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Monday

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No pots to report on at the moment.  I just got an email from Amy saying that the Circle Sale was the best ever!  That's in sales figures and attendance.  So YEA for that.  I do think we are catching the attention of collectors and pottery lovers in the area and hopefully that base will continue to spread and grow.

For some images from Saturday you can visit Jen Mecca's blog as well as HERE and HERE.

I'll just post a couple of pages from my journal for now.  Back to the pots soon.

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A Great Day.

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We had a gorgeous day yesterday for the Circle of Eight Spring Pottery Sale.  Thanks to all the folks who came out.

Below is a shot of some of Suze Lindsey's pots.  It was great to have her and Kent with us.  They are such fun people and great potters.

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That's my set up below.  I was flanked by that beautiful dogwood tree.

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And some happy shoppers from early in the day.

shoppers_0065I feel like this may have been our best sale to date.  In the fall our guest is going to be Ronan Peterson.

Today I'm taking it easy. More later...or tomorrow.

Hop On Over

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rabbit_mug_greenhandleOkay I just want to remind you all that there is an AWESOME Pottery Sale tomorrow at

1225 Dade Street
Charlotte NC 28205

Featuring:
Amy Sanders
Jenn Mecca
Julie Wiggins
Greg Scott
Adrienne Dellinger
Ron Philbeck (that's me)

Special Guests:
Suze Lindsey and Kent McLaughlin!!!!

and the Dade Street Dancers (not really)

So....tons of great pots.  Be there if you are anywhere nearby.  It's gonna be huge.

Call if you need directions 704 650 5662  or MapQuest it!

New Pots

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Happy Friday Everyone!

I took some images of some of the pots from yesterday.  Click for a larger image. Most all of these are going to the Circle of Eight show which is tomorrow.  I'm going to hang on to the underglaze painted ones so they can inform me more.

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3 Jars

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Okay so here are 3 short videos of  the larger jars that I just unloaded from the kiln.  The one with the slips is less than I hoped for.  I do like the ones with the incising  and dabs of glaze color.  That seems to be working for me right now.  I'll put up some photos of some other things soon.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT6iP1lCX3w

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNomw1G_HPk&feature=channel_page

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

There's something that turns me off about this painted one.  I think it's the opaque character of the underglazes. I like the transparent glazes and the way I can use them over an incised line.  That is sort of bothersome as I'm not really a glaze guy and I may have to now get into it a bit more.  The little dabs of glaze work pretty well on smaller pots.  I'm not sure what to do if I go to a bigger line on larger pots.  Hummm.  Okay so I'll see.  Thanks for checking in.

New Pots Soon

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washline yunomiShooting some images today.  Lots to learn on the photography front.

Unloading the kiln later this evening so I'll get some snaps up of those pots before bed.

I"ll be updating the Esty shop next week too so I'll keep ya posted on that.

A & B

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img_0201Here are good examples of different lines that I can get.  (Of course there are tons more)  The pot on the left was drawn on when bone dry with a sharp needle tool.  The cup on the right was drawn on with my loop tool at the leather hard state.  Combining these two tools plus using other techniques such as stippling or cross hatching would yield a varied and interesting drawing (if you're after that sort of thing)

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Wednesday. Yea!

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Home
Man it's a beautiful day here today.  We've had lots of rain so everything is green and growing. (Look at all that grass I get to mow).

The dogwood trees are in full bloom in this part of the State.  The dogwood flower is the State flower for North Carolina.Dogwood Tree Flowers

I unloaded the bisque this morning and will be getting to the glazing shortly.   The 'blank canvas' came out, not so blank any more.  I'm going to put a thin coat of glaze on this so it won't be too super shiney when it comes out of the kiln.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIouxPb8apo

I'm really interested to see if where I go with this color business.  I feel like I'm wanting some color on the pots with the drawings but I'm not sure how I want to do it.  It really feels good though to be open right now to just about anything.  I can see going with slips/underglazes, or maybe colored glazes or washes.  Not sure which appeals to me and there's lots of testing and a learning curve of course.  So basically....make pots, have fun, continue the journey.

Another thing is that I'd like to make some 'larger' jars and platters.  Not like gigantic, but like 20 lbs maybe.  I don't know.  So if I'm going to draw on these I have to either break up the space, like with the panel jars, or come up with a larger line.  Different tool.  And I just feel like those larger pots are going to need some color. ? Maybe.

So on to glazing.  I'll have some finished pots out in the next couple days.  I'm looking forward to taking some of the painted work to show my pals this weekend and get feedback.

More later maybe.

Monday

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rat plateThese amber pots are difficult to photograph.

It's been a weird day.  I finally got that big jar decorated and a bisque going around lunchtime.  I've found it hard to focus, but I made a list and got quite a few things done now.

I got locked out of WordPress somehow too and that took some figuring out.

So now the day is pretty much shot.  Thank goodness, I'll start over tomorrow.

Time now to hang out with Karma and then get supper going.

Circle of Eight in the News

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The Charlotte Observer ran a story on the clay group I belong to, Circle of Eight.

Click HERE to read

Circle of Eight will be having our Spring Sale this coming Saturday, April 18th.  We have invited Suze Lindsey and Kent McLaughlin to be our guests.  Members participating are Amy Sanders, Jenn Mecca, Julie Wiggins, Adrienne Dellinger, Greg Scott and myself.

The address is 1225 Dade Street, Charlotte NC 28205
704 650 5662

For more info visit the Circle of Eight blog.

Tommy Kane

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barcelona1loThis drawing is by Tommy Kane.  Visit his blog HERE.

Tommy Kane is one of my favorite artists.  I'd love to get our and draw on the street more. (Not that there's a lot of 'street' here in small town Shelby). But there is enough and I could certainly start somewhere you know.  Being out in public working is intimidating, esp. with an art form that I'm not super skilled at.  Of course most people say they can't draw a straight line so I'm sure it wouldn't matter. (By the way, straight lines are overrated)

Well I just wanted to share with you one of the people who's drawings I admire.  There are more, and they will pop up here from time to time.

I'm glazing a small load of pots today and then hopefully working out in the yard.  We got doused all day yesterday, but maybe things will dry out a little.

Have a good Saturday.

4 & 5

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img_0184Jar 4 has the goat pulling the washline down.  Jar 5 (the blank canvas)...I am going to do something a bit different here and let this guy get bone dry and then paint it with underglaze. (and try not to over do it).  I think it'll get a bunny goat and chicken plus who knows whatelse.

2 & 3

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These two are finished.  I have one more larger jar that I'll put up tomorrow(#4) and one that's still a big blank canvas (#5).

I got cold feet on the last one, so I'm gonna sleep on it. (well not literally, it would be hard to get under the pillow.)  Check back tomorrow.

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Jar 1

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Decorating  jars this morning.  I'll put them all up later but here's the first one down.   Lots of new ideas here.  Working on some patterning on the lid, the dog is seen with an Oribe teapot, and the rabbit has, (dare I say it...?) a laptop.  Yes, that last one is waaaaay out there for me.  A computer on a pot! It was bound to make it's way in there sooner or later.  I'll be calling myself a 'Ceramic Artist' if I keep this up.  Ha.  Okay...thinking to much, back to work.

Click for larger image.

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Day's Work

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well done Yoda

Look who's all proud of his days work.  Well done.  Time for a tea and chocolate break.

We've been listening to Ida Maria today.  Good stuff.
I'm off to Charlotte to teach my first class of the session.  Looking forward to seeing the students.