Julie Jones Pottery

Chickens for the Cure

2011-06-10T07:15:00.005-04:00

My friend and neighbor Liz Paley is offering her "Chickens for the Cure" to inspire support for this year's NC Race for the Cure, on Saturday June 11. Donations go to the Komen Foundation on behalf of her team (Team Amazing Us). For every $50 you donate, she will give/send you a wood-fired chicken as a token of her appreciation. Details and picture are here.
Many of these wonderful chickens were fired in my last kiln firing a few weeks ago. It was a pleasure to have these chickens amongst my other pots. Here is a photo of them, I like that they look like a little army in their row on the top shelf. The second photo is the after firing photo, many of the chickens turned a warm brown color.

Pottery Sale This Weekend

2011-06-01T13:30:00.005-04:00

This Saturday is the first kiln opening sale from the Julie Jones kiln! I had not originally planned to have a sale, but have had many people asking to buy pots so I decided to do one this weekend. I have lots of tumblers, mugs, plates and bowls available in various glazes. Check out my previous post for more pictures.

It is supposed to be a beautiful sunny day, a little cooler than it has been, with a high only reaching 90 (bring a sweater, you may not be used to temperatures this low). We will have some lemonade and snacks under the big oak tree. The sale will be from 9 am until 4 pm Saturday only.

Come out to Stem and take a look at the pots and the new kiln this Saturday. Bring your friends and family for a beautiful day on the farm. Hope to see you there!

Directions from Durham or areas south of Granville County:
From I 85 North
Take exit 191 toward N Carolina 56 W/Butner Creedmoor Rd 0.3 mi
Turn left onto N Carolina 56 W/Butner Creedmoor Rd
Continue to follow N Carolina 56 W 0.2 mi
Take the 1st right onto W Lyon Station Rd 2.4 mi (you will see a Hardee's on your right ) Follow this road until it ends.
Turn left onto Brogden Rd 1.7 mi
At a 4 way stop in downtown Stem, turn left onto W Tally Ho Rd
W Tally Ho T's into Old NC 75, Turn left onto Old NC 75 S
Destination will be the immediate house on the left at 201

Or an even easier route from Durham, is to take Old Oxford Hwy from where it begins at N. Roxboro Rd. It is a straight shot, about 16 miles out. Look for the kiln on the right after you enter the city limits of Stem.

Directions from Raleigh:
Follow N Carolina 50 N/Creedmoor Rd 19.5 mi
Turn left onto N Carolina 50 N/N Carolina 56 W 0.2 mi
Turn left onto N Durham Ave 400 ft
Take the 1st right onto Lake Rd 0.3 mi
Take the 2nd right onto Brogden Rd/Stem RdContinue to follow Brogden Rd 5.6 mi
Turn left onto W Tally Ho Rd
W Tally Ho ends into Old NC 75, Take left onto Old NC 75 S
Destination will be immediately on the left

Pots!

2011-05-27T18:18:00.017-04:00

I've finally sorted through the pots and picked some of my favorites to share with you. Overall I'm very happy with the firing. There was one glaze that bleached out in the salt from green to white. Now that I think about it, that is to be expected! I won't be doing that again! I favor the pots from the first chamber, the ones without salt. I think I can figure out more glazes I like in the salt, but for now my favorite combo is the Tile 6 flashing slip with the black brushwork. Above and below are some tributes to Durham. I've enjoyed etching into plates lately. The best contrast turned out to be the Starworks Okeewemee clay and tile 6 slip. The white slip did not work very well (not pictured, white slip etching).

Tile 6 slip with black slip brushwork.

Red shino and white shino with brushwork.

Yellow amber with black slip.

Slip trailed pots.

The pitcher on the right (below) was slipped trailed the Hannah McAndrew way, with iron slip on top of wet white slip. It was much harder than the demo! I hate the fact that it is a one shot deal, so I need more practice on pots I'm not planning on keeping. This one is okay, but it scared me to death.

Teapots inspired by John Britt's teapot demo. Also, not as quick and easy as the video.

Marie and I after unloading the second chamber.

First Entire Kiln Firing of the Apocalypse Stoker Gallery

2011-05-22T11:46:00.027-04:00

Well there was fire on May 21, 2011 but thankfully no brimstone. I was pretty bummed when I heard God scheduled the end of the world for Saturday, but I guess he changed his mind. I'm thankful for this. Here is the stoker gallery for the firing of the apocalypse.

First out to help was Ana. We preheated the kiln overnight and I started heavier stoking at 6:30 am. Ana arrived around 8:30. She stoked until she had to go to work at Claymakers.
Wendy used her Popeye like strength to keep the fire going after lunch.

After bringing out pizza and drinks, Emily took this photo as the pyrometer reached 666. Her headline was "Fire-starter Enraptures Stem". I missed getting a photo of Emily myself but enjoyed her coming out post hip surgery and keeping us nourished and motivated. Also not pictured is Darren and Shadow. Darren stoked for a little while before heading to work as well.

Spence lent a hand not only stoking the fire but he also used his construction skills to cut part of the roof that was near the chimney (I have been meaning to cut that off since it was touching the kiln). This had not been done before because we lacked a large enough ladder and the tools to do it. He also came up with a great plan for an inexpensive heat shield that will be in place before the next firing. You can see in the photo below the kiln shed is a little close to the chimney. I've had no problems so far but imagine that after several firings of being exposed to heat it could get damaged (or catch fire easy).

Kyle kept us on pace for a couple of hours. "You need 2 degrees a minute, I can do that. " He did get us ahead by four minutes at one point, in doing so I hope he didn't ruin the pots. Just kidding, he was amazing and I really appreciate him keeping things going while my mental status started to decline.

Bob and Carrie grilled dinner for us, a tradition I think I want to continue for future firings. Yummy jerk chicken wings, the BEST potatoes I've ever had and grilled sugar snap peas.

Stewart came out and took some professional photos. See the entire lot here

Amalia and Elizabeth were out late in the day, helping move wood and eat pizza, cookies, crackers and strawberries. Let's guess which job Elizabeth preferred.

Steven came out after working in the pharmacy for 12 hours and side stoked for a few hours. I hadn't planned on still firing past 10 pm but we went slower than originally planned. I think when I look back I can see where we lost an hour here or there. Next firing though I hope is in the 14 to 16 hour range.

Bob was the right side stoker. He was quite dedicated, stoking at least 8 hours.

Oh yeah, and this guy. Joe helped a little. Little being all week by reconstructing the firebox, hanging the door, building the bagwall, loading pots and probably a thousand other things I'm leaving out right now. Joe is the best, that's all I can say.

What is this? A smile at hour 18? Must be a bit delusional at this point. Thought I was sleeping or something. Just happy we missed the apocalypse in the west coast time zone so most likely we will all live to actually see the pots come out of the kiln.

Amalia was the last person to stoke the main firebox, finishing up around midnight if I recall correctly (may need to check cardboard notes for precise time). Oh, it was 12:15. We fired the second chamber until around 3:15. A big thank you to everyone for their help. It takes a lot to fire a kiln!

