Stray Dog Pottery Blog

Video, Randy Brodnax and Don Ellis Workshop, and Open House

2011-11-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

This is just a quick post to let you know about a few important events happening this weekend and next. And, I have a chance to try sharing a video of me throwing a pot for a worship service Susan conducted on The Potter's Hands at church. I don't know how to add music at this point, but if you do a search for the song Potter's Hands, you will be able to hear all sorts of versions of this praise song - it's one of my favorite songs. Susan took a video of me going through the process of making this pot and while she showed it in the service on a screen, I was actually throwing a pot in the sanctuary. It really was interesting in that both the video and myself throwing live were in-synch.

Besides the pottery worship service, I wanted to share two other things that are happening this month at the studio. First, we have a two day workshop with Randy Brodnax and Don Ellis this weekend. If you haven't seen any of their work, you can check out some videos on the Ceramic Arts Daily page. I am really looking forward to this workshop and hope to learn a lot - especially about raku firing, which is their specialty.

The other thing that I want to share is the annual Finch Potters Open House next Sunday. If you have never attended one of these Open Houses, it is worth the journey if you are close enough to Bailey, North Carolina. Sixty potters in one place present a full day's worth of observing and shopping.

Go to www.danfinch.com for more information on both the Open House and this weekend's workshop.

Hope to see you at the Open House if you are in the area.

Orange Shino is Back . . . and so am I!

2011-08-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

It has been a long while since I have updated this blog - a very busy time! Preparing for the new school year, moving my mom down to North Carolina, and construction on the house have all taken extra time. I have not neglected my pottery time too much - just my blogging time. Right now, we have been out of school because of all the problems caused by Hurricane Irene, so I took the time to come up with a new post.

We got hit pretty hard here in Halifax County. No electricity from 6 am Saturday until about 3:30 pm Monday. We lost our weeping willow tree in the front yard and the top of a large tree in the back is currently sitting on the roof. But we are all safe and no worse for the wear, so we are thankful. It could have been much worse. We are now watching Katia out in the Atlantic and hoping it continues to turn northward.

The studio has brought back my all-time favorite glaze - orange shino. I have been using it on all sorts of pieces, from bowls to tall urns to face jugs. I have also continued to work on creating larger pieces and now have several large urns that will be for sale this weekend at the Littleton/Lake Gaston Festival. I am hoping for a big day in Littleton. Between it being Labor Day Weekend and people wanting to get out after the storms of this past weekend, there should be a good crowd. If you are in the area, come to Littleton.

Lots of pictures of pots I have been working on the month of August. Also, some pictures of the storm debris in our yard. And, of course, a couple of black dogs who act like an old married couple.

Looks like a real balancing act!!!

Lots of Pictures

2011-06-24T11:01:00.000-04:00


Fuschia finally blooming

I have a few minutes before leaving to go up to Virginia and start the process of moving Mom down to live with Susan and me. She is worried that she will be in our way - I just hope she can handle all the critters in this household! I know Bear is looking forward to her being here - he took an instant liking to her and rarely leaves her side when she is here.

School is out, summer school is going full swing, things are in place to prepare for next year, and IT IS HOT! I have spent some time working on my pottery - trying different things and working on throwing larger pieces. The June 2nd Saturday in Edenton was not the best - only two sales, but good sales. I did tell them I would be back in July. The problem seems to be that North Carolina does not have money in budget this year to promote the 2nd Saturdays program. Too bad - it really is a neat way to showcase arts and crafts in the state. I urge everyone who is interested in arts and traditional crafts to go to any of the state historical sites on the 2nd Saturday of July and see demonstrations and talk with the artists.

Since I am in such a hurry, I am just going to post pictures of some of my latest work. I like jars and pots with lids and have been working on perfecting that part of the craft. Also the different glazing methods. Enjoy!

Summer's Almost Here

2011-05-30T21:13:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day! Growing up listening to Navy stories from World War II makes me appreciate what our fighting men and women have done to preserve liberty. I hope it is meaningful for you.

Although it is a little hot today - and supposed to be even hotter tomorrow - the weather has been great and everything is blooming and in full swing. Our apple trees are loaded, having escaped the late frost, as are the pear trees and figs bushes. The day lilies are in full splendor and Susan's transplants from the parsonage are starting to take root and bloom. Summer is close!

Lots of things have been happening to keep me from my blog. Heart of Virginia Festival in Farmville, Virginia, getting ready for Mom to move down to live with us in North Carolina, school will be out at the end of this week, and the summer festivals begin. Trying to gear up for everything at once is getting "tiresome", but the end of some of these things is near. Graduation is this Friday night and, other than the few students who didn't believe that I would really make them come back to school to work off detentions after school is out, I will have a break from dealing with students. This has been a long weekend and I took advantage of the extra time to throw 25 pounds of clay - working on some bigger pieces and trying out some new methods

One of the methods I am trying is using paper resist and mason stains to decorate the pots. It is a method that is recommended for earthenware, but I will see how it works on stoneware. I have had pretty good success with mason stains and clear/transparent glazes.

June 11 is the first 2nd Saturday program in North Carolina and I will be at Edenton, demonstrating and selling my work. If you are not familiar with 2nd Saturdays, check it out at http://www.ncdcr.gov/2ndsaturdays.asp or look for the ads in Our State magazine. There will be crafts people and artists at most all the historical sites around the state each month. I will also be in Edenton in July, but am looking for maybe a different site for August. If you are close to Edenton, come by and see me.

Spring Break = Break My Back!

2011-04-21T16:58:00.000-04:00


Apple Blossoms

First, I want to say how blessed I feel to have escaped the tornadoes that were all around us last Saturday. After a six hour trip from the D.C. area, which should have usually taken only about three hours, we ran right into the string of storms heading east and were able to get home before the worst hit. Our hearts and prayers go out to those who were affected by the tornadoes, especially in North Carolina where over 60 tornadoes were documented.


Rainbow after the storms Saturday the 16th

This is my week of Spring Break and although it is a break from my usual work, it has been filled with other tasks that have tested all those muscles I never use. We were finally able to move our two storage sheds from the parsonage to our new location (about 1.5 miles down the road) with the help of our neighbor and his workers. One shed is 8 X 12 and the other is 12 X 12. Quite a job over the last two days! As a result, I have not really had much time this week to sit down at the wheel, but spent a good deal of time preparing for the Halifax Arts Council "Sip and See" program on Monday the 25th. Danny Hinnant and I are the featured artists for this month and today we set up our pots at Ernies on King Street in Halifax, North Carolina. The program is from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Monday evening for anyone in the area. Check out http://www.halifaxarts.org/sipseefeaturedartist.html for more information. The pictures are from setting up this afternoon.


Starting point - "empty" store


The plate at the top is Danny's


Center Shelves


Have to display some Face Jugs

Some smaller pieces

Some smaller face jugs - the one of the right is less than 2 inches tall.

Have a wonderful Easter Sunday.

Back Again! Time is moving fast these days.

2011-03-26T21:01:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it seems like no time has passed since I last logged on to post, but I can see from the date of the last post that I have been pretty slack in keeping the blog alive! Things are picking up all around, so I really haven’t even been on the computer much except for at work. When I logged in to my personal email yesterday, there were 62 messages waiting! I really need to get better organized.

I have been keeping up with my pottery and Thursday nights are something I look forward to each week so I can get in Finch’s studio and glaze. My inventory is growing as I prepare for upcoming shows. In April, Danny Hinnant and I are being featured in the Halifax County Arts Council "Sip and See" evening. We will be showing and selling our work at an evening program. In May, I will again be in Farmville, Virginia, for the Heart of Virginia Festival. And, I am still trying to decide on whether to register for a larger show in July. Even though I have a good amount of ware right now, now knowing what I will sell before July and being able to keep enough to last for a three day festival is somewhat of a concern. I have to decide within the next week in order to meet the application deadline.


Easter egg look - Pre-fired


After glaze-firing

The pictures in this post of some of the more recent pieces I have made. I am really pleased with the vase and casserole that I just got back this week. I had used mason stains mixed with clay slip to make a “paint” that I applied while the pieces were still wet on the wheel. This allowed the slip to dry with the clay body for a permanent bond. After the pieces were bisque-fired, all I had to do was spray a clear/transparent glaze and the designs would show through. The before pictures show the bright colors of the stain-slip. The vase looked like an Easter egg with the bright blue and blackberry stains. I oversprayed with a light blue glaze. I really did not know how it would look after the glaze-firing, but was really pleased when the colors toned down to blues and greens! I am definitely going to work more with this medium.

Lots of face jugs, smaller pieces that will sell, and casseroles – functional pieces for cooking. I have been getting more people coming to me for pieces and today talked with a friend who is looking for Celtic design pieces for a series of Celtic festivals this summer. So, things are plenty busy and opportunities for sales seem good. Maybe I could retire and become a full-time potter sooner than I think!


