Thanks

Thrown Together Spring Sale is April 28 and 29th  10 am till 4pm 
1225 Dade Street
Charlotte NC

More info on our Facebook Page HERE.   

 

Spring Sale Setup

Almost all set up now.  Pots look really great!!  I'm proud of all the new work.  Hopefully I'll have a good turnout.

Saturday 10 till 4
Sunday Noon till 4
757 Wallace Grove Road
Shelby NC 28150 

Getting Ready for the Weekend

Okay so here's what's up. Getting ready for my Spring Sale.  This Saturday 10 till 4. Sunday Noon till 4.  I unloaded a glaze kiln yesterday and started glazing another load today.

I tried my hand at some slip trailed dishes. Here's a different shot of them.  I've made several plates for Sarah over the years.  I thought it would be fun for her to have a trailed on so you can see the one I made for her on the left in the pic below.

I dusted the shelves in the showroom today and started some general cleanup in the studio.  I'll get the piles of pots organized tomorrow and the last of the glazing done too.  I should have 20 or so pots coming out of the kiln late on Friday to add to everything.  I'll get a video up at some point.

Okay, all for now.  Time for supper.

Catching you up.

I got a bit overly ambitious yesterday making a film and taking photos and didn't get in to work on it all until late in the day.  So yesterday's promised photos are going up now along with a video.  The video starts off with a shot of the carpenter bees that I am doing battle with on a daily basis.

It's so good to have a nice full bucket of slip again!

All the pots I made recently are designed to take the decoration well.  These slabbed bottles will get images on all four side panels.

The teapots are a new design for me.  Inspired by Walter Keeler's teapots as well as teapots by Janet Mansfield, Byron Temple and Anne Mette Hjortshoj.  The spouts have been waxed.  There will be more red clay revealed as I etch away the imagery around the bodies of the pots and on the tops of the lids.

The little bottles are something I've had in my head for a few weeks now.  I've made only 3 to see how I like working on them.  I will put an image on the faces of that hockey puck shape in the center.  I like the scale of these and the assembly.

Here is one of the teapots being assembled.  I put a strainer in the body so that it can be used with loose tea.  The curvature of that strainer also helps the tea leaves fall back away from the strainer for easy cleaning.  Extruded spouts are new to me.  It was a fun challenge to make these.  

This last photo is for Adam who's over working with Doug.  I got this hat when Sarah and I were in Durango several years ago.  That's where Adam lives and makes his wonderful pots.  The mug is by Blair Meerfeld who we also visited on that trip.  At the time he was living in Colorado too, but now he is in Maryland making pots alongside Allison Severance.  I love Blair's pots and I use this mug all the time. The handle is wonderful.

Well I really have to start getting pots in the kiln. My Home Sale is approaching fast.  April 14 & 15.  Today I'll finish up some mugs, make 6 more mugs and some small plates.  I think that should do it.

Have a good day everyone.

PS.  In the comments of the last post Andrew mentioned a PBS documentary called My Life As A Turkey.  I found it HERE.  I watched the first 10 minutes and can't wait to sit down and see the whole thing.  

 

Visitors

I had a couple of visitors this morning.

They made me think of dinosaurs.

Off to Charlotte this morning for a bit.  Pots under plastic until later.  I promise to get some images up of them tonight.  

Monday. Five and some other stuff.

I swear some days it feels like I've been going, and doing non-stop and I look back and see 5 pots, not even complete yet and I'm like 'what the hell did I do all day!!'?.

I end most days feeling like I could have done more.  MORE.  more.  MOre.  MoRE.  Aggggh, crazy, insane work ethic instilled in me by my parents.

I can't measure my day's work in pots.  I just can't.  Today I spent time getting my mailing list organized.  I went to  Wal-hell, bought labels, ink, boxes, groceries, etc.  Went to the P.O. for stamps. Came home, printed labels and applied them and 500 stamps to postcards for my home sale.  I then proceeded to mix up a concoction to try and kill the hundreds of carpenter bees that are boring tunnels in my house, kiln shed and studio. I think I succeeded in finding something that works.  Now to spend a couple hours tomorrow on a ladder going around and injecting it into their holes.

What else? Well you get the idea.  It was 2 pm by the time I got into the studio, (oh yea, I ate lunch in there somewhere) and I spent the next 4 hours assembling 2 teapots and 3 boxes.  Five pots!  

I got these boxes roughed out and they will get cleaned up and become bottles tomorrow.  It amazes me how much time it takes to make a simple slab built pot.  Making pots on the potter's wheel is by far the most efficient way of working.

A couple things happened last week to push me to make a couple teapots.

I was inspired by Nancy Gallagher's posts about the pots she is working on and her participating in Walter Keeler's workshop last month.  I also saw this video about Anne Mette Hnortshoj from Denmark.

Anne Mette Hjortshøj - Paying Honest Attention from goldmarkart.com on Vimeo.

 

 I like her salt glazed pots and the teapots she makes reminded me of some I had made years ago.  So I put the Keeler influence with that and began on these:

The lids are thrown and drying and the handles have yet to be figured out.  I'll post more on these tomorrow after I get them finished. (It will be a miracle if they make it to the bisque w/out me knocking those tubes/spouts off).