And we have a few double entendres that kept us laughing throughout the firing. I started notating them because I knew it was unlikely I'd recall them later.

Wendy to Spence, "I'm giving you 15 minutes to get it up. " (temperature)
Stewart to Bob, " I'm really in to thighs lately." (regarding grilled chicken)
Me to ?, "Grab your own wood. " (this pile of wood is for the firebox)
Me to Amalia and Elizabeth, "If I get too obese we can get a hoe". (stating that if I gain too much weight I will be unable to crawl in the firebox to clean it).

Ready to Fire This Saturday

2011-05-18T22:37:00.003-04:00

The firebox has been rebuilt and we are set to fire on Saturday. Not much time to blog but Joe Cole made it to NC on Monday, started to work on the kiln yesterday and finished up today. Bob and Matt helped coat the kiln and I have been glazing pots for what seems like an eternity. Also Steven came out and cut posts so that I'm ready to start loading tomorrow. Very tired, going to bed to get an early start tomorrow. I'll probably only have time for a few pics until then.

Hannah McAndrew and Doug Fitch Workshop

2011-04-24T20:45:00.012-04:00

(Plate by Hannah McAndrew)

(Jug by Doug Fitch)

British Potters, Hannah McAndrew and Doug Fitch taught a workshop Saturday in Shelby, NC. They demonstrated their throwing, altering and decorating techniques. Below is a puzzle jug, made by Doug and decorated by Hannah. I've never seen such a jug and it is a puzzle! How do you get the water out without spilling it all over? Not going to spoil it for those that want to figure it out. I must say, I would have never gotten it on my own.

Here is a picture of Hannah's high tech slip trailer. Amazing what she can do with it, it is essentially an old bike tire inner tube with cork and a mechanical pencil held together by a paper clip. I am definitely going to give this a try, it seemed that the slip came out more consistently. I'm sure it had nothing to do with Hannah's years of experience and skill.

Here are some of the pots they brought with them to sell in the gallery.

Hannah's pots above. I ended up with the tall dark pitcher (jug) with yellow slip trailed flowers in the back.

Doug's gorgeous pitchers (jugs) and mugs. The mug on the far right below with sprigs made it home with me too.

Of course, I had to be a nerd and get a photo with Hannah. She was so sweet and charming. I hope they both have had a great time and have a safe trip home. A big thank you to Ron and Sarah Philbeck for putting this workshop together. They did a great job!

Art in Clay Exhibit at Old Salem

2011-04-20T20:22:00.006-04:00

I enjoyed an impromptu field trip today to Old Salem Museum and Gardens, after doing some part time pharmacy work. I've wanted to visit for years now but have never had a good opportunity until today. They currently have an amazing exhibit until August 14, 2011, "Art in Clay: Masterworks of North Carolina Earthenware". It is a ground-breaking exhibit that features approximately 120 pieces of masterfully decorated slipware, sculptural bottles, refined creamware and faience that are but part of the rich artistic legacy of North Carolina's first earthenware potters. I had the best day, looking at slip trailed pots, snacking on Moravian sugar cake. Sometimes you need a day like today to take it easy and get inspired. Now I'm even more psyched about this weekend's workshop in Shelby, NC featuring Hannah McAndrew and Doug Fitch. I feel it was serendipitous that I had free time today to see these wonderful pieces right before my slip trailing workshop. Look for many slip trailed pieces to come! Sorry, there is no sugar cake left to share.

Below is potter Michael Fox making an ink well.

These nice gentlemen are cutting my freshly baked sugar cake.

Done...for now

2010-12-11T16:38:00.009-05:00

The kiln is pretty much done except for some minor tweaking. Joe finished the firebox on Thanksgiving day, then traveled back to Wisconsin. A few days later, he expressed that he would like to rework the firebox to make it better. The tatami brick did not work out as well as planned. See Joe's post for more details on what did not work.

I was hoping to be completely done by now, but it will not take much to redo the firebox this spring before the first "entire kiln" firing. So this spring, Joe will come back, take off the top of the main firebox and do it again, most likely without any tatami bricks. It is sad that we worked so hard on the brick for them to not work out. Joe felt like they were too tapered. He thought that the ones I made were straighter and if we had more, it could have worked. Too bad I was a slow producer and didn't make as many as Joe and Matt (but I am secretly happy mine were the best). I think the tatami bricks will eventually find a place to work, just maybe not in my kiln.

Steven and I finished coating the first chamber today, much to his dismay. When coating it several weeks ago we ran out of clay and I had to go buy more. I have been trying to finish it for weeks, but needed a night where the temperatures did not dip below 30 at night. Today was the only one in weeks, and there do not seem to be any more coming any time soon. It is unseasonably cold! Steven tried to talk me out of it today, but I was as determined as a two year old that I wanted to do it and do it today, even if it didn't make sense. I know it didn't have to be done until spring but I hated to leave the kiln with a patch of kaowool showing.

Another view after coating the first chamber.

The state of the first chamber for the last 2 weeks. See, it just couldn't sit like this for months. Thanks to Steven for your help today and for the past 2 months!

That reminds me, I need to thank all those that helped throughout this process. Let's see, there is Joe Cole, a huge thank you, thank you, thank you. I could not have done this without your hard work, planning, and patience. You helped me fulfill a life dream, for that I will always be grateful. Thanks to Christy for allowing Joe to come help me for several weeks. Also for your help on your vacation. I am so glad you could visit for a little while! I'd like to thank Matt Hallyburton, Gaines Bailey, Kyle Miller, Wendy Neale and Spence Bardeen, Luke Studer and Elizabeth Hodgson, the Harlans, Bob Feth, Emily Cox, Trish Welsh, Lara O'Keefe, Ana Howard, Darren Sink, Stewart Waller, Gene Christian, Alex and Poli Garcia, Dave and Katherine, Rick Tufts, Andy Miller, Takuro Shibata and Greg Shuck. Thank you all so much!

Coating the First Chamber

2010-11-26T08:21:00.009-05:00

On Wednesday my friends, Trish Welsh and Emily Cox, came out to help coat the first chamber. We cut and laid the kaowool ceramic fiber, then covered that with chicken wire, and finally coated it all with the sand/clay/cement/straw mix. We had a great time. Here are some pics of us ladies in action.

Here is Trish, covering the sidewall.

And Emily .

This photo was taken for a laugh at how potters use their shirts and pants to wipe their hands. More funny than this would be when I'm in "good clothes" and forget it is not acceptable to wipe hands on yourself. This action is usually followed by the thoughts of "What was I thinking? Or not thinking?".

We did not get the entire chamber covered, but got most of it done. We were running low on clay and had to make a run to Claymakers to get more. Also Joe was working on the main firebox and we will not be able reach some areas due to invading his work space. I plan to finish up with the coating next week. I've got family visiting for Thanksgiving and I'm enjoying some rest and time with them for a few days.

