Not Swinging

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I'm having a hard time getting back in the swing of things in the studio. I made a few pots today but couldn't get motivated to do much. I need to be using this time to build up some stock on my everyday pots and maybe take some time to work out some newer forms. I'd like to come up with a tall vase shape that isn't too generic. I'd like something oval or flattish, maybe even three sided with feet. I'd like for it to be 10 to 12 inches tall, maybe even 14. This is going to be something I build from slabs or stack two pieces. I'm not so good at throwing really tall forms. I did make some platters today, I sold the one that was hanging on the wall and so I want to make more along that line. I also need to take time out to top off my buckets of slips and glazes for the summer. I hate mixing stuff, so I need to do all this and have plenty to last a while.
I called Highwater today and they are getting my big order ready to pick up on Thursday morning. It's a 90 minute drive up there but it will be worth it to have enough material to make up a ton of clay. I guess I'll mix one day next week.
Today I figured out how to get my Newsletter onto the blog. I had to go to a site where I could upload it and then link to it from the blog. I may eventually do away with my website (it never gets updated anyway). I enjoy posting to the blog and can find ways to do most of what I need to.
Well it's about supper time. I am making some pasta featuring the Italian sausages that Tom Gray brought me on Saturday.

Good Monday

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Today was sort of a hodge podge of a day. I ran out to the grocery this morning and then over to the bank to make a deposit, (which is a change from my usual withdrawl). Back home in the studio I made a few teapots after I got my displays down out of the workshop and the pots all back in the showroom. I spread some mulch after lunch and hung out with Karma for a while. It was a pretty laid back day for the most part. I also switched over to Blogger beta which allows me to post and layout my blog more easily. Right now I'm down in the kitchen frying up some fish for supper. We are having fish tacos. I have Pandora radio going, Sarah should be back from walking Karma in a few minutes, just in time to eat. So I guess I better run, don't want to burn anything.

New Cycle

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My Spring Sale weekend is over and was a success. Thank you to everyone who came out. It's always fun to catch up. I'll be getting the studio back in working order tomorrow and probably make a few pots. I'd really like to head up to Highwater Clay in Asheville this week and pick up some materials. I need to check in with my father in law and see if I can borrow his big pickup to bring home the 1600 lbs of dry materials that I need to buy. I will also probably get back to work on the renovation here in the house. I'd really like to get some progress made this month. Lots to do but somehow it will get done.
We had some rain this first day of April (April showers), everything is green and beautiful and many trees and plants are in bloom or budding out. I love this time of year, it makes me feel alive and energized.
I hope you all have a great week.

Visitor

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The highlight of my day yesterday was Tom Gray walking through the door of my studio. It was a total surprise and I was smiling all day. We have been friends since I met him at his home and studio in Seagrove, NC in 1992. He has helped me countless times through the years. We usually see each other once or twice a year so this unexpected visit was really special.
I had lots of folks come by for the Sale yesterday. Things tapered off after lunch (Doc's pizza, which Tom highly approved of), and we had time to hang out and talk about pots, kilns, food, and other things. Tom brought me some Italian sausage from Giacomo's market in Greensboro which I am looking forward to incorporoting into a recipe this week. It was a great day and I am blessed to have a friend like Tom.

Spring Pottery Sale

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The Spring Sale starts tomorrow
Saturday, March 31 from 10 am till 5pm
also Sunday April 1 from Noon till 4.
If you need help getting here you can email me
ronpots2 at yahoo dot com
or Mapquest my address
757 Wallace Grove Rd
Shelby NC 28150

If you'd like to receive my latest newsletter please send me your email address and I'll send you a pdf copy.

Pots

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A few images of pots.

More oil cans, it took me forever to come around to making these and I really like them.
 I love having this variety of plates. In our kitchen we have a big mix of plates, I think it's a lot more fun that way, you're not eating off the same thing each day and you have your favorites for different foods.
This pot has been sitting on the bisque shelf for months. Maybe a year. Anyway it was one of the best in the kiln. This is the first pot I've ever made that can actually hang on the wall. It's Art right? You could always take it down and use it for a party.