Josie - looking tired

Buckling Down

2011-02-05T23:31:00.000-05:00

It has been a rainy day in eastern North Carolina - a good time to search out information about summer festivals and plan for shows. Right now, I am considering a couple of big shows and already have a couple smaller things in the works. But, this means that I have to have a pretty healthy inventory of pots, so I have been trying to buckle down and be more intentional about working throughout the week. The picture at the top of this post is from the last two firings. Not bad considering I have been fighting a cold and congestion for the last two weeks (I really need to get some decent heat in the shop)! When it is freezing or below outside, my shop stays at 60 degrees or below - and the hot water I bring out cools down within about 45 minutes.

I was going to call this post "Super Bowl" because I finally got back the bowl I made at New Year's with the date 2011 in large numerals. This the second piece in a two year tradition! You can see it in the middle of all the pots. I had never centered 15 pounds of clay before, but did for this bowl.


Face Jugs and Salsa Bowls


French Butter Dishes

To get ready for these shows, I have composed a list of pottery I feel I need to have on the shelves and have been working through the list. The face jugs are an obvious item, as well as bowls and vases. I have started on some French butter dishes and a series of jars in a variety of shapes for scented oil and diffusers. Another item I have been working on is a small bowl for salsa or sauces. It seems like there are more and more people who like to use side dishes because they do not like their foods mixing together. I started with a set of four bowls for the house and at first Susan wanted to know what they were for. Now, she uses them all the time for quick ice cream snacks, peanuts, or other small snacks. So, I am making more.

Jars for oil and diffusers


Small Carved Bowl

Next post, I will have information about the "Sip and See" that Danny Hinnant and I are doing for the Halifax County Arts Council in April. I was also interviewed and photographed by the North Carolina Folklife Institute for an online article on traditional crafts in Halifax and Warren counties. I may have some information on that by the next post as well.


Jug Pitchers

Another New Year

2011-01-14T23:29:00.000-05:00


The Packhouse

In the month since my last post, we have had two snow storms (one of them major), an ice storm, and record setting cold temperatures. It has made working in my little shop a challenge. I have a small oil filled radiator that keeps the chill down to tolerable and take a jug of hot water out to use when I throw pots, but the water cools off within an hour and heater can't keep my toes from going numb with cold! I really would like to install a solar collector to generate some heat, but I need to figure some way to store the heat out there that doesn't take up too much space.


Toisnot Tea Bowl

Dan Finch made each of us in the studio a tea bowl with his new blend of native and his commercial recipe clay that he calls Toisnot pottery. It has a really nice rugged texture and natural look. It is definitely a centerpiece in my growing collection and one that I prize.

Christmas was wonderful. All three boys and their partners were here, enjoying food, company, snow, and even lack of electricity. Watching all of them play in the foot of snow brought back memories of the past and their heavily endowed snow woman lasted quite a while after the rest of the snow disappeared.

Over the holidays, I did not throw a single pot for almost three weeks - partly because of the cold and partly because of being busy. I did manage to get a few things done right before the holidays. The face jug is sort of a self-portrait. I haven't shaved in 7 months, so the beard is getting pretty long. That meant that a tall jug was in order. The cat jug was at Susan's request. She really thinks a whole line of animal jugs would be popular. The lidded jar was one I threw for a friend to use as a Christmas gift. I have been trying to master using Willie Helix glaze - a warm, but somewhat finicky green glaze. I thought it came out well on the jar. Since the New Year, I have spent many evenings in the shop as I begin to rebuild my inventory. I am hoping to do a large three-day show this summer, so I need to have plenty of pots to take. And there's the Sip-&-See in April, and maybe a spring open house . . .the New Year is filling up fast!


Reindeer Bear

How 'bout "Skinned Cat Pottery" ????

2010-12-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

Why do people think that cats are so graceful? I just had another pot broken by our fat orange cat, Voltron, because he thinks he can climb up tablecloths without them sliding off the table. I heard the crash and M&M's sliding across the floor and I knew exactly what had happened! My bowl that was imprinted with Peace on one side was now in pieces. A little superglue and it will hopefully be back in commission, at least for dry things.

Today is a snow day! Even though it has messed up the exam schedule, I am enjoying my day at home. I wish I could get out in the shop, but the record cold temperatures have kept me away from the wheel. But I did get a chance between cold snaps to turn out a few items that I have been glazing when I got the chance. The Bear Mug is a special order for someone who is apparently in love with bears. I made a mold for the bear with Sculpey first so I can turn out multiple mugs with the same design. It has worked really well. I like to add thumb tabs on mugs, so this one has a bear paw!

The 12 Days of Christmas platters were from a similar design I saw years ago at Michie Tavern in Charlottesville, Virginia. I had always kicked myself for not buying the platter when I saw it, but I really was the poor underpaid teacher at that point and, with three little boys, there was not much extra money in our house for collecting pottery. This design is different in that the design is carved into the platter - the one I saw was probably a low fire piece with the designs painted on using underglazes.

Only about a week until Christmas and I haven't even started shopping! I will be busy next week doing all those things I have not had time for because of ending the first semester of school, but I am ready for the challenge. I will hopefully post again before the 25th, but in case time gets the better of me, I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas.

Bear and Pita - Not the "Lion and the Lamb", but close!

More Than the Turkey is Stuffed!!!

2010-11-26T23:04:00.000-05:00

You know, the best thing about Thanksgiving dinner is all the leftovers. I think I like the leftovers as much or more than the regular meal. The problem is that it is like nonstop eating until they are all gone - so I am stuffed!

Since Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday (Pottery night), I did not go into the studio this week - yet. I may go in sometime over the weekend just to drop off my latest work to be bisque-fired. I saw an article in the latest Clay Times magazine on making jug pitchers and tried it out for myself. It realy works out pretty easy. Maybe I need to add a face to some of them to turn them into Face Jug Pitchers.

I also started working on replenishing my supply of face jugs since I sold all I had at the Finch Open House. Everyone has been remarking lately on how "big" my beard is getting these days so I thought I would do a jug with a big beard, as well. The cat jug was on a whim - I had made a cat mug last year for one of my boys and it went over well, and I think I did make a cat jug that sold pretty quickly at the Heart of Virginia Festival in Farmville last May, so I felt like it was time for another. Maybe it's time for a whole line of animal jugs!

I hope everyone has had a great Thanksgiving holiday. The holiday season is really getting under way, now. I have been listening to Christmas music for the last month and I am ready for it!

Quick Update

2010-11-16T23:35:00.002-05:00

It is late and I had a long day - parent conferences for the next two days at school. But I wanted to post a quick update on the Finch Pottery Open House. It couldn't have been a more perfect day! Great weather. Great crowd. Good sales. As usual, I should have had more face jugs. I only had about eight and they all sold. In fact, I had three different people lined up to buy the last one! Every year I vow to bring in a whole three tier shelf of face jugs, but always get sidetracked trying to do something new. Next year . . . .

This year I shared a space with Danny, who I had taught with in Roanoke Rapids. It was a good mix of wares. He does almost exclusively hand-built pottery and mine is almost all thrown, so we had a little bit of everything. Danny already has us lined up to do a "Sip and See" for the arts council in Roanoke Rapids early next year.

It is hard to believe that next week is Thanksgiving. I have poured the slab for the kiln and hope to move it within the week. The nights have cooled down enough that I have had a small oil-filled radiator on in the shop at night to keep the temperature bearable. Time to focus on some Christmas gifts and special projects - and to determine what my New Year's pot will be this year.

Hope all have a wonderful Thanksgiving - I know that I am looking forward to all the turkey and fixin's!

Meeting Robin Hopper

2010-11-07T19:59:00.000-05:00


Robbin Hopper & Me during the morning break

I just had a great weekend at Finch Pottery attending a workshop with Robin Hopper. Besides watching him work and talk about his craft and his life, it was a chance to meet new potters and just enjoy a time fully absorbed in pottery. I picked up a lot of tips just from watching him work, but one of the most important things for me was seeing him do things with techniques that I had already figured out and have been trying to master. I was very validating. Maybe in another 50 years, I will be able to throw pots like Robin. Hmmmm....I will be 107 - maybe not!

Another thing that really appealed to me and is something I need to develop more fully is the final decorating of the pieces. I have tried some, with success, like the cave art plates. However, I really want to do more and watching him paint beautiful lines and designs on about 9 or 10 pieces in 40 minutes was truly inspiring. For more information on Robin Hopper, check out his web page at www.chosinpottery.ca. He and his wife do some amazing work.

Anyway, I came home fired up to do more and determined to get things set so I can finally get my kiln wired and working. A week from today is the annual Finch Open House, so that is where all my energy will go this week. Luckily, I have Thursday off for Veteran's Day and can spend some of that day organizing my pots to take to set up on Saturday. If you are in the Bailey, NC, area on Sunday, come to the pottery. There will be about 60 potters selling just anything you could want in the way of pottery - a great time to pick up some unique pieces for Christmas presents.

