2014-11-13 - Thursday - MAJOR catch-up Part 1

Once again, the months have sped by without me posting here.  I'm going to try the quickest update yet.  Hold on and don't blink.

August 27 raku

On August 27 we had a community raku firing.  Good stuff.

Yard Art Day

On Labor Day (September 1) I put pots in the yard and threw some to celebrate Yard Art Day.

Son of Glaze-a-thon II

On September 2 I glazed lots of pots.

Fired pots

On September 11 I helped unload the kiln and got my pots back.

Salt firing

On September 16 we fired the salt/soda kiln.

Wet pots

On September 17 I made more pots.

Unloading salt kiln

On September 18 we unloaded the salt/soda kiln.

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During this time I made pots, took photos of sunsets, made more pots, installed a new dining room light, made still more pots, glazed some pots, and generally lived.

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Carolina Clay Matters Fall 2014 Pottery Festival
(formerly known as the barn sale)

October 11 was the CCM pottery festival and much like the spring show, we got drenched at the end.

On October 15 I completed my first set of stacking bowls for my friend Stan to give as a wedding gift.  Stan and I attended high school together about a million years ago and we have reconnected on Facebook.  If you have a chance, check out Stan's website.  He's a very good photographer.

On October 18 I joined the 3H Market at Ballantyne Village.  It's a very nice group of people who do all kinds of crafts and food.

Watch for Part 2 of the catch-up.



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May 10 - Friday - Pre-Festival Prep

Well boys and girls, it's time again for the Carolina Clay Matters Pottery Festival (formerly known as the barn sale).  In fact, it's tomorrow (so much for my great blog-marketing skills, eh?).

I have been doing prep work for about six hours now, taking a break to cook and eat dinner.  Patching my shelving, testing my new EZ-Up tent, packing the van, rounding up stray pots, etc.  Oh, and also getting psyched up about the sale.

I love doing sales since I get to talk to people who love pottery.  I can't describe the feeling I get every time I see someone get excited about something I've made.  It's amazing.  I love it when people tell me where they are going to use a piece or how it's going to be displayed.

Folks have purchased my pots for their vacation homes in the Florida Keys and the NC mountains.  They have sent my pots to relatives in the far corners of our country and to their children living in Europe.

I'm proud that people like them enough to give them as gifts.  I feel it's one thing to buy something that you like for yourself and quite another to buy something for a gift.  I think it represents another level of admiration for the pot.  If you like it so much that you are sure the person you are giving it to will also like it, that's pretty high praise indeed.

In the end, the whole process is about feelings.  I love the feeling I get when I'm making pots.  When the creativity is running right it's like channeling energy through you and into the work during each part of the process.

When your work makes other people feel things you've done your job.  If they are enthused about it, that makes me happy and I can get that rush of creative energy about it again.  I also get a touch of pride that other people like my work.

If they are gifting my pots I think about the feelings the buyer has for the recipient and I feel that extra sense of pride about my pots as gifts.

It's all about feelings.

May 12 - Carolina Clay Matters Pottery Festival

Saturday was the Carolina Clay Matters Spring Pottery Festival (formerly the Barn Sale) and the first time I had a booth by myself.  It was a great day: warm, but slightly overcast so it wasn't unpleasant.  I was lucky to be able to back my van up to the booth so I could sit in the shade without using my tent.  Without the tent the sun shows the full range of the glazes and they really show their depth.

Good neighbors make a good day and I was lucky to have Angela and Ann next door.  They had a great first time at the sale and we enjoyed joking throughout the day.

My open-air booth.

Angela and Ann.

Some of Ann's new work from my side.

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October 8 - Carolina Clay Matters Sale

This sale was formerly called the "Barn Sale", but the barn has been condemned.  Times change...

Elaine and I shared a booth (Becky lent us her nice, white tent!) on a beautiful Saturday.  The show had a lot of traffic and sales were good.

Elaine flanked by Edson and LuAnn.

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Saturday - Spring Barn Sale

Saturday was the Carolina Clay Matters Pottery Guild Spring Barn Sale.  While the sky was threatening, and leaked a few times, it didn't discourage many people from coming out to see us.  Everyone I talked to was having a good day.  Pottery people are not afraid of a little rain.  I'm just glad we weren't selling watercolors.

A big thanks to all who came out!

Elaine and Becky setting up.

My wares (on my new shelves!)

Kim and Cindy's booth.

Susan and Dorothy.

Rae.

Lisa.

Roger.

Michael.

Ron.

Chris.

Gina.

Verna.

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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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