Why This One

I was glazing this morning and noticed what I thought was a small piece of slip flaking off the painted lady lidded canister. On closer inspection I see a whole piece of clay was just about popped off. The middle has some black specks on the inside like there was some kind of debris in the clay and a small amount was powdery substance. Maybe there was a little piece of metal in there or something.

Anyway why this one, it took me so long to make this piece. Maybe I'll fire the lid to see how it turns out fired separately. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Semi Rickety Cart

Here's the next installment on the rickety carts. This one is semi rickety. Of course that could change after firing. The uprights may break away, go askew, and this cart will become very rickety in appearance. That's because there's only a small amount of surface connecting the uprights together at the top. Paper clay might be good to construct these with, one of these days I'll give it a try. These carts are deceptively simple looking but this one has 28 separate pieces. Toilet paper cardboard is a clay artist's best friend, they're great for propping up pieces till they dry sufficiently to stand on their own and support the load above. They have just the right amount of spring in them to put up pressure but not too much. Then there's a piece of two by four which wasn't high enough so I added two cone holders.

When I look at this cart I keep thinking I want to make one of those carts that used to carry circus animals in it. I think it would be cool to put one of those plastic or metal animals inside after firing. But how to get it in there if I have all the uprights fired in place? Maybe a few of the uprights would have to be removable. Something to ponder. Meanwhile the thicker plates are almost through their first trial by fire. However, the glaze load will be the real test as to whether they hold their shape or not. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

There is something wrong with blogger commenting, hopefully they get it fixed soon, it is affecting all blogs - the problem is fixed now, so you should be able to comment.

Not So Rickety Cart

Perhaps you recall these two carts I made some time ago. Yesterday I decided to make another. I planned on making one that wasn't so rickety.

Sometimes the original idea is better than subsequent ones. I really like these first two much better than this next one. I think the sides are too tall and I don't like the vine texture on it.

Since I took the time to cut out all the pieces I decided I might as well make it. But I think I like the rickety carts better than this newer one.

Today I'll make another one and work on the scale of the piece and add some rickety back in. It isn't easy making something rickety and still keeping it standing up. This post is part of the Mud Colony weekly what's happening in he studio. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Teapots and Tools

Before we left California to move East I was thinking of what to make for the Clay and Blogs show which Meredith Heywood of Whynot Pottery invited me to, thanks Meredith. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and meeting Meredith and Mark Heywood and all the other potters I had conversed with for years via my blog. Check out Meredith's blog for some new pots she just snapped some photos of.

Anyway for the show I thought about making a teapot. I made a few sketches of an idea I had and told myself I'd make a  teapot when I got to the East Coast and was moved into a new home. When we got here I couldn't find my sketches in any of my clay journals. I looked high and low and no teapot sketches were to be found anywhere. I knew I had sketched three teapots in a rough pyramid shape; so I decided to build a teapot from memory. That's the teapot I built above which sold at the show.

We've slowly been going through all our closets, paperwork and the treasure bus organizing, tossing, donating, selling etc. I had a few notebooks I kept by the desk in California for the lavender farm with orders, farm notes, etc. I flipped through a couple of them and decided I didn't need them any longer. As I was flipping through I came across the drawing above. No wonder I couldn't find my sketches of the teapots in my clay journal, they were in my lavender farm notebook.

I learned how to hand build by butting my seams together. About a year ago I learned of a bevel cutting tool. The idea is to slide the wire alongside the edge of the clay and it cuts the clay in a nice bevel shape. With two pieces of clay cut in this manner and put together the seam matches up very neatly. After all these years I finally splurged on a bevel cutting tool. What a difference my seams are going to make.  I tried this tool yesterday for a cart I made and the seams are hardly noticeable. Since money is tight I sometimes feel guilty about spending money on clay supplies, but this was money well spent. One side has a wire with a 45 degree angle and the other side has a wire with either a 60 or 30 degree angle. I think I'll make a few more teapots and use my new bevel tool. I have cut seams with a needle tool on a bevel, but this tool makes the cuts more even. This tool is going to help me improve my building skills. Thanks for reading and for all  your comments.

Gulf Fritillary

 Gulf Fritillary on lantana.

 Great Blue Heron hunting near beach

 Fort Island pier.

a black bird in palm tree

a red flower blooming under a palm

We took a trip to our local beach as a getaway the other day. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Boris The Cat

Since I have three cats you'd think I'd have made a cat sculpture before now. When I first started working in clay I made a couple of cat masks, but those are long gone. This is Boris the Cat; he's about ten inches tall.  I decided to use a name starting with B since my three cats have names which start with a B. Hope he makes it through the firing, especially the whiskers. If the whiskers do make it I'm now wondering how I would transport or pack him? I never think of these things in advance I just make the piece. I going to leave him natural clay. It was getting dark and the lighting isn't that good, but I have painted some red clay stripes over the natural tan clay. I gave him a purple collar and some yellow eyes. I already have some ideas on how to improve the making; but the first attempt is always so much fun and the greatest challenge to me.