Accreditation, moving, Open House . . . so tired!

2010-10-16T01:20:00.000-04:00

It has been a very busy six weeks. I had forgotten how much time it took to be an administrator in high school and, although I'm having fun in my role as principal, the days are long. We just finished a self evaluation today as part of an accreditation review by SACS (the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). Rocky Mount Preparatory School - a tuition-free charter school - is now officially an accredited school! Between school and finally moving into our "new" house, I haven't had time to sit down at the wheel in about two weeks! Maybe tomorrow.

Since my last post, I had a booth at the Indian Summer Festival in Hertford, North Carolina - a neat little town with a very proud heritage. It was a good crowd and sales were good. The turtle mugs sold well, but the cups did not - go figure. They will end up in the Open House in November at Dan Finch's.

The week before the Open House, I will attend a workshop at Finch's featuring Robin Hopper, a well known potter from Canada. I am really looking forward to that weekend.
Dan did a wood firing in his large wood kiln. I was not able to get to the shop to help and watch the firing, but I did get two pieces ready to fire. I think they turned out real well. Other pieces that I have completed in the last month have centered around cookware - bunt pans and casseroles. I tried another teapot and was pleased with the final result. One of Dan Finch's pots exploded in the kiln in the last glaze firing, spreading small shards on nearby pots. The shards stuck to the molten glaze and are not embedded in the ware. I had a shallow pedestal bowl close enough to the pot to end up with a half a dozen shards in the inside of the bowl. I will have to grind them out smooth and re-glaze the piece. Too bad - the apple green glaze has a really nice patina that may get lost in the re-firing.

More later - hopefully a lot sooner than six weeks. I will be sure to post more information about the Open House.

Biggest Enrollment Ever!

2010-08-29T22:16:00.000-04:00

Josie - the original "Poster Dog" for Straydog Pottery

Our school year has started and Rocky Mount Prep, a charter school, has begun with the largest enrollment in its 14 years. As of Monday, we will have over 1000 students, grades K through 12 in our school. For me, the neat thing has been that everyone in the high school, where I am the new principal, seem HAPPY! A great way to start the year.

Because of the busy start of school, I have not had as much time to work on pottery (or to blog), but I am trying to keep things going. A week from this Saturday, on the 11th, I will be at the Indian Summer Festival in Hertford, North Carolina. I am about "turtled-out" but think I have enough to make a good showing. I am working now on larger pieces, especially since Dan Finch officially announced that we will be doing a wood burn at the end of September. Last week, I was only able to make three pieces. However, one of the pieces was a large lidded urn made of three separate pieces joined to make about a 20 to 22 inch tall jar. Last night, I started another large jar which is destined for the wood kiln. Both have large "shoulders" to collect ash.
Other events that are coming up are the Finch Potters exhibition in Wilson, North Carolina, in the month of October, the Robin Hopper workshop at Finch Pottery the first weekend in November, and the annual open house at the Finch studio the second Sunday in November. I will try to have more information posted in a timely fashion so all those interested can participate.

Turtle Power!

2010-08-04T23:58:00.002-04:00

In how many ways can you incorporate turtles into pieces of functional pottery? I don't know that I have the answer, but I am sure trying to see what I can do to be ready for the Indian Summer Festival in Hertford in September. Part of the festival is the crowning of the Turtle Princess and the Turtle Queen. These people are very proud of their town mascot, so I have been told that whatever I can bring that has a turtle on it will stand a very good chance of being a popular item. Therefore, I have been working on turtle mugs, turtle plates, and even turtle French butter dishes! I have a month to build my turtle inventory, so I suppose that will be a majority of my focus in August.

I also have the last "Second Saturday" of the summer on the 14th in Cresswell at Somerset Place, so most of my new non-turtle ware will be included in that event. I have really made use of the Shino glaze since it has become available again at the studio and have been very pleased with the results. The bunt cake "pan" is an example of this beautiful reddish brown glaze. I made the bunt pan because a potter in Seagrove told me how hard they were to make and I wanted to see for myself. I don't know that I would call it difficult so much as time consuming, but I really like how it turned out. I also have been working on things like the apple bakers and pitchers of various sizes and shapes.

In October, the Finch Potters will be putting on an exhibit in Wilson, so I have been working on a few pieces especially for that show. Since I have made so many face jugs, I thought that I would include a jug as one of the pieces - this one about three times larger than my usual jugs. The deep oblong casserole is another piece I am hoping to include in the exhibit and then maybe a bowl of some sort. I will have more specifics on the show in the coming weeks.

Still moving . . . still getting ready for the start of school. Later!

Three Weeks to First Day of Classes

2010-07-27T19:09:00.001-04:00

It is hard to believe that school starts in three weeks! By that, I mean that school starts for the students . . . my vacation ended when I accepted the role of principal. So, now I am adjusting to new duties and a new set of colleagues that I will be working with this year. Exciting times.

Pottery-wise, I am somewhat behind this week due to a screwed up back. I can't figure out what happened unless it was from leaning into the engine compartment of one of the cars and pulling on an air-conditioner drain tube - must have pulled a muscle in the process. Anyway, that put me out of commission for the weekend and last night I couldn't stand it anymore and worked at the wheel for about three hours. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but I managed to get started on some mugs for a show in September and I am still alive to talk about it!

The pictures are from my last glaze firing. I really liked the way the urn turned out with the Shino glaze. Shino is one of my favorite glazes and this batch has a lot of orange/red tones in it. The canisters were partly experiment, partly designed, to go in our new kitchen. I wanted something to keep coffee and tea bags in that could sit on the counter. The tumblers are pretty good size - will probably hold a complete can of drink with ice.

Time to pull some turtle molds made out of sculpey from the oven and head over to the shop to finish last night's mugs. I will have a booth at the Indian Summer Festival in Hertford in September and wanted to have some "turtle-ware" available. One of the highlights of the day at the festival will be the crowning of the Turtle Princess and the Turtle Queen! More on that later.

Changes, changes, and more changes

2010-07-16T22:26:00.004-04:00

Well, I am no longer a classroom teacher - I am once again a high school principal. The push is on to make the final move into our farmhouse. I drove to Chicago and back. I have been to Seagrove. My laptop crashed. My digital camera locked up and fell apart. And, this has all happened within the last month! (The picture to the left is my feet as I stood on the Plexiglas floor over 100 stories above Chicago. The picture below is of "The Bean" in Millennium Park in Chicago. I am the little figure right in the middle taking this picture.)

I think the principal promotion is a good move. I am ready to move into the house (to be closer to my shop). I have recovered from my trips. My laptop is running again, thanks to Dan Hux, our tech person at school. (If you are in the market for an adirondack chair, check out his page at danhuxwoodworking.wordpress.com.) And, the price of digital cameras has come down so much since I last bought a camera, I will be able to get a better camera for less money! Isn't life exciting?

Lately, I have been working on re-stocking my inventory for fall shows. I participated in the July "2nd Saturday" program in North Carolina - this time in Edenton - and did very well. So, now I need to work harder to have enough for the last "2nd Saturday" program in August. I will be at Somersett Plantation in Creswell, North Carolina for that one. I also made a contact for a show in September, which will require more pieces to be ready. I'm thinking smaller functional pieces like apple bakers, bowls, and mugs.

Despite my weak attempts to be more consistent in my posts, AND the fact that I am now going to be busier than ever with everything happening in my life right now, I still am bound and determined to add to this blog more regularly. A camera will help!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T17:11:00.006-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all of you out there who are fathers or act as fathers to those who need guidance. My Dad passed away 23 years ago this August and I still miss him.

A lot has happened since May 11th when I last posted on this blog. My youngest son got married, my middle son got a job at Florida State University, my first year at the charter school ended, I participated in North Carolina's Second Saturday program at Historic Halifax this month, and my computer crashed! Only 10 days out of school and I feel the summer has already been busy and is now "picking up speed" for an even busier next couple of weeks. Before things get too much more overwhelming, I just wanted to share some things about the last month.

I enjoyed the Second Saturdays program, even though it was not very well attended at Historic Halifax. This is a statewide program being put on by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Craftspeople from all over the state have been invited to demonstrate their talents and sell their goods at historical sites each month. I chose Halifax in June because it was here in my county and enjoyed being with other local craftspeople. Next month, I will be at Edenton on the 10th and then at Somerset Place in Creswell in August. Any of you in North Carolina, look for possible Second Saturday programs in your area at local state historic sites.

I have been trying some different things in pottery this month. First, I am making more items for me - something I have not been doing since I think about selling what I make. In particular, this latest firing produced a nice large "chip and dip" platter and a set of coffee mugs for my oldest son. I have also tried to do a little sgraffito and was very pleased with the first result - a green jar with fish etched into the sides. I think I am going to try to do more - not only with etching in designs, but in making more use of slips tinted with mason stains to produce more controlled and complex color schemes. I am also working on more large pieces. I have what will be a tea urn ready for the first firing except that I need to cut a hole in the side for a spigot. The only problem is that I cannot find the spigot I want to use!

