Digging. Not for Clay.

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Yesterday my dad and I spent 6 hours digging up a water line between the house and the studio.  Several thousand gallons of water had been leaking over the past week or so.  Most of it had drained down the hill at the  back of the house and I had not noticed it.  We were notified by the water company of the high volume of water going through the meter so that tipped us off.


I knew there were several places where connections had been made in the line over the past years and one in particular where I thought the leak could be.  It turned out we dug in 5 place before finally finding the leak.   It's never where you think it is.


Anyhow the area is a big mess now and I've got to put the dirt back and then the pavers.  Sarah's flower beds got dug up so they will have to be remulched and some plants replaced.


I was glad that I had gotten up early to glaze my pots and the get kiln loaded and going before all this digging started.  I should be unloading later today so check back for new pics of pottery.


I am glad we were able to find the leak and fix it.  It would have cost several hundred dollars to have a plumber come out and do that work.  My father can do just about anything and I have learned so much from him from the time I was a child.  I'm thankful to have such a good father and for all that he has taught me.


Okay, well check in later, hopefully some new pots will be here.  Happy Friday everyone.

Hey!

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Hey there folks.  I've been working this week to get pots decorated for the ClayMatters Fall Pottery Sale.  The bisque is cooling right now so tomorrow will be a glazing day.

I didn't implement any of the wax deco this go around.  I'm going to move into it slowly and see how I like it.  I worked out doors all day yesterday, dust to the wind instead of on the studio floor.

I packed up a few Etsy orders today and also the pots that are going to the 20 x 20 Invitational at the Arts Center in Clemson SC.

 

So not too much to say or go into.  I am doing well and the work is moving forward, hopefully.  It seems like things started piling up about 2 weeks ago and I knew I needed to get on the ball or fall behind.  I did miss a deadline for an exhibition this week.  I never did buy a calendar this year so I have myself to blame for not making a note of it.

These 5 cups are heading out tomorrow to the Charlie Cummings Gallery for the Cup:  The Intimate Object exhibition.


I'm wondering if I should sent that Laundry Line mug or choose another carved mug. Hum?  They are going to be sold individually so it's probably okay to send it. Maybe, I'll go see what else I have.


Okay well thanks for reading.  I'll try and drop in another post tomorrow.

Necessity is a Mother. Or Not Killing Myself with Dust.

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Hey!  I shot this video today to describe a little about how I'm trying to decrease the dust in my decorating process.  It seems like I am always running up against some obstacle, which is fine, as it leads to new ideas and ways of doing things.  Challenge is good, so are having good studio practices that decrease health hazards.

It's a big wonky since I wasn't used to being in front of the camera but you'll get the idea.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAoRU7AnMK0

P.S.  A six count pack of those needles runs about $2.

Thrown Together Sale

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Crikey, it's Wednesday already!  I've been meaning to blog for a couple days now to give you all an update on the Thrown Together Sale.  It went great.  Despite several rain showers, including a pretty heavy one, folks came out to see us and to buy pots.

Here are some pics, you can click for a bigger, more complete image.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" orderby="ID"]

 

It was a great day for me as far as sales go.    I'm very thankful for that (and I'm pretty sure Sarah is too).  So now I'm back in the studio working on making pots for the Claymatters Fall Sale which is Oct. 8th.  It's going to be a short making period, mainly open dishes of various sizes.

I'll be blogging about some changes that I'm trying out in my deco. over the next few days.  I've got to get some materials mixed up and then I'll show you what I'm trying.  I am excited about it.

All for now.  Thanks for checking in!!

Rainy day but the pots are looking good.

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It's been a monsoon here for the past two days.  I hope all this moves out before the weekend.

I've been kicking it in the studio since we got home from vacation.  I'll unload my second glaze kiln tomorrow.  I've got some really sweet pots coming out of the kiln.   I had to laugh out loud at some of the drawings on the cups when I unloaded the other day.  That's pretty cool, getting a response from the work like that.


The pots I used to make in the salt kiln were more subtle and quiet, these drawn on pots are direct and often elicit responses from people as soon as they pick them up.  I know I've heard (and probably preached) that pots that tell it all right up front may loose their appeal quickly.  I don't think that is necessarily always the case.  I have found that I enjoy these pots day in and day out.  Hell, I even talk to them sometimes.  And they make me feel good.  The forms have a good bit to offer too and may be the part of these pots are more subtle and casual.  Whatever the case, I am happy with them and at the same time I want them to keep getting better.  I want to keep asking more of them and see where it takes me and the work.  A good place to be.


