bisque.

Well, the shelves are full of bisqueware and I have more than enough to fire. I need to get these pots out of here so I can keep making. I have about 1000#s of clay waiting to become pots and another 1200# in the drying racks. As soon as that's out I'll mix another 1200#. I'm trying to get enough clay mixed to get me through the winter. I'm going to keep making and do back to back firings later on. We have our homesale coming up the first weekend in December and I'd like to fire at least twice before then, though three firings would be nice. I don't need that many pots but I don't want to fire in the nasty winter months of dec-feb. Shows start back up in late March so it would be nice to have a shows worth of good pots ready to go.


I did a little workshop at McMurry University last week, it was a lot of fun. We started at 8am which is a little early to throw and talk but after about an hour the juices were flowing and we had a good time. Want to book a workshop? Send me an email. I'm cheap and only require lodging and good food, good beer is always a plus too.

Back to potting.

Cheers!

This is serious.

I think we should all get together and demand that Scott Cooper (This Week @ St. Earth)blog more than once a week. Who's with me? We should start a facebook group or something.

inquiry.

I found 2300 degree IFB for $2.11 at Harbson-Walker(AP Green) in Dallas. That's a pretty good price nowadays...even better than Larkin Furnace. So, I'm a deal shopper, anyone know of a place that can beat it?

cup from the east coast.

I recently spotted this cup on Hollis Engleys blog and tried to purchase it, he insisted we trade and a few days ago it arrived. The cup is at home and my camera is at school so this photo is off his blog. When it comes to teabowls/yunomi(whatever you want to call them,) Hollis gets it...I think thats all that needs to be said. This has gone into rotation and has quickly become one of my favorites.

Thanks Hollis!

Cheers!

grunt work.

Today I mixed up about a dozen test slips for the next firing and made enough cone packs and trays for 3 firings. I use 11 cones, 08,05,03,01,1,3,5,7,8,9,10, per spyhole(x4 spyholes) per firing...thats a lot, but it's the only way to make sure the old gal fires evenly. The little trays keep the melted cones from dripping on and ruining things. I still have to make some test rings and then I'll bisque it all, the cones to 012 or lower so they don't start to melt. I bisque them so I don't have to worry about them blowing up if I fire too fast.



I nerded out a little today and wore one of my favorite t-shirts to the studio. Ok, I wore it yesterday too...I was feeling nostalgic.

Thanks for the comments on the previous post...I enjoyed what everyone had to say. I like those sorts of interactions so we may have to do some more of that. If anyone wants to throw their 2 cents in, feel free.

Cheers!

help?

Tomorrow is a bit of a lecture day in my ceramics class. We'll watch a video and I'll give my little talk about the importance of ceramics, craft and art in past culture and in ours. My talk is a little stale...I'm not so good at verbalizing these sorts of things, I know it in my head but putting it into words can be difficult(thank god I don't have to teach lecture classes!) As Joe Bennion said(and I paraphrase...can't remember the exact quote) "If you could put it into words there would be no need to make pots."

So I need some help...Why are/is pots, ceramics, craft, art important in our culture or to you personally?(or why isn't it?) Why, when you can get pots that are cheaper and work better, do we continue to buy and support the handcrafts(or why should we?)

So if you feel inclined...leave a comment and let me know what you think. Feel free to say as little or as much as you like. I may plagiarize your thoughts and use them in my lecture tomorrow ;)

I found this on PostSecret several years ago and I saved it because it made me sad and laugh all at the same time...look no further if you are offended by curse words. Is that a woodfired pot in that grouping?

Cheers.

lots o' lids.

I've made the last of the pots for this cycle. I decided to spend some time with lidded pieces, I don't do lots of those and I was able to try some new things.

Sugar jars. I normally don't make pots like this all the same but I made these as a demo for my ceramics 2 students, their next project is repeating a form so I showed them my methods and some tricks.


Trimmed and knobbed.

Square-ish jars. I was really concerned with these while working on them but I think they turned out ok, not fantastic, but ok.

Lidded dishes.


6# jars...with lids.

No more clay, bummer. I have 1200#s in the drying racks but it's been raining non-stop here so I imagine it'll be a few weeks before it's ready. Time to start chopping wood.

Cheers!