Hopefully, I will update this blog in the next week or so. Once I lost my computer, I also lost all my pictures for the last year and that slowed me down. I am now working off an old desktop computer and think I have things settled down to at least be able to blog.

Come see me in Edenton if you are near on July 10th. Go to www.ncculture.com for details of Second Saturdays programs in the state.

It Took Awhile, But I'm Back!

2010-05-11T20:29:00.004-04:00

It has been a month since my last post - a very busy month. As I write this, my students have just finished their third End of Grade (EOG) test, which end weeks of extensive review.

I had a very successful weekend of selling at the Heart of Virginia Festival in Farmville, Virginia, on May 1st - sold over 50 pieces. Last weekend, I spent Saturday making pottery on the sidewalk in Roanoke Rapids in front of the Halifax County Arts Council building. It was so hot, some of the pots were almost leather hard before I took them off the wheel! However, it was enjoyable talking with people and sharing about making pottery. Danny, my pottery buddy, was doing some hand building out on the sidewalk as well. Susan took some pictures, but I haven't gotten them from her camera, yet. I will try to put some of them on future posts.

I applied and was accepted into the Second Saturdays program sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. June, I will be in Historic Halifax; July will find me in Edenton; I am not sure where I will be in August. But, I am looking forward to the opportunity to demonstrate and possibly sell some work. Most of what I sold in Farmville was the bigger pieces, so now I am working to replace them in my inventory. I have about 100 pieces of pottery ready to sell, so I think I am set until the first Second Saturday (that sounded strange) in Halifax. By that time, I should also have some new platters and larger bowls ready.

I have moved my wheel and most of my tools to the "new" house - that has been really nice so far, other than the multitude of bugs drawn to the lights at night. I have learned to keep the outside door closed and have secured a screen door that may end up being installed soon.

My larger immediate goal is to hook up the kiln I bought. Before I do that, however, I need to enclose an area next to the new shop and make it weatherproof. More on that later...

I Think We Went Straight To Summer!

2010-04-06T12:40:00.012-04:00

The beginnings of a Cat Mug for Justin

In this part of North Carolina, we went from near freezing temperatures and flurries to warm weather to HOT in a matter of about two weeks! Quite a change to adjust to, but a welcome change since I am now on Spring Break! I know it is spring because everything is yellow with pollen - in fact, I have never seen such pollen. The picture of the car is from today. I had just washed all the pollen off yesterday before going in to Roanoke Rapids! I also know it is spring because of everything blooming ( and reminding me that I need to get in a garden if I am hoping to have fresh vegetables this year). I especially like the bleeding hearts that Susan has in her garden.

Rice Bowls and Mugs

Since my last post, I have been working hard at increasing my inventory of ware for some upcoming festivals. My goal has been to not only have a variety of pieces, but to also have them in quantity so that everything is not "one of a kind" on my shelves. This has been good for me in that it has given me the experience of making the same piece over and over, which has honed some skills and helped me with becoming quicker in making pieces. In some ways this has been an exercise in endurance because I get really bored with making the same thing and usually stop after about three or four. I still get "itching" to do something new, but can now make it to about eight or ten pieces of the same kind before giving in to something new. This week I have been working on rice bowls and mugs so far. Last week was face jugs and tea bowls. I think I am going to finish out this week with a few casseroles and some goblets of different styles and sizes.

I brought home three boxes of ware last Thursday, mostly tea bowls, bowls, and platters. I need to start moving things out to my new shop. Every shelf or cabinet top is full of pieces waiting for the shows in May. Susan is starting to make comments that everything is looking cluttered and I even lost one piece to Voltron (the fat yellow cat) knocking it off a buffet as he tried to meander through the pieces like a much younger and flexible feline.
Coming up, the Heart of Virginia Festival in Farmville on May 1st and the Roanoke Rapids Street Festival on May 8th. More on those later.

I hope all had a happy and meaningful Easter and are enjoying the change in seasons.

Firing Update - Jugs and Bowls

2010-03-16T20:17:00.011-04:00

Just a quick post to display some of the ware I picked up last Thursday. I was very pleased with the results of some of the glazing. I sprayed most of the pieces because of time and have to admit that the sprayed pieces did much better with some of the more "finicky" glazes. The bowl with the turquoise outside and iron yellow inside is one of my favorites. I like how the green fades to the bottom of the bowl. I am also pleased with the results of the star blue glaze on the inside of another carved bowl.

The army of "jug-heads" is growing. I have really worked at increasing my inventory of face jugs so that I will have plenty for the upcoming shows. Also, Riverside Mill has shown more interest in these pieces and feel that they can sell all I bring to them. So, my challenge now is to try to make all the faces look a little different!

I have also tried to add some smaller pieces each week to add a wider range of function and price to my inventory. Bud vases always seem popular, especially in the spring when flowers begin blooming in earnest.

I found an article on making juicers and thought I would try making a few. I have been very pleased with the results - I really like how the turquoise juicer turned out. There is something about the depth of this green glaze that just really appeals to me. Another example of this glaze is on the simple cylinder vase I made at the request of a friend. She likes how the band of iron oxide stained clay compliments/is complimented by the deep green color of the turquoise.

This Thursday, if the glaze kiln was fired, I should be able to pick up about seven more face jugs and hope to get a chance to glaze a cake pedestal, along with (you guessed it) more face jugs. I am taking in a couple more jugs, a couple bowls, and a half dozen tea bowls.

As the weather begins to warm up, and now that we have more daylight on the evening-side of the day, I hope to be able to get things set up at the new house. I am really looking forward to setting up the kiln and trying some cone 6 glazing.
More later.

"Voltron" - one of the original "straycats" from Virginia.

I Know! I Know! I Know!

2010-03-08T19:42:00.012-05:00

I know it has been way too long since I last wrote on this blog. A lot has been going on since the middle of February - a couple of snow storms, a bout with a bad cold, and beginning panic about the upcoming End of Grade exams my students have to take and pass to be able to move up to the high school next year. In the midst of all this, I have applied to a couple of juried shows, have been working on building up my inventory of pottery to sell, and have just tried to keep up with the glazing. (Have I been able to generate any sympathy out there???)

Right now, I am doing my usual multi-tasking; eating supper while working on this update as I watch William and Mary's men basketball play against Old Dominion for a chance to go to the NCAA (Go Tribe!). I really haven't had too much to show for my efforts because we are still a little behind in firing at the studio. I should be able to pick up close to thirty pieces this Thursday that have been waiting for glaze firing for the last couple of weeks. I am not even quite sure of what is in the kiln right now without looking in my log to see what I left for firing. I do know that I have been working to increase my face jug population. It still amazes me how popular these little guys are at shows. Last week, I threw/handbuilt seven face jugs which I should be able to glaze this week. The pictures are of them sitting on the drying shelves at Finch's.

Some of my latest work shows some experimenting with new glazes. The matte green is Willie Helix and, although it seems to burn out easily if the glaze coat is too thin, I hope to use more of it in the future and be able to produce reliable greens. The Iron Yellow is quickly becoming a favorite. I especially like how it breaks into the browns in areas that have texture. This is very evident on the small face jugs and the set of coffee cups show here.

I am also working more at carving designs and using homemade stamps to add decoration and texture to the pots. The thumb tabs on these two mugs are a good example of the results of using a star stamp I made. And, the carving on the inside rim of the shallow dish is really accented by the use of ash glaze.

Time to wind this up, finish watching the game (W&M are losing by 14 right now :( and need to get things going if they want that chance at the NCAA), and try to throw some pots after the game ends. Hopefully I will have some new things to show after pottery on Thursday evening. In any case, I will definitely try to update this blog much quicker than I have in the last couple of months.

Global Warming?????

2010-02-13T10:38:00.010-05:00

I heard yesterday on the news that 49 of the 50 states in the U.S. received measurable snow in the last 24 hours. Washington, D.C. has had more snow than Buffalo, NY. And, I have already had three days out of school and a late opening because of snow here in Eastern NC (and it snowed again last night, leaving another 2 inches). It has been quite a winter and it is only the middle of February. Other than making it hard to get much pottery done because the area where my wheel is does not have regular heat, I have enjoyed the snow. It makes me homesick for Virginia.
I have not posted much lately because I have not had much to report. Dan Finch and a group took a trip to Nicaragua which meant the firings of ware - both bisque and glaze - were delayed. In fact, last week I did not have any work to glaze at the studio and ended up buying a bag of clay, borrowing a couple of throwing tools, and worked at a wheel in the shop - first time in probably a year that I worked at a wheel other than my own. It really made me realize how comfortable I was with my own equipment. But, it was a good experience.

