2015-06-03 - Wednesday - Car repair, sculpture, hazelnuts, and pots

Wednesday I had to take my car in to H & H Motor Co., Inc. for an oil change. While I was waiting I snapped a few photos of some metal sculptures created by Dean, the owner. I highly recommend H & H. They have been taking care of all of our cars for years now. I started going there when Dean's father, Gus owned it. Always a good job at a good price --and you get to check out all the cool sculptures. If you go, tell them I sent you.

Later, while letting Binkley out I checked on the hazelnuts and they are truly weighed down with nut clusters. It looks like it's going to be another abundant year for the deer as they always get them. They will wait, somewhat patiently, for the nuts to ripen and then strip the bushes in one night. I can't blame them, nuts are high-energy food and since they are american hazelnuts, they are pretty small.

It's just fun to watch something like hazelnuts grow and produce every year all by themselves. I like a low maintenance plant.

Potential energy.

Wednesday night I went to Clayworks and made some slippy pots and a two-piece snorkel pot. I'm not too sure about the one on the left, but I like the other two. We'll see, as always.

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2010-06-04 Friday - Clayworks, Gallery, Home

This month has been so busy that it has been almost impossible to keep up with the blog.  I will do some quick catch up as time permits.


Friday we had a party to wish Julie well with her new home studio.  Unfortunately she had to resign as studio manager to pursue her new endeavor, but she will have more time to explore her work now.  The party was quite the gathering and while I arrived late, there were still many people there.  We all signed a poster for Julie and there was food and hula-hoops.  Good times.

After the party some of us headed over to Shelley's 360 gallery for the gallery crawl.  She had a good turnout and sold several pieces, including a painting to Becky.  Afterward some of us hung out on the front porch and visited for a while.  Kim and I helped Shelley put away the food and drinks and remembered that Greg was going to unload the kiln so we rushed back to Clayworks at 12:30 am.

There was a lot of trouble firing the kiln so the results were a mixed bag, with some of the pots oxidizing and some reducing.  The kiln is going to take a bit of maintenance to get back within operating parameters, but should be running again soon.

Julie's party.

More revelers.

Everyone was catching up.

Julie's "card".

Let the hula-hoops twirl!

At the gallery with Amy and Becky.

Becky admiring the aprons.

More artwork upstairs.

Conducting business in the bathroom.

(That was where the painting was hung.)

Becky, Shelley, and Kim.

The artwork (right) changes hands.

Mary, Dean, Shelley, and Michael.

Kim's taking it easy on the floor.

Some of my pots from the kiln unload.

A casserole that is half oxidized and half reduced.

(The white part is oxidized and the brown is reduced.)

My tumblers.

When I got home there were some creatures hanging around the back porch light and I had to stop and snap a few photos.

This beetle was about 1 1/2 inches long

and had the prettiest golden "fur" on his belly.

This spider was about 1 1/4 inches long (leg-wise)

and was kind enough to sit still for a portrait.

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