants were given a coupon for a beer at Common Market and many used them. Robert Bush, the president of the ASC said a few words to start off the session by welcoming everyone to the first-ever Friday night culture event. Several people took selfies with Mr. Bush before we started getting muddy.

We had a good group of students who picked it right up. It's always so much fun to see people learn something new. Vince and Dorothy were great helpers. I couldn't have done it without them.

We have four more sessions tomorrow. Angela is teaching the first one, Greg is teaching the second two, and I'm teaching the last one. It's going to be a good day.

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2017-02-04 - Saturday - Things are happening

Saturday was a busy day.

We started out with Muddy Fun in the morning. Fun stuff for students and volunteers alike.

Angela was the teacher.

This student made a double-walled pot all by himself!

After lunch I began glazing my latest work. It's a long process.

I use a box fan on my shinos to make them "scum up" and bring the soluble salts to the surface. Those salts are what are going to crystallize during the shinos' early melt and capture the free carbon in the kiln atmosphere, so the more of them I can bring up to the surface, the better.

Shino, shino, everywhere.

Notice that they're bone white now.

Finally ready to go to the kiln.

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2016-09-17 - Saturday - Muddy Fun and teapots

Saturday was Muddy Fun day and we had another great group of students and wonderful volunteers.

Angela helping out.

Vince explaining process.

After lunch I worked on my teapots for a while.

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2016-05-07 - Saturday - Muddy Fun and New Pots

Saturday was another Muddy Fun day. Angela taught this class and she had plenty of help so I bowed out and did some of my own work.

I continued on my agenda of more functional pots by making two small casseroles. I couldn't hold out for long though so I made a snorkel pot, a darted pot, and some closed forms.

I went to La Shish Kabob for a falafel wrap for lunch. Good stuff there. If you're local, go see my friend Izzat and try the falafel or one of the many other delicious dishes he makes.


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2016-03-12 - Saturday - Muddy Fun and kiln firing

Saturday was a busy day. We had Muddy Fun at Clayworks and Kim fired the gas kiln while I shadowed her. Kim is leaving soon to move back to Indiana and I need to learn the firing process so I can fire the kiln when I need to.

Muddy fun as a big hit and Angela led it wonderfully. As always, I was surprised how some people just take to clay and make decent pots on their first outing.

After the Muddy Fun class, I made a snorkel pot during the firing since we only had to check the kiln every hour.

It's Muddy Fun!

Snorkel pot.

The kiln is finished.
We are not to the preset temperature, but cone 10 is soft,
so it's time to shut it down.

Kim keeps good notes.

2015-06-13 - Saturday - Muddy Fun

Saturday was Muddy Fun day at Clayworks. We had a good group of very fast learners proven by the photos of their work. One of the students streamed themselves live (on Periscope, I believe) to the rest of the world. At one time she said ten people were watching.

This was the first time I taught the Muddy Fun class, as Angela couldn't make it. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to doing it again whenever she can't make it.

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2014-08-09 - Saturday - To Rehoboth

Saturday, we drove to Rehoboth Beach, DE for our summer vacation.  The drive wasn't too bad, about 9 hours with a few stops and lots of laughter with Karen and Stephanie.  It was an easy drive with almost no interstates.

After greetings and exploring the house it was time for supper.  We had a nice meal and caught up and then it was off to the boardwalk and some Kohr Bros. ice cream.

The house has an integrated music system with a control panel and Boston Acoustic speakers in every room all connected to a closet full of components.  We can listen to our choice of satellite radio, terrestrial radio, CDs, or even an iPod. There were two iPod jacks available so I plugged mine in to "iPod 1" and had my music in any room I was in, even the balcony and the screened porch.  Nice.

Eva (foreground)
Justin, Meredith, Ryan, and Audrey at the 'kids table'.

Eva (standing)
Mark, Angela, Rich, Scott's hands, and Karen.

Stephanie and Pop-pop.

Pilgrimage.

I know it's blurry.
It was before I upped the shutter speed, but I like the movement.

Scott, Mark, Angela, Stephanie, Meredith, Audrey, and Ryan.
Notice how everyone is studying the menu board except Ryan.
I guess he's not used to someone having a camera in hand.

Relaxing on the balcony.

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2014-03-08 - Saturday - Muddy Fun

Saturday was another Muddy Fun day and we had a really fun crew.  Angela led the class and Deborah, Robin, and I helped out.

After class and a nice lunch at La Shish Kabob I made some pots.

I decided to add a slab to a crackle pot to give me a slightly thicker wall to do some carving on since the crackle pots normally get pretty thin.

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September 14 - Saturday - Muddy Fun!

Saturday was Muddy Fun Saturday at Clayworks.  If you're new here, we hold two, two-hour Muddy Fun beginner's classes about once a month on a Saturday.  If you (or someone you know) have always wanted to try throwing pots, you can give it a try for $10.  You can find out more here.

Angela teaches the classes and she does a great job.  I always enjoy helping her teach new students.

Fun --Muddy Fun!

The steps.

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June 21 - Friday - Raku!

Friday night we had a community raku at Clayworks.  Students from all classes were invited to come and fire a pot and enjoy some food and fellowship.  We had a great turnout and there was an amazing amount of food and fun.  A raku firing is always dramatic and you almost never know exactly how your piece is going to turn out.

We had a wonderful time and I can't wait for the next one.

Ju-Ian, Angela, and Ann in the break room.

Getting ready for the first load to finish in the kiln.

A panorama shot of the courtyard.
Kimberly was walking at almost the same speed as my panning.

Detail of Kimberly walking behind Ju-Ian.
Pretty cool.

Rob and Kary removing
Rob's pot from the kiln.

They set it on a kiln shelf so Rob
could get a different grip.

Into the reduction can.

Not so much reduction yet...

That's better.

Rob "burping" his pot.

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