As the Kiln Cools...

Some new things that came out of the studio in the last month:

returning to an old favorite: personal sake sets

visualizing sumptuous dishes in my sumptuous dishes

little soldiers

It seems to be in the air, as many if not all of my studio mates at The Village Potters are also exploring new forms and designs. These pots are all cooling in a glaze kiln today, and tomorrow I'll get to see how they look!

and we begin again...

Today was the first day back in the studio since the last firing almost a week ago. In addition to the sorting of the kiln, packing orders to ship and making gallery and retail deliveries, I "allowed" myself the week to get caught up on things on the home 'do' list. My, how the week just flies by when you think you have all this 'extra' time that you're not in the studio!

new work on display at Grovewood Gallery

new sushi plates (also at Grovewood)

all these lovely oil bottles now at The Tree & Vine

the new 'olive tree' dipping bowls, also at Tree & Vine

votive holders with candle cups, for Sensibilities Day Spa (downtown)

So today was all about dealing with the state of the studio, which I left only partially cleaned after glazing and packing my pots for travel out to Marshall for the firing. My very kind studio mate, who's not even working in the studio right now, couldn't help but clean up a portion when she was there during my absence. That was extra motivation to get it all cleaned up!

Being the clever girl that I am, I tackled the kiln room that does not have a/c first, and got the floor washed and organized the shelves and glazes to go back in place. Happily, the studio itself has a/c, so cleaning the floor, shelves, bats and tools was not terribly unpleasant. It actually gets me very motivated to get back on the wheel - kind of like getting my 'mis-en-place' before cooking a meal.

I left my camera at home, but once I get into production I'll include a shot of the momentarily clean studio along with the ambitious 'do' list I've started for the next 4-6 weeks of production.

For now, as I ponder going back to the studio tonight to begin the clay prep, I pause to ponder coconut milk ice cream with fresh, local peaches and fig-infused balsamic vinegar. Oh and maybe some basil ... and then maybe I'll ponder the tumbleweeds of dog hair that keep wafting by me. But first ...

first firing in the new studio

Ahhhhhhhhh ..... it feels good!  We opened the kiln today on the first firing since moving the studio, and now it officially feels like home.  It's the same kiln I've been firing in over the past two years, but this firing cycle was completely different as everything happened here.  No running back and forth to get the brush I left at my old studio, or check on students or a bisque there, or cramming a decorating session into three hours.  This time, I got it all done with time to spare.  I got more work done during the firing, and more importantly I was in the studio for the entire firing, not running in and out to do a turn up or peek at the cones before running back to work in the other studio.

I also used a new firing program this time around, one plucked from the kiln log and fired by friend heather in her last load.  The 'St. Pete' method, and it worked beautifully!  Here are some shots of our first efforts - now to get busy to fill the next load in a few weeks!

after two firings with questionable results, it's nice
to see the trees look the way I want them to look again

because I have to figure out how to make things more complex and
time consuming, I tried the 'carved' design in wax resist ...

actually writing this blog from the ChoLo, where I just dropped off
a new supply of mugs

and new mugs went to Roots earlier today ... 

... along with some sexy new plates for their sumptuous fare

 wine cups that are headed up to
Mountainside Wine in Spruce Pine

the carved trees in mugs ... hopefully some of these will make
it to the Tree Gallery this time ...

one in this batch has an 'easter egg' that studio member
Rebekah Newton is hiding on some of my pieces ... see him?

pieces by studio member Matt Clark -
nice, creamy mamo sake set!

pieces by studio member Helen Wadino -
the business card holders are so cute, and dig the design on
her mini pitcher!

pieces by studio member Rebekah Newton -
mushrooms for her garden, and a bigger version
of that 'easter egg'

pieces by studio member Katie Hadden - so happy to have
her back with us - we missed her beautiful designs!

catching up...