Right, so there are my five pots for today, not complete but started and hopefully tomorrow I'll get to throw some and get 12 pots made.  I have an idea for some small (assembled and time consuming) little bottles.  We'll see if I get to those.

I'll leave you with a bit of humor.  This has gone around a few time over the past couple years.  Sarah saw it the other day and just keeps laughing at it.  I think it's pretty funny too.  I was raised Protestant and that bit goes along with what I say above about the work ethic.

I'm really digging the Hare Krishna approach to this  and may have to give that a go!

 

Three Days In

I got quite a few pots made on Monday and Tuesday but I had to put a hold on it all after I realized Tuesday afternoon that I only had about 2 quarts of slip left in the bucket.  I don't have enough raw materials to mix up a new batch so it's off to the clay store tomorrow.  That means boards of pots under plastic until Friday probably.

I worked on these small jars today adding the long necked birds, rabbit and dog. 

I am going to try a bit of a new approach to these by slipping them and then scratching the features into the animals afterwords.

I've been thinking a lot about the kinds of pots I want to make.  I don't really feel the need to be a cereal bowl and baker maker any more.  While function has always been important to me I don't really want to spend time on making all the kitchenware that I once did.

I see more decorated plates, serving bowls, jars, and special pieces like the animal jars and even purely figurative pieces coming.  I'm also really caught up in those slab boxes and other box shapes.  I feel okay with this possible change.  Really, I've been going that way for several years.  And if you know me then this may or may not play out.  I do like to mix it up and what I say today may change in a week or a month.

I constantly feel challenged to get the imagery on the pots in a creative and fulfilling way.  I feel this is where I am growing in my work.  Well, it's all growing together I guess, forms and imagery.  Each time I sit down to make something I'm already thinking 3 or 4 steps ahead.  I'm happy to still be engaged in my work this way.

Well, those are my thoughts this evening.   I'm looking forward to my upcoming shows this spring and having some new and fun work out for everyone to see. 

A Visit and Workshop on the Cape

Michael and I left Fredericksburg, Va. to head up to Cape Cod on Thursday, March 15th.  It was supposed to be a 10 hour drive but we lolly gagged along and made it in closer to 12.  Michael did most of the driving through the heavily congested areas around NYC.  We did well on the journey, stopping for food and coffee and a bit of site seeing.  I was introduced to Michael's affection for hip hop music, he knows all the lyrics to the Kenye West song, So Appalled.  (Next time you see him be sure to ask).

Here is our wonderful host, Gail Turner.  She organized the workshop for us and welcomed us into her home for our stay at the Cape.

 

Gail owns Mill Stone Pottery and has a studio at her home and this retail shop that is in town.  She make lovely functional and decorative pottery for the kitchen and home.

We had Friday for some driving around the area where Gail lives.  We visited some potters (more on that later) and also the beach.

 

The workshop ran Saturday and Sunday.  We had a great group of folks, many from the Cape Cod Potters Guild, some high school students, as well as seasoned potters and serious amateurs.  We enjoyed a fun pot luck dinner back at Gail and her husband Peter's home on Saturday night.

(All images are clickable.  Photos by me, Kline and Hollis Engley)

Michael measuring to cap a large jar.

Pulling a handle.

Workshop participants.

Michael and Hollis enjoying a drink.

 

Stuffed quahogs.  Yum, I had never had these before.  We had great food the whole time we were there.

 

A selection of dishes and bowls at Gail's house.

 

The mill near the herring run that is just down the road from where Gail lives.

 

I once caught a fish and it was this big.

 

MK and a jar.

 

Action shot.

 

A display of my work.  Kim sporting her Ronwear in pink.

 

Well that's quite a lot for now.  Have a good Monday everyone.  


Part 1

I've been home for a few days now and I've attempted to post here a couple times.  I've either tried to say too much or not had my images organized enough to pull it off.  So I just thought I'd start, put up a few images, get back in the groove and go from there.  

Michael Kline and I had a great time out doing our workshops and traveling.  Our first stop was in Fredericksburg, Va.  Dan Finnegan organized for us to be at LibertyTown Arts Workshop.  Dan is an amazing man and I enjoyed hanging out with him for a few days.

Dan's studio and kiln is located on a large farm just outside of Fredericksburg.  The family who owns the land have been friends with Dan since he moved there many years ago.  It is a beautiful place.

Dan's getting ready for his next wood firing. He had a good start on the pots.

This is the farm house we stayed in during our visit.  It was wonderful to be out in country.  We sat out on the porch quite a bit.

Here I am showing off my socks to Jason and Emily.  Emily is an appreciator of fine socks too. (Jason just thinks we are looney).

We had a delicious supper of pizzas and salad, along with some local beers before the demos began at LibertyTown.

Here is Michael explaining his process as he decorates one of Dan's pots.

Trista Chapman is a local potter from Fredericksburg.  She joined us in the demo and showed how she applies colorful underglazes to her work.  It was fun for me to see her do this as I have an adversion to color.  Trista has sort of a formula she follows and it works very well for her pots.