All the work shown in this post is from wares I was able to pick up this week. The large "2010" urn is something I had planned on showing from stage one - making it on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - to glazing, to the final product. However, my camera was misplaced for a period of about two weeks and I was not able to get the pictures I wanted. I am very happy with how it came out, at least on the outside. The inside glazing did not turn out so well and there was a lot of shivering, probably from the glaze drying too thick on the inside surface. I may refire it later to try and correct the inside surface.

The blue pieces are where I once again tried using Alfred Blue glaze. In the past, this glaze also separated on pieces leaving large areas of bare clay. I tried spraying the glaze this time to control the thickness of the glaze coat a little better and it seems to have helped control glaze defects. I really like this shade of blue and hope to use it more in the future.

The large bowl and the green casserole are the result of using Finch Green with an ash over-spray. I had gotten away from using ash, only because I am usually pressed for time and it is one more step in the glazing process. But, I am trying to make the time to use it more because it really does add an nice dimension to the surfaces of finished pieces.

I was hoping to work in moving equipment to the new shop today, but I think the new snow is going to put a halt to that right now. It may be closer to spring before I can really get in there. So, I guess I will clean up the current space and try to make some room for new work this weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Ring Around the Moon

2010-01-28T23:14:00.009-05:00

The latest forecast for this part of North Carolina is calling for winter weather - a lot of winter weather this weekend. I have heard predictions from 3 to 4 inches of snow and ice to 12 inches of snow by Sunday! When I got home from the studio tonight, I got out my camera to take a picture of the ring around the moon while I was out walking the dogs. I have always heard that if snow if coming there would be a visible ring around the moon and it was easy to see tonight with the close to full moon. It is hard to believe with the current temperature being around 55 degrees!

The pictures in this post show some of the latest work I have been able to bring home. I have been experimenting with a new glaze to the shop called Iron Yellow. It is a very light yellow - almost white - but very stable and opaque. I have tried overspraying with turquoise glaze and with ash, but it seems to absorb these without any affect. Still, it is a nice looking glaze and one I will probably be using more of in the future.

I also experimented with the cave art design on a piece made with Loafer's Glory. Because this porcelain like glaze takes glazes differently, it was easier to be more defined in the design.

And, of course, I have started to build up my inventory of face jugs. It really does amaze me how these whimsical pieces are so popular and how they will sell so quickly at shows. But they are sort of fun to make and I am getting them down to a system where they do not take a lot of time to make. I need to find a new slant on face jugs to make them even more unique.

Time to make sure everything is ready for the BIG SNOW!

New Year - New Plans

2010-01-18T18:53:00.009-05:00

This year has started off with some changes. Susan and I have signed all the papers to go deeper in debt and have closed on a 100-year old farm house! For me, this means a real place for my pottery studio. I figured I would show the before pictures now of where I am going to initially set up - once I move out the present tenant (a snake that must have eaten a poisoned mouse). I hope to show the metamorphosis as it happens in each blog post. My big goal is to find a place to set up my kiln and start firing some at home, experimenting with cone 6 glazes.

I finally got up the nerve to glaze my plates with the cave art designs and am really pleased with the results. The plates have drawn "oohs and ahs" from most who have seen them up close, especially the deer/elk drawing. I glazed another shallow dish last Thursday with the horse design and plan to do more dishes in this line in the future.

The weather was so cold over Christmas break that I was not able to work much at my wheel - something that I hope to remedy with the new space at the farmhouse. However, I am determined to produce more this year so I can do more craft shows. I spent some of today investigating arts and crafts shows in the North Carolina and Virginia areas that are already scheduled for 2010 and will start the process of filling out applications and planning out my year (weekends).

Finally, a shot of one of the real "straydogs" - Bear is our 90 pound Akita who loves to dress up. So, he looks forward to when the boys come home for a visit because he gets so much attention. This picture of Bear sporting gym shorts and a hooded dog coat that is much too small for him is from Thanksgiving. You just can't help but love this dog!

It's the Most Busiest Time of the Year . . .

2009-12-13T13:07:00.007-05:00

Once again I have fallen behind in my blog - not a very good way to finish out my first year of this endeavor. There just isn't enough time to do all I want to do!!! At this time of the year, especially, I feel pulled in all directions . . . extra choir practices to get ready for Advent, pottery and craft shows, getting things ready for the change in seasons, and, oh yeah - my job! So, here's a quick update on my life in clay.

I bought a box of Loafer's Glory and really like working with it. It is so smooth and I don't feel like I am constantly sanding off layers of my hands when I throw it. However, I have experienced some problems that I have not had with clays that have a higher grog content. One large bowl that I spent considerable time on carving designs about the rim was so fragile, it broke into pieces before it could be put in the kiln to bisque. And, another carved piece, a medium sized platter, developed a hairline crack during the first firing. Hopefully, this is just me getting used to a new clay and I can adapt. I glazed my first few pieces made with Loafer's Glory last week, so I will see how it takes to colors and texture this week.

As I compose this post, I am sitting in Becker Mall in Roanoke Rapids, NC, manning my pottery booth. this will be my last show for this season because I am running out of wares. (That's a good thing, right???) I put out an email catalog a couple of weeks ago and it has been amazing how much interest and how many sales it has generated. I think maybe I will continue this practice on a quarterly basis. I only sent it to a few people and they passed it on to friends, who shared it with others, . . . If you would like an email of what I have left in inventory, drop me a line at straydogpottery@gmail.com.

One last note. On my way back from Northern Virginia over the Thanksgiving weekend, I pulled off in Fredericksburg - partially because Interstate 95 was backed up both North and South, but mostly because I wanted to visit the LibertyTown Arts Gallery. I have been following Dan Finnegan's blog for some time and always wanted to see this gallery that he founded. What a neat place!! It was like a mini-Torpedo Factory, filled with local artists, working and exhibiting their work. I strongly recommend a trip to visit if you are interested in/in-the-market-for pottery, paintings, mosaics, hand-woven fabrics and other crafts. I think you will be pleased.

I hope this is not my last post before the New Year, but who knows with my sporadic efforts. So, in case I don't get another chance, best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season. Spend time with family and friends and don't forget what Christmas is all about.

It's been a long, long, long time ...

2009-11-11T20:26:00.011-05:00

Almost a month from the last post! I'm just feeling like I have too many irons in the fire right now.

I took a quick trip to Farmville today to drop off a platter I made for the big 50/50 raffle and auction at Fuqua School. It was worth the driving in the "driving rain" to see a lot of old friends and students. Hopefully, the platter will help raise some money for the school.

Last weekend was the big pottery open-house at Finch Pottery and it was a perfect day. Warm and sunny, and lots of people who came to look and buy. Susan went around and took pictures of the crowds for me since I was manning my booth and you can see that it was well attended. Besides the potters displaying and selling their wares, there were different demonstrations and a chance to have a piece of pottery Raku fired. All in all, a great day!

I am playing catch up with my pottery. I missed a Thursday because of the state math conference and then could not find any time to get on my wheel last week. Luckily, I have some bisque-ware to glaze tomorrow evening and have managed to throw a few pieces to take in for their first firing. I bought a box of Loafer's Glory to try out and am having a good time with it. It is certainly much easier on my hands, but takes some getting used to - much "stickier" than Phoenix and Finch#2 I've been using. It will be interesting to see how it takes glaze since it is so white compared to those other clays.

A few pictures of some of the last pieces fired. The "cat" came out real well and has been a big hit with everyone who has seen it. I went ahead and made another (smaller) one this week and cut grooves in the body so the Tenmoku glaze will do more of what it should and, hopefully, look like a tabby when it is finished.

Off to trim a couple of bowls, then make up a series of quizzes, then do some laundry, then . . .

Bowls, Bowls, Bowls! And Cotton Bolls!

2009-10-17T11:33:00.012-04:00

The cotton fields behind the house are about ready for the pickers - machines now that are like giant vacuum cleaners that suck the cotton up into bins. A lot of the cotton in this part of North Carolina was not very tall this year because of lack of rain, but the cotton in this field is tall. It really looks pretty neat when you look across the fields and see all the white. The dogs enjoy running up and down the rows - all you can see is the tips of their tails.

It was a really good week - the kids at school were great, I had the time to make quite a few pieces of pottery, and even had a chance to sneak back into Virginia for a quick visit. Even if it was only for a few minutes, it was nice to see some good friends in Farmville and drop off a few pots - I should have taken some pictures, but sadly did not.

Besides cotton bolls, I brought home eleven bowls this week and have plans to make some more before the open house on November 8th. I think I am going to focus more on the carved bowls now, especially since the red centered bowls came out so well this week. I had not been using much ash glaze lately, but really like how it accents the carvings on clay.

I watched a video on making whimsical cat jars and, after "playing" too much with a very tall two piece urn (causing it to get completely off-center and collapse), I decided to try the technique for making the cat. It was actually easy and enjoyable to do - not something I would want to do all the time, but a nice change of pace. We'll see how it looks in a couple of weeks after it get a layer of glaze - I'm thinking tenmoku!