Tatami Bricks!

2010-11-23T22:05:00.004-05:00

We unloaded the kiln today and the tatami brick look great. No casualties, so the preheat took care of drying them out. We hope to place them tomorrow, and also coat the kiln, which means we'll be done! Yea! Joe did a more in depth post of today, so check it out here.

Tatami Brick Bisque Firing Stoker Gallery

2010-11-22T08:11:00.007-05:00

We had a lot of visitors come out for the tatami brick firing. I really appreciate the help and enjoyed seeing everyone. Thanks so much! Bob Feth came out for a little while Sunday morning and made sure we stayed on track.

Joe returned mid-morning, after doing the night shift.

Wendy Neale and Spence Bardeen arrived around noon.

Steven brought us lunch, then took over stoking duties.

Darren Sink visited mid-afternoon. He brought his dog Shadow. Shadow had a great time exploring the property.
I helped too!

Matt Hallyburton came out for the last few hours, helping us get the cones down. We finished around 9 pm. On the schedule for today, not much. But tomorrow we plan to unload the tatami brick and get back to work to finish the kiln by the end of this week.

Ready For Another Firing

2010-11-20T08:58:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow we will be firing the second chamber again, this time it will be filled with tatami brick. We will follow the same schedule as last time, going slower due to the thickness of the tatami brick. We only need to go to cone 1 this time so I image we will finish a couple hours sooner but the firing will take about 18 hours. We started preheating yesterday and will continue today. We will really start going about 6 am tomorrow and hope to finish around 8 pm.

I finished up the first chamber wall yesterday, today I will start working on the door side. I also need to go get a few loads of wood for the firing. You can see the fire in the second firebox, preheating the tatami brick.

Here is a photo of the whole kiln, it is really coming along. Joe has been working on the main firebox and he has done all the work on it. I think it is beautiful, I wish that we did not have to coat it. We are close to the point where we will finish with the tatami brick on top. Most likely we will be finished with the kiln next week.

A Few Pictures From the First Firing

2010-11-18T06:55:00.006-05:00

Joe and I fired the second chamber of the kiln on Sunday with the help of Luke Studer and Bob Feth. It was a nice and easy firing, the easiest I've ever done. We had no problem getting temperature and all cones were within about a quarter of each other. I was worried it was too easy, meaning the pots probably would not be nice. I know that is pretty pessimistic of me but I've been let down so many times in the past I was prepared for the worst. Most of the pots in the kiln were Triangle Brewing Mugs for their Black Friday celebration. I had a lot of eggs in one big ole kiln basket, but they all turned out great! I am so pleased with the kiln and the results. Here are a few pictures of the mugs.

Here is a view inside the kiln. We stacked the kiln very loosely. I imagine we could get four times the amount of pots in that we did. We needed to fire the kiln to top temperature because we are going to bisque fire the tatami brick next. Joe thought that it was a good way to make sure all mortar and castable were dry/set while simultaneously testing the bagwall. Also I did not have time to fill the kiln but had an order for about 75 mugs. When I decided to make the mugs back in the summer I imagined I'd be renting a kiln to fire them, I did not realize I would be in the middle of building a kiln. Anyway, it all worked out!

On Tuesday we continued making the tatami bricks. Here is a photo of Joe, Matt and I after we finished. Yea! This involved lots of wedging of groggy clay, my hands are glad to be done.

On Wednesday, Steven and I worked on the first chamber wall. Thanks to Steven it is very level. I was losing my patience and also starting to hit my limit of brick laying. You would think it would get easier but the trick is that the bricks are not all quite the same size. Eventually Steven started measuring the thickness and the hard bricks. They were in a range of 2.25 inches, 2.5 inches and 2.75 inches. It was hard to fit these brick in with the consistently sized soft brick. At least it's not me, it's the brick! We finally got them level with lots of mortar.

Joe worked on the main firebox, isn't the little arch cute! Joe was in the zone when working on the firebox, it was quite interesting to watch him work.

Many Hands

2010-11-07T21:01:00.012-05:00

Joe and I have had lots of help over the weekend. There are a lot of pictures on Joe's blog but I'd like to add a few more. On Saturday, my good friend Niko and his family came out for a visit. Here is Niko letting us know that we need to use a straight brick on the arch as soon as we get more brick. We ran out of arch brick so had to take a break from the first chamber. More brick will arrive on Thursday. A big thanks to Niko's mom, Eleni, for bringing out yummy beans and bread. They were delicious!

Steven helped out most of Saturday, handing up bricks to Joe for the chimney. Unfortunately there was a little accident with bringing down the mortar for the last time. Oh well, it washes out.
On Sunday, Wendy, Spence and Kyle came out to help coat the chimney. Here Kyle and Wendy are mixing the mortar/cement/straw coating mix.
Kyle mastered the limb and trim baby chainsaw.

Then everyone helped with the chimney.

Wendy helped with the side wall, making sure we got a perfect fit.

By the end of Sunday the side wall was finished in the second chamber, we used the leftover coating from the chimney on the side wall too. We got a lot done this weekend and had a lot of fun doing so. I'm so glad my friends came out, it feels like I haven't seen them much lately. But the kiln will be done soon, then maybe a little bit of my social life will return. Thanks to all that have helped so far: Steven, Matt, Gaines, Stewart, Elizabeth, Eleni, Bob, Spence, Wendy, and Kyle.

Excavation and Start of the Kiln

2010-10-29T07:33:00.004-04:00

I'm a little behind with posting pictures of the kiln building, but here goes. Last Friday E. Christian and Son of Oxford came and dug out the kiln site. Joe Cole came in on Friday from Wisconsin to oversee building the kiln. Also on Friday I received very sad news of my uncle passing away. On Saturday I traveled to Mississippi to help with arrangements there. So as Joe arrived, I had to leave for 5 days. Thankfully Joe and Steven kept on track while I was away. Here are some photos of all the work they did while I was away.

Brick!

2010-10-21T20:26:00.011-04:00

After much coordinating with fork lift rentals, truck drivers and brick salesmen it finally all came together today, we have a lot of brick. I am glad that this part is over with, too much time on the phone and shifting of schedules. I was very lucky that my husband, Steven, had the afternoon off to help get the bricks to the shed. I think he enjoyed it, he looks right comfortable on the fork lift.

