Uncategorized

Stoppers and Stains

in
Just delivered, a  box full of goodies including some Mason stains, rubber stoppers, and a Dolan trimming tool.


The rubber stoppers are for money boxes.  I've made a few in the past but they didn't have a hole to remove the money easily.



Now I can make some new ones with stoppers.  They will have to have some little feet to give clearance for the stopper but that's no problem.



My base slip has a Mason stain in it that has been discontinued.  So I had to order two stains that I'll mix to make the discontinued one.  Here is a CHART that may be helpful if you have found your favorite Mason stain has been discontinued.


Drape Molded Dish & A Few Other Things

in
Hi. I hope you all had an okay weekend. Mine was very nice. Visiting with family and friends, eating a lot of great food and having fun.

I finished up the Oval Drape dish today.  I wish it was a little deeper so I am going to increase the height of my cut out board and make another tomorrow.

The photo below was taken after I flipped it out of the mold and cut off the excess.


I Surformed the edges, brushed on slip and then impressed the edges with a shell.  I'll get it drawn on soon.


I also worked on the other mold form I made the other day.  I hollowed it out a bit and now I'm in the process of rounding down the corners some.



I made these funny little bowls too.


All for now.


Drape Mold Oval Dish

in , , , , ,

After all that work on those two molds yesterday I decided I didn't really want a rectangular shape after all.  And I didn't want those hard corners either.  So I moved on to plan C.


httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYWu7PS3Y1E


httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcttoqR-Ia8


I think I will like these bigger ovals with the soft curves better than I would have the rectangles.  We'll see.  It will probably be Sunday at the earliest before I get to show a finished dish.  Check back.  Thanks.


Making Molds

in
This video quickly shows a couple things I got started on today so that I could make some rectangular slab dishes.    I'm not sure either one is going to be that successful.  I do have one more idea that I'll get on to tomorrow.  For now though here's the clip...

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKHZb6WTc08

Just to clarify.  The clay mold is solid right now.  After I refine the shape I'll hollow it out and bisque fire it so that I can drape a slab over it to form the dish.  The wooden mold, once finished, will have a slab draped over it to make the dish.

Visit to Bandana Pottery

in , , , , ,
After leaving Kline's on Saturday I took winding NC Hwy 80 over to visit Bandana Pottery where Michael Hunt and Naomi Dalglish were having their Pottery Sale.  Shawn Ireland was  showing with them.

I've known Michael and Shawn for some years now and have always loved the way they approach clay and make pots.  They both make good use of local materials and fire with wood.  Their pots have an ancient look to them.

Shawn Ireland Candle Sticks


Shawn and Jo in front of some of Shawn's pots


Some of Michael Hunt and Naomi Dalgish's Pottery


Naomi with Jeff and Martha from Johnston City, TN


I should have taken more images but I was too busy catching up with everyone, looking at all the great pots and eating watermelon.  I ended up buying a small Ram dish from Shawn.  I could have left with a lot more but I'm on a bit of a pottery budget these days.  I didn't get a pic of Michael Hunt either.


Here is the Ram Dish along side my Sheep.  Ha.




For more images visit the Bandana Website HERE.


and Shawn Ireland HERE. and HERE.

Monday's Pots

in
Threw all the pots for a gallery order today.  Nothing too difficult, soup bowls, mugs, small plates, salsa dishes and double dishes.  I will get these all finished up tomorrow and ready to slip.



All for now.  I'll do the post about the visit to Bandana Pottery on Tuesday.

Saturday Outting

in , , , , , , , , , ,
I drove up to the Penland/Bakersville area Saturday to deliver pots to Crimson Laurel Gallery.  If you've never been to Crimson Laurel I highly recommend it.  They are easily one of the finest ceramic galleries on the east coast.

I left them with over 40 pots so they are well stocked with my new work.  I got a message from one of the owners at the end of the day saying that they sold 6 of the new pots after they were put out.  Awesome!!

After dropping off pots, I headed over the Sawdust and Dirt headquarters to have a visit with Michael Kline.  It's always good hanging with Michael.  We talked about blogging and the internet (of course) as well as marketing, how to get folks out to our pottery shops, the beauty of iron rich glazes, and cup shapes.  (Just to name a few things).  We also invented a new device that will come in handy for millions, just as soon as we work out the kinks and get the patent.

Michael's daughters, Lillian and Evelyn, joined us in the studio too.  Michael received this tee shirt from Simon Levin in the mail.  Evelyn modeled it for us.


We had a great lunch that Stacey and the girls made for us out on the picnic table.  Of course we were surrounded by fine pots.