I'm listing some new pots in the Online Shop today.

Quick Sunday Post

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Hi, I hope everyone had a good weekend.  I got my pots glazed today and the kiln is headed towards 04.

While I was away a pot of mine was featured on Shady Grove Sundries: Clay of the Day.  You can see the post HERE.  Thanks Licia!

No pottery photos today so here's a pic of me and Karma on the beach.


Tomorrow...more pots to draw on.  Check back in for some up to date images.  Thanks!

I Made It

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Sarah and I had a great time on vacation down in Surfside Beach, SC. It took me 2 days before I really felt relaxed.   We hung out on the beach quite a bit and took some fun trips into town to play and eat and drink beer.


We took Karma with us.  It was the first time we've ever taken her on a trip and she did great the whole time.

Sarah has been working so much this year and we didn't get a vacation last year so she was really itching to get to the beach.  I think she had a good time, I'm sure she wouldn't have minded a few more days.


Tomorrow I have those pots to glaze and more to decorate for the upcoming Thrown Together Sale this Saturday in Charlotte.  More later.

Last Post...

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until I get back from vacation.

I unloaded the bisque kiln this morning so I'll have these pots to glaze when I get home.

I have some new imagery in this load and some sig tests too.  These are all for the Thrown Together Sale on Sept. 24th.  I still have about 15 pots to decorate when I get back including the rectangular boxes.  I'm excited about these pots.


That's all for now.  I'm looking forward to some time relaxing (although I'm not quite sure I know how to do that for a whole week).

 

Last Wet Day. Sort of.

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Today was my last day throwing for the Thrown Together Show on Sept.  24th.  Sarah and I are going on vacation next week so I want to have all the pots made, slipped and some decorated before we leave.  I'd like to get a bisque in too.  So this week I'll be finishing and hopefully load a nice bisque on Friday or Saturday.


So it was the last wet day in the studio but it looks like there may be a day or more of very wet weather in store for us as tropical storm Lee drenches much of the south.


Thanks for all the comments on the last post about disconnecting!!  This seems to be something that many of us could use some work on.

I have a few small strategies in place.  I'm not going online until I've been up for at least 2 hours.  I'd like to try and even move this on into the day, maybe not get online until lunchtime.

I'm trying to only check my email 2-3 times a day.  When I check it I respond to the emails that come in or file them to be responded to.  Right now I'm doing pretty good at responding to what comes in.  I've also unsubscribed from several sites and changed my settings on social networks so I don't get notified  about stuff.

If I think of something during the day that I want to look up I make a note of it on paper and then try to do all that at one time, usually in the evening.  The evening is a bad time for me to get sucked in.  If I stick to the list, check my mail and sign out then that's good.  Not being successful at this all the time though.  I should probably set a timer and go for a certain time and then log off.

If I am working on a document, or something in Photoshop, etc then I sign out of my browser so I'm not tempted to check my blog, or Etsy, or email.

I'm really trying to only do a couple posts to FB or my Fan page per day and not get caught up reading what everyone else is doing. *


I'll keep y'all up to date on what's going on as I try new disconnecting techniques this week.

The boxes are almost done and ready to deco.  Today I got them slipped and the lids cut.  They will get a lid flange tomorrow.


Thanks for checking in.  I know we all have little time to spare but it's nice to be connected here on the blogs and I plan to keep on posting and to keep reading as many others blogs as I can.


*Did you follow those hyperlinks?  Hum, that can get us in trouble too can't it?!  Well if you did I hope you didn't get sucked in and made it back here quickly.


And now you're off to whatever is next!

The Desire to Disconnect

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I've been working yesterday and today to try and get some of my 'junk' organized.  'Junk' being all the stuff on my desk, the kitchen table, the table by the window, and on top of the bookshelf by the door.  Piles. Stacks.  Stuff of varying importance. Or no importance.

As it is now I've moved most of it to my upstairs desk, which is to become my Control Center, the place from which I am going to build my Empire, or at least where I'm going to spend the next hour working to clean out my Inbox.


In the last month or longer I have seriously noticed my addiction to being 'Connected'.  I check my email several times a day, and my blog comments, and my facebook, and my Etsy, and I also have the weakness of getting sucked into surfing for god knows what on the internet.  It's not good.  It's eating away my time, my creative time, my time for tea and drawing and reading and napping.  I need to Disconnect.  I need some structure to my time on the internet.