This has been a very big week, another hurdle this week involved going before the town of Stem's city council to make sure the kiln did not offend any town zoning ordinances. I had checked with Granville county regarding the kiln when we purchased land, but it was not until I got the building permit for the kiln shed that I found out we are within the 0.9 square mile radius of downtown Stem (Surprise!). After finding this out everything got put on hold until the Oct. 18th council meeting. Being the studious type, I did lots of research and felt pretty prepared for the meeting except for not being able to get my hands on the town's ordinance book. This was a little annoying but I learned that they are in the process of making the ordinance book more available. It seems I am not the only one that would like to have easier access to it. Many town/county ordinance books are online at the municipal code corporation website, but not Stem's. I finally got to take a look at it immediately before the meeting and as I quickly read through it, I found nothing regarding zoning, smoke or anything related to kilns. After I spoke to the council about what my plans were for my property they had a few questions. I felt pretty good about my responses, but they still seemed a little unsure. Thankfully the whole discussion came to a quick end when the town attorney made it clear that Stem is not zoned at all (something they should think about in the future) and that I had a right to build whatever I want on my property at this time (if there are changes to the ordinances/zoning in the future I will be in the clear because I took action before any restrictions were in place). Yea, for good lawyers that point out the law especially when it is in my favor! If anyone is thinking about building a kiln and needs help with these types of questions I'd be happy to help. I talked to a lot of potters who never had to face this issue, so I had to figure a lot of this out on my own. I chose to ask permission instead of forgiveness, some would argue against this but now I can rest easy knowing I'm legal.

On the calendar for tomorrow is excavating for the kiln. Yea, more fun with large machinery! Then Friday evening a special guest will be rolling into town. Joe Cole is coming down from Wisconsin to help build the kiln he designed for me (see design here). Joe has been integral in getting my kiln plans off the ground from designing a kiln that will fit my needs to answering all the stupid little questions that I don't understand (How tall should the kiln shed be? Do I need a fork lift, a palate jack, loading dock or all of the above? Should sand cost $400?.....). I am so lucky that he will be here for several weeks to help put it all together. And a big thanks to Christy for loaning Joe out for so long, it is a big sacrifice and I really appreciate it. Sounds like she will be able to visit too for a little while, so we are looking forward to her arrival as well.

The Kiln Shed is Finished!

2010-10-13T20:19:00.006-04:00

Yea! The kiln shed is now complete. We had a slight hold up on getting posts in (ten days), but they finally came in and the guys finished up everything today. It is a lot taller than I imagined but I think that will help keep it cool when next to the kiln. Also it needed to be taller on one end since I'm building a double chambered climbing kiln and want to use the natural slope of the hill for it. We will start excavating next week .

More Pictures of the Kiln Shed

2010-09-27T09:58:00.002-04:00

It's going up fast!

More Progress

2010-09-23T21:31:00.009-04:00

More progress has been made on the kiln shed, the posts and beams are now up. The trusses will go up tomorrow. Father and son, Paulo and Alex, are the brains and muscle behind it all and they are doing a great job. The projected finish is next week.

Breaking Ground

2010-09-18T16:12:00.006-04:00

The land is cleared of old buildings and bush hogged, now we are starting the kiln shed. We marked off the kiln shed area and started digging the post holes for the shed. There was a slight delay in getting materials, but they finally arrived on Friday. We will be ready to go full steam ahead on Monday. Check out my red metal roofing! It matches our new gate that will hopefully deter pear thieves. Yeah, someone came and took my two pear tree pear crop. I was quite disappointed and hope that karma takes care of this situation (worms in the pears?). I do not believe it was a critter of any type, one day the trees were full, the next wiped clean from top to bottom. We figure someone did not know we bought the place and assumed they were for the taking. But hopefully now it is clear. Not pictured a very nice "No Trespassing" sign.

Removal of the Immobile Mobile Home

2010-08-30T18:17:00.011-04:00

Things are looking a lot better around here. I got some help removing the immobile mobile home, it was very close to where I want to build my kiln (and also the ugliest thing I've ever seen). Here are some before and after pictures along with a video of the destruction of the trailer. According to my neighbor we also got rid of two copperhead snakes. She politely accused us of running off the snakes by knocking down the old buildings and bush hogging the property. They had to go somewhere and they chose her terracotta flower pots. I have a feeling that we didn't necessarily run them all off though, there is a nice spot under the house I'd choose if I were a copperhead.

2010, The Abbreviated Version

2010-08-28T17:21:00.008-04:00

It has been a while since my last post, almost a year, and I thought I could finally let people know what has been going on with me. I wish I had posted more along the way but the time to do so always eluded me. I was quite busy with the apprenticeship at Hewitt Pottery and the 2 hour daily commute. To summarize my apprenticeship experience, I learned a lot and grew as a person tremendously. I was never quite happy with my pots but assume that is normal. The apprenticeship ended in May, I then caught up on my old life and rested for a few weeks. Steven and I took a wonderful trip to San Francisco and Yosemite. In June I started making pots at home, then I fired them in the Cedar Creek kiln at Creedmoor in July. In August Steven and I drove those pots to our hometown of Pontotoc, Mississippi where we sold them at the Bodock Festival. But the biggest news of all is that at the end of July we purchased a property in Stem, NC that contains 4 acres with a house built in 1901. The place needs a lot of work, there are a few eyesores that will need to be taken care of, but I can see the potential in it. Kiln shed coming in September and wood kiln in October. Firing in November? We'll see.

Mugs

2009-10-11T16:17:00.006-04:00

Time is flying these days, I've already completed two and a half months at Hewitt Pottery. It has been hard trying to juggle everything but I guess that is something everyone has to figure out for themselves. Work, commuting to work, time with my husband, part time job, friends, groceries, laundry, email... the list goes on and on. Blogging has fallen on the list of priorities, forgive the short posts.
Last week I made mugs, here is a photo of them ready for the kiln. They are decorated with glass and/or slip, they will not have a glaze over them so that the clay will show through after being salted during the wood firing. I really enjoyed decorating them, I love the slip trailer. My first attempts are conservative, I was just happy when I made a continuous line. The last mug on the right was a tribute to my friend Jo from New Zealand. I was practicing leaf designs and the silver fern popped in my head. I did not have a reference to go by, so next time I'll be more precise.

Juice cups!

2009-09-11T19:29:00.024-04:00

Can you feel the excitement?

Juice cups! Seriously, I am thrilled to be making anything. I joined the Hewitt Pottery team at the furthest possible point from making pots. When I arrived it was straight to loading the kiln, then firing it, unloading it, cleaning pots, the sale, mixing clay (good photos coming soon from that week), then cutting wood. Phew! Now it's my favorite time, time to make pots. Juice cups!
Here is a photo of my first few pots. I guess I made about 80 to 90 over the past 3 days, I aimed for 30 a day. I trashed many from the first day and kept about a fourth total from the week. By the end of today I felt much better about shaping them. Turns out I was holding the rib wrong in like eight different ways. Not flat enough against the profile (originally holding it 90 degrees to the pot, 30 to 45 degrees is better), moving my the rib up and down instead of holding it steady, I was using the wrong edge of the rib (I know, two choices and I chose wrong, come on), etc, etc . But thankfully Mark saw all these errors over the past few days and set me straight. I've just got to keep making them so that they can get even more fine tuned. I'm not even going to discuss their feet, I am aware they need work. Feet will be addressed next week. More juice cups!

