2018-03-23 - Friday - Empty Bowls!

Friday we attended the Empty Bowls event for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. It gets bigger every year and we are always glad to be there. I'm honored to be asked to do wheel demos at the event.

Bowls!

More and more bowls!

Kimberly and Susan at lunch.

After the event was over we took the equipment back to Clayworks and I ran into Lee Zimmerley glazing her pots.

Gorgeous painting.

Lots of work to glaze.

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2017-01-22 - Sunday - Empty bowls

I started my first batch of Empty Bowls for this year. I'm starting really late; usually I start in November or December. Since I'm so late I decided to make a big bunch at once. Here's the first 19 for 2017.

I was very pleased to notice that one of my prior-year bowls made it into the logo on the header of the event!

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2016-05-18 - Wednesday - Pots

Wednesday night I made a pale attempt at one of Nick Joerling's closed form vessels. I had all the parts, but it lacked all the grace and whimsy of his pieces. I never intended to keep it, just try out the technique. After taking this photo I squashed it and put it back in the clay bag. It sure was fun going through the process.

I decided I need some larger (medium-sized) bowls so I threw a couple of them with some really stiff cone 6 clay.

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2015-05-27 - Wednesday - New bowls

Wednesday I picked up some of my finished bowls.

I had a large, orange commissioned bowl for my high school friend Stan Godlewski. Stan is a very talented photographer and if you have a moment, check out his site.

There were some more of my bowls with the graphics inside. They take a lot of work, but I'm really enjoying these and I hope my customers enjoy them as much as I do.

Last, my large slump-molded bowl with the sutures. I was hoping for a bit more drama in the glazing, but I'm starting to enjoy the quietness of it. What you can't see in the photo is the three stubby feet underneath it.

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2015-05-26 - Tuesday - Salt kiln and bowls

Tuesday we fired the Clayworks salt kiln. There was a good turnout and everybody lent a hand.

Later I snapped a photo of some of my new bowls.

Getting to temperature.

Adding soda.

More soda.

Adding salt.

New bowls.

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2015-05-24 - Sunday - More glazing bowls

Sunday I returned to Clayworks to continue glazing bowls. These bowls are the ones I've been having fun with, applying doodles and swipes with reckless abandon. It really is fun.

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2015-05-23 - Saturday - Glazing and low country boil

Saturday I went to Clayworks and glazed a bunch of bowls... a bunch of bowls.

Later on it was time to go to our neighbors for a low country boil. Sheilah and Cam had quite a feast lined up for us. We were celebrating Cam's and Sam's birthdays and the celebration was in full swing with everyone enjoying some good food and fellowship.

Cam unloading the food.

Yum!

Cam (the birthday boy) and Paulette.

Sam (the other birthday boy).

Blowing out the candles.

A Kodak moment.
Sheilah, Rhonda-Ann, Sam, and Cam.

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2015-05-14 - Thursday - Slipping

Thursday night I went to Clayworks and slipped some of the bowls I made. I will soon be putting graphic designs on these and glazing them. It's a multi-layer process.

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2015-05-13 - Wednesday - Stuff

Wednesday I was out in the yard for a few minutes with Binkley and documented a few things.

We have a volunteer pumpkin vine
coming up in the compost pile.

I'm beginning to think we planted
the hazelnuts too close together

Binkley is an old man but he's still full of life.

I found this insect on the van window molding
and have no idea what it is.

That night I went to Clayworks and threw some bowls.

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2015-02-07 - Sunday - Lettuce, bowls, and fortune

Sunday I picked up the bowls for the Cleveland County Arts Council benefit. I was pleased with the results.

Romaine lettuce growing from the old stump.

Bowls for CCARTS.

I was sitting next to Karen when I got this fortune.

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2015-0-05 - Thursday - More bowls

Thursday night I glazed some more bowls. These are for the Cleveland County Arts Council's fundraiser for their youth programs.

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2015-01-29 - Thursday - Bowling for Dollars

Did somebody say bowls?

Thursday night I made 10 bowls for the Cleveland County Arts Council fundraiser. Their Bowling for Dollars event funds their Arts in Education program.

I use the term "Thursday night" loosely since I ended up staying until 1:30 am Friday morning. I was drying them in front of a box fan so I could trim them during the same session.

I love a challenge.

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2015-01-18 - Sunday - Bowls for me

I have finished throwing empty bowls for this year so I decided to make some for myself. I am planning on making a series of bowls similar to he ones I made for the event since I really like them. Like all my other forms I want to keep moving them forward. The two on the left are made from cone 10 clay so I'll be trying out a different glaze palette on them.

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2015-01-06 - Tuesday - Walk and bowls

I took a walk during my lunch hour today and was surprised to see a neighbor's forsythia bush blooming already in the beginning of January. That's early, even for here.

Tuesday night I went to Clayworks where I slipped the bowls I made yesterday and made four more.

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2014-03-30 - Sunday - Clean-up and bowls

Sunday I went to Clayworks for the studio clean-up day.  We all lent a hand to get the studio sparkling for the Annual Spring Sale & Open House.  I also picked up Stephanie's bowls after they were fired.

It was a bit windy today.

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2014-02-02 - Sunday - Josh DeWeese workshop

Day two of the Josh DeWeese workshop was another inspiring session.  He finished several pieces that he started on Saturday.  One of them was formed from two pieces, each made from 25 lbs of clay.  It was a wonderful pot and I was amazed by the way he finished it.

Josh is a very talented potter and a really nice guy.  I thank him for a truly inspirational workshop and I can't wait to try some of the ideas he gave me.  My work can only get better by adding some of his ideas to my own aesthetic.

Throwing a mug.

Stretching a large pot.

Now with handles.

A photo of Josh with his friend Larry's mug.
Larry runs a mug lending library.  He lends
them out for a week and asks that people
post a photo on Facebook.

My view from behind the camera and projector.

After the workshop I made some bowls for the
Cleveland County Arts Council's Bowling for Dollars
event for arts education.

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