Driftwood Basket, New Gallery, Fall Show

Basket with Driftwood Handle

12 h x 9 w x 5 w inches

While packing some of my work to take to a couple of galleries I noticed I'd previously made this tall vase with holes on either side. I decided to add a driftwood handle. This time I've used linen cord and added a couple of glass beads. Linen cord is much easier to work with than the metal wire. I have some other basket making material in my stash which I'll be trying on other pieces. I've been leaving the driftwood natural but wondered if I should coat it with a clear varnish or some wax. What do you think? What would you recommend I use?

Sea Basket

7 h x 11 w x 6 w inches

The Fall Show is on at the Helen Arts Center and runs through October and I have three pieces in the show including my green driftwood handled basket, or sea basket. Also I was juried into the Mountain Regional Arts and Crafts Guild and their ArtWorks Artisan Center is carrying my work. The Guild's ArtWorks Artisan Center recently moved to a new, closer to downtown, location on Chatuge Street in Hiawassee, GA.

Coming up a winter squash recipe and another home improvement project. Yesterday morning there were eight turkeys in our yard but when I went outside to take their photo they all flew away. If you've ever seen a wild turkey fly they are a sight since they are so heavy it's hard for them to get any height. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Strawberry Jubilee

Tomorrow I'll be at the Strawberry Jubilee in Blairsville from 8 am to 1 pm with some of my pottery for sale. I squeaked in at the last minute so I've way too much to do this evening. Where are my table cloths, where are my booth props? Yikes. The Strawberry Jubilee is held at the Union County Farmer's Market located at 148 Old Smokey Road, Blairsville, GA just east of Home Depot off Highway 76/515.

The rose red platter above (about 8 x 10 inches) is textured with real leaves from the forest surrounding my home. While glazing a few weeks ago I thought to myself all leaf platters don't need to be green so I took a risk and glazed this one with a studio glaze called new rose. I really like this glaze. I plan to make more pottery pieces using this glaze. It's the same glaze I used on the outside of the cherry tree bowl.

I'm calling this piece 'twisted sister' since I twisted the ribbons decorating the pieces. She's glazed in a variegated matt green glaze and is about ten inches tall. I drove with this piece lying down in my car over the mountain about 40 miles to be bisque and glaze fired at the Helen Arts Center. I also glaze fired her twice. Sometimes clay amazes me how tough it is, other times at how fragile it is. Stay tuned for a sneak peak at the kitchen and some candle lit lantern photos. Oh, I got two new display shelves for my booth but ran out of time to take photos, next time. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Unexpected Results from the Kiln Gods

When I got to Helen Arts Center yesterday no one was there so I unloaded the glaze and part of the bisque kilns. After firing sometimes the slip colors are lighter than when they are applied to the greenware or after the bisque. This time they're darker. I used a clear glaze over the top of the slip colors. I love unexpected results from the kiln gods.

This turquoise slip in this wall tile also fired more vibrant than I expected but I like it. I do love the color of turquoise and brown together. There are a few brown speckles in the color since I used the speckled stoneware clay to make the tile. I used a clear glaze over the slip colors. I'll hang this tile in my own home testing the integrated hanging system on the reverse to see how it performs. I plan to  make more wall tiles in the future hopefully some of them much larger, we'll see how they do..

This rustic basket glaze worked the way I hoped. All of these photos are taken on our front deck railing; the sun may have been too bright and made the foreground too dark.

This lantern was a prototype; I have several revisions for the next one. The top and sides are removable so a candle can be placed in the interior. I've got to get a candle and take a photo at night to see how it looks. Stay tuned for a few more results coming up soon; it was raining yesterday when I was getting the pots out of my car. On the way to the Helen Arts Center yesterday I saw a box turtle crossing the road. On the way back I saw a beaver crossing the road. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

A Bear Cub Cries for Help

source

Yesterday on my trip back from Helen Arts Center I saw the bear cub again in approximately the same location at the top of the mountain on Richard Russell Scenic Byway. This time I slowed down and opened my window to get a closer look at him. Don't ask me how I knew but sometimes animals "speak" to me. I just knew the bear cub was crying for help. I was thinking the cub lost his mother and didn't know how to look for food.

When I got home I called the Fish and Game Department to let them know the cub is in trouble. Apparently several other people have also called them about the bear cub. The Fish and Game officer told me one woman was going to wait near the bear cub till the Fish and Game arrived. I'm hoping the cub is rescued and has a good outcome. The photo was borrowed but shows the approximate size of the cub but the bear cub I saw was much thinner than the one in the photo. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Pressure Washing

 Yesterday was dry and warm so Gary pressure washed the decks.

The decks look so much better. We didn't realize how much dirt was embedded in them. We'll get a stain to put on them to help preserve them. Do you have any recommendations on stains or hints on applying it?

I got up fairly early this morning and heard a noise outside; it was possum visiting the cat water bowl. I was wishing I had some brown clay so I could make another sgraffito possum platter like the one above. Highwater Clay doesn't have a dark brown clay I may have to order some from Standard Clay.

Seems as though the hibernators are waking up; on the way to the Helen Arts Center I saw a yearling black bear on the top of the mountain. I immediately thought of Teresa Evangeline's poem Black Bear Wakes. I slowed down in case the bear ran in front of me and he turned to look at me over his shoulder. I wish I had my camera with me. I took some work to the Helen Arts Center for their next art show in May and I also took some greenware to be fired. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.