I have a couple of shows coming up so I've been trying to get ahead on my making. Here's a large vine bowl and four smaller vine bowls below. I also made daisy textured bowls, then vine and daisy textured trays and some butter dishes. I've been using a small dowel to press the edges of the bowls and they're coming out a lot smoother and more even than the edges of the thick plates I made.

Here are some mini tiles I starting making with left over clay pieces. These are about 1.5 inches square.

I also made a few more pendants.

Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Feline Meditation

Here's my cat, Butter, is his new favorite place to relax between the lamp and my Buddha statue, feline meditation. Luckily the Buddha is made of concrete so there is no danger of him accidentally pushing it off the dresser top. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Towers and Steeples

On a trip a few years ago, Gary and I took the eastern route from California to Oregon and back again. We passed acres and acres of graze land. As luck would have it we passed an old wool mill town called Shaniko and decided to stop. Many of the buildings in that town have been restored to their former glory. Above is a restored school house with a nice hip roof and beautiful bell tower. I love this shade of green. 

In a town further down the road we saw this abandoned church. So sad it was just left to decay. I love the Gothic windows. I could live in a building like this. Wouldn't it be a cool studio? There's a church in Seagrove, NC with Gothic style windows. I know I have a photo of it somewhere. Since I'm so inspired by architecture and buildings I put together an Etsy treasury called Home Sweet Home. I included a range of houses, shrines, fairy house, toad houses, bird houses, bird feeders and the like. Each one is so unique. 

This church bird house above was created by Mike Dolinsky, so much detail in his work. Next are two towers I saw near White Sands New Mexico on our trip from California to Florida. I think the town was Alamogordo. That's where I met Dan the Rock Man.

This old water tower was by the railroad tracks outside of town.  The tower below was attached to an old brick building. Somehow the tower and the brick building don't seem to relate to one another, not sure what the story was behind this building.

Here are a couple of towers I'd like to visit in Florida. The first is Century Tower at the University of Florida in Gainsville.

The next is Sulphur Springs Tower in Tampa. These last three images were borrowed from wikipedia with links provided.

And at the top of my list is Bok Tower Gardens near Lake City. A tower and a garden together, what could be better.

There's something about towers and steeples reaching for the sky, so inspiring. Sometimes what humans have built leaves me in awe. By the way, I added a few more recipes on the recipe page. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Log Cabin

Ever since I started working in clay I wanted to make a log cabin. I'm inspired by the wood log cabin above which was made by Gary's grandfather. 

The style is very simple and yet look at how he put the logs together, each one is curved at the bottom. The door in front opens and closes too. 

Our friend Ralph knew how much I liked mountain living so he made this bird house for us just before we left California for Florida. He used all recycled materials. I like the shingle roof and the covered porch.

Since the overhanging porch is so low, I don't think predatory birds would be able to get at the chicks inside. I'm working out the details for a clay log cabin now, please stay tuned. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

A Doll with Wavy Red Hair

Each week Gary goes to the flea market hoping to sell a few items. When Gary returns home I ask him how he's done. Some days he says he did pretty good, other days he says it wasn't worth going. Today he made $6 but the booth cost him $12. What keeps Gary taking items to sell at the flea markets week after week are the people he meets. I can't wait for Gary to get home to tell me about the man, the woman, the child, the couple, or the family he met that day. There's a beautiful story contained in every person and I crave hearing those stories. The stories about my fellow man, about the human struggle he relays to me each day. There's a kind of companionship in knowing there are others who are the same as oneself. Other's who experience and feel the same things, who struggle the same struggles, people we feel a kinship with.

I told Gary he should write a book about all these people but Gary said he can't write. Gary's talents lie in talking to the people. Somehow Gary has the ability to get folks to feel free enough to tell their story to him. He in turn comes home and tells me the oral history of the day. I in turn wonder how I can do justice to their stories.

Across from Gary today was a family of four, a mother, a father, and two developmentally challenged girls. I might add the girls were adults. The family didn't sell anything all day long, not a thing. They were there all day sitting in the hot sun and keeping a stiff upper lip so to speak. Anyway, the guy next to them didn't sell anything all day long either, some days are like that. Usually towards the end of the month. Folks have run out of their monthly income by that time. During the day one of the girls took a liking to a doll the guy next to them had for sale. She cuddled and hugged that doll all day long. Gary said the doll was about two feet tall and had long wavy red hair. At the end of the day the guy who didn't sell anything went up to the parents and said he wanted their daughter to have the doll. The daughter was ecstatic.

When Gary came home and told me this story, I cried. I cried at the kindness and beauty of mankind. Gary said he asked the girl what she was going to name the doll. She said she didn't know yet, she'd wait till she brought the doll home. She said she'd see how the doll got along with her other dolls and then she'd know her name. The mother told Gary her daughter had lots of dolls, maybe too many.

