On The Road Again

We're on the road again minus quite a few dollars for a new tire, new wheel, new studs, new axles, and new U bolts. We were pushing a major head wind today and our mileage was for naught, but the further east we go, the lower the fuel prices are getting. Of course, I couldn't help but think of Willie Nelson and his song, On The Road Again.



We planned on stopping in Kerrville before San Antonio because I really wanted to see Gay of Sister Creek Pottery. For the life of us, we couldn't find an RV Park that wasn't full, or was long enough for our 58 feet of length, or had a pull through, etc. etc. I plan on writing the Texas Tourism to let them know they need better signage for RV parks along the highway.


Meanwhile, the other day I thought I should make some slip from the Navajo Wheel clay in case I needed some. Luckily I had a plastic mayonnaise jar I just emptied and thought it would be perfect for storing slip. I slaked some dry clay in a paper bowl, stirred the mixture up a few hours later, and poured it into the jar. The next day I took the jar out of the cabinet and saw it had separated into perfect layers. Hey, I made terra sig and didn't even intend or try to make it. So I decided to syphon off the top layer of mostly water with a small syringe I had in my tool box.


A few weeks ago I read that Tracey Broome had used some terra sig on one of her beautiful large smoke fired pots. Then recently I read that Judy Shreve has been using terra sig on her earthen ware with wonderful results. I didn't measure anything, I just thought it looked good and thought to myself, why not give it a try. I rolled out a couple of slabs of clay and thought I'd make a few tiles. The slabs ended up round so I thought I'd make small bowls from the slabs.


I had collected some artifacts lying about at the trailer repair business (see the rock lying on the table) while we were there and decided to use one of those for texture along the rim of the slab. Then I dipped my favorite inexpensive goat hair chip brush into the top of the mayonnaise jar. Oh, excuse me, I dipped my brush into my perfectly prepared terra sigilatta and brushed the center of the slab with the terra sig. I let it dry to the touch. I noticed it was really smooth and shiny when I applied it. I should have been making terra sig all along it's much better than the lumpy slip I have been making. The terra sig took a while to dry and I didn't want the cats to step on it so I had to proceed sooner than I liked.


I might put a black edge on the rim of the bowl or dab some black slip onto the textured surface of the rim. What do you think? I think the white edge is too light for the center of the bowl. I may have to refresh my black lines, they seem to have been blotted by the paper hump mold I used. In the photo above the indentation of the paper hump mold I used can be seen in the bottom of the bowl. Dang, they looked so good before I put them in the mold, but they were a bit wet. Next time I need to let the terra sig dry before putting them on the molds. But what can I do working in an RV with three cats ready to walk on anything left about.


It's kind of like the bird house I saw at a Texas rest stop, the sign said, "Don't Mess With Texas"; next time I don't need to mess with my terra sig till the proper time.

Seagrove Horsehair Pot

The other day I met one of my customers for coffee so I could deliver a couple of ceramic pieces they requested. We had a nice visit and then we parted ways. As long as I was in Visalia I decided I might as well stop in at the Discovery Shop. These specialty resale stores are run by the American Cancer Society throughout California. I make a point to shop there whenever I can because purchases and donations help fund research to find cures for cancer.


I was browsing in the store and on a bottom shelf was a small pot which looked like horsehair pottery. I was intrigued and picked it up and it was, indeed, horsehair pottery. I decided I would purchase the pot since it was very small, about 3.5 inches tall and 2.25 inches wide, and the price was also very reasonable. If you are here for the first time, I'm moving and the last thing I need is something else to pack and move, so that's why I was glad the pot was so small. Finding items at reasonable prices is another reason I like to shop at the Discovery Shop.


As I was walking over to the counter to pay, I saw there was a business card inside the pot. I pulled the card out and it read, Turn and Burn Pottery, Seagrove, NC. I was surprised to find a pot from Seagrove in the Discovery Shop here in California. I guess you never know when or where your pottery will turn up. That's a good reason to be sure to sign your pots, and putting a business card inside doesn't hurt either.

I took three photos of the pot, since each side has a different look. When I got home I read horsehair pottery is a recent 20th century development and is attributed to Corrine Louis a third generation Native American potter of the Yellowcorn Clan of the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico. In the late 1980's, by accident, Corrine's long hair came in contact with a hot piece of pottery and left a black mark of carbon and smoke on the clay surface. This coincidence ultimately led to the development of the horsehair technique. Horse hair, especially the coarse tail hair, leaves a very distinct visual mark on the pottery surface. Gee, my hair is really coarse, perhaps the next time I get a hair cut I'll save a little. Since Tracey Broome has a raku kiln I'm wondering if she plans on trying any horsehair pottery at her studio.

Good news, the closing date of our home has been moved up since all our inspections have been perfect. I'm packing like a mad woman because now we have less than two weeks and we're out of our home. Yikes! We'll visit a few friends on the West Coast and then head out on our travels across the country. So stay tuned, you won't want to miss a single post about the adventures of the traveling potter, Linda Starr (hey, that's me). I can't wait. I hope you'll come back and travel along with me, it should be fun.