A few parting shots of the "stray dogs" - really only Bear is a stray (guess which one he is). The border collie mix was a gift from a parent and the fat brown mix was inherited from our youngest who could not take her with him to Chicago.

Then there is the church dog - Annie of Antioch - who is a true stray. We cannot get near her enough to pet her, but she stays around the church and "lets us" feed her and provide for her. No idea what kind of mix she is - looks like a cross between a chihuahua and a ferret!

And, I just thought it was a hummingbird feeder!

2009-10-09T19:38:00.013-04:00

I happened to look out the window to where our hummingbird feeder is hidden in the roses and saw this bright green frog sitting there - just had to take a picture.

It has been a while since my last blog and I have been busy the whole time. I have tried to make sure to put aside some time every day for pottery and it has worked well. I am producing quite a bit of ware and taking my time to really work on size and form, as well as working on keeping the weight of each piece down. I have actually surprised myself with how light I have been able to keep most of the work. The green ware here shows that I have been working on a variety of pots. It seems that a lot of people are in a casserole/bowl mood and I have had a number of special orders for each. Now I have to really hustle when I go to the studio on Thursdays so I can keep up with the glazing!

One special order - the cigar-toking face jug - came out really well. I sold five of my smaller face jugs in one sale and now have a request for a really large jug! I continue to make the smaller jugs, but will try to tackle a large jug, shortly.

I am very happy with two of the pieces I picked up last night. One is the first in my series of "cave art" pottery. I am very fond of the cave art that has been discovered and used some photographs to help recreate a design in the bottom of a flat bottomed dish. I am now ready to decorate four dinner plates I have been saving with the same design. I had experimented with using mason stains mixed with porcelain slip on top of gloss white glaze and it came out well. So, we'll see how these "cave horses" fare on the plates.

The other piece I call a "drum pot" because when I finished it, it reminded me of a marching snare. I had carved a band on the side of the pot with a basket weave design and stained that part with Spanish Red Iron Oxide. I think this is going to be a keeper for me - I enjoy cooking with clay pots and this is large enough for a small roast or a decent amount of stew. I'm looking forward to using it soon.

One last thing - a plug for the Dan Finch Pottery Open House. Once again, this will be on the second Sunday in November (the 8th) from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM at Dan's studio area in Bailey, North Carolina. If you are looking for some really good handmade pottery, don't miss this opportunity - more than 60 potters displaying their work in one place! All of us have been busy trying to increase our inventory, so there will be no lack of selection available. More on the open house as we get closer to November.

Expectations

2009-09-18T19:48:00.010-04:00

As much as I tell others that glazing and firing is not an exact science, I have to admit that I still have not convinced myself and feel somewhat disappointed when pieces come out of the glaze firing looking differently than I expected. I know the kiln at the studio was really packed this last firing, but it just seemed that I either had not used enough glaze so the colors burned out to clear, or the glazes ran and crawled, leaving some bare spots. I am going to clean up the casseroles and re-glaze them so see if I can get a more uniform cover suitable for using with cooking.

I brought home a small jar on which I had applied gloss white glaze. I am going to try using mason stains and porcelain slip on this before I tackle the four plates I brought home a few weeks ago. They are sitting in my "space" with a nice coat of white glaze, waiting for some handpainted designs.

The Headmaster at the school I am teaching at this year has obtained a display case - about 2 foot by 2 foot by 9 inches tall - and wants me to bring in some of my pottery to display in the main lobby of the school for a while. So, this weekend I will be going through my inventory of items to take in Monday for the case. I'm sure the kids would like seeing a face jug! I brought three new ones home last night from the last firing, any of which would easily fit in the case. I have also offered to donate a large bowl for our eighth grade team's contribution to the Fall Festival Auction in October. We will fill it with all kinds of chocolate and goodies to make it even more appealing.

That's the latest for this week. I am still trying to find the time - and energy! - to fit in some pottery time during the week. I really need to be committed to a specific time each day just to keep my skills from degenerating. It's just hard to stop after a short period of time and get excited about going to grade papers or do lesson plans.

Chance to Catch My Breath!

2009-09-04T19:55:00.011-04:00

WARNING: I AM STARTING OUT ON A "SOAPBOX".

First, what is wrong with all these people who are upset with the idea of Obama speaking to school children??? As a teacher, I think everyone should be encouraging kids to stay in school and to earn a diploma. And, for the President of United States to make a special point of addressing students seems to me to be the type of role model we have needed in Washington for a long time. Even though I grew up in the Washington, DC area, I can honestly say that I have no interest in politics or "party platforms". I am more interested in leaders who act in appropriate ways and demonstrate true leadership qualities. For people to threaten keeping their children at home on Tuesday so they won't have to listen to a leader who is trying to promote education because they are afraid it is a ploy to "indoctrinate" young minds just shows me how absurd the whole political party system has become. People need to think less about party politics and more about what is going to promote the common good of this country.

(Excuse me while I get down off the soapbox.)

Second, as far as education goes, let me say that I am thoroughly enjoying where I am teaching this year. Although it is a public charter school, it really has a private school feel and takes me back to my prior experiences in Virginia. But, like all job changes, there is a learning curve in trying to determine how things are done, so I have had little time to devote to pottery the last three weeks! I am looking forward to this long weekend to get back in the groove.

The first thing I need to do is to get some pots wrapped and ready to ship in the mail - sorry, Dora, Christie, and Patterson. Your pots are ready and will be on route early next week. I have got a couple of special orders that I need to get done, so that will be the next thing on the list. I have been getting more interest in my work lately - partially from past sales and partially from the different places where my work is being shown.

One of the latest orders was for a large face jug - at least larger than I am used to making. Face jugs started out as a special piece for Justin, my middle son, when he was living in Japan. He would draw these demonic looking figures, so I thought I would turn one of his drawings into a jug, but it needed to be small for sending overseas. After that, face jugs became an after-thought for me - a way to use up scraps at the end of a throwing session. When I took my collection of face jugs to a show, they were the first things to sell ("Oh, I need to buy that. It looks just like my uncle Frank!"). So now, I am pretty intentional about making a few jugs each week to have for shows. This latest order is for a face jug smoking a cigar, so I did spend some time last week creating what was beginning to look like Groucho Marx, but I think will do the job. It will be bisque-fired this week and hopefully glazed and finished by the end of the month.

The other orders have been primarily for bowls - lots of bowls - and chip and dip platters. I have purchased a larger bat so I can try and throw even larger platters (for bigger appetites). I want to try some majolica style glazing and think the platters would be a good "canvas" to work on. More on that later. As for now, I have plenty to do with the little bit of extra time I have this weekend.

Back to School = Back to Regular Schedule

2009-08-16T16:53:00.013-04:00

It is hard to believe that it has been 40 years since Woodstock! All weekend I have been listening to Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, The Who, Janis Joplin and all the others that were such a big part of the three-day concert. I was only 16 at the time and there was no way my parents would have let me go up to New York from Virginia for a concert, but I have always wished I could have been there. All the groups that I listened to as a teenager in one place at one time would have been incredible!

Meetings, meetings, meetings! I spent the last week in meetings at the school where I will be working this year. When everything about the school is new to you, it is not quite as bad as sitting in the same meetings that you have gone to for years. So, for me, it probably wasn't as hard as it was for others. Kids show up Wednesday for a half day and then we are off at full throttle. Actually, I always like the beginning of the school year - everyone seems happy to see each other and sort of excited about being back, at least for the first day.

When I got to the studio on Thursday evening, there were two firings of glaze work ready, so I brought home quite a bit. Most of it came out real well. I did have one rice bowl which must have been close to another piece that drooped in the kiln and pushed on the side of the bowl. As a result, I have a lopsided bowl with a contact scar on the outside surface - the key word is "I" since I will use that bowl for my own personal use. That is something that just happens sometimes. I feel lucky that it hasn't happened more often. The only other "unplanned result" had to do with the color of a glaze on a chip-n-dip I made special order. The person wanted a light blue piece with a glaze I have previously used for her, but it did not look very blue when I first glazed it. I sprayed it again and re-fired it, but this time it came out almost clear. It is actually a very nice looking piece, but just not blue. If she doesn't want it, I will try again - I know I can sell the original platter.

This was my first time glazing the red clay pieces and was really pleased with the results. Even the natural unglazed clay came out looking better than I thought it would - not really red, but a dark sandstone look. The turquoise looked very good - a little darker than on the lighter clay - and the tenmoku seemed a little more red.
The real surprise was the grayish look that the clear glaze took on the piece that was marbled with the red and white clay. The lines of the layers are still distinct, but it is more of white and gray layers instead of what I expected would be white and red.

As far as throwing pottery, what I could fit in or felt like doing after meetings all day, most of my time was spent on casseroles. I have had more inquiries lately via email about my work and this has resulted in some interest in casseroles I had previously made, but I did not have any "in stock" at the moment. So, in the process of trying to create a couple of casseroles to match a desired size, I have gotten the "casserole bug" and am looking at different sizes and different styles of baking dishes. I like creating pots that have lids, although it is oftentimes frustrating. But, it is great practice to work at it. More on that later.

