Catching up

This week has crept by for me but I'm glad because I have had a lot to do and it looks like I'm going to be ending in a good place.  I've not felt terribly productive but as I look back on each day it seems I've gotten enough done and that things are moving forward.

The bisque kiln is filling up.  I have 10-12 more pots to decorate today and then I think I'll go ahead and fire it up.  I've made a bunch of cookie cutter ornaments for Christmas this year.  I'll give some as gifts and the rest will go to some hometown type shows and gift shops that I'm doing.

Sarah and I have been sleeping in all week. I don't think we've gotten up before 8am on any given day.  I guess it's the oncoming winter and cooler temps.  I do feel like I need to be rising earlier, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it right now.

Loupie is all snuggled into the cat bed this morning.

Karma would rather be playing ball than watching me write this blog post.

Scott Garrett is an illustrator and budding potter in East Sussex, England.  He sent me these two prints a while back and I finally got them matted and framed.  I really dig Scott's style and humor.  You can visit his blog HERE and Online Shop HERE.

Dead Ends by Scott Garrett

Fred by Scott Garrett

I found these two older pots in a box at the Arts Council.  It's neat to look back and see where I have been.

I'll be updating my Events page later and hopefully sending out an email Newsletter on Monday (so sign up to be on the mailing list if you haven't yet.  Over in the right sidebar)

I've been adding pots to the Online shop too.  Click HERE to go over and see what's there.  Thanks!!

Last Wet Day. Sort of.

Today was my last day throwing for the Thrown Together Show on Sept.  24th.  Sarah and I are going on vacation next week so I want to have all the pots made, slipped and some decorated before we leave.  I'd like to get a bisque in too.  So this week I'll be finishing and hopefully load a nice bisque on Friday or Saturday.

So it was the last wet day in the studio but it looks like there may be a day or more of very wet weather in store for us as tropical storm Lee drenches much of the south.

Thanks for all the comments on the last post about disconnecting!!  This seems to be something that many of us could use some work on.

I have a few small strategies in place.  I'm not going online until I've been up for at least 2 hours.  I'd like to try and even move this on into the day, maybe not get online until lunchtime.

I'm trying to only check my email 2-3 times a day.  When I check it I respond to the emails that come in or file them to be responded to.  Right now I'm doing pretty good at responding to what comes in.  I've also unsubscribed from several sites and changed my settings on social networks so I don't get notified  about stuff.

If I think of something during the day that I want to look up I make a note of it on paper and then try to do all that at one time, usually in the evening.  The evening is a bad time for me to get sucked in.  If I stick to the list, check my mail and sign out then that's good.  Not being successful at this all the time though.  I should probably set a timer and go for a certain time and then log off.

If I am working on a document, or something in Photoshop, etc then I sign out of my browser so I'm not tempted to check my blog, or Etsy, or email.

I'm really trying to only do a couple posts to FB or my Fan page per day and not get caught up reading what everyone else is doing. *

I'll keep y'all up to date on what's going on as I try new disconnecting techniques this week.

The boxes are almost done and ready to deco.  Today I got them slipped and the lids cut.  They will get a lid flange tomorrow.

Thanks for checking in.  I know we all have little time to spare but it's nice to be connected here on the blogs and I plan to keep on posting and to keep reading as many others blogs as I can.

*Did you follow those hyperlinks?  Hum, that can get us in trouble too can't it?!  Well if you did I hope you didn't get sucked in and made it back here quickly.

And now you're off to whatever is next!

The Desire to Disconnect

I've been working yesterday and today to try and get some of my 'junk' organized.  'Junk' being all the stuff on my desk, the kitchen table, the table by the window, and on top of the bookshelf by the door.  Piles. Stacks.  Stuff of varying importance. Or no importance.

As it is now I've moved most of it to my upstairs desk, which is to become my Control Center, the place from which I am going to build my Empire, or at least where I'm going to spend the next hour working to clean out my Inbox.

In the last month or longer I have seriously noticed my addiction to being 'Connected'.  I check my email several times a day, and my blog comments, and my facebook, and my Etsy, and I also have the weakness of getting sucked into surfing for god knows what on the internet.  It's not good.  It's eating away my time, my creative time, my time for tea and drawing and reading and napping.  I need to Disconnect.  I need some structure to my time on the internet.

