Monday, July 12, 2010

Fast and Slow


Some of the wheels of progress are moving very slow around here. The men determined it would take three of them to move the kiln into place without taking it apart. So tomorrow morning there should be three men here at once and they will finally move it into place so I can fire it.


I've been making lots of pottery so that is moving fast. I made the jutting vase last night. I was going to texture it but I like it smooth. These platters I made with a native fern. The ferns here are different than those I used in California. The ends of the leaves are sparse.


Meanwhile I've still been taking my pottery over to my new potter friend, Hil-dee's studio to be fired. Today I went to see her at an art fair about 45 minutes from here and every time I went by her booth it was so crowded with customers I didn't want to interrupt. You can't really see her in the photo, she's behind the two ladies on the left talking with a couple about one of her pieces.


The next photo is of another potter's booth. I'm looking at the way booths are set up to see how to improve my own. I like the taller shelves for pottery. I wonder where I can get some fold up shelves? Anyone know of a source?


I've been painting baseboards and the tile is going in fast. I've been making more and more pottery and almost every closet is filled up with pieces drying. I really need my kiln. Not sure how I'm going to move all the greenware out of the studio when they need to tile it. The studio will be the last room. Hope all goes according to plan for setting the kiln in place tomorrow.


See the painting stool; that's my favorite for painting. It is just the right height to put the paint can on and dip the brush inside. Gary's tried to throw it away many times but I won't let him. Well back to work for me. Comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome.

12 comments:

  1. You'll be firing non stop for quite a while to catch up with all the work you have done. It will be a good way of getting to know the new kiln! I like those fern patterns, the ferns seem an ideal shape for decorating, with the sparse tips contrasting with the more leafy bits!

    Three men to move a kiln sounds about right. When we installed my electric kiln, it was just me and our local postman to lift it off the trailer and carry it to the shed. I remember the two of us making eye contact as we felt the weight of it, and then doing the 15 or so yards to the shed as fast as we could, because we knew that once we had put it down...., we would never be able to pick it up again!

    Lovely that you are making potter friends.

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  2. Like that "jutting" vase. Dramatic. How fun that your kiln will soon be in and ready to go!... I've not gotten in to having a portable booth for shows. It'll be interesting to see how other potters respond to your inquiry about shelving.

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  3. Like that "jutting" vase. Dramatic. How fun that your kiln will soon be in and ready to go!... I've not gotten in to having a portable booth for shows. It'll be interesting to see how other potters respond to your inquiry about shelving.

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  4. I love the angles on that vase. Speaks to me.
    Good luck on getting the kiln in place and soon your house will be your home!

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  5. Darn computer, I had a response to four comments and it signed me off and I didn't copy my response before I tried to post it. So here goes again, these will be much short responses due to my extreme frustration.

    Hi Peter, thanks, I didn't notice the ferns were different till I pulled them out of the slip, funny how the eyes play tricks on you. Luckily my kiln has to move about three feet. I can' imagine you and the postman moving a kiln that far, what a feat.

    Hi Patricia, thanks, I see that one section of the vase is level, wish I had made that on an angle too, well guess I'll have to make another one. Hope someone responds with shelving ideas.

    Hi Meredith, thanks, the vase kind of reminds me of art deco style someone, the bottom is really narrow, almost kind of tippy, another middle of the night foray with clay, he he. I hate remodeling, we were wishing yesterday we had moved to Tennessee and put up a quonset hut or a shop, new is so much easier than remodeling. Oh well, live and learn, too late now for a while.

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  6. i like the angular vase linda. looks like a lot of activity in your neck of the woods. i need to make some little pedestals like the ones in the shot at the fair with the horizontal slats going up.

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  7. I'm not sure about folding shelves but I know several people who have gotten shelves from Ikea, they seem to assemble and break down fairly easily. I got some Skandia shelves from someone on craigslist for a reasonable price. They are in great shape and transport very well.
    I'd love to see your booth shot.

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  8. I got my bakers racks/fold up shelves at Ross Dept. Store. I have also seen some nice/more expensive ones at Hobby Lobby. They are easy to set up and take down and store well in a vehicle. One tip: make sure that the shelves don't have wide gaps. Smaller pieces will fall through or tip over.

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  9. Hi Jim, thanks, I've got a couple more of these angular shapes in mind. In my mind's eye, I didn't like the look of the slats, I think the pedastals would read much better as a solid form. I think Michael Kline had some pedastals he made on his blog a while ago of varying heights, not sure when, you might check with him, I think they were white and inexpensively made, but my memory may be failing me on part of that. A pedastal or two for a focal vase isn't a bad idea. If you look at Hildee's booth on the right front she has a huge bowl, it's almost two feet across and a foot deep, well maybe not two feet because her kiln is only 21 inches I think maybe 24.

    Hi Lori, thanks, I know there is such a thing as folding shelves. The shelves come out and the uprights fold, easier to pack and move. I will check Ikea site to see what they have and see what Skandia might have too. I just got back from Hildee's and she got hers via internet, but I forgot the name of the place and I have a call out to her. I only have shots of my booth from a couple of California shows in the archives of my blog somewhere. I had low tables at one with pedastals about a foot high on those which were covered with a tablecloth. The other show is a handmade booth for a special show made out of wood. the show creators kept the booth for future shows. Once I get my shelves I plan on setting up my booth in my yard for practice and I'll post then, hopefully in a month of so.

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  10. Hi Judy, thanks and welcome, I'll check out Ross I have only seen clothes there. I am hoping for wood shelves so different sized pottery will sit firm. Never saw any at Michael's either. I need to go shopping more often. I saw Target had some folding ones on the internet; I might go by there. I am hoping for at least three with six feet height. It's easy to find the low ones, but more difficult to find the tall ones.

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  11. You are lucky to get three men to help with the kiln. Whenever I need something heavy moved, I'm lucky to get one. Hope all goes well! Love the fern platters and the vase. When I used to do arts and craft shows, I had some folding shelving units that were handmade by my ex. They worked quite well and weren't hard to build.

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  12. Hi Marguerite, thanks, the men were kind of a captive audience, one was the tile guy, one was a handyman and other is my husband Gary. I didn't know you used to arts and craft shows, what type of art did you do? I check with you on your blog too. I think if I thought about it I could probably make the bookcases myself since we have a chopsaw, but sometimes it's less expensive to buy them than it is to make them after you purchase the lumber, sad but true, overseas items cost less than us making them.

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I love suggestions, questions, critiques, thanks for your comment