August 25 - Saturday - Keep moving

Saturday was an important day.  It was a Muddy Fun day with both morning and afternoon classes and it was also the night of the big Clayworks fundraiser.

We had a great turnout for two Muddy Fun classes with lots of people eager to learn about playing in the mud.  It's great to be a part of our Muddy Fun sessions and help people learn something new about clay and about themselves.  People either think it's very easy or very hard to throw pots.  Like most things, it's actually somewhere in the middle.  Some folks have dabbled in it in college, some have never gotten close to a wheel.  Some take to it immediately and some struggle.  The one thing they all have in common is the adventurous spirit to try something new.

We couldn't do Muddy Fun without a group of dedicated volunteers.  Angela is a wonderful teacher and we can't thank her enough for volunteering so much of her time to run the classes.  Thanks also to the rotating group of caring volunteers who help Angela by wedging all that clay and assisting her in her teaching role.

We rely on our volunteers for so many things at Clayworks and we couldn't do without them.  Thanks to all who give their time and talent.

Saturday evening we had the annual Clayworks fundraiser at Hodges Taylor gallery with a raffle, a silent auction, food, and libations.  Christie Taylor was very kind in allowing us to take over her gallery again.  It's a wonderful space and we always have a great time there.

We had a raffle for a beautiful Ben Owen piece with strong ticket sales.  Speaking of volunteers, Susan Benoit goes above and beyond the call to sell our raffle tickets before the event and she and Rae Stark do a great job of selling them at the door.  Thanks to both of them for their hard work, and thanks to Ben Owen for the donated pot.

The silent auction had a slew of gorgeous pieces.  They came from inside and outside of Clayworks, spanned a wide range of ideas, and created a stunning display of talent.

The conversation was lively and I caught up with several people I hadn't seen in a while and met some new folks.  The food was delicious (thanks again to the volunteers!) and the libations flowed freely.  It was a stellar evening and was over all too quickly.

We cleaned up, packed up the leftovers, and it was like we were never there.

Thanks again to all involved for a wonderful event.

Eager students getting the preliminaries.

I found Justin and Greg in the other classroom
talking about pottery --go figure!

There's always a crowd at the food table because it's so good.

Kimberly and Steve discussing art.

Lots of mingling.

Some of the artwork:  Becky's llama and Ralph's wave.

More art from all over.

Large Adrienne/Greg collaboration and Nick Joerling pieces.

Here's a photo of the unfired piece
in the studio with better lighting.

Cary talking to Greg.

Our raffle ticket team, Susan and Rae.

Kary and Michael discussing art or beer.

The Ben Owen raffle piece.

The TransAmerica building's
homage to The Big Bang Theory.

By the way, this is a the Rebecca Jones
piece that I purchased in the silent auction.

I was too busy trying to win it to take a photo at the gallery
so here is a cell phone photo of it on my shelf.
I love it.

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Saturday - Big pottery day

Saturday was a big annual pottery day.

First, the Mint Museum's 7th Annual Potters Market Invitational.  I try to get there every year to see the latest work by some of my favorite artists, meet new artists, and occasionally purchase some small items.  (This year I snapped up two cups and will post them later.)


It was steamy inside the huge tent on the Mint's lawn, but it was well worth the perspiration.  I caught up with Matt Jones (whom I hadn't seen since the last Thrown Together sale).  He had a great selection of new work fresh from the kiln.  Michel Bayne was there with his great faces and other decorations, like lobsters.  I stopped to see Kim Ellington and his great wood-fired work.  The last time I saw Kim, he was giving a lecture inside the Mint. I also had the pleasure of meeting Judith Duff and Donna Craven.  I have been a big fan of their work for a while now.


I stopped to talk with several other artists, including Bruce Gholson and Samantha Heineke of Bulldog Pottery, David Stuempfle, I could only wave to Ronan Peterson of Nine Toes Pottery since he was swamped with customers.  I stopped in to see Amy Sanders, but quickly got out of the way when some people wanted to become customers.  For the third year in a row I tried to meet Ben Owen, but when I saw him in the booth he was surrounded and when I looked again (and again) he was gone.  One of these days I will catch up with him.

Matt Jones

Michel Bayne

Kim Ellington

Judith Duff

Donna Craven

After I left the Mint, I picked up my friend (and teacher) Greg Scott and his children to take them with me up to Hal Dedmond and Corine Guseman's house where a wood firing was in progress.  It was great to see everyone there and enjoy the firing and the quiet of the country.

It was a lovely day and the firing went well.  A wood firing is a very dramatic thing to watch.  The almost constant stoking, the flames, the smoke, and the (hopefully) steady climb of temperature in the kiln are fascinating.  One day I soon I hope to share in one.

It was a great day with wonderful friends and lots of pottery.

The firebox at one end of the kiln.

The firebox.

The other end.

Finished firing.

Hot pots.

Hot crew.

Miller time.

The moon rose on the way home.

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