Salt Glaze Weekend

The Salt Firing weekend workshop went very well.  Four participants were here to glaze and wad pots on Saturday and then we loaded up the kiln.  It's the first firing in over a year and a half.

I lit the burners late Saturday night and got up a few times through the night to increase the gas.  By 2 pm Sunday we were ready to start salting.

We put in a total of 12 lbs of salt.  The kiln fired off without a hitch, following the same protocol as I did when I fired it on a regular basis.  It's good to know that it's still in good working order and that I haven't totally forgotten what to do. ( I do have over a decade of detailed kiln logs to help if necessary!)

Everyone agreed that they could meet up here on Friday for the unloading.  I can't wait to see what all the different pots look like.  We had stoneware and porcelain in this firing, some slipped pots, some glazed and some bare clay.  I had 20 cups go in, the rest of the load is what the workshop participants made.

It was fun for me to have folks here and to share what I know. I think they all learned a lot and were happy to have this experience.  Hopefully we'll all have some nice pots come out of the kiln later this week.  That will be the icing on the cake.

 

Mostly Pots

Hey.

Okay, so someone told me recently that they liked my blog because I pretty much kept it about pots and not a lot of other riff-raff and such.  Well, I was in a sharing mood today and wrote a rather long post filled with stuff about my feelings and problems and how I was procrastinating all the time and blah, blah, blah.   Then I thought about it for a bit and edited all that stuff out.

I want to keep it real here and write about what's going on with me but sometimes when I go back and look over it I feel like it's too much.  So for now I'm  keeping it about pots and light stuff, nothing heavy.  Maybe I'll change my mind later and write some of the other stuff.

Here are some of the footed cups.

That's not all of them but it's a good representation.  I have to say, and I've said it here before at some point,...stiff, hard clay kills pots.  This clay was too stiff for my liking when I made these but I pulled most of them off okay.  But when it comes to cutting feet nothing is worse than the pot/clay being too hard.  These feet were a struggle and some aren't super/great but not terrible either.  There was no give and take between the tool and the clay.  Cut them as soft as you can is my advice.

Okay what else?  This isn't about pottery, but I got some cool new ink.

Ha! Right, not real.  But fun.  I've always liked temporary tattoos and I hadn't had any in a while so I ordered a few the other day.  I have no idea what I'd get if I wanted a real tattoo so it's better for me to just 'play'.  What are "Mother" tattoos about anyhow?  I guess I should have asked that before I put this on?  I think it shows love for the mother.  ? And I guess I'm a sailor now too maybe? No? I don't know.   I've been out to a couple places with it on and no one has commented on it.  Probably too polite.

Here are some stills of this jar from the video.

Okay, well thanks for reading.  I've got a buys week ahead getting ready for the salt firing.  I hope to get in some good posts this week too about creativity, drawing, and staying motivated.

Cups for the Upcoming Salt firing

A short clip showing some cups I made this evening.  It was fun to just get all the clay balled up and sit and make these cups.  It was quick and effortless and I like that they are finished, other than the footing, and ready to go in the kiln.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nyuw0Bj3F0

Thanks to Michael Kline who gave me a bag of stoneware clay!

Rectangular Jar

I'm heading up to Penland today to deliver some pots to Crimson Laurel Gallery and have a visit with my pal Michael Kline.

Here's a video of the latest Rectangular jar.  This one came out just fine and will is heading up to Crimson Laurel with me today.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNgmGkSny3k

Over and out.

New Jar Video

Wanted to show this new jar from the kiln today. I thought I had another rectangular one in there but it's not been fired yet.  So here ya go.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO0LzKuQcBw

Kiln Shed Roof

I'm firing up the ole salt kiln in a few weeks!  It will be the first time in 2 years since it's been fired and I'm pretty excited to see some pots come out of it.  I'm firing along with 5 friends so I won't be making a lot of pots to fill it.

The tin roof has been rusted out for a while now and after one of those last hailstorms we had it ended up with some pretty big holes in it.  The tin directly over the kiln is effected the most due to the salt vapor that rusts any metal in the vicinity.

I took six sheets off yesterday and I think I'll probably go ahead and replace those last few while I'm up there.

I did some inventory on my tin stack too.  I didn't realize I had quite so much.  A good portion are short pieces but in good shape and I can use them.  Some has some surface rust from being stacked up and in the weather, but all in all it's in good shape and I don't have to purchase any materials.

The temps are supposed to be in the low to mid 90's today so I'll wait till later in the day when the shed is in the shade of the trees before getting up there to start nailing on.

I just listed some New Mugs and Cups in the Online Shop!!  Click HERE.

