Some Shots From Friday

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Everything got slipped yesterday, now it's time to decorate. I'll probably wait until tomorrow on that so this is all under plastic at the moment. It feels good to have some pots in process.
Here are two plates from the kiln. This load was mostly amber so I'll put a few up at a time so you don't get amber-overload.


My glaze tests were disappointing in that they were milky and not as shiny as I expected. But they didn't craze so that was great. I think the problem with the cloudiness was some talc so that will have to be worked out. I'm firing some tests today too in the small test kiln.

Okay that's it for now. Happy Saturday!

Thankful

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I woke up this morning and the first thought I had was how thankful I am for all Sarah and I have. We really have all the necessities for life. I often take that for granted. We are not well off by any means but we are okay in this moment.

I know I can be gloom and doom sometimes or a worrier so I thought I'd just share that bit of positive thought.

This little sprout had started growing in the clay out in the racks over the last few days.

Pottery related post coming later, after I get my camera from the shop.

I'm not sure why my blogroll isn't updating. I'll check it out and get it fixed.

I Finally Got to Make Some Pots...

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Today was a good session on the wheel. This morning I made all this stuff and even got the salsa bowls handled after lunch. The kiln is cooling so there will be some new work out tomorrow. I have been thinking today about what it would be like to soda fire some of this slipware. Just a kaolin slip on the outsides , I could still incise and pop some colored glazes on the interiors or even over the outside slip. I think I'm desiring a dirtier surface, with some variety. So we'll see what comes of that idea.



Tomorrow the plates, bowls and yunomi will get footed and most everything will get slipped before the end of the day.

No pots today

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Well I don't know what I was thinking when I said I would glaze, load, mix test glazes and make plates and bowls today. I did all but get the pots made. Tomorrow, tomorrow, pots made tomorrow. I did make this nice clay brownie with white slip frosting and red clay cocoa powder. Yum, yum with a cool cup of milk.

I Need Chocolate

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Yesterday Amy and Guthrie came by for a visit. It's been awhile since Guthrie has been here. He's getting big. He was all decked out to go turkey hunting yesterday but Amy and I got too busy talking pots so that will have to wait until next time. I am going to be helping Amy work on a public art commission in the fall. We went over some details on that, had lunch and then Amy gave me some feedback on the pots I've been making. It was good to have some company. As you can see Guthrie only has eyes for one person at this point in his life.


Last night I dreamed I was taking the blocks of clay out of the racks but instead of clay they were big chocolate brownies. I must not be getting my daily chocolate fix. I'll have to work on that.

I'm off to glaze a load of pots and then hopefully make some plates and bowls. Check in later to see how that goes.

Clay Harvest

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I started bringing in my clay today. My racks are twelve feet long by 2 feet wide and divided into 3 sections. You can see here where I cut the clay into blocks early this morning. By late this afternoon the ends and some of the side pieces in this section were ready to harvest. The section just to the left was all ready and the one on the right was still pretty damp. It had gotten wet during a storm the other night. I store the clay in big trash bins and pug it as I need it.

Yea! Tomorrow I get to make some pots!

Giant Frog and Other Things...

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No aliens showed up in the night. I guess the closest thing we've had that was green and slimly was this guy which Karma found behind a planter near the workshop. He was quite happy to be returned to the creek out back.Having my tea out of this Hannah McAndrew mug this morning. Sarah and I got online last night and ordered enough tea to last us for the next couple months. We both have our favorites, Sarah loves green tea scented with jasmine, I like the Gyokuro, and we both enjoy a good black tea in the morning. We ordered the Baker Street Afternoon Blend for the black this time. It's quite good and it always makes me thing of Sherlock Holmes when I make a cup. I've also been hooked on Darjeelings for some time. Spending $40 on tea seems pretty crazy I guess but we really don't have any other vices, alcohol or smoking or illegal drugs , so I feel like it's money well spent and on a price per cup basis it's really cheap. We buy tea from Upton Imports, check them out if you love tea as much as we do.

Below is the copy of Michael Cardew and The West Country Slipware Tradition that Doug recently sent me. It's really been an inspiration. Just check out that harvest jug on the cover. I hope this book will be avaliable in the States at some point soon.

Fancy Bits

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Slipped these two guys off here at the end of the workday. I had Doug's stein there to help out with those fancy handle additions. What do you call that scrolly part Doug?...Compensation? I can't remember.I am so ready for my clay to come out of the racks. I have been just putzing around. I got some pots packed up for a show today and mixed some slipped and ran out for some materials. I'd like to be making some dishes.

Off to wash up and get supper going. Sorry this wasn't more exciting. No convertables or surfboards
or shooting innocent duckies. Maybe over night some alien body snatchers will land in the field next door.