Hewitt Pottery Kiln Opening This Weekend (and next)

2009-08-29T17:30:00.006-04:00

Hewitt Pottery is having their summer kiln opening this weekend and next, August 29th/30th and Sept 5th/6th (Saturday 9 til 5 and Sunday 12 til 5) . I know that I should have mentioned this earlier, but we were so busy getting ready that I haven't had time. Here are some photos from yesterday's preview. Unfortunately (or fortunately) a lot of these pots now have new homes. But come out if you have a chance, there are some beauties left and new pots not previously seen saved for next weekend.

Freer and Sackler Gallery visit

2009-08-24T20:39:00.016-04:00

Last week Mark took us to Washington D.C. to visit the Freer and Sackler Galleries.

In addition to seeing the current exhibits, we visited the storage facilities of each museum. In the storage facility, accompanied by a curator, you can take out most pieces, handle them and take photos. One of the oldest pieces we took out was a Neolithic vase from Northern Thailand from 1000 B.C.E. The people that made these pieces have been dead for centuries, yet these pots survive. I was informed that they find a lot of ancient pottery shards in trash piles and old wells. (Note to self: if you really never ever want someone to see that ugly pinholed piece with the kiln goop droppings, you might want to dispose of it in several different places.)

A few of my favorites were the Shoji Hamada pieces (the big platter that I am holding, the plate, and the tea bowl). I had only see these in books, so it was quite a thrill to hold them. I also liked this tea bowl with bamboo decoration (bottom photo), artist unknown from the Edo period. This Shigaraki tea bowl (top photo) was another one of my favorites. The Sackler gift shop had a fabulous selection of books on ceramics. I purchased Shigaraki: Potters’ Valley, published in 1979 and reprinted in 2000, by Louise Cort, curator of ceramics at the Freer and Sackler galleries. It contains a lot of information on tea-ceremony wares as well as a complete ceramic history of the Shigaraki area of Japan.

First Two Weeks at Hewitt Pottery

2009-08-13T19:31:00.013-04:00

This month I started a one year apprenticeship at W.M. Hewitt Pottery in Pittsboro, NC. I am so excited to have this opportunity. I hope to gain more wood firing experience and refine my throwing skills. Things have been going well so far and I am thrilled to go to work everyday.

Last week we started loading Mark's massive kiln. It took 5 full days to load in all the pots made by Mark and his two other apprentices Joseph Sand and Alex Matisse. I also helped roll thousands of wads for the pots (thanks Alex for the secret double and triple wad rolling technique).

On Tuesday evening the firing started slow using gas to dry out the pots. Formal stoking with wood started last night and continues on until late Friday. May I add that we are currently experiencing a miracle with the weather. On Tuesday it was 100 degrees (with the heat index in some areas at 105). Today was a lovely and pleasant 82. It was a perfect day to fire. I had a cool and relaxing 4 hour shift around lunchtime.

The top picture is after 4 days of loading. The photo is from the front of the kiln. Then next photo is the stack that was placed in the very front on day 5 (in front of the first photo's stack). The last photo is from the side door where the large pots are placed.

Fun with Power Tools

2009-07-03T06:42:00.006-04:00

My friend Jason is back in town and as promised he supervised power tool time. Inspired by the large platter workshop, I decided I needed some larger bats if I want to make larger pots. I was introduced to the skill saw and the sander. We decided to stain/seal the bats with a deck stain that Jason had on hand. I gotta say these are the prettiest bats I've ever seen.

David Stuempfle Coiling Workshop

2009-06-24T17:24:00.011-04:00

I attended a 3 day workshop on coiling large pots taught by David Stuempfle at Central Carolina Community College in Siler City, NC . David demonstrated how to make large coils that were an even thickness and proper length for the pot base. He showed how he attached the coil in a rhythmic motion with his thumb and middle finger. This was followed by a wooden paddle and anvil with a similar premise, paddling the clay with a consistent force and rhythm to make the walls. There were also weed burners involved. Always fun to add fire when throwing.

The pots I made were not that great or even made it through the whole process, but I got a tremendous amount of practice and feedback about how to improve. It's always good to have someone help you work out the kinks when learning a new technique. I think I have some concept of the fundamentals of coiling and just need hours and hours of practice...and hours.

Knock Knock

2009-06-16T20:13:00.016-04:00

Sometimes what you need comes and knocks on your door. Bakerworks Construction was knocking on doors in our neighborhood a few weeks ago offering all types of house renovations from kitchens to decks, no job is too small. Hmm. I've need shelves in my basement for a couple of years now, this seems to be as good a time as any.

I unfortunately have not had much exposure to building things myself, no one in my family has ever built anything that I can recall. My beloved does not have experience in that department either (he's an awesome cook and bass player though). My friend Jason, who is in the band Red Collar, promises he'll show me how to use different saws when he gets a break from touring. I can foresee needing these skills when building my future kiln. My first lesson, the jigsaw, should be soon, maybe at the end of July. Until then, I'll use Bakerworks.

In two half days the guys turned my basement into an efficient workspace. What a change it has made! Why didn't I do this before now? This renovation tripled my space for ware boards. It also forced a much needed organization of the space. My wheel is now stable and at the proper height. The guys used wood that was left by the previous owner of our house. I like the weathered rustic feel it gives. Check out the before and after pictures. The before pictures are obviously at the bottom. Actually I'm a little embarrassed by the before pictures now, but it makes the after look that much better.

Bakerworks did an awesome job, I'd recommend them to anyone that needs work done.
Oh, and no I don't work in a prison. There are bars on the windows in the basement to deter burglars.

Pin Projekt Auction

2009-06-14T21:37:00.007-04:00

The Pin Projekt Auction was a few weeks ago, but I am just now getting around to posting pictures. It was very successful and I was honored to be part of it. The Troika Music Festival will take place in many venues all over Durham November 5, 6 and 7, so mark your calenders.

Starworks Large Platter/Bowl Workshop

2009-06-08T20:26:00.009-04:00

On Saturday I attended a small afternoon workshop on large platters given by Hitomi Shibata at Starworks. I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop, one because Hitomi is a great teacher and two because the technique was so different than I had ever seen. Half of the throwing process involved hitting the clay into place without water. Twelve pounds of clay was placed in the center of the wheel on a bat. While the wheel was slowly turning the clay was hit with both hands rhythmically and simultaneously to center the clay.

Once centered, the clay was opened up with the palm in a downward motion at the center.

This was done until the desired thickness of the floor was achieved, approximately 3/4 to 1 inch thick. The center was widened more and more until the basic shape of the platter was formed, the walls were still very thick but it was opened to the point where the walls would begin. At this point water was added to smooth out the palm impressions.

The clay walls were coned inward and outward several times to get an even wall thickness. Then the walls were pulled to the desired thickness in a cylinder shape.

The rim was a little thicker than the rest of the wall because later as the walls are flattened more horizontal, the rim will thin. Gradually the wall was folded outward starting at the rim and working down the wall until a nice angle was achieved.

When throwing my bowl, it was at this point Hitomi kept telling me to make it wider. The bowl I made was much wider than I would have made without such encouragement. I did not believe that the walls could undergo that much stress until I was forced to do so. Starting at the rim is the key.

