Wrong Shoes

The wood kiln was unloaded today. This is a picture of the last stack of shelves. It was a colder and more oxidized firing in the front two stacks, but this last set proved to have some hotter temperatures, thus creating richer colors. We've been analyzing why this particular firing was so different and have been stumbling around ideas. The envelope, or empty space around the shelves of pots was tighter than normal, therefore constricting the flow of flame. This can greatly impact the direction that the flame can get through on its determined flight out through the chimney. Overall, portions of the kiln just didn't have enough active flame for long enough to reach temperature, despite the 24+ hour firing. There were some really nice pots in there and yet some that were lost and need to meet the hammer. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's hard to put your own pots in someone's else's kiln firing, (even if that someone else fires like you). It's like wearing someone else's shoes that are perfectly molded to their needs. One day I'll wear my own shoes.

(Perhaps more detail shots might come later. I'm having that mental soak in period right now where I'm not looking at the pots so I can get over the ones that didn't turn out like I expected so highly of them, later to go back and see the new unexpected glories.)

Tomorrow I'm taking the show on the road again in Asheville where I'll be all weekend in the Village Art and Craft Fair down in the Biltmore Village near New Morning Gallery. It's proclaimed to be a really great show and this is the first year I'm giving it a try. After a nice, cool mountain rainy day, I'm going to certainly warm up in the big city this weekend. Honestly, I'd much rather be home in my quiet little abode. I'm ready to make pots again.

Have a great weekend!

Worn Out

Yesterday we fired off the wood kiln. Once again the kiln was on it's own schedule to reach temperature but I'm optimistic that it'll turn out good. I always think the longer firings are better. This kiln does have a way to pull all of the energy out of you.

Checking the cone packs. This was somewhere between Cone 5 and 8. Behind them is one of my textured bark baskets. The flame was swirling gently through the kiln in psychedelic waves but I had a hard time capturing the actual flame in the picture. When you look into the kiln at the top peep you can see a river of flame sliding down the back arch wall. It's so cool.
Michael Kline came up to help out for the late night stoking. He and I both agreed there needs to be a camera that can withstand 2300 heat that we could load into the kiln to record the firing. Or a glass wall as the sides of the kiln. I guess we'd eventually get bored of that since the mysteries would be revealed. You have to leave a little bit of mystery to keep all of us potters potting.

This is soda time at the end of the firing. There is a soda paste spread onto this board of wood that gets stoked into the firebox. We used a total of 3 pounds of soda.

Flame out of the blowholes on the back arch wall.

The next couple of days the kiln will be cooling. We should see the results of our efforts sometime Thursday. I'll keep you posted.

Clay Warmup, Gallery Opening Tonight

Here is some of the reclaimed clay drying out on a huge plaster table. I save pretty much all of my trimmings and scrap clay and recycle it all. I usually slop out the remoistened clay when it is pretty wet and then flip it over once it has dried a little bit more. I have to keep an eye on it in these dry, hot days, but usually it only takes a few days before it's ready to use again.

This afternoon, I creeped back into the studio, wedged some clay and made a small start throwing again. I started out easy this time with a warmup of a few bowls. I don't want to have too much under plastic since I'm loading Will's kiln Sunday and firing Monday, and it'll be a couple of days before I can get back in the clay again. Getting started is at least something, though. Once I get rolling, there's no leaving and the studio days get longer and longer.


When I'm not potting, I generally am thinking about food and what I'm going to eat that night.
Although my budget keeps me in restraint, I love food. All potters love food...of course!
This is dinner from a few nights ago, shrimp and grits and cheese garlic biscuits! The shrimp came local from Will's family on the coast of South Carolina. Yum!

When I went blueberry picking the other day I was very successful and to my surprise found secret raspberry bushes that were perfectly ripe. The rest of today I'm going to cook up some things to have for Sunday and Monday when Will and I are busy loading and firing.

Tonight is a big opening reception at the Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville for my two friends, Emily Reason and Leanne Ash, who are completing their artists' residencies at the Energy XChange. It is a beautiful gallery that I have work in as well as many other local potters. If you're ever in the area, you have to check it out for yourself.

Peach Flame

The benefits of hot summers: Fresh Fruit!


Studying a peach is like studying a wood fired pot. The flame gently wraps around the clay in the kiln recording its path. The variations in tone around each soft peach is so inviting. (Is your mouth watering?) These flame licked peaches are nestled on top of a wood and soda fired bark plate of mine. By the way, a sign of a good peach is when the juice drips and reaches down to your elbow!

Well, I'm off to pick blueberries!

The Greatness of A Craft

Ink Stone Gallery is a new contemporary craft gallery that recently opened in Winterville, North Carolina, owned by Lisa and Matthew Stockard. They have a selection of my work on exhibit in their gallery, as well as other North Carolina craftspeople who work in clay, wood, stone, jewelry and more.

They have a blog, The Greatness of a Craft on their website. They recently posted a thoughtful tribute to all craftspeople. I wish there were more people out there like them, who really appreciate and see all that is in each piece of art. Read their new post, "Thanks, Heroes," here.

