Flower Basket

My oval serving dish form turned into a spring flower basket for those of you who like to skip in meadows while picking flowers.  I don't know about you, but I kinda like to do that!

Carved Dessert Dish

 
Yes, I do believe I'll have a banana split with the works decked out in this new carved oval dish! My favorite form from the firing, I only made one of these prototypes.  This one's a keeper for a while as I look at it and study it so I can make more again, and this time in large batches for huge dessert parties!

Paper Plate, Plastic Plate, White Plate, Artist Plate

Above you'll see my new carved dessert plates, each one has a slightly different carving, or peaked rim additions, some have two panels, some have three, and some have a continuous carving pattern all around.  And they are carved underneath as well. 

Below is the next size up- meet the lunch plate or salad plate.  It's featuring new raised white additions that feel nice to touch.

And if you really want to see lots of great plates, come to the Penland Gallery for the opening reception this Friday night to see an amazing arrangement of over 200 plates from artists all over the country.  Will and I both were invited to show our plates, hope we see you there!  It's truly a beautiful show. I could spend hours in there looking at all the different plates.

Paper Plate, Plastic Plate, White Plate, Artist Plate

A collection of artist-made dinner plates and related insights about food
March 20 - May 6
Reception: Friday, March 30, 7:00 – 8:30 pm

New pots!

I've been photographing a lot of the new work from the kiln.  There are lots of great new pots to absorb!  The teapot above is one of my favorites from the firing, all the details worked out and I'm happy with the feel and width of the clay handle, feeling the carving and ridges under your fingers as I hold it.  I'll slowly reveal more this week...

A peek

Unloaded the wood kiln today!  It was a great firing, we're still taking it all in-- both Will and I had some interesting surfaces and new forms come out of this one.  More pictures soon!

Fresh

While awaiting the wood kiln to cool, I was able to get out with my camera and take stock of what's been exploding all around me.   A sweet saturated spring has come to our western North Carolina mountains and even though the winter didn't seem much of a winter, I'm loving all of the new lush green and bursting flowers.

Spring Firing!

The wood kiln was loaded up on the spring equinox and we're burning pallets as I write.  It's a beautiful mountain day for firing.  Happy Spring!

AKAR Yunomi Invitational

I'm excited to be invited for the first time to show in everyone's favorite Yunomi Invitational at AKAR Design. I sent along 5 of my favorite new cups from the wood and soda kiln, each with a different carving or texture.

Save the date- the show opens online only,

 this Friday-- at 10 am CST, March 23:

Here's where you'll find the show online:

http://www.akardesign.com/

Follow the show at AKAR's Facebook Page

Glazin'

Dessert plates and ice cream boats. Fun to have some new items! (And I'm wondering why I have such a sweet tooth!)

Favorites

I'm working on my favorite type of pot as I finish up this making cycle before we fire up the wood kiln next week.  Enjoying the process the whole way, these two teapots have a few more details built into them.  I feel so fulfilled working on a teapot, adding each integral part until the teapot is finished, not worrying about how long it takes to make the handle or any part of it for that matter.  It's those moments that highlight the reason I'm a potter.  These teapots are proudly handmade in small and carefully considered batches.

Stay tuned....wood firing next week!

Nourish; Art for Food

This weekend an exciting exhibit opens down in Marshall, NC at a beautiful gallery called Flow, handmade adornment for Body + Home.  The exhibit features handcrafted tableware and food inspired art by 15 regional artists and craftspeople celebrating the sensual allure of food and the art of table settings.  I've included a place setting of my dinnerware and my large reed basket as a centerpiece in the exhibit.

Food

in its most irresistible forms
are considered in
glass - clay - fiber - metal - wood

  

Light refreshments
warm people
beautiful furnishings

 Opening Saturday, March 10, 6-9 pm.

For more information:

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/FlowMarshall/106350829414020

Throwing larger

Well, large for this small pot potter. This week I'm trying to refine some forms that need to get better.  I'm making parts to pitchers and vases that I will combine together to create a larger, more balanced and better thrown form.  This is an answer to a struggle I've always had with throwing larger and somehow I feel like a huge breakthrough came when I was working on these.  I'm excited to carry through with them and see how the proportions are resolved once they are connected, handles are added and they are decorated.