Machu Picchu

2009-06-02T20:13:00.011-04:00

Since I can not articulate the beauty of Machu Picchu myself, I'd like to quote Hiram Bingham.
"In the variety of its charms and the power of its spell, I know of no place in the world which can compare with it. Not only has it great snow peaks looming above the clouds more than two miles overhead, gigantic precipices of many-colored granite rising sheer for thousands of feet above the foaming, glistening, roaring rapids; it has also, in striking contrast, orchids and tree ferns, the delectable beauty of luxurious vegetation, and the mysterious witchery of the jungle." No doubt, this was one of my favorite trips of all time. The first photo is Machu Picchu from inside the ruins. The next one is the agricultural terraces (look how small the people are).

The adventure portion of our trip was a hike to the top of Wayna Picchu, the mountain that is generally the backdrop of most pictures and paintings of Machu Picchu (just like my photo). At first glance it appears difficult to climb but although the ascent is steep its not technically difficult. The path has no handrails and its edges fall abruptly to a deep gorge. With that being said, as we climbed I couldn't help but wonder how many had fallen off this mountain. You had to be in good physical shape and take great care with each step, one missed step and off you go. There were steel cables in some areas to provide support. Many times I climbed with hands as well as feet, there was security in being close to the ground. Also I was fine as long as I had one side of the mountain to cling to for safety. Once at the top I found it difficult to stand upright. I felt the wind could blow me off (see photo with bad posture). In addition I was also dizzy...altitude or fear or maybe both. Steven did not make it out on top. He had a quick look and said no thanks. The other photo is of Machu Picchu from Wayna Picchu (look how tiny MP looks).

Once we returned home I searched the Internet for deaths/accidents at Machu Picchu. No searches came up with any statistics. The fact that the Peruvian government is not liable for these deaths could be a reason for not keeping up with such facts (or at least publishing them). The only thing I came across was " There have been some accidents and in every case the most difficult thing was finding the corpses afterward. " Yep, I climbed that mountain.

The pottery portion of the trip included a visit to Lima's Rafael Larco Herrera Museum. The private museum is said to house over 45,000 pots, many of which were collected in the 1920's by a former vice president of Peru. This photo is of the storeroom in which most pots were housed, they were stacked in many cases all the way to the ceiling. The museum displayed the best pieces, but photography was not allowed inside the main museum. The type of vessel that was most memorable to me was the stirrup-spout vessels. The spout, looked like a saddle stirrup and appeared to be how the vessel was carried. There was a graphic inside that showed how the spouts were made (hand-built), if anyone needs a demo, I can give it a try.

Kingpin

2009-05-11T18:24:00.011-04:00

I have been working on something a little different lately. I was asked to donate a piece for the Troika Pin Projekt, which raises money for the Durham music festival Troika. In the past area artists have painted or carved old bowling pins to be auctioned off to raise funds for Troika. My contribution this year is a functional piece that looks like a bowling pin. While others are making a bowling pin into art, I am making functional art into a bowling pin.

My first attempt is a little short when compared to an actual pin, that's why I have two more in the works. The pot has a lip for pouring, hopefully it will be a nice decanter for someone.

The last picture is another pin that I need to finish tonight. I unfortunately had one pot come off in my hands while the wheel was turning due to the small area attached to the bat (that's why you always make extra). So for this one I added a coil at the bottom to stabilize it. I also found it easier to use the capping method to get a tall piece with a narrow neck. I'm starting to get the hang of these, I'm just a few pins away from changing my artist statement to, "I'm inspired by Village Lanes and the movie Kingpin."

My husband Steven and I are off to Peru tomorrow. We will be taking in all the beauty of Machu Picchu on Saturday. Adios!

The Pots

2009-04-29T07:41:00.011-04:00

Joe and Christy let me put a lot of pots in their last firing. They were planning on only firing 2 of the 3 chambers of their kiln when I had a "great idea". I had enough pots made to fill a chamber. They had the space, I needed to fire, and I wanted to see their new pottery. Perfect.

Most of the pots I wanted to fire were part of a commissioned 10 piece place setting order that included dinner plates, salad plates, tumblers, bowls, a large platter, a large bowl, a pitcher and a gravy boat. I also had a few teapots, tea cups, tea bowls and mugs. It was approximately 65 pieces all together. It was definitely a chamber's worth with all the plates, they tend to eat kiln space (these were glazed inside and out as well, not stacked). My pieces were spread throughout the 3 chambers, I did not have them all together in a particular chamber.

Every now and then the kiln gods cut me a break. In all fairness I think it was past due. I haven't shared those bad firings on my blog yet, maybe some other time. I'm enjoying this one too much to reflect on that right now. Let's just say I got results that I had hoped for or at least not too far from it. There was a nice reduction of the clay, especially in the first chamber. My temmoku glaze was the best I've ever seen it. The shino glaze that I used came out almost a tomato red. I was not expecting that but it looked really good when paired with the temmoku. It was a bittersweet firing because Joe and Christy had bloating issues with their clay. Hopefully by their next firing they will have that problem worked out. The two clays that I used had no bloating issues, Highwater's Zella Stone for the plates and the Starworks' white NC clay blend for everything else.

My favorite pot was my amber celadon teapot that had some black slip designs (top photo). I've used this glaze in kilns that had either salt or soda introduced into the kiln. I have learned to protect it so that the color does not get washed out. But it looked so much better without any salt/soda. I was also pleasantly surprised that a teapot finally worked out for me. Two months ago I would not have bet money on that one (see earlier posts: lids, disaster, etc). I guess the gods are stringing me along for a little while longer.

These photos were taken by my friend Jonathan Truesdale.

Loading, Firing, and Unloading at Windy Ridge

2009-04-28T11:30:00.010-04:00

Loading the kiln took 3 full days, even with not wadding the pots in the 2nd and 3rd chambers. We used sand instead of wadding since salt would not be introduced into the kiln and there would not be much ash in these chambers. This worked well except for some of Joe's ash glazes in hotter spots. We had some pots stuck to shelves but for the most part no problems.

My only minor complaint during loading was the cold. I'm originally from Mississippi and that should give you an idea of my cold tolerance, I don't have any. It snows about an inch every 4 years down there. It's just not that cold. But fortunately Christy taught me how to dress warmly, a lesson that had not been necessary before. All I can say is coveralls are the bomb. Yes, I look like a tick on a blood clot, but I'm warm. Another obstacle that I was not used to was sleet and snow while carrying pots from the studio to the kiln. It is not easy carrying boards of green glazed pots 50 yards while pelted in the face with sleet at 30mph. Needless to say I left Wisconsin with a rosy cheeked naturally blushed face. Windy Ridge is definitely the most appropriate name for this pottery.

On Easter Sunday we had a short break from loading that included a hearty meal prepared by Christy's mom and dad complete with caramel brownies and peach pie. Mmm.