Peace Out!

Quick Visit

2009-08-04T09:29:00.016-04:00

Just got back yesterday afternoon from a super-quick visit to see Mom. Despite fighting the Northern Virginia traffic, it was a good visit and I got a chance to see my sister and her husband, and take Mom to see her sister in McLean. This is Mom and her sister Mary. All I need now is a picture of my uncle Carl and I can cut paste them all together to have all the siblings in one picture!

Over two weeks without a post!Let's see if I can rationalize my way out of this . . . the week before last, I spent most of the week in meetings at the school where I will be this year and trying to gather my plunder so I can set up the classroom. That and just not being really motivated to sit down at the wheel meant that I did not produce any work that week. I did reclaim some clay and had plenty to do at the studio. I found that when I started making more pots this summer, I ended up with the problem that I did not have enough time on Thursday nights to get it all glazed. So, now I am backlogged with pieces to glaze and have been trying to do more with the same glazes in order to speed up the process.

The pictures of the finished work are some of the latest that I brought home this week. I am getting used to using the spray gun - still not my favorite method - and have been trying to using multiple layers to achieve different results. I really like the two large urns. I was scraping the bottom of the barrel - literally - to get enough Shino to glaze them and then used an overspray of Bailey Red to give that "rusted" look. I don't know if the picture will be clear enough, but I used a face stamp when I attached the handles on the wine-bottle urn.

I am really pleased at how the scalloped plate and the large plain platter came out. The red in the platter is very consistent across the inside of the piece - just a nice look. I was also pleased with the two large bowls. The largest is one I made for my Aunt Gertrude who was searching for a large bowl to replace Grandmother's bread-making bowl when we went to Seagrove a few weeks ago. It is not quite as big as Grandmother's, but I hope it will do the job.

The other bowls are smaller rice bowls. When I was up at Mom's yesterday, I went into a store at Ballston Mall that teaches weaving and sells handmade items. They had a number of bowls the exact same size and style as the rice bowls I make, but they were selling them for twice what I ask! I need to figure out how to get into that market area.

I have already started making new pieces to take in to bisque-fire this week. I am trying to finish up the red clay - I like it, but it is really hard on my hands so I don't think I will use it on a regular basis. Once I get my kiln hooked up, I will need to buy some cone 6 clay and maybe I will even try some red earthenware clay.

Time to tackle the yard - we have had a lot of rain in the past week and the grass has probably grown about 3 to 4 inches in the last two days! Looks like my afternoon is planned.

Red Clay Days

2009-07-18T11:06:00.009-04:00

I watched a video this week of Nan Rothwell demonstrating how to make a pitcher in two parts, so I tried it with some of the red clay I had purchased. Although it was not quite as large as Nan's, I think it turned out pretty well and I am pleased with the result. This clay seems to have more grog and is a little rougher to work with, but it is a nice change from the usual Phoenix or Finch#1 I usually use. I also made this jar and two lids to see which one I liked best. Susan and I both agreed that the domed lid was a better look. I will try to come up with something that will benefit artistically by a flat lid so I can use the other.

These two bowls were made by Christie, our youngest son's girlfriend. She wanted to try throwing a pot when she came to visit and these two bowls are her first attempts. When I was working with her, I noticed here really struggling to get her hands in position to work with the turning clay and then it struck me - SHE'S LEFT-HANDED! My wheel does not have a switch (or I haven't found it) to switch from counter-clockwise to clockwise, so she persevered with positioning her hands in a way that I know was awkward for her. She then told me how she wanted them glazed and I took them into the studio to finish. I think they came out really well. Not bad for a lefty using a right-handed wheel.

These other pieces are some I picked up this week. The bowls are part of a special order. The other pieces are just some small pieces that I made with scraps at the end of sessions. I like the little "buttercup vases" and how the fluted bowl turned out. The vases were the idea of a lady in my church who said that she always looked for a tiny vase that she could put the single buttercup or daisy that her kids would bring her when they were growing up.

Only a few weeks until school starts again and I have a lot to do. I want to get the kiln wired so I can start learning how to electric fire. I am way behind in glazing and have about 15 to 20 pieces at the shop waiting for color. And, I am trying to produce enough to be ready for a pretty large festival in the fall, plus a couple of smaller craft days and open-houses. Right now, I think it is time to make lunch!

In The Mind of the Beholder

2009-07-14T10:41:00.009-04:00

So, what do you think this piece is? I know what I intended it to be, but it has been referred to as a number of things. When it was sitting on a table waiting for me to glaze it, one person in the shop wanted to know, "Who made the urinal?" Another referred to it as a "tea pitcher" which is close to what I had in mind when creating it at the wheel. Once it came out of the kiln, everyone really was drawn to it (I think tenmoku glaze has that affect on people) and two or three, on separate occasions immediately said that it looked like a bong! Hmmmmm....... I think it is interesting that what we have in mind for something can be so different to others. My oldest son took a free-form vase I had made and turned into his coffee cup at work. He said some of his colleagues think it is the neatest coffee cup they have seen. I guess it is all in how we use things that make them what they are - maybe this applies to people as well. I better move on . . . it is too early in the morning to be thinking this deeply.

Setting up kiln and Bill instructing me

The kiln is here, although I have not had the opportunity to get an electrician out to hook it into our box. I really want to thank Bill Watkins who sold me the kiln for bringing it down from Virginia and directing me in how to set it up. Also, Herbert and Nida, and Shirley for helping to unload the kiln out of the back of Bill's Suburban. I don't know if Herbert had ever seen a kiln before, but he quickly realized that it was big enough to hold a hog and, since he makes some of the best barbeque in the area, I'm sure he had visions of what he could do with this piece of equipment. Susan didn't help matters much when she asked him, "Herbert, how big a hog do you think you could fit in this?" Anyway, I am looking forward to exploring and learning about mid-fire clays and glazes. The kiln is almost 10 cubic feet, so it will take me some time to fill it, especially since I will also continue to work with high-fire clay for the shop in Bailey.

Herbert sizing up kiln for a hog!

Time to get to work. This is Vacation Bible School week, so my evenings are pretty filled, and I need to start looking over lesson plans for my new teaching position, but I hope to at least work at the wheel some today and each day.

Susan goes all out in "setting the stage" for VBS

Oh, the piece at the beginning of this post - I was tired of making pitchers that looked like pitchers, so I was just looking for a different design. I am sending this one over to American Pie to be displayed for sale. Again, anyone who wants it can make it whatever they want it to be.

Enjoying Summer

2009-07-07T09:27:00.012-04:00

Busy week - I went up to Northern Virginia and brought my mom back for the week. So, I have been taking her to see the sights and we took an excursion over to see her sisters in Stanly County, near Seagrove. That meant an afternoon of visiting some potteries and picking up ideas and inspirations! Mom and my aunt Gertrude went with me which made the trip even more enjoyable. The picture above is Mom (on the left) with two of her sisters, Sarah (center) and Gertrude (right). I can hear them now, saying, "Oh! I can't believe he put that picture on the Internet!"

My son, Justin, has been working on a line-drawing logo for Straydog Pottery and we are almost ready to turn it into new business cards, signs, brochures, and a T-shirt. Maybe I will be able to unveil the new design in the very near future!

I put off the delivery of my kiln until tomorrow since Mom was visiting. I had cleared a spot in the garage last week, but it is already starting to fill with "treasures" that seem to accumulate from nowhere. This evening, I will move things again to be ready for the arrival of the kiln in the morning. I have been reading up on electric firing and am sort of excited about learning about the glazes and methods that work best with that method.

In the bits of spare time I could find, I worked on some pieces to take in to the studio. I had bought some red high fire clay just to try throwing some with both colors of clay to get a marbled effect. I think my first attempt turned out pretty well - we will see after it is fired. The red clay has a different feel - not as smooth, but maybe because it is a little drier than I am used to having.

The other pieces have been a variety of things I have wanted to try. I read an article on Ceramics Daily about a technique of scribing squares and then pushing out "bumps" on a pot, so I tried that and was pleased with the results. Also worked on some larger pieces and, of course, a couple of face jugs.

One final note - I signed a contract for a teaching job, so that worry is gone. I am always thankful when things work out and feel that there has always been divine intervention in my life that help things to continue. Life is good!

Riverside Mill in Weldon, NC

2009-06-25T15:21:00.011-04:00

I had meant to post sooner this week with some pictures from Riverside Mill in Weldon, NC. I now have some of my work being shown and for sale at Riverside and hope that this, along with American Pie, will generate a little income (or a lot of income!). I found a kiln for sale on Craig's List and went up to Halifax, Virginia, last Friday to look at it - ended up buying it! So, now I need to sell some pottery to help pay for it. More on the kiln after it is delivered on July 2nd. This week was filled with job interviews and preparing for interviews, so I still didn't have the time I wanted to throw pottery. However, I spent a good day at the wheel and worked on a special order for matching bowls.