I have a plan. I'll share more about that later.  For now lets just say that I'm happy that I've decided to work on this.  I'm not saying I'm going to do less work or use the internet less to market my art or to communicate with others.  I'm just going to do it in a healthy way, that doesn't eat so much of my time up, and make me crazy.

I'm getting some help from some of the materials and posts on this site.

The Gallery Crawl uptown went well last night.  I was in charge of the food at the Arts Council and with the help of my fellow board members Fredia and Donna we put out quite a spread.

My work at Two Doors Down looked fab and I sold a couple pieces from there.

Thanks for checking in everyone.  Have a good Friday!!

Just out of the kiln

Some of the pots from yesterdays unloading.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGAp61klMKg

Tomorrow, September 1, is the Gallery Crawl in uptown Shelby.  My work is featured at Two Doors Down, 12 Warren Street.  I also have work at ETC Gift shop in the Arts Council and at Buffalo Creek Gallery, also on Warren St.  I hope the locals will come out and support the arts and our local businesses.

Beginning to End. Goat Portrait

Shot this video yesterday. I really feel like the drawings are beginning to come into their own.  After about 8 cups I really began to loosen up and get some nice action in the lines and expressions.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--RaEi0Ceik

Of course I want to make sure that I'm making good forms right from the start.  I take a lot of pride in my mugs.  With this last batch I increased the size just a tiny bit and as always gave extra attention to making a comfortable, accessible handle.

I'm getting a nice full load in the bisque kiln.  I'll finish up a few more cups today and move on to the bigger serving dishes.

Deco. Videos

I shot these two clips showing pots getting drawn on, layout and working towards some finished etched pieces.  I'll try and write a bit more about this and what I'm thinking as I do this soon.  For now here are the videos.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X9p3SpJapk

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZbiF6wnrDs

Finished pots

Here is a video of pots from yesterdays unloading.  Many of these pots you have seen getting made and/or decorated over the past week or so.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPvFLsVW8oE

I'm disappointed that the amber glaze had problems.  Most of the bubbles are on the backs of the dishes.  I'll mark them down and sell them as seconds.  Still nice pots.  I'm going to run some tests with a different recipe over the next few firings and also try applying it by brushing.  These low fire glazes are so finicky.   I'd be happy moving up a few cones if the glazes would behave and provided I didn't loose too much of the redness of the clay body.

I'm looking forward to getting back to making next week.  I'll be throwing more bowls with tall feet and I'd like to get back to experimenting with some box shapes.  The boxes are challenging in both the making and getting the deco on them.  I have also been drawing some vase shapes that I'll try.

All for now, thanks for checking in.

Good Stuff

Loads of new stuff arrived today.  Below is a photo and video.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc_zhI-yWhU

Pretty cool eh?

I first saw Scott Garrett's work on my pal Matt Grimmitt's blog.  Scott did an illustration that had one of Matt's jugs included in it.

Later on I found my way to Scott's website and then his blog.  Scott is in the first stages of learning to make pots.  I love his illustration style and his sense of humor.  That mustache is pretty cool too.  Scott has an affection for folk pots from the American south. It's pretty cool seeing how someone in England is taken with US pottery much like I am with pots from their country.

Thanks for the prints Scott. I love them and they are going to get framed and put up in the house.

I'm pretty excited about my little self published picture book.  It will be a good asset in the studio.  I'll probably order one for my mom too.  She'd like that.

I'll talk more about the Michael Simon book later on. I've looked through it once and read a bit of it.  It really slowed my mind down today, just thinking about Michael, his pots, the way he works etc.  I met him several times, saw him make pots, went to his and Ron Meyers' pottery sales and even visited him at his home once.  Special memories.

Well, Sarah and I are headed over to Ni Fen for some wine and tapas.  It's been a sunny, beautiful day after a long damp week.  I hope you all have a great weekend.

Working on the Jar Ideas

Below are a couple of videos of me showing some work in progress and talking about moving these pots forward.

It's good to be in this place of not knowing exactly what to do, or setting up some problems to be solved.  I feel like most of this sort of thing gets worked out in the 'doing' as opposed to the 'thinking about it'.  Both ways are valuable, but for me I have to see it in clay to really know what works best.  You'll see I did some sketching in the first video.  That's an okay jumping off point, but honestly I don't sketch pots too much.  If I do it's just to remind me of some idea that I had so that I remember to make it later.  This leads me to more thoughts but I'm saving that for the next blog post.  It will be about risk and ruining pots and so on.