Now for the firing. We started the kiln Monday night after loading. Joe candled the kiln starting at 11 pm. He left around 2 am and let the fire burn down. I think he got up to around 200 degrees. I showed up at 6 am and the temperature was around 125 degrees. We gradually increase the temperature about 50 degrees per hour for the first day. Christy ended up with the night shift on Tuesday night. I left around 11 pm and returned at 7am on Wednesday. It was a pretty easy stoking cycle going so slow, except for Christy's shift. I forgot what temperature she was at (maybe around 1100), but she was at the point where the firebox would get overstuffed when stoked from the bottom but it was too early to start stoking on the grates. She kept it going, but it was a lot of work. I think next time they have decided to stoke on the grates earlier. Reduction started around daybreak on Wednesday. From 1 to 6 pm we held the kiln near top temperature, trying to build up ash in the first chamber. Around 6 pm we got the first chamber to 2350ish and started stoking the second chamber. We stoked the second chamber for 3 hours with most cone 10's moving or at a half. We started stoking the last chamber when cone 08 was down, finishing that chamber in a mere hour and 15 minutes. I'm sure I'm slightly off on the exact times, I don't have the firing log for reference. There is also the cooked brain effect that happens after a while, when memory loss is at an optimum. J and C please correct me if I am wrong at any stage.

We let the kiln cool for a day and a half, opening it on Friday at noon. Unloading took no time, only a few hours. These photos were taken as we were unloading. The first photo shows the back stack in the first chamber. You can see a lot of my plates in the middle of this stack. The next photo is the pots just out of the kiln. Most of my pots are in the front left of this photo. The last photo is a picture of some early shoppers. These ladies were eager to check things out.

2180 miles

2009-04-21T10:19:00.013-04:00

Please forgive me for not posting sooner. As soon as I returned home to North Carolina from my 10 day Wisconsin road trip I jumped right back into loading and firing another kiln. Two days after the 18 hour trip, I started helping my friend Lara O'Keefe load her kiln out in Pittsboro.

I drove 2,180 miles to fire 65 pots in Joe and Christy Cole's kiln. Those of you that know me know that I'm not afraid to get behind the wheel in the name of pottery. I did several commutes to and from Penland during my 8 week concentration there. I also drove 3 days a week for over a year to Seagrove to work with Joe at Dover pottery (an hour and a half drive one way). In my mind, it's worth it. To learn something that you can't find close to home. It's a little extra time and energy, but well worth it in the end. Also, I wasn't just firing pottery, I got to hang out with my friends that I haven't seen in a long time. That part was great, we picked up where we left off. It was like no time had passed.

Fortuitously, I started my drive in time to enjoy driving through West Virginia during daylight. I always forget how beautiful it is there, in my head I started planning a rafting trip for the summer. I rafted the New and Gauley rivers a few years ago and it was one of my favorite vacations. I've also been to West Virginia in winter to ski. I didn't enjoy skiing so much, maybe if I had tried it before the age of 5 (when you develop fear of falling). Also don't try skiing for the first time with a bunch of Canadians, they only gave me 5 minutes on the bunny slopes. Not fair.

Nightfall approached as I was driving through Kentucky. I did see more of it on the trip back. Beautiful farms with the greenest grass. I also relished the bridge in Louisville while crossing the Ohio River. On the way home while crossing the bridge I viewed part of the Thunder Air Show for free.

I headed west toward Indianapolis, drove on the Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Highway. I only heard 3 John Mellencamp songs on the radio before stopping for the night in Lafayette, IN (go Purdue Boilers).

I left early the next morning and headed northwest toward Chicago. I was anticipating "toward Chicago". As I approached I could see all the tall buildings in the distance. I thought to myself, "that's cool, really close to Chicago". As I drove the buildings kept getting closer and larger. This is when Double T and Double J had words. Bad words.

Double T, is my GPS (short for Tom Tom). I bought a GPS, for this trip. I figured I needed it since I was on my own. I didn't want to be holding up 15 pages of maps while driving and this GPS speaks the directions out loud. Also Steven's band can use it when they play shows outside the Triangle. A good idea anyway.

With 18 hours of directions, it's hard to see where you will be at hour 15. And let's be honest, I didn't read the entire instruction packet. Maybe there was a way to foresee the CENTER OF CHICAGO, but I was unaware. Unaware until I passed under Michigan Ave and by Cellular Field, the home of the White Sox. Next was Sears Tower, and O'Hare Airport. I swear something was on fire in the field outside the airport. I couldn't spend much time on that though since I was driving through the CENTER OF CHICAGO. Eventually I said peace out to Oprah and Chicago while Double T guided me out of the city. Double T owes me $10 in tolls and about 6 months off the end of my life. Technology.

After lunch near Chicago (where they apparently they have never heard of yellow mustard), I headed toward Madison. Wisconsin was an enjoyable site as well. The unique barns and dairy farms kept me entertained during this leg of the trip. Soon after Madison I arrived safely in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. I got there in time to help clean out the first chamber of the kiln and kiln wash the floors to combat the random and unwanted foaming brick issues from Joe and Christy's first firing.

Wisconsin bound

2009-04-09T10:15:00.002-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since I posted. I have been working constantly on finishing pots and glazing for my next firing. I have packed my car full of glazed pots and I'm heading to Wisconsin. Yep, Wisconsin. I'm going to visit my friends Joe and Christy Cole and help fire their three chambered kiln. I am taking two days to drive there since it's about 17 hours. Once I get there we will load the kiln for a few days, then start firing. I am really looking forward to seeing Joe and Christy! Gotta go, I'm literally out the door right now.

Starworks Clay Factory

2009-03-18T19:39:00.010-04:00

On Monday, my friend Ana and I drove down to Starworks Ceramics for their clay factory open house. Starworks is now processing local clay, it is a mix of clay from Candor and Cameron, North Carolina. Takuro Shibata, director of Starworks Ceramics, gave us a tour of the clay factory and discussed how the clay was processed. Takuro wanted to demonstrate the process, but decided it would be too dangerous with a large group of people.
Ten pound clay samples were given out to those attending the open house. Since it was a long drive for me and I was quite confident I would like the clay, I bought 50 pounds. Good idea. I love this clay. I gave it a whirl yesterday and could not stop making pots. It was soft, yet would stand up. I made a few rounded jars and was very pleased with how the clay responded to my shaping. I immediately wanted to go buy more, but thought it best to use up the commercial clay that I have onhand first. Boo.
Much to my surprise, Starworks had a special guest, Phil Rogers. I was quite excited because I had just discussed with Ana on the drive down that I regretted not talking to him at the conference. I was a bit starstruck and my natural response in this type of situation was to be very very quiet. I was thrilled to have a second chance, so I took action this time. I told Ana, "I'm going to ask for a photo with him, come back me up." She did and now I have this lovely photo in front of the clay filter press. We talked for a bit about wood kilns and chicken grit. It was awesome.