My Comfort Zone

This explosion of a flower goes off like fireworks. It is called cleome. I've been doing my usual state of things after a firing and a long show. I've been getting my ducks in a row. Those lists of catching up keep getting longer, from mowing, scraping kiln shelves, paying bills, computer work, cleaning studio, recycling clay and more. Sometimes I feel guilty that I can't get rolling on the wheel throwing pots right away, but I am learning to accept the fact that this is what I have to do to obtain my comfort zone. I'm one of those organized neat freaks who have to have things orderly to have a clear mind. I don't actually have a label maker, though, like my good friend Meagan who right now is busily setting up and organizing her freshly built studio.

So, I've also been researching some exhibits and shows to apply for and sorting through those digital images I took of my new pots. I did make up a new test glaze to throw in Linda's salt kiln firing this week. These new bowls I made last firing,

I used a green celedon glaze as the liner. I really like the way they turned out, but when I was unloading them I had a thought that maybe a nice cool, icy white glaze would be pretty inside. So, I actually found a glaze recipe called Ice Trap Celedon in John Britt's book that I thought I'd test out in Linda's kiln and again in Will's firing next week. Will is firing his wood kiln off again and we are splitting the load of pots and the share of stoking the kiln. I have enough leftover bisque ware from the last load that will be great to get into his kiln. Yeah! The Roan Mountain wood kiln will soon be firing off once again!

On the Road Again

Just an update on another day in the life of a potter. On Wednesday I crammed the wagon full with my booth display and pots and headed to Asheville to set up my booth for the Southern Highland Craft Fair, which has been going on all weekend through Sunday at the Civic Center. Everything obviously barely fits here, and as Judith Duff always says, I had to cut my toenails just to be able to fit in the car!


For those of you reading who don't know the before and after parts the artists deal with at craft fairs, this just shows the typical "booth" you're given and the work you have cut out for you to set up a display.

Before:

This is my current booth display, the cream wall panel in the back is new, but soon I'm going to be building new shelving units and tables.

After:

Tomorrow the Craft Fair is over and I'll pack it all up and take the show on the road once again in a couple of weeks.

Taking a Closer Look

Why I love soda and texture:

I love the variation of color between the ridges of texture here.

I've been busy sanding and washing all the new pots. It's been nice seeing them with my eyes like macro lenses. After close inspection you can see all the amazing things about clay, soda, ash and fire. I only hope others can look this closely at pottery in their daily lives so they can see all it holds.


I've been shooting images of my work, learning the settings on a new camera. I'm hoping the white balance is correct for my lighting.


These 3 soda fired cups were actually fired last month in Will's wood kiln. What variations...

Even More Pots

I'll stop cluttering up the world wide web with a million pictures after this last post of yet a few more pots.

New Pots

After I unloaded the kiln, I then had to pack all the pots up, load it in the car, bring it back to the studio, and then finally unload it again to see it again. I think the term, "mover" should be inserted into my job description, as I tend to find myself moving things around more than I do anything else!

So, unloading the pots in the boxes at the studio was like re-unloading the kiln all over again. Tomorrow I'll get going on a few reed handles as well as start sorting through the pots. They need to be sanded, washed and priced, as I'm going to be exhibiting in the Southern Highland Craft Fair in Asheville next week, Thursday through Sunday.

Here's a few new images of pots:

I'm making a new wall panel for my booth where I'll be able to display these wall pieces.

Carved Mugs with helmar flashing slip

Carved tumblers with helmar flashing slip

Porcelain carved tumblers

Carved porcelain triangular vase

Fireworks and Soda Pots

Here's a shot of some local Bakersville fireworks a week ago. Since then, I was firing off my own fireworks, and just unloaded the soda kiln today! Whew!


Here are some before and after views of the firing:

Bricking up the door after loading

Front Stack After

Middle Stack Before

Middle Stack After

Back Stack Before

Back Stack After

I succeeded in loading the kiln looser this time, and increased the soda amount I sprayed in to help it cover the drier areas, however some pots got way more soda than I prefer. But I'm learning that I have to go a little heavier on the soda so that it will save the pots on the drier side. You win some and lose some, but you can't win them all.

This is a little cutie. It has such a great firing on it, but unfortunately it is only about 3 inches tall! It's a little cup / vase doodad, great kiln fillers between bigger pots.

Bark Trays, positioned on sea shells that leave their effect on the clay...I wrap wire onto the backs of these so they can be displayed on the wall.

Brave soldiers, taking on the raging storm of 2300 F heat, stacked right on the bagwall. They actually are a little too spicy for my taste....I call this tiger soda peel, or maybe it's more leopard?

cringe...:( too much soda competes with the quiet texture

Nice flashing here with a helmar based slip that I use right on the fireface side.


Overall, I think it went well, although I'm still absorbing in all the pots. The cycle of making and firing and then unloading the results is like being on a roller coaster. The past two days, while the kiln was cooling, I was heading up to the top peak of the roller coaster, wondering what the top would be like. Right now, after the unloading, I guess I'm sailing down, but I don't feel like I'm quite on solid ground yet. "It's never what you think it will be, expectation is beauty and the beast, "says potter Michael Kline who recently described the usual potter's blues after an unloading in his recent post right here. I completely agree with him and often feel the same way. Given time to absorb, the pots begin to create new levels of understanding, with some reaching your expectations, and some not at all. I find that when I pick out my best ones and shoot images of them in my photo booth, I see them better. Looking at them closer in that way helps me realize the strong and quiet parts about the pots.

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