I have a plan. I'll share more about that later.  For now lets just say that I'm happy that I've decided to work on this.  I'm not saying I'm going to do less work or use the internet less to market my art or to communicate with others.  I'm just going to do it in a healthy way, that doesn't eat so much of my time up, and make me crazy.


I'm getting some help from some of the materials and posts on this site.


The Gallery Crawl uptown went well last night.  I was in charge of the food at the Arts Council and with the help of my fellow board members Fredia and Donna we put out quite a spread.


My work at Two Doors Down looked fab and I sold a couple pieces from there.



Thanks for checking in everyone.  Have a good Friday!!







Very Happy Thursday

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Piglet thought that they ought to have a Reason for going to see everybody, like Looking for Small or Organizing an Expotition, if Pooh could think of something.
Pooh could. "We'll go because it's Thursday," he said, "and we'll go to wish everybody a Very Happy Thursday.
Come on, Piglet." 
I love Winnie the Pooh.  I think he could teach us all something.  That part above is from The House at Pooh Corner. Chapter 8.  In which Piglet does a very grand thing.

Well, I'm having a cup of tea in my new Rat cup as I wait for my oatmeal to cook.  I think it's my new favorite cup!  I was very happy with that last kiln load and look forward to some of those pots going off to new homes.

That book there by Gregg Levoy is very good.  The title is Callings.  I'm only 50 pages in but I'm really enjoying it.  It's about learning to hear/recognize and follow (or not) callings in our lives.  With the hope that this will lead up to living a more authentic life.


I worked on a few rectangular boxes yesterday.  They are fairly time consuming pots, each made up of 8 parts total.  Then the deco is pretty intensive too.

This first shot shows the three bodies, thrown without bottoms and then gently shaped.


And here they are now after I've shaped them a bit more and attached the tops and bottoms.

They are currently under plastic to allow everything to even out before I cut the lids and attach the feet.  That's probably not going to happen until tomorrow as I have a full day of getting ready for the gallery crawl in town tonight.  I'm in charge of the reception at the Arts Council and I have pots on display at a local shop.  Looks like I'll be in the kitchen most of the after noon.


Here's a paper cut sign that I made for my display at 2 Doors Down.

  One thing I learned while making this, be careful when working on paper cuts because if you poke your finger with the scalpel and then bleed all over your paper it pretty much ruins it and you have to start again!


This next part is for Anna but may be helpful to others too.

This is a close up of the tools I use for sgraffito and carving away excess clay.

 I want to mention that the working ends of the tools on the right should be filed with a flat edge as shown below. (As opposed to a knife shaped edge).


I keep a small file on hand when decorating and give them a sharpen when needed.


Okay that's quite a lot of info for today.  Breakfast is ready so I'll sign out, have a great Thursday!!

Just out of the kiln

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Some of the pots from yesterdays unloading.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGAp61klMKg

Tomorrow, September 1, is the Gallery Crawl in uptown Shelby.  My work is featured at Two Doors Down, 12 Warren Street.  I also have work at ETC Gift shop in the Arts Council and at Buffalo Creek Gallery, also on Warren St.  I hope the locals will come out and support the arts and our local businesses.

A Post For Tuesday

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Hey folks!

No I have not fallen into my dreary pit of doom again.  I am doing well, just busy, busy and I figured that last video would keep you entertained for a while.

New pots coming out of the kiln later today. I'm very excited about them all.  And I'm getting ready for some new listings in the Online Shop.

I worked up this design for the upcoming Thrown Together Sale


I'm going to have some killer pots for the Sale on Sept. 24th.  I'm off to work on some rectangular boxes today and finish off the cups I made yesterday.

Here's the back of the postcard with more info.  If you'd like to be on our mailing list you can send you address or email address to throwntogetherpotters at gmail dot com

Beginning to End. Goat Portrait

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Shot this video yesterday. I really feel like the drawings are beginning to come into their own.  After about 8 cups I really began to loosen up and get some nice action in the lines and expressions.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--RaEi0Ceik

Of course I want to make sure that I'm making good forms right from the start.  I take a lot of pride in my mugs.  With this last batch I increased the size just a tiny bit and as always gave extra attention to making a comfortable, accessible handle.

I'm getting a nice full load in the bisque kiln.  I'll finish up a few more cups today and move on to the bigger serving dishes.

Deco. Videos

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I shot these two clips showing pots getting drawn on, layout and working towards some finished etched pieces.  I'll try and write a bit more about this and what I'm thinking as I do this soon.  For now here are the videos.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X9p3SpJapk

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZbiF6wnrDs