Showroom Images

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I have gotten the showroom all set up for the weekend. It looks good and I am glad to be ready before 10pm tonight. I'll get some flowers in a few vases in the morning to brighten the place up a little more and then hopefully some folks will show up and take some pots home with them.



Unloaded. Good Firing!

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I had another good firing! Yea. I think it was probably a good thing my sprayer failed. This firing was on the light salt side with nice flashing and neutral atmosphere. I like it a lot. I didn't get to take any pictures of individual pots but here are some shots just out of the kiln and another after unloading onto the showroom floor. I'll try and get some close ups tomorrow. I had some nice plates, oven pots, oil cans, yunomi, soup and serving bowls, and lots of other things. I have to finish getting it all set up in the showroom and in the studio tomorrow.
Tonight we took Karma to doggie school. It was fun and she was pretty good. She needs to be around more dogs. Sarah and I always get a good laugh at ourselves, we have differenting 'parenting' styles and approaches.
Okay check back tomorrow for more. I hope some of you make it out in person this weekend.


Cleaning

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All the dirty work is done and now my studio is sparkling, well maybe not sparkling but I don't stir up a cloud of dust when I walk in and I scrubbed all the clay spatter off the walls. So it's an improvement.
The kiln is cooling and I'll be able to unload tomorrow around lunchtime. I am almost all set for my Sale which is Saturday and Sunday. I did peep in the kiln earlier. I think it looks okay, but I never can tell until I get the door down.
I had some new ideas for some future work this evening while sitting outside with my sketchbook. I'm not sure when it will come to fruition, if ever, but it was fun to come up with some new drawings that were influenced by my immediate surroundings.
Check back soon.

Cluster Map

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I put the cluster map on the blog a few weeks ago because I thought it would be cool to see where my hits were coming from. Almost immediately after putting it up I thought about taking it off because I doubted that I'd be seeing many hits from anywhere other than the south east US. To my surprise I have had hits from all over the world. That is so cool. Today I noticed I got a hit from Africa. It's amazing to know I've had folks from all around the world come to my tiny spot in the blogosphere. Thanks!

Cleaning day

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It's nice out this morning. All the birds seem to be singing or chattering. The air is cool and the sky is blue. I will be cleaning the studio today and trying to get set up for my sale this weekend. I got all the pots in the showroom dusted and the shelves cleaned yesterday. I am glad to have that done. I'd like to be ready to bring the pots in from the kiln on Thursday and just put them all in place.
I haven't peeped in the kiln yet. It's still pretty hot. I'll wait until tonight when it's good and dark out and the kiln has cooled a little more. I will unload around lunchtime tomorrow.

Learning My Lesson...

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again...the hard way...again. I finished my firing about 1/2 hour ago. Things went well up until the point I got ready to spray in my third round of soda solution. That's when the sprayer clogged. I took the nozzle assemble apart, cleared it and reassembled. It still wouldn't spray. So I tried again and still no luck. Time was moving along and I needed to get some soda in the kiln. So I just decided to forget the soda and put in 4 lbs of salt. And then another 1.5 lbs just for good measure. The draw rings looked good, the pots looked shiny, and I saw build up on the shelves, so I think I did okay and things should be fine.

Okay so I need to back up a little, I said I was going to use the 'chunk' method and only spray a little, mainly for the back of the kiln. Well since I got the new sprayer I thought I'd just spray it all, no chunk, and see how that would go. Now I know the answer. I think the problem was that I had my solution too saturated with material. I used 3.5 lbs of soda ash, 2 lbs of baking soda, and .5 lbs of borax in 2 gallons of water. I heated all this up on my propane burner and it dissolved fine. Little did I know it would start to crystallize once it was in the sprayer. So that was not good.

I started out as a salt glaze potter. That's what I am, that's what I know. I can put salt on a piece of angle iron, dump it in the fire box and it does the rest. No sprayer, no mixing stuff up, no problem. I do like the chunk method of soda introduction (that post is a few weeks back), because I can just dump it in. If it would disperse a little more I'd go with that. Why do I want to use soda anyway? Mainly because it's less damaging to the kiln and I do like the directional quality of it. I'm done with trying to spray it in even though that seems to be the most popular way. I do know some potters who blow it in dry, but that involves an air compressor, etc, etc, ie more stuff to malfunction AND make noise.