It feels like a long time since I've made any actual musings on the blog, but never feel like there's time for musing. Glazing is done for contribution to kiln 1, bisque is cooling, meetings are done, studio has been neatened and clay is prepped for a nice session with mugs in a bit. Lissa the Wonder Dog is snoozing, blissfully hopped up on pain killers (her own catch up will accompany a picture below for those not on Facebook and following her drama) ... on that note I'd just like to say that I am filled with gratitude to be surrounded by such love and friendship, whether it's from those immediately around me or those so deeply in my life that distance makes no difference. The support, on so many levels, from so many people, has meant so much to me and I love and thank each one of you!

So I've caught up enough to pause. But now the volume of blog muse possibilities could well overwhelm me into deleting this and going back to the wedging table. But instead I think I'll just empty out the 'blog' image folder and let that be today's muse (in no particular order):

I'll start with the most recent event, which may become an ongoing blog subject. You may remember my joy at finally getting the standing kick wheel into the studio, and how much fun it was to throw bowls all afternoon on it at the Empty Bowls event. Well now it's in my studio, catching the eye of all visiting potterly types. Any curious souls are most welcome to come try the wheel, and today I've had two visitors who gamely jumped on:

Kyle Carpenter, who may well feel it tomorrow:

Lindsay Rogers, having so much fun she almost threw herself off the wheel!

This isn't everyone, but on this particular day, every studio member, including both Senior Project members, were in the studio at one time or another. The studio was filled with great creative energy!

Our newest studio member, Rebekah, making me look like a dang fine teacher, showing off the results of her first two weeks on the wheel (first two weeks ever!):

'tis the season for mugs - some new ones in the works for the Chocolate Lounge and Roots Cafe:


Senior project member Caris has been building up her wheel vocabulary. She's making aromatherapy diffusers, and has been working on the wax dish and candle holders - here she's getting ready to start on larger cylinders:

Senior project member Alex is finishing the colored porcelain/hand building portion of her project, and then will move on to the wheel:

Some recent results from the cone 7 ox kiln - studio member Matt's fun sets, some new vase forms and a few test mugs from me:

Some may not know, but Lissa the Wonder Dog has had recent health issues that resulted in a spleen-ectomy. Yesterday she had to go back in and have her stitches re-done, adding buttons to keep them closed tighter - detail shot for all those who hadn't yet heard and are no doubt thinking 'buttons?':

this shot was sent in recently for an Art House Coop project of the week - the view out one of my favorite windows, in this case not because of the view, but for the window itself:

Pause is over - back to work!

firing fun and some results

Fred Jr., my reduction kiln god

The week has been something of a blur, but I finally found the camera again and got a few shots from the firing. Hopefully I'll get more tomorrow when I take pieces to the gallery, and with any luck by the next firing cycle I'll be able to take work to a much more qualified photographer!

So this cycle I was able to dedicate three whole days to glazing, closing the studio for Labor Day (a more aptly named 'holiday' there never was!). This was a very good thing, as it allowed me time to take breaks but still not rush through the process. Most of this load involved the 'tree' pattern that I've been working on for multiple commission clients and now for the gallery, so not only time for the brush work, but since it's wax resist, time to let the wax dry.

waxed & glazed

My friend Eric called as I was getting ready to move work over to the glaze studio and asked if he could sneak in a firing, so that gave me another excuse to take some breaks, while he was loading and then unloading. It also meant I could hop up to Fork Mountain Pottery to see the Soda Chicks show. One of their visiting artists, Robert Briscoe, gave a demonstration workshop at Hinckley Pottery in DC back when I just started my pottery classes, and it was an impression that still holds today. I use one of his bowls I purchased at that workshop almost daily, and it was a great pleasure to be able to chat with him, share 'weirdo' reminiscences and pick up another couple of pieces that will certainly have daily use (the coffee mug is already in regular service). As well, he and Suze Lindsay very generously and graciously offered up bowls for the Empty Bowls collector's corner (event on October 16, get there early if you want a shot at either of these beauties!). It was the perfect break on the last day of glazing and before the load, and made me feel like I had an itty bitty weekend of sorts for myself.

bowl by Suze Lindsay

bowl by Robert Briscoe

Back at the studio, the final glazing leg went smoothly, and in spite of borrowed plate setters and using several smaller shelves and pieces as make-shift plate setters, I still could've used more shelves. But the load was going so well, I gave myself time to breeze through the Lexington Ave Fest, quickly visiting exhibiting friends and running through the ChoLo to get a piece of awesome chocolate cake that I would save as a reward once the kiln was candled.

