Around here...

I had a good turnout for the pottery sale this past weekend. Thanks to all who came out.

On Monday I got back to work. I will be doing the Claymatters Pottery Guild Sale on the 8th, then I have the American Craft Council Show in Charlotte the first weekend in November. I am really excited about the ACC show. It's my first year there and I want to have some good pots to take. So I will be chained to my wheel for the next few weeks.

Dad and I worked on the studio some this evening. It's coming along slowly but surely. All the wiring and plumbing is done. I have a bit of insulating to finish. The siding is almost finished too. I'll try to get a recent pic up tomorrow.

Ready for the Home Sale

I am all set up for the Home Sale which is tomorrow and Sunday. Here are some pics. They are a bit out of order but at this point I think they'll be fine. I had a good firing again this week. Unloaded today with Sarah's help getting all the pots sanded and dusted and brought in. Whew, I have lots of pottery.Display in front room.

This is a shot of the show room.
Plates. Just after I took the door to the kiln down.

Pilgram bottles and a new bottle form.

Loading,firing...

Yesterday I loaded the kiln. I took this pic as I was starting on the front row of shelves. Notice the stacks of plates at the front. I like stacking pots up like this on top of each other. It allows the flames and salt/soda vapor to pass inbetween them making creative patterns.
Today I fired. I will unload on Friday. More pics then. The Home Sale is Saturday and Sunday.

Week before the Home Sale

The week leading up to the Home Sale is usually quite busy. More so this time as I am doing a last minute firing. I will load the kiln on Tues., finish the firing Wed. afternoon, and unload on Friday. Then all the pots have to be sanded, dusted, priced and shelved. Whew. It's loads of fun though. I've been doing these sales for so many years that I just have faith that it will all come together sometime before 10 am Saturday morning. I still have to get the studio cleaned and the displays set up. All that will happen over the next few days. I will try and get some more pictures up before the end of the week.

All in all things here have been good. Sarah was home for the weekend. She spent lots of time on school work and I continued to make pots and piddle around outside and get some minor work done on the new studio space. Construction has slowed considerably. I will be lucky to be in by the Holiday Home Sale. It has been dry and hot which has caused the poplar trees to start losing leaves. I am ready for the fall cool nights.

I picked up a couple children's books by Patricia Coombs last week. Doorie and the Witches Camp is the first and also The Magician and McTree. They are really fresh and fun. I really like Doorie, she is a little witch. She often has mismatched socks, and her room looks like a disaster area. She has a cute little nose too. (okay I know, I've gotten a bit soppy here). McTree is a cat. Sarah and I are huge cat lovers. In this book, McTree falls into a potion and comes away with the ability to talk. If only Loupey our cat could talk. Sarah and I think he was Winston Churchill previously.

Enough for now.

Pots from last firing

New bottles.
Bird dish.

Cup and small oval baker at the front of the stack.

Two oval serving dishes.

This and that...

Postcards for the Home Sale went out today. Hopefully I'll be getting some new images up on the website on the Pots page as well as a few here from the firing. The firing turned out great. I was super happy.
Today I drove to Charlotte and went to a pottery show at the Mint Museum. It was very crowded and everyone seemed to be having a good day, potters and customers alike. I enjoy getting out and seeing pots and being on the other side of the fence sometimes. (a customer as opposed to a vendor). I get to chat with my friends, see their great pots, and occasionally make a purchase.
By the way the Home Sale is at my studio on Sept. 24th and 25th. Contact me through my website for more info.

Pots, clay, reading

Yesterday I mixed over 1000 lbs. of dry clay into a slip and pumped it into the racks to begin drying to throwing consistancy. This took several hours. At the end Sarah came out and commented that I looked like Pigpen (from the Peanuts strip). I confirmed by slapping my shorts and creating a large dust cloud.
Today I will unload the kiln. I have peeped in and the pots look good. Knock on wood.
I am reading a few different things right now. Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke. A Potter in Japan, Bernard Leach. And The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, Umberto Eco. More on these later. Off for a walk then to work. I am getting started a bit late today, but who cares, after all it is Friday!

New beginnings...

This is going to be my new Journal Page, the old one on my website was too much trouble to edit. This seems like more fun too. So I'll be learning how to do this. Hope you'll visit often and pass along to your friends.