Week after week Gary tells me about the people he meets. I wish, I only wish I could somehow help them all, but unable and failing that, I hope to be able to tell their story. I was going to call this story, A Story Waiting to be Told. But maybe that's the title to a book, Stories Waiting to be Told, and this is but one short story within that book. I have other's; Gary has others. Should I tell them here? Maybe a publisher will discover one and offer me a book deal. Ha. For now, Gary will keep going to the flea market because he likes it, and I will keep writing because I like it. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Business Card Holder

Several years ago after a trip to the coast in California I was inspired to make curled bark sculptures. I happened to walk through a eucalyptus grove and was mesmerized by all the furled bark pieces lying on the ground. When I got home I went into my studio and made quite a few bark sculptures, some large, some small. I wanted them to look like the pieces of bark I had seen. I experimented using several different types of clays, some stoneware and some porcelain, then I stained them with various stains. I left them unglazed and fired them in a reduction atmosphere to Cone 10.

While rearranging and dusting my display shelves this past week I looked at one of my smaller curled bark sculptures and a light bulb went off. It looked like the perfect size to hold business cards. I tried it out and the business cards fit perfectly. I only have two of these small ones. I put the top porcelain Business Card Bark Sculpture in my Etsy shop for sale.  I'm keeping the darker stoneware one, pictured in the second and third photos, for myself.

I love the organic look and feel of these bark sculptures. The porcelain one is smooth to the touch and the stoneware one is slightly rough, as if I just picked it up from the ground with some gritty soil on it. Today I plan to make more of these business card holders in the Cone 5/6 clays I'm using now. This post is part of the weekly Mud Colony what's happening in the studio. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Ginger and Thyme Swordfish

For your convenience I have started a recipe page. Look at the top of the blog and click on the recipe page and on that page are photos of my recipes. Click on the title of each one and it will take you to that recipe. As time goes by I'll add more recipes, including some that aren't fish recipes.

Gary went to the fish market his week and came home with swordfish from the islands. I asked him which islands and he said probably in the Carribean. I drained the thick steaks on a paper towel. Meanwhile I sauteed some fresh ginger and shallots in some butter. I sprinkled the swordfish with a generous amount of dried thyme. After the shallots were softened I scooped them to the sides of the pan and placed the fillets in the center so they could brown nicely.

When the swordfish fillets were brown on one side I turned them over and browned the other side. After they were brown I turned down the heat and covered them to cook the center. When a fork inserted into the middle goes in easily they are cooked. I placed the fillet on a plate and scooped up the ginger and shallots and put them on top of the swordfish. It was so delicious and much more tender and flavorful than the swordfish I've had from the West Coast, perhaps because it was so fresh.

I know there has been talk about these large fish containing mercury and Gary asked the fish market about that. The owner said the game fish from the islands have little mercury in them. Maybe because there isn't much industry in the islands and the mercury doesn't leach into the water down there. Maybe it's true and maybe it's not, but I like to think it's true. I downloaded the USA study done on mercury exposure and read that mercury can also be absorbed through accidental or occupational sources, tainted cosmetics, dental amalgams, drinking water, inhalation, and foods grown in mercury contaminated soil. Mercury is easily absorbed through inhaling and through the skin; I guess that's why my mom always warned us about playing with those mercury thermometers, remember them?. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Grand Opening Recap

 I wasn't very organized with my booth display this time but it was a relaxed country atmosphere at our opening. I did get some carpets and I was glad I did since we set up on the ground and the grass was very sparse; it was mostly sand

a pinch pot from one of my demonstrations

time out for sweet potato pie for breakfast before the crowds arrived

only a potter would have clay and a sponge on the same table as food

acrylic artist's booth

water colors and there was face painting during the day

photography

 painting demo

 Gary on the left and Alexis in middle
I liked the wood displays she had I'd like to make some of these for my tables to add some height

music by Magic Bus duo

I took a few photos before the crowds arrived. I was busy with visitors to my booth and pinch pot demonstrations most of the day. Gary spent time watching the band, talking with all the visitors, and eating ribs made by Mt Carmel Baptist Church BBQ, which he said was delicious, so no photos of me. They also made the sweet potato pie which was unbelievably good. I had that for breakfast before everyone arrived.

Above is my quickly made pendent display a piece of luan plywood with some screws not screwed in all the way. The pendants hang nicely. I want to add a framed border around it with maybe some bamboo or other wood. I put the painter's tape so they don't swing in transport and remove it when I set it up on an easel. Besides bowls, my pendants and vine trays were the hottest sellers for the day. I also picked up a few more students for my pottery classes. We got up at 4:30 am to load the car, got there at 8 am to set up, and got home at 5:30 pm and are still worn out from the long day. The food and music were wonderful, had lots of visitors and sold a few pots, so it was a good day. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.