Monday Morning

Not much potting over the weekend. Sarah and I relaxed and kept our noses in our books and our heads on the pillow most of Saturday. Sunday wasn't much different, although we did go to the hardware store and buy some rain gutters to put up on the studio (not that it's hardly rained any lately). Anyhow we'll put them up next weekend maybe.

I'll be back to work today so check in later for some potting news.

Have a good Monday!

# Three

So that's all of them. I am learning some things. Like, I don't have to be in a hurry.
I need to stop before I think I should.
Stop and look before I go on to the next part.

Maybe I'll do more of these. I'm not going to know how I really feel about them until they come out of the kiln.

No. Two

horror vacui

I don't have much to lose right? It's just a pot.
May as well go all out.

Some Deco. From Todayo

Polka Dots and Teapots

These are some salt jars I made on Monday. A and B sides of a couple teapots.

Blank Slates

I have to get these pots decorated tomorrow. I don't think I'll have a problem with these casseroles,but these jars are another story. Many choices, some right, some wrong. We'll see.

Mixing It Up Wednesday.

Looks like today will be a day of slipping and decorating. Plenty of pots under plastic out in the shop needing attention.

I am starting to work on smaller series of pots. Having a smaller kiln is one reason for that, others being that I have to keep up with slipping and decorating things before they get too dry. Maybe this will lead to me paying more attention to the details and producing better pots.

I've had weird dreams every night so far this week. Most have been re occurrences of old dreams but I had a particularly disturbing one Sunday night that had me down on the ground spitting out my teeth. (sorry I know that's gross). My teeth were coming out and I had no control. I was helpless and terrified. Yes, I've already looked up some interpretations of all that. Conclusion...I'm a wreck. Ha.

Is anyone reading anything good? (I know these things have nothing to do with pottery). I went to the library on Monday and came home with Fight Club and once again, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Well I read half of Fight Club and decided I was over it. At one time I was into books about self destruction, serial killers, horrible things...now, well not so much. So I dropped Fight Club off in the return bin yesterday and checked out The Poisonwood Bible which I am enjoying. I've read Bird by Bird twice already, but I love Anne Lamott's wonderful sense of being. Her instructions of how to be a better writer certainly can be applied to being a better artist.

Okay. Well enough of all that. I just thought I'd mix it up a bit today. I'm off to work.

Sweet!

I woke up from my after lunch nap to find this package outside the door. Inside was this beautiful slipware mug from Hannah. It's amazing. I have used it all afternoon. I love looking at and feeling the trailed slip. Those little dots are great. Even the handle is decorated.
Hannah's amber glaze looks like it has gold dust in it.

The picture of these two hens came along with the mug. Inspiration for future drawings.
Thanks Hannah! I hope you get the package I sent out for you soon.

Monday. Back to Work.

I had a good productive Monday. I made a few bowls to get warmed up and then 3 covered casseroles, some oval bakers, a couple jars and a few other odds and ends. These ovals will get handled tomorrow.

I am still getting used to having to decorate pots. I had pots on the shelf from last week that I got incised today. I let them dry out thinking I'd be okay with drawing through the dry slip. I don't think I really like that all that much. It's nice to be able to draw out the image in pencil, a bit of a safety net, but the line quality is too rugged and I don't like the physical effort it takes to work through the slip. So I guess I'll be working on leatherhard pots now. I will have to get into a routine of making, slipping, and decorating. At least I'm not glazing leatherhard pots anymore, that would be one more thing to schedule.

I think maybe if my clay body were more smooth I could get a better line with the dry technique. I'd like to know how other folks do this.