Two New Pots and a Goat

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These are the two latest additions to our collection. Tom Gray send me the blue ash mug in the post last week. Tom hardly ever makes mugs anymore so it was nice to get one from his latest firing.
The gigantic tankard was a gift from Doug. My friend Fredia was in England during Hatfield event and went by to see Doug. He warned me not to fill it up with beer as it may 'give me a bad head'.
This guy was out in the side field this morning. I think he escaped from the livestock yard just up the road.

Rice Noodles Made by Hand

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I have several food blogs that I regularly check in on and Eating Asia is one of my favorites. I think if I had the chance to do anything I'd travel around the world meeting people, eating and learning about food. It would be amazing, hard at times I guess but just think of all the great stories and experiences to be had.

Sarah and I went into Charlotte for part of the day and had lunch at Lang Van, it's our favorite Vietnamese restaurant. I had pan fried noodles with broccoli and tofu; Sarah had vermicelli with bean curd that was marinated with lemon grass and more (that I can't remember). Anyhow of course it was delicious, we also had summer rolls and Vietnamese iced coffee.

Anyhow I was just looking at Eating Asia and saw this post on making rice noodles. Not in a factory mind you, but by hand. Check it out. What hard work this is. Most of us have it so very easy, we go to the store and get what we want. In some ways the process the lady is using isn't unlike making clay and pots. Speaking of pots, look in the background of the 12th photo down. Nice jar!

Tonight it's tomato sandwiches for me again. No, I don't seem to tire of these throughout the summer. It won't be that long before fall and winter and there are no more fresh tomatoes to be had for awhile.

I'm Here Somewhere

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Karma made a huge mess in the shop today by knocking over a bucket of muddy water. That didn't make my day, but what's a little more clay and water in the floor right?

I have to confess I've become totally obsessed with working on my WordPress site. It's like learning to throw, slow and frustrating. I'm not going live with it for a while, but I think it will be a bit of an improvement to this Blog. However i have to say I can get on here and do pretty much what I want to. I guess I'll get better at the WP thing too. Getting the look all set up is hard, mainly b/c I can't make up my mind and also b/c sometimes I'll get it all like I want it only to discover a problem.

Sarah has about had enough of it, she told me yesterday I needed to get it finished so I'd pay her some attention. That was a little harsh but I got the message.

Out of clay! I'll have a bisque firing tomorrow and then fire a glaze kiln over the weekend. Hopefully I'll have more clay next week.

If you've asked me a question in the comments lately and haven't gotten a reply you may have to try again. I've sort of lost track, but will be happy to answer.

Gotta go.

Getting Over the Hump

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Wednesday is here! A new day, a hot cup of tea, and it's been raining heavily since midnight. I may have to get Hannah to float over here in her ark to get us if this keeps up .

Mixed up a batch of clay yesterday with plans on making more next week. I would like to start to get ahead of the game on my clay stock. I don't like mixing in winter.

I saw Leon yesterday and he had worked up two new glaze bases for me on his software. I'll be testing them in my next firing.


Regarding my last post, I think a big part of my ups and downs could be the fact that I work in isolation most days for most of each day. That gives me LOTS of time to be in my head. Being in there with all those voices is not the most healthy place sometimes. But by knowing that I can allow myself to step back and see what process is all about. I can try to observe it without reacting to it. Either that or play lots of loud music in the shop.

I realized I had a little more clay than I thought when I went in to check on my reclaim last night. I may get to make a few more big jugs before this next glaze firing. So, I'm off to work. Have a soggy day!! Smiles.

WWHD

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I've been meaning for years to make a tee shirt with this image and WWHD on it. "What Would Hamada Do?"It's late, I need to be in bed but I've been working on my Wordpress site which may end up happening sooner than I thought thanks to some progress tonight. (Thanks Cynthia!)

I just read a great post by Joy Tanner. Check it out here.

I often end my days in a slight funk, feeling like I need more time, or that I wish I had spent my time better or even had a different kind of day or sometimes a different life. In the mornings I am upbeat and ready to go again, but ending up in bed staring at the ceiling thinking how things could be different is telling me something is missing in my life. What is it?

I think I can safely say that a big part of this is that I've gotten away from living in the present moment. My meditation practice has ceased to exist. I think about it often. Then my guilt kicks in and then shame and then I decided it'd be easier not to think about it so I go to work, or get on this machine, or something. Maybe just putting that out here just now will help me. I guess I should go now.

Test

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My comments do not seem to be working. I think the haloscan site is down too. Hopefully it will be back soon. I haven't been able to see if anyone got the correct answer on the "Who Made This"