Ronware goes Hawaiian

Oh, I wish I were on the beach in Honolulu right now.  Guess I'll have live vicariously thorough my pottery for the time being.

I sent this Goat cup out to Kailua, Honolulu, Hawaii last week.  It looks very happy there doesn't it?

A bit closer to home, this next image was sent in by my friend Angela, in Charlotte, NC,  who made a nice dinner featuring tandoori chicken last week.  Served up on an amber plate that I made.

Hope you all have a good weekend. I have pots in the bisque today.  Glazing over the weekend and some new pots out by Monday evening.

Candle Holder with Turtle and Friends

This pot started out as an experiment but turned out to be a pretty nice piece.

You can see in the latter part of THIS VIDEO that I used wax resist to mask out the areas around the Animal portraits.  I did this instead of scratching away all that slip like I normally do.

It worked pretty well. And I think I'll be trying more of the wax technique on other pots.

I've been putting that Turtle on pots for years but he's never been drawn on a pot.  Maybe I'll see if I can work up a Turtle drawing today at some point.

I listed this piece in my Online Store this morning.  Click HERE to go to the shop.

Thanks for checking in. I'll be posting some more new pots soon.

New Box

I fired a glaze load over the weekend so I thought I'd start off by showing this rectangular box.  This is the first box I've really put some time into and I'm happy to see that these have some potential.

6 1/4 x 5 x 6 1/2"

It's decorated all around on all 6 sides.  This is a time consuming pot to make and then even more time is put in with all the decoration.

I've been thinking for some time about making more 'exhibition' type pots.  Ones that are more showy, more time consuming, collectable, and  more expensive too.  I think this sort of box fits the bill.

I did have a few minor issues on this pot.  One small crack around the place where I attached the flange and the slab for the top.  I also had a small pop out on the lid.  I see where I need to pay particular attention to attaching these seams in the next one I make.

I'm not sure if I'll sell this one since it has those problems. It's always tricky to price a pot that would be quite expensive if it was first quality.  I'll have to think about it I guess.

 

How did this Happen? And I Learned Something New.

Why in the world did I decide to make this giant dish of baked pasta on a hot, steaming, Sunday evening?

Well, I'm going to blame it on Hannah.  We were chatting this afternoon about her bike ride, (well done Hannah), when she mentioned that after the ride she had cheese and onion pie, with chips.  Cheese and onion pie sounded yummy and my brain must have started firing off those neurons or whatever they are that are triggered by things and very soon I realized how hungry I was and that I wanted something savory and baked.  From cheese and onion pie I went to the idea of making a steak and Guinness pie.  Or maybe a shepherds pie.  Well, no meat in the freezer for either of those, but I did find some Italian sausages!  Oh, how about a baked spaghetti with sausages?, oh, how about baked ziti with sausage?  Yes, okay I have almost everything in the house to make that with.  So in less than 90 minutes we have this big ole dish of pasta out of the oven.  Looks like there will plenty left over for lunches this coming week.  It was yummy.

Hannah also mentioned to me that she had a 99 cone after her ride. (I think I'd like going riding w. Hannah, the rewards for it seem really nice).  I didn't know what a 99 cone was so of course I headed to Google to find out.  Basically it's a soft serve ice cream cone with a bit of a chocolate stick stuck in it.

Another search let me to this article in The Guardian.  Seems that it is also known as a 99 Flake.  Why hasn't this been done in America?  I'd love to have a chocolate stick stuck in my soft serve.  I'm surprised DQ hasn't done this at some point.

Well, so that's that.  I don't have any ice cream in the freezer and I don't suppose I can talk Sarah in heading to town right now either.  I think I'll enjoy the last of the watermelon that's in the fridge.  Wonder if I can find some sort of candy to stick in my slice?

Pots in Use

Here are a couple photos of my pottery in use.

This first one was sent to me with the following statement:


"I thought you might enjoy this surreptitious view of your mug making its quiet statement in an early morning meeting of a bunch of bureaucrats."

I had to censor out those ladies faces. For all I know this could be inside the Pentagon.

This next one is from my friends Adam and Anne in Seagrove, NC.  Adam makes some really fine home brewed beer.  This is a Goat Stein in action at Blue Hen Pottery.

Get Your Ronware by visiting my Online Shop.

Thanks.

Wednesday is Video Day

So are other days, but I couldn't think of a catchy title so there you have it.

Just a bit of clarification.  I'm not using the paper cuts (see image in  previous post) as stencils or templates for decorating the pots.  I don't think I'd be able to get them to fit around a 3-d form in a way that worked.  I do better with sketching in with pencil and going from there.  I am trying some resist work with wax. (see 2 posts back) to help eliminate some of the scratching that I have to do.

