Tag Archives: pottery lessons

Drippy Glazes

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One of the great things about moving is that you have to pack and unpack stuff that has been ignored for some time. We tossed a lot of seconds during the move but also packed a box and labeled it “needs grinding”. These drippy ash glaze mugs fell into that category. They only needed a little bit of grinding but it just never happened. Until yesterday, that is. 

I still love this glaze combination of shino and ash. I think I am going to explore it some more in 2016. The down side of it is… grinding bottoms and grinding shelves. 
My NH potter friend, Paul Haigh, shared this joke on facebook this week. I thought some readers might appreciate it:
What’s the difference between a potter and a large pizza?
A large pizza can feed a family of four.
Have a great day, and an awesome weekend.

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Getting it done…

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The itty bitty gas kiln is firing tonight. Inside it’s belly is an assortment of mug, plates, and a vessel sink. All are orders. Fingers and toes crossed for a fabulous firing. We are fortunate that we have this little kiln to hold us over until our larger kiln can be rebuilt (soon, very soon… wish for good weather so our kiln shed will be installed).

While the kiln fires, I have taken some new photos of mugs for the Etsy shop. It’s always good to freshen things up for the new year.

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Giving it Away…

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As I rolled out of bed this morning, I heard my phone make that little sound that means I have a message on Etsy. Yay, maybe someone wants to order a piggy bank and has some questions. I clicked on the link only to find a message from someone wanting me to donate a salt pig to her pig rescue charity auction… it will be great exposure (yes she said that) and it’s tax deductible (artist’s can write very little off when they donate work).

Really? You want me to pack up a salt pig, pay for the postage, and ship it off. I don’t even know you. You live in another state. How do I know that you aren’t looking for free stuff for yourself?

This isn’t the first charity request I have received via Etsy and I am sure it won’t be the last.

I am getting REALLY good at saying NO.

As artists, we are often living hand to mouth. Some months I wish there was a charity that benefits me. Don’t get me wrong… Jeff and I make donations. We have a few groups that we give to every year. Causes that have meaning to us. We don’t do it for the exposure, because despite what many beggars, I mean solicitors, will tell you… the exposure is miniscule. I also don’t give donations to groups that tend to get less than the real value of the work.

That’s my rant for the day. Onward to more productive and positive thoughts.
Thanks for listening. Comments welcome.

Green and White Salt Pig – STILL available in the Etsy shop – clicking the photo will take you there
I would love for someone to rescue him 😉

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Back to Reality

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What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we enjoyed bright sunshine and warmer temperatures. Everything was melting. It was a perfect day to get outside, sands pots, and load the kiln for a bisque firing. It was late afternoon when the work was done. I wanted to enjoy every minute of outside time before the sun set, and the cold returned. With phone in hand, I decided to walk around the house and take some winter photos.

We got our slab poured just in time. Now we are waiting for our kiln shed to arrive.

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The Day After

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We weathered the storm without incident. The ice was minimal, the power stayed on, spaghetti and meatballs were cooked, and bread was baked. It was actually a rather enjoyable break.

It was still cold today and the sun won’t make an appearance until tomorrow. I am counting on it to melt the ice and reveal green grass and pavement once more. The studio was chilly today no matter how much heat we pumped into it. I finally managed to get handles on mugs before calling it quits. The rest of the afternoon will be spent curled up with the cat and a book.
I might even put my pajamas back on.

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Snow and Ice!

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The winter storm has descended upon us. The forecast for snow accumulation has been downgraded, but we are still expecting plenty of ice. If I had to choose between the two, I would choose snow.
Jeff and I are taking it slow today. The gallery is closed (obviously) and the only clay work I will get to will be some handles on mugs. It’s probably a good day to get my last quarter sales tax return completed. The deadline is looming.

No morning coffee on the patio today.