Got almost everything in the load, but it was a much tighter load than I prefer, and once again there were several orphaned pieces that had to get gently wrapped and stowed for the next firing.

finally loaded

Ah - finished loading and it's only midnight! The three previous nights had gone till almost 2am in glazing, so it was a real treat to finish early and it made the prospect of starting the fire at 7am seem easy as pie. But wait...just when you think it's time to break open the chocolate cake reward, one of the pilots won't stay lit without holding the button in. The button, that seems to be boring a hole into the base of my palm while I hold it for 1 minute, then 5, then 10 ... then again, and again, and again...and then suddenly, it's 2am and both hands are numb and the pilot still has no action. Fine. Out comes the handy c-clamp, because 2am after three days of 2am is no time to make a rational decision on how to get the kiln lit. At least it can candle for a few hours while I grab some rest.

c-clamp is my best friend

Which, in hindsight, brings to mind that perhaps eating a large slice of oh-so-good chocolate cake while highly agitated at 2am is not the best decision for sound sleep. I did manage to nod off and had some very odd dreams before hopping up again at 6:30.

4 hours of forced warming was not enough to lull the thermocouple into working, so now it had to be dealt with. Phone calls, internet searches for avialable vendors (remember dear readers, it's Labor Day!), attempts by resourceful neighbors to trick the thermocouple back to work, more phone calls, a visit to Roots where my theory that the universe was in turmoil was confirmed with the news of a break-in, finally over to Clingman for coffee just in time for the first crash, and by early afternoon fabulous kiln-owner Laura had scored a replacement thermocouple from Gary, who built the kiln. So 6 or 7 hours later than intended, we got the burner lit!

fire is goooooood!

Such a happy sight, and nothing left to do but clean the studio, do the turn ups, get into reduction and not fall asleep beyond regular kiln checks.

and check out the newly rebuilt kiln door,
very sporty with purple supports!

Since the kiln started and thus ended much later than the normal schedule, it was a good thing that I had a gallery meeting in the morning and then the Empty Bowls class in the early afternoon on the day of the unload. Even by 5:30pm, it was still pretty hot when we cracked it, so I took the pup for a walk and let it cool off a bit.

A few images from the load - I delivered much of the commission work before the camera was found, and much of what's left is headed to the gallery. More pictures soon of work in place, and stay tuned for more news on the gallery in a separate post (or follow the link to the right!). Now sorting for the 2nd Saturday Market and OrganicFest this weekend, and starting the next throwing cycle tomorrow.

snow day!

I used to hate it when a 'snow day' happened on a weekend or holiday, took all the fun out of it. But today I'm really happy it was as much of a snow day as we get around here, and it's also on my 'day off'. It made it much easier to decide to actually take the day off!

No snow pictures of Lissa rolling in the snow - I had the camera, but it was too cold to take off my gloves, so that will wait. But we did walk down to the studio so I could open the cool kiln to take a peek at our latest glaze firing. Several studio members did some interesting combos and tests, and hopefully they'll be as pleased as I was. And if they're looking here, they get a sneak peek!

I also got my tax info sent away and am waiting for questions and requests from my tax bwana, so I lounge a bit, read a bit, watched a movie a bit, took Lissa for a long walk in the snow and even got a few more boxes unpacked.

Tonight I'm going to my friend Libby's birthday dinner, and I'm taking a gooey, chocolately dessert delight with me.

So much to do at/for the studio...gotta get some sample pieces done for a new product push, got commissions to finish, work to throw to fill a kiln, marketing, marketing, marketing...but today was a good day to take it easy. And with a snow day, it's nice to know there are others who just had to take it easy too!