And here I am giving my spiel on how I do things.

I really loved Fredericksburg, Va and I want to go back sometime just to visit and hangout.  Thanks to everyone who came out to see us and who bought our work.  LibertyTown is a wonderful facility.  I don't know how many artists are working there, maybe 50?, but they are certainly lucky to have such a wonderful place to work and sell from.

It was sad to leave but we had to push on to Cape Cod.  I'll post about that later.  I'll also be putting up more photos, probably on my Flickr page over the weekend.  I'll put that link up as soon as I get it done.

Stay tuned for more.

 

 

 


 

 

Quick Post from CC

Michael and I had a long day on the road yesterday but we made it to Cape Cod late last night.  Today we had a tour around and got set up for the workshop.  Other things happened to but I'm tired and want to go to bed.  I will be doing more blogging about this trip as I get back home. I'm finding it hard to try to do too much and still give myself time to enjoy being here.

So here is a shot I took today of the ocean from the Cape.  Not sure of the exact location.  

 

Tomorrow is the first day of the workshop.  I'm looking forward to meeting new people and getting some pots made.

All for now.

Getting ready to go North

It's a beautiful day here.  Clear skies and warm temps. The trees are budding out and  yesterday I  mowed my lawn for the first time this year.

On Tuesday morning Michael Kline and I will be loading up and heading out from the Philbeck Pottery, destination LibertyTown Pottery in Fredericksburg, Va.  I've been doing laundry today as well as organizing images for my presentation later in the week for the Cape Cod Workshop.

It's been fun going back and looking at old images.  I have to say this shot of my old salt glaze pots made me want to fire that kiln up.


I'm not entirely sure what our route will be.  North on 95 for the most part I guess.  If anyone wants to rendezvous  with us along the way just send us an e mail or tweet or FB message.  It would be cool to say hello with some blog followers as we go.

Here's another image I dug up.  Early pots from when I had just made the switch over to earthenware in 2008.  These were fired in my small propane kiln.  

I also like this rat casserole that was made during that same period.  I think my friend Becky Story has this pot.

(all these images are clickable by the way).

God I'm glad it's almost spring.  We set our clocks forward last night and I love the longer days to come. This morning Sarah and I talked about what we'd like to plant in our garden this year.  We also talked about some future plans for our respective businesses and goals we'd each like to set and work towards.  It feels good to think about new things and to have something to reach for.

Today is my birthday.  I turned 42 years old this morning at 9:30 am.  I still feel young.  Almost the same as I did in my late 20's.  I know I sometimes act like I'm in my teens but that's okay I guess.  It keeps me and Sarah laughing.

Well it's time to go and see if that last glaze kiln is cool enough to unload.  I've serveral pots in there that I'm excited about.  I'll try and shoot a little film of them when they come out.

Stay tuned for that and for posts from the road as Kline and I get going early this coming week.

Thanks for checking in.

~Ron

Saturday Morning

I have started to get my things ready for the trip to Virginia and Massachusetts.  

Throwing, trimming and assembly tools.

Tools for drawing.

I am headed to the studio now to unload a bisque and get glazing.  I hope my slab boxes survived the firing.  

 

Chives

One spring a very well-to-do lady visited the pottery.  The first thing she said to me was, "Look at all the chives growing in your yard."

She was clearly not from the South and did not know that those 'chives' were 'wild onions'.  I guess her gardener hadn't pointed that out to her yet.  More likely, she had an exquisite yard and did not have such exotic species as I do in my yard like wild onions, clover, dandelion, chick weed, and Bermuda grass along with my Kentucky bluegrass and fescue.

Enough is Enough

I've been working for the past 3 days or so decorating pots so that I can fire before I leave to go to Libertytown and Cape Cod.  I had planned on finished up last night and having the bisque fired by now.  But I ran late and I said: Well I can deco a few more pots tomorrow and have a fuller load.  So I worked all day and now I have stopped.  Really, I stopped 2 hours ago, but then I went back in there and said: Oh, I can do those 3 bowls.  So I did.  And two small jars and a teapot.  Then I stopped again, put them in the kiln with the others, programmed the firing, turned out the lights and left.

Enough is Enough.

I know that I always try to have as many pots as possible for a show.  Most of my potter friends suffer from this insane idea that we must make at least 3-5 times as much work as we'll actually need for any given event.  I guess it's good to be prepared, just in case someone walks in with their suitcase full of money and I have a $10,000 show.  Holy fishsticks, that will be the day!

It's insanity no doubt, to make and make and make like this.  My brain says:  Hey, someone may want a cup with a dog on it so you better do one.  Or:  What if I run out of bowls?  Or:  I may need to make some extra jars just in case the firing goes bad.  

What the hell is the matter with me!? Ha!!!  I am planning for the pottery apocalypse!

Well, I'll have more than enough pots to choose from to take to the workshops.  Hopefully I'll sell a few of them and what's left over will go in the showroom and on Etsy.  I may even have a head start on my next show.  Nope, I'm pretty sure I need to make some tankards for it....and some salt and pepper shakers.... and some butter dishes...and....