Okay so I am through venting. I think (hope) (pray) that this was a good firing regardless of the sprayer dilemma. I'll keep ya posted.

Stacked

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I'll get the fire going tonight and finish up tomorrow. I went out today and bought a new sprayer. My other one needs some new parts. I don't have time to fool with stuff that half works, especially when my livelyhood relies on it. Anyhow, this loading took a little longer than last time, I had lots of different pots, but got most everything in there.

Monday Morning

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The birds are singing and having a busy time this morning. I love that it is warm enough to have the windows open in the house, especially at night. I slept in about 30 minutes later than usual today so I am a bit behind in my morning routine. Today I'll be loading the kiln and getting ready for my Home Sale which is this weekend. I'll fire tomorrow and unload on Thursday. I am planning on using the solid chunk method of soda introduction again, but I am also going to spray some soda in the back of the kiln since it was a little dry back there last time.

We had a good weekend. We got to spend some time with friends, got the house cleaned, and visited with Sarah's mom and dad on Sunday. The dogs also got a bath and I serviced the lawn mower and got a little work done on the renovation. I have to get things all in order here and looking nice for the coming weekend. That means cleaning the studio and showroom and dusting the pots in there. It's going to be a busy week but it will all be done by 10 am Saturday morning.

I hope your week is off to a good start. Check in later for some pics from the loading.

Spring Pottery Sale
Saturday March 31 10 am till 5 pm
Sunday April 1 Noon till 4 pm

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I have my bisque going this morning, it will probably be slow and long since a few things are still a bit damp. I am getting excted about my next firing which is early next week. Then my Sale that following weekend.

I have a visual arts selection committee meeting at the Arts Council this morning at 10. I am also on the board there and we are starting our fund drive for the year soon. I am not too excited about this. It's my first year on the board so this is all new to me. I am very supportative of the AC and I like being active but I hate asking people for money. I guess I need to detach myself from it in a personal way and realize that I am doing it for the good of the AC. Asking for things is very hard for me, especially money. Maybe I'll bring it up to some folks there and see what they suggest that could be helpful.

It is nice and Spring-like out today. I love this time of year. I need to try and savor it before the summer heat and humity kicks in.

Dad and I have been working on my renovation some this week and plan to work tomorrow. I need to start cleaning the studio and showroom and getting a jump on setting up for my Pottery Sale which is March 31 and April 1. If you want to receive more info. let me know. I hope we have a good turnout, I have LOTS of good pots.

Well I am off to walk Karma and then have a bite to eat before heading to town. I hope you all have a great day.

New Equipment

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Toyota is now manfacturing pottery equipment. Here you can see their latest, a drying rack-truck. It works great and keeps the work up out of the reach of curious little dogs. I had my pots up there all day and at the end of the day it was ready to go in the bisque kiln for firing tomorrow. I think the drying time could have been hurried along if I would have used the 'take it on the road' feature. Maybe next time.

His Eminence

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I had the last class of this session on Tuesday. We had a potluck dinner and watched The Art of the Potter. One of my students brought in this carrot cake. I learned the name of one of my favorite tools this session from another student who is in the medical field. It sort of took a life of it's own and has been added to the 'Philbeck Pottery Vocabulary'. I use my thenar eminence over and over when making plates, bowls, and other dishy shapes. I take it with me everywhere. I am hoping to get some tee shirts made soon, I'm not quite sure what they'll say yet.

Finishing up

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Yesterday I finally got everything finished and slipped. Today the weather is supposed to be warm and sunny so I'll have boards of pots sitting out drying. I want to fire a bisque tomorrow and hopefully load the salt/soda kiln on Sunday or Monday. I have 150 of commercial clay left, I need to mix clay. With the warm weather coming on I'd like to mix a ton or at least 1000 lbs.

I hope I have another good firing. There should be lots of pots here for my sale which is next weekend. I am glad spring is here. The trees are budding out and the birds all seem very happy too. I haven't made much of an effort in the garden yet or on my yard, other than putting out some fertilizer last weekend.

I'll get some images posted later today of pots. Have a great day.