After lunch Michael introduced me to the new chickens and we talked more about ...you guessed it, pots and the internet and selling and just all that great stuff.


It was great to have some time with MK and his family.  I left with plenty to think about as I made my way on the winding mountain roads over to Bandana Pottery.

(Check back later for my post on the Bandana Pottery Sale and my visit there)

Some New Pots

in
These are a few plates and serving bowls out of the kiln this morning.  Click for larger, more complete image.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2" orderby="title"]

These are all potentially going to a gallery. The ones that do not will be listed in the Online Store next week. All these pots, along with many others are now at Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville, NC.

I really like the Rabbit and Dog plates.  Those seem to be evolving nicely by adding the lines on the border and the Vine and Flower deco behind them.

Plan for the coming week

in
This week I'd like to get some serving bowls and plates decorated, bisqued, glazed and fired before Friday.  They are ready and waiting on the shelves.  I also want to get cracking on an order and test some color stains on top of my glaze.  Fingers crossed that I don't fall into a funk right off the bat on Monday.  It's been a low key weekend, but a good one. I'm so happy Sarah is home.  There has been plenty of napping on the couch, reading, and drinking tea.

Here are some mugs that I unloaded on Friday.



See ya!

2 Wood Kilns. Pizza and Chanterelles

in , , , , , ,
Sarah is in Flat Rock this week for a workshop.  That's about an hour away so I drove up last night to see her.  She's staying with our friends  David Voorhees and Molly Sharp.  David is a potter and Molly is a jeweler.  I've known David for a long time and Sarah apprenticed with Molly.

Right after I arrived, David and I headed out to his friend Robert's place. Robert has a small wood kiln that was being unloaded.  It was nice to get to see the pots from the kiln and meet some new folks.

Back at David's, I got to see his new Bourry box wood car kiln.  It is first class! and even has a woodfired pizza oven between the fire box and the chamber.  David had fired up the oven earlier in the day so we all made pizzas for dinner.  They were amazing.

The pics of the chanterelle mushrooms were taken out in Molly and David's yard.  Wow, I'd never seen them before.  They had quite a few growing out there and are going to harvest them for the special occasion of Molly's birthday coming up soon.

Click for larger image.

[gallery link="file" columns="2" orderby="title"]

Sarah will be home tomorrow. It's been lonely here without her.  I'll be happy to have things back to normal.  It was really great to catch up with Molly and David.  It's been a few years since we've gotten together and we must make a point to do it more often.

Mugging it up

in
I received an email from Hannah after I posted my pots this morning.  It made me laugh.  Here's what she said,

" WHAT have you done with that blue! Good god man what where you thinking?
;)

Only joking , well it's pretty erm striking shall we say. However I do love that you just keep on trying such new stuff, where do you get the energy? It's fascinating to watch."

Thanks Hannah!!

Here is a group shot of some mugs from today.

This is the other side of the goat mug


And the goat sheep figure got slipped

Not too baaaaaaa d.

Right. Time for supper and then probably penciling in some more images on other pots.

Bad Blues

in



Below are images of the plates that I tried some loose glaze brushwork on.  I'm not really happy with them.  The blue it too strong and I'm not sure it's even a good idea.  These first two are the ones that sort of worked.  First off the base slip is thin, which I planned and I like, I think it adds some depth.  I like the drawings and the color on the drawings is fine.  The blue brush work is not too bad since it's over that sgraffito.  The tee-shirt plate has a little amber on the rim too.


I don't like these next ones.  Again that blue is just not what I'm after.  I'm not liking those dots at all.  I do think the drawings are okay.  I actualy like removing the slip around the animals for a big contrast.  That swipe of blue on the goat plate isn't working.


All the cups were a disaster. Here are the two that I can barely stand to show you. These would have been fine had I not put that insane blue on the top.  It's a terrible color and it crawled like mad all the way around.


To end on a good note. I made this sheep yesterday just for fun.  I'll get some white slip on it later today.


Sarah is away until Friday.  It's very lonely here without her.  I'm trying to keep the house tidy and do my dishes.

Oh by the way there were more pots in that kiln but they are for a show and I'm not posting them until later in July.   They all came out great!  So I'm not too bummed about it.  Off now to pack some pots for shipping.  Have a good Monday!!

Small Plates and 2 Cups

in
Just a sampling of some things I drew on today.

These are a bit realistic.

These are fun.


And I like these cups too.  I'm going to try some cobalt wash around the tops of these cups and maybe around the borders of those fun plates too.


All for now.  Here's looking to a great Friday!