The paper cutting is just something I am doing for fun although it is certainly informing my decoration on the pots.  I'll do a little video on paper cutting sometime soon.

Okay enough of that, here is a clip from the studio.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p37hmUnXc_s

Place Holder

Hi. Happy Wednesday. I am trying to get to the studio but thought I'd share a few images that I've taken lately.

We have a swallow nest on the side of the pottery shop and the chicks are constantly being fed throughout the day. This little one is quite noisy and eager.

I worked on a few small paper cuts on Sunday. Here they are.  The green one was a present for Sarah's sister who celebrated her birthday on the 4th.

'

Local eggs in a dish made by someone who is not so local.

Sketchbook

Current reading materials on the coffee table.

I shipped out a couple pots this week to new homes.  One in Hawaii (a first) and one to San Francisco.  I've gotten a few customers in the Bay area over the past two years.  Maybe I should go out there and do a show!  Or better yet a workshop!  That would be fun.

Well, I'd better go check on the progress of things in the studio.  I have a feeling that all is as I left it last night.

More to come later. Probably a video.

Video of Boxes and Wax Resist.

I worked on some boxes yesterday.  I'd like to have an altered box in my regular lineup.  These with the cut lids are what I'm drawn to at the moment even though I've not figured out exactly how to work my decoration around them.  I have 3 or 4 of these on the shelf right now so I need to just start penciling in and go from there.

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

I've let that waxed pot dry and I'm not sure what will happen with all the beaded up wax.  It will either come off in the firing (fall away or get brushed away afterwards) or stick back to the pot. ??  I'll put a pick up when I come in from the studio again.

I've also finished slipping the oval box and I'll have a pic of that too.

Well, off to do some decorating.

Washing Up

The Dish Washing Elf did not show up while I was away in town so I guess it's up to me to do these.

I actually like doing dishes, especially the washing up of nice handmade pots!

More Animal Fun

I made a few more Animal pots/sculptures today.   I am having fun with these,maybe too much fun in the case of that Turtle.  Still, it's good to try something new and I'm not taking these or myself very seriously at the moment.  That can only be a good thing I think.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N40b_4p40Q

Hopefully I can pull off some sort of terra sig finish on these.  We'll see.  For now I just have to make sure I don't knock anyone's ear or leg off!

New Video. Having some Fun in the Studio

Here's a short video of a couple things I worked on yesterday and today.  I am mostly caught up in the shop.  I do have a couple commissions to make so I'll start on those tomorrow I guess.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP02s0f2TdM

Here's the link to John Skelton's YouTube page.  Look under his uploads to see the 3 part video on the Stacked Box Assembly.  It was really good to see this done.  I had no idea how to make these.  John's other videos are good too.

Also here is a link to the current Akar show with my hero Ron Meyer's work.  You can see where I got the inspiration for that animal piece.

Ronware coming to the Northwest!!

I was up early this morning boxing up pots to ship out to Washington state.  My first appearance in the Northwest.  Thanks to Michael Rivkin for asking me to be part of this show at Crow Valley Pottery.

I am sending just over 30 pots out and a very nice selection.  I hope folks out there like what I do!  Nice to see I am in the company of fellow North Carolinian Ronan Kyle Peterson and blogging pal Patricia Griffin.

Here's a shot from yesterday when I was wrapping up pots.

Finished pots

Here is a video of pots from yesterdays unloading.  Many of these pots you have seen getting made and/or decorated over the past week or so.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPvFLsVW8oE

I'm disappointed that the amber glaze had problems.  Most of the bubbles are on the backs of the dishes.  I'll mark them down and sell them as seconds.  Still nice pots.  I'm going to run some tests with a different recipe over the next few firings and also try applying it by brushing.  These low fire glazes are so finicky.   I'd be happy moving up a few cones if the glazes would behave and provided I didn't loose too much of the redness of the clay body.

I'm looking forward to getting back to making next week.  I'll be throwing more bowls with tall feet and I'd like to get back to experimenting with some box shapes.  The boxes are challenging in both the making and getting the deco on them.  I have also been drawing some vase shapes that I'll try.

All for now, thanks for checking in.

2 Earth and Fire Shows

The Earth and Fire Pottery Show opens tomorrow in Kings Mountain, NC.  The reception is from 7-9 pm at the Kings Mountain Art Center in the old train depot.  The show features the works of over 20 potters.

I'm showing along with my pals from the Thrown Together group.

Another show called Earth and Fire is happening but it's way over on the other side of the pond.  My friends Hannah and Doug and Paul are all there along with many other UK potters.  So if you're near Nottinghamshire be sure to go out for a visit.