NC Potters Conference

2009-03-17T22:21:00.012-04:00

I am just now recovering from the NC Potters Conference that was held this past weekend in Asheboro. It was my first time attending the conference and I had an amazing time. It is hard to convey how much I got out of it.
This year's conference featured potters Phil Rogers, Alleghany Meadows and Mark Pharis. I enjoyed all three, but feel like Phil's pots were more influential because their traditional shapes and glazes are closer to what I aspire to make. One key point from his demo was to keep some life in the pot. A lot of Phil's decoration developed from the way glaze reacts to the surface of the pot. He trimmed the pot with a loop tool immediately after throwing it (upright, before cutting the pot off the wheel head). The only work that had to be done after the pot was leather hard was to hollow out the foot, the profile of the pot was already complete.

I bought an ash glazed wood fired yunomi. I felt this piece best represented what I wanted to take away from the conference. It has subtle undulating lines that catch the ash glaze to make the focal point of the pot.

The presentations at the conference were very enlightening. Alleghany Meadows presented "French Fries to Cone 12 in 4 hours. A survey of sustainable and alternative fuels and practices for the studio." I came away with a basic understanding of how a kiln fueled by recycled vegetable oil would work. Also Nancy Utterback's " Green ceramics: The seduction of sustainability" was very informative. She compared the carbon footprints of different firing techniques. Turns out wood firing is not as bad as one might think because wood is a renewable source. Overall wood firing has zero net emissions.

Oval Platters

2009-03-10T19:54:00.008-04:00

I came across a You Tube video of a stretched oval platter by potter Tim See that piqued my interest. You make a thick plate on the wheel, then stretch it out by throwing it onto the ground. My first few attempts at this platter were a bit timid, but I eventually got a feel for swinging the clay onto the ground in each direction. I could not see where Tim's thumbs were in the instructional video, so I tried not to touch the sides as I swung the clay. But after trying it and watching the video again, I think he let his thumbs rest on the inside of the rim. I bet this thumb placement helped construct the oval shape. Since those were experiments, I manipulated them in different ways to see how far I could push the clay. Good to know this for future platters.
I wanted to make a large platter, so I eventually attempted using 10 pounds of clay (bottom one in the photo). I think it looked pretty good, I might cut away the parts where my thumbs were awkwardly placed and add handles. Those edges seem a little messy. The alterations need a swift and intentional motion otherwise they look too fussed over.

More plates

2009-03-09T22:00:00.007-04:00

I'm making more plates this week. I need 10 large plates to go into my next firing, which means that I should make 20. There is always potential for some to not make it through the entire process, so I make extra just in case. I really enjoyed making these, it is nice to work on something that actually turns out right. Well, I guess I should save that remark until I have them trimmed, bisqued and fired. Nevertheless they were fun. Not like those pesky lids (I'm up to #38).

Empty Bowls

2009-03-06T19:21:00.008-05:00

Steven and I went to Durham's 3rd annual Empty Bowls benefit last night. The turnout was tremendous. I have not heard any totals yet, but I feel like there were twice as many people as last year. Last year they sold about 350 bowls, I can't wait to hear how many went this year. The downside to so many people was that they ran out of soup. What a brilliant way to evoke compassion for the hungry.

The first bowl I chose looked very familiar to me. I knew who made it immediatley and picked it up quickly. It was a large gas fired porcelain bowl with a shino glaze made by Deb Harris. I have admired Deb's work for years and own a few other pots she has made. I've also taken a few pottery classes from her at Claymakers. There was a lot of bowl envy directed at me, many people came up to me at dinner and commented on it's beauty. It's huge too, almost 11 inches across.

This bowl was made by my friend Trish Welsh. I was so excited to find it, Trish sent me a photo of one like after it was fired. I really wanted it when I saw the photo. I'm so lucky! It was fired in a soda kiln and has a black slip design over the glaze Ice Ice Baby.

Who needs a silly ipod?

2009-03-05T21:15:00.009-05:00

Sometimes I am lucky enough to have a live band playing while I am working in my studio. The space is shared with Steven's band, The Dry Heathens.
During this evening's show I trimmed some tea bowls that I made yesterday . These tea bowls are for the powdered green tea (matcha). They are fairly wide so the matcha can be mixed easily with a bamboo whisk. This is my first batch of tea bowls this cycle. I think I should have left more clay at the bottom to trim away. I felt like the clay at the bottom was distributed wrong.
My favorite finished bowl is the second from the left. I like it because it has a rounder shape that is curved in, where most of the others are flat and open outward.
Freshly thrown tea bowls.
Freshly trimmed feet on tea bowls.

The Lid Master

2009-03-03T08:55:00.008-05:00

I've had some time to think about it and I have decided that what it takes to master these lids is to make hundreds of them. Since I made 15 lids last week, I thought that it would be fun to keep a running tab of how many I've made. If I make at least 20 a week, I will make approximately 1000 in a year. It is my belief that at this point they will be effortless to make and of much better quality. I made 12 more yesterday, so the total is up to 27. I'll probably make some each day for a while, because I'm kinda obsessed with them right now.
In other news, it snowed yesterday. It was beautiful and almost gone today, but here is a picture from our house.

Disaster!

2009-02-26T10:21:00.001-05:00

Well, that's probably a little dramatic. All the lids that I made last night have been destroyed during the trimming process. Many things to learn from this situation. First thing being don't make pots the night before for class. Next lesson, watch the dryness of the pots and lids more closely. I think the lids were too soft, therefore they did not hold up when a trim tool was applied to them. Get the shape of the lids more like the finished product when throwing them. I thought I could leave tons of extra clay at the bottom and trim it away. No, the less trimming needed the better. Stop trying so hard and also lighten up! I've only made 15 of these lids in my pottery career and it takes about a thousand to get them perfect. If I still have these problems on lid number 500, then I should worry about my throwing skills. It has been disappointing that I still have not made a single teapot from this teapot workshop. I feel it's better to get the parts right before fitting them all together. You can't have a great teapot if the lid does not fit or it is trimmed wonky. You gotta crawl before you can walk. I'm gonna go crawl with some more lids today. At least the teapot class has me working toward a goal. I'll get there someday.

Lids

2009-02-25T22:21:00.000-05:00

I made several lids this evening for 2 pots that will become teapots tomorrow (they are the two pots in the background). These pots are to take to my teapot class at Claymakers. It has gone by so fast, only 3 classes. The instructor is one of my favorite pottery instructors Susan Filley. I have learned so much, but have been stuck on these lids. I think there should have been a lid class prerequisite. I have not tried this type of lid before and would like to master it. I made a batch before these and they were not even close to fitting. The angle of the inside gallery of the lid was all wrong. Also there were a few lids that didn't make tonight's first round cut. Lids 2 and 3 bit the dust early.

First Post

2009-02-25T09:17:00.001-05:00

Well this is my first post on this page. Just trying out this blogging thing. I hope that it gets a little easier as time goes on, right now I don't have much to say. I chose a pottery photo at random, to see if I could figure out posting a picture. I hope this little batter bowl is happy and being used. I forget who ended up buying it, but I believe it was fired last spring.