For now here are the videos.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qALJRfdNwLs

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pdlnAXNVqE

Some Decorated Pots from Wednesday

Some of the pots that I drew on today.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1mxMo2TuRE

Get ready for the Y.O.T. R. sale tomorrow.

Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew Workshop

Many of you know Doug and Hannah from their blogs.  I met them both here on the internet some 5 or so years ago.

I'm happy to announce that they will both be coming to the US in April, 2011!!!

Jugs made by Hannah McAndrew

I have planned a one day demonstration workshop for them here in Shelby, NC.

The date is April 23rd, 2011.  The workshop will be held at the Cleveland County Arts Council in historic downtown Shelby.

If you are interested in receiving information on this workshop please send an email to

ronpots2 <at> yahoo <dot> com

with Workshop in the Subject line.  As soon as I get my registration forms together I will send them out to you.  (Hopefully in the next week or so).

Jug by Doug Fitch

Cost will $85 per person for the workshop.




This is a great chance to meet Hannah and Doug and see them make and decorate their pots right in front of your eyes.  It should be a really fun day.  I can't wait for them to get here!!

If you'd like to learn more about Doug Fitch visit these sites:

HERE

or HERE

For more on Hannah:

Click HERE for website or HERE for Hannah's blog

or HERE for her online Store.

Let me know if you belong to a guild or group of potters who would like to receive information on this workshop.  Tell your potter friends too.  Thanks!!!

Today's Pots

A video of pots from today's kiln.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70XTTUpEgck

I mentioned Paul Young, to visit his website click HERE.  Paul makes amazing slipware.

Here's a picture of me with Paul from last year.

Hollyford Harvest

The film about our  favorite slipware potter from Devon, Doug Fitch, shows this Wednesday at the Real to Reel Film Festival in Kings Mountain NC.  Hollyford Harvest is an intimate portrait of Doug's life and work in rural Devon.  The film was made by Alex McErlain.  Show time is 7pm.

For more info Click Here

Drape Mold Oval Dish

After all that work on those two molds yesterday I decided I didn't really want a rectangular shape after all.  And I didn't want those hard corners either.  So I moved on to plan C.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYWu7PS3Y1E

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcttoqR-Ia8

I think I will like these bigger ovals with the soft curves better than I would have the rectangles.  We'll see.  It will probably be Sunday at the earliest before I get to show a finished dish.  Check back.  Thanks.

New Pots

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrM4nq45nJA

Fuller Style

I had a chance last night to catch up with Doug Fitch.  We had a good chat.  He's been super busy getting ready for a show and exhibition.

Doug and Geoff Fuller have an exhibition together at Earth Marque next month.  I knew about Fuller but hadn't seen but a few of his pots.  I was happy to find he now has a website.

Inspired, I made a few pots today similar to Fullers.  Below are images of some tankards and funny little pouring pots. (Hand built spouts)

That little hood is necessary so that the liquid doesn't flow over the top when pouring.

I'll get a thin layer of white slip on these tomorrow and then who knows what.

Sgraffito!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo9QMGF8E_4

New Video

A quick video of some pots that have been hanging out in the studio waiting to be drawn on.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdtB2_VXZ2U

I mentioned  Toft slipware in the video. Here is one of Thomas Toft's famous slipware dishes.  Notice the trailed hatching on the rim.

I also mentioned  Medieval Italian majolica. Below is a bowl with cross hatching. I really love these.  This pot came from Orvieto and was made in the late 14th century.

I really must get some pots made tomorrow.  Until then...

Paul Young

Paul Young is an amazing slipware potter. Visit his new website by clicking HERE.

"Dovecot" by Paul Young

I had the pleasure of meeting Paul in person last September in England and got to view his pots firsthand.

Finger Wipes. Combing

I decided to do more wipes on the plates I had to slip today.  This first one got decorated with finger wipes.

I then got to thinking about seeing Matt Grimmitt's pots on his latest post.  I spied the comb he made from a flexible rib there at the bottom of the picture.

So I made one of my own and did a bit of practicing on a bat before carrying on to

this board of plates.

These will probably all get amber glaze.  I'm excited about seeing them fired.