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Be Prepared

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Photo Credit: Joe Zentner
Winter storm Jonas is on his way. Here in Seagrove we are expecting a mix of snow and ice. Here at 505 E Main we are about as prepared as we can be. Groceries were bought, battery supply looks good, and there are always lots of candles around here. The plus side of this house: town water. If we lose power (and the pipes don’t freeze) our toilets will still flush. Downside: we have a heat pump, no power = cold. There is a fireplace here, but we haven’t had it inspected and won’t use it until that happens. I would rather not burn the house down. On the plus side, we do have a kerosene heater that we can turn on in the studio to keep clay from freezing. Worse comes to worse we can go in there to warm up! It’s good to be prepared, and perhaps the storm pattern will change and it won’t be as bad as predicted.
The photo is from the 2008 ice storm in New Hampshire. Now that was a colossal storm and you may remember, from past posts, it also occurred the week that John died. I was so out of touch with the outside world that I wasn’t prepared at all. Danielle came just before the storm to stay with us. We lost power in the early evening. There were oxygen tanks in the house, so candles were out of the question. We conserved our flashlight batteries as best we could. 24 hours later, and still without power, John left this earth. The roads were barely passable, and hospice was unable to come and be with us. It was two more days before the power was back in my apartment. Some of my neighbors weren’t so lucky and still had no power two weeks later. I walked through the neighborhood on the warm Christmas eve and could still hear the constant hum of generators. 
Forecasts of impending ice storms bring the memories of that time back to the surface. But this time I am prepared and I know that we will weather the storm.

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Hibernation

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Winter has finally arrived in Seagrove, NC. The last few days have been cold. Sunday, I awoke to snow flurries. This morning… temperatures in the 20’s. Compared to my winters in New Hampshire, this is minor… but I have definitely acclimated to the south. It has been a strain for me to get out to the studio and make pots. I have managed to complete orders, and that one board of sponge holders, but that’s about it.
I have gone into hibernation mode.
My preferred place to be is curled up on the sofa with my arsenal of books, pencils, and sketchbook. It usually takes me months to finish a book and I have nearly finished two in the past week. By evening I am ready to move towards the kitchen and cook something warm and soothing for the two of us… rice and beans, a pot of soup, baked macaroni and cheese.
Comfort food.
Evenings have been spent curled up in front of the television, Jeff by my side, cat in my lap, streaming “Nurse Jackie” on the television. We have had a couple of marathon nights when we suddenly realized it was 2:00 am and we had better head off to bed.
I realized last week that I do this every January. It’s my response to the end of the holiday season and my way of coping with the worry of “how will we pay the bills?” during the slow season.
Today I will be more productive. I have pots to glaze and orders to ship. Once my to-do list is checked off, my book will be waiting.
…and so will Nurse Jackie.

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Need Dentures?

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Jeff might be able to help…
Photo Credit: Jeff Brown

Jeff has this awesome commission to sculpt a set of skull mugs with a matching pitcher. He has done skull commissions in the past, but it’s been a long time. I am absolutely amazed at how realistic the teeth are going to be!

Photo Credit: Jeff Brown
Jeff has been working on these at night, in between making sinks. He loves to throw pots… any pots, but he first got into pottery through sculpture and I know he is enjoying this opportunity. Some of you may have seen these photos on facebook, I swiped them from his page. I will post again when they are completed.

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Cheap Eats

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Jeff and I are pretty frugal. After a not so hot show season, coupled with big relocation expenses, we are being even more frugal. The fact that we both like to cook helps a lot.  I look for marked down meats whenever I am shopping. This week I scored in-store made, bulk sausage at the local market for half price… I saw dirty rice in my future! I simmered a big pot of pinto beans, cooked cowboy style, to go along with the rice. It was spicy deliciousness served with a chunk of cornbread. I enjoyed mine in my favorite bowl by Seagrove potter, Tom Gray. Not the best color choice for serving this rather yellow meal, but absolutely the perfect shape. We ate dinner while streaming a television show, and this bowl feels so good cradled in your hands, filled with warm food.

I think this meal might have cost $8 to make, the biggest expense being the slab bacon that went into the beans, but we have enough leftovers to eat another meal and probably lunch too. It also felt like a treat. This isn’t a meal that is in our “regular” rotation, especially since it’s bacon and sausage on one plate! You gotta splurge once in awhile, and when you do… why not bacon?

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