Visit to Flat Rock

Sarah and I drove up to Flat Rock , NC yesterday to visit Hand in Hand Gallery and our friends David Voorhees and Molly Sharp. I have some pots in a show there. The show is all about animals. Here are a few shots from around the exhibition.
While there I think I may have found some information on the Fitch ancestry. I think this couple could be the two that tie Doug and I together. I'll be seeing my mom later today (she was a Fitch) so I am really excited to share this information with her. (and you too D.F.)
Here is Molly Sharp and my sweet wife. They haven't seen one another in several years. Sarah apprenticed under Molly as a jeweler.
And of course no trip to Flat Rock is complete without a trip to the Flat Rock Village Bakery. We had a great pizza for lunch.

Demonstrations

Robert (whose last name escaped me) was at Hand and Hand demonstrating yesterday. He makes wood fired pots and bonsai dishes. He also grows bonsai.Some of Robert's wares and trees.
Molly Jones was there too. I've know Molly's parents for several years, they too are potters/clay sculptors.

Clay

Some of the clay is ready to come in out of the racks. I cut it into bars so I can carry it in more easily.

Just Some Plates

It's muggy out this Saturday morning. We finally had a good rain shower yesterday evening. Much needed. I worked in the shop all day finishing up pots from Thursday.

I think I need to get away from here for awhile. Maybe I can talk Sarah into a little field trip.

The Joe Strummer radio programs were amazing yesterday. I hope you got to listen.

Feet and e-Yakimono.com

There is a good article about feet on Japanese pots at Robert Yellin's site. It shows several photos and gives the Japanese name of each. Very cool.

There is tons of other stuff on the site, so check it out.

Get the Wobble On

I made these plates and then lifted them off the wheel head and onto these batts. That made them move around a bit. I'm pretty good at making sort of wobbly bowls and cups but my plates always end up round. (who needs that?) Anyhow this is an effort to whack them out some.I saw Warren Mackenzie make pots at a demo once and he warned against making bowls that had the common hemisphere shape. Well, what Warren says is the Gospel right? Ah, not really but I do like these bowls. I feel like making these sort of shapes is more of who I am and how I've learned to move the clay than anything else. It's not everyone's thing. I also feel like it works with my deco, which is a bit on the loose side. I am finding it challenging to get the feet on these right though. I have a Don Reitz bowl that has a great loose foot. I need to look at that again. I've been looking at my oribe pottery book again. I wish they'd show the bottom of some bowls. Of course I've got a few Ron Meyer's pots to scrutinize too.
These pitchers/jugs aren't too whacked out. I intended them to be more hourglass shaped. Maybe next time. I also made a couple teapots today.
I am running out of clay faster than I had expected. So I got a bunch of slop drying in these old bisque pots. Hopefully tomorrow I can use some of it.
The clay in the racks seems to be drying at a fast pace too so that is good. Maybe I can start getting some out by early next week.

Joe Strummer

Between 1999 and 2002, Joe Strummer hosted a series of radio programs for the BBC featuring his extensive record collection of rock, reggae, folk, and more. Starting at noon on July 4th, The Current will broadcast eight one-hour episodes of Joe Strummer's "London Calling." Tune in and celebrate with The Current and Joe Strummer this Fourth of July!


The above was copied from The Current's web site. It should be some great radio. Tune in via the web and check it out on Friday.
Later, Ron

Cool and Refreshing.

I made a big jug of lemonade this morning. It's chilling in the fridge and will be a great refresher at lunchtime. Have a good day everyone!

July

It's hard to believe it's July 1st today. Half the year gone, half to go! I worry about time a lot, but there's not much I can do to stop it or slow it down. I can slow down, maybe that would help. Speeding up seems to make things worse. Anyhow, sitting outside today in the sun, quiet all around, blue skies, green leaves, a few big white clouds, it all made me feel small and at the same time a part of it all. It's easier being a part of it as opposed to separating. Remembering that is sometimes hard to do. Well, anyhow.....

Fresh Clay

Mixed up a couple racks of clay today. Should be ready to use in 10-14 days. I think I have enough in the studio to last me that long. I have some reclaim I need to work up too. Anyhow not much else to report on.