Anyway, back to Riverside Mill. Riverside is an old warehouse that was bought and has been restored specifically for selling antiques and handcrafted items. There are billboards on Interstate 95 pointing the way and it is really starting to draw traffic off the highway. If you are ever in the Roanoke Rapids/Weldon area of North Carolina - especially if you are traveling on 95 around North Carolina milepost 173, take a quick excursion to Riverside Mill and check it out. There are some pretty neat things there that you won't see in most other places.

The Main Craft Gallery

The Painting Gallery

There's just something about an
8' tall metal sculptured moose!

If you are in the Louisburg area tomorrow evening (Friday), American Pie is having it's grand opening celebration with food and live music. So you might want to check that out as well.

Tonight is pottery night for me at Dan Finch's, so I need to pack up my gear and get ready. One last picture, though. My lastest little face jug reminds me of Howard on the old Andy Griffith show. Maybe I will try to make the next one look like Barney!

More after the American Pie opening and after I see what came out of the glaze kiln this week!

Still Working Towards Full-Time Potter

2009-06-17T17:18:00.010-04:00

Well, I'm still not a full time potter, but I have spent more time at the wheel. Between a revival at church this past weekend, my youngest son and his girlfriend coming to visit, and my ongoing job search, I have not had the blocks of hours I thought I would for pottery, . . . . YET! But I have worked on a few pieces when possible. I am trying to expand my inventory of face jugs, so I try to make at least one each time I sit down to the wheel. The one above, with the big shnozz, is a little larger than I usually make them - most of mine are more of a small 3" size.

I did take a couple of boxes of pottery to Louisburg on Monday to put in a new place called American Pie. Janie, who also works out of Dan Finch's studio, is running the shop and asked me to bring some things to sell. She is planning on teaching some "clay classes" for children in the back of the store this summer and is really working to get the place in shape for all types of handmade items. If you are ever in Louisburg, head down Nash Street and see what's happening at American Pie. And, go to the Coffee Hound next door for a good cup of coffee and a good book. They are both neat places in a quaint little town.

I am hoping to get a few more things done before I go to Finch's on Thursday evening. I have been working on a new design for a set of canisters - I think I could call it Hobbitware. I will see how this one fires and glazes before working on other sizes.

It doesn't look like it, but there are three legs on this canister!

Full Time Potter for Awhile

2009-06-13T07:44:00.011-04:00

Well, the school year is over and I have turned in all my lists, books, and keys. I am now officially unemployed, at least for (I hope) a little while. That will give me a chance to work on my pottery for longer periods of time. This week will be spent in organizing my little bit of space so I will have room to dry pieces and get them ready for bisque firing.

I was really pleased with some of the pieces I picked up this week - especially the tall vase/jar. I had experimented with spraying a light coat of Bailey Red glaze over top of a regular shino glaze. My goal was to try to get that rust-looking effect and I think it came out really well. I also had experimented with a stamp I made that had a small trinity knot design. That also came out well and I took the stamp in this week to have it fired into a permanent stamp to add to my small collection.

Another favorite from this firing was the bowl that I dipped in Star Blue - a dark blue glaze with really nice variations. Unfortunately, it also is a glaze that can run fairly easily and I will have to grind some off the bottom of the bowl. However, the bowl itself came out beautifully - it was the first time I had really used this glaze, but will be using it more now.

I have been asked to bring some of my work to a shop in Louisburg and will do so early this week. I hope to take some pictures to share in my next blog. In addition, I am going to contact the manager of Riverside Mill in Weldon and try to put some of my work there on commission. It is a really neat warehouse that has been restored for selling handmade art and antiques. There are a number of potters selling their work there, but I think if I put in some of my more unique items, like the face jugs, I will not be so much competing as providing something different.

Now that I have more time, I hope to keep this updated more frequently - if not, maybe it means I have found another job. Time will tell.

THREE Weeks!!!!!!!

2009-06-06T14:48:00.004-04:00

I can't believe that it has been three weeks since I last blogged, but "it is what it is." The school year is almost over, testing is finished, and all that is left is taking 165 eighth graders to Washington, DC on Monday and two more days of cleaning up before they are released on Wednesday for the summer. I will then have time for working on pottery - more time than I had anticipated!

I don't know why anyone would read these to hear about the writer's personal life, but in case you one of those types that are into reality TV, as of the end of this year, I will be unemployed and can join the ranks of the 6000+ teachers in North Carolina that will not be given a contract for next year. So....... I supposed my summer will be filled with job searches (they have already begun) and I plan to fill in the down time with being more intentional about producing pottery.

Susan called me on my way home the other day to tell me that she had sold $100 of my pottery that afternoon - she has turned into a pretty effective marketing manager - and said that she did not have to do anything. Someone had come by the house to see her and saw the pottery displayed in our living room and picked out some pieces to purchase. So, I really need to work on getting it out to where it can be seen. Maybe this will give me the confidence to convince me that I could make a go as a full-time potter!

Not much to show for the last three weeks. Besides not turning out much because of being so busy with the end of school, Dan Finch is working on an order for 600 brie bakers and that has taken priority in the firing schedule at the studio. I hope to have quite a bit to show next week. The items I had glazed over the last couple of weeks were being fired Thursday evening. I have tried some new things with spraying glaze, so I am really interested in seeing how they come out.

The pictures shown here are of some of the last work I finished. While watching kids who did not have to take retests, I counted up all the pieces of pottery I had made since I started in January of 2008. Luckily, I have been very good at keeping track of everything I have glazed and fired in a kiln log. Now, think about Dan Finch filling an order for 600 brie bakers in a period of about 2 months and then listen to my grand total - 384 pieces that have been glazed and about 12 others waiting to be glazed. This really shows me that I have to work at production if I am even going to consider trying to make a go of pottery full-time. But, the most encouraging thing to me is that of the just under 400 pieces, I have very little left and have sold everything except the little I have given away. Faith can move mountains, so I pray it will also "move pottery."

Busy - "cubed"

2009-05-16T10:46:00.010-04:00

I can't believe that it has been about three weeks since I have added to the blog! I couldn't figure out how to use a superscript for a three in the title of this edition, so I just had to write out cubed. right now, my whole world is about getting kids ready for their end of the year math tests next week, and the work seems to pile up exponentially as the test date nears.

These are the three pieces I submitted for the exhibition at the North Carolina Pottery Center.
(click on a picture to see it enlarged)

I did take a day off to attend the opening reception of the the Finch Potters exhibition at the Pottery Center in Seagrove on May 7th. It was exciting for me to see my three pieces on display among the other 150 to 200 pieces from the studio. If you are able, I would recommend going to see the exhibit (and maybe even buying some pottery). The exhibit will be there until August 1st, so it would be a great vacation day to visit and visit the area potteries. I enjoyed taking some time to visit a few potters on my way home the day after the reception and especially enjoyed some of the conversations I had with potters while looking at their work. My thanks to Mr. Moore at Moore Pots on Jugtown Road who let me peek inside his groundhog kiln to see how it was constructed.
These plates were made by my friend and teaching
team member, Danny Hinnant.

In the midst of all this busy schedule, I have been able to find a little bit of time to throw some pots and have gotten back some of my work that was fired. I am really trying to get used to the sprayer by trying to use it at least once each week. However, I am still tied to dipping pieces and do not want to lose the skills I have picked up in that more traditional method of glazing. The pieces pictured here are a some of the latest work. I really like the earred jar, but the Blackbird Blue glaze ran so much I ended up having to grind quite a bit off the bottom. Although this testing week is going to be very busy, I am hoping to turn out some work to take in Thursday to bisque. I have been offered the opportunity to place some work in a shop in Louisburg, so I need to build up the inventory again.

Hopefully, I will update this post in at least a week. So, I need to get to work and do something worth spending the time to write and share. Maybe some sgraffito . . . . . .

Busy Week's End

2009-04-27T20:59:00.008-04:00

After a busy four days in Washington, DC and a typical Monday at school, I have some time to sit and catch my breath and jot down some thoughts. The NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) convention was great - I have already been told I am a nerd to get excited about having been to a math convention. And, I was able to fit in a visit to the Smithsonian Craft Show and to the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria. I came back pumped up in a number of ways for teaching math and for making pottery, but also tired from the pace and all the walking and driving I did in the last few days.

What I really enjoyed about the Smithsonian Craft Show was the chance to see so many different styles of ceramic works in one place and to be able to talk with the artisans about their work. I especially enjoyed the examples of sgraffito and spent a good deal of time talking with Ron Geering from up near Cape Cod and with Steve Lloyd of Clyde, NC, about their work with slips and design carving. Steve conducted a demonstration at one part of the afternoon, showing how he throws the bottles and other ware that his wife Becky carves. Watching someone else throw pottery was really beneficial in helping me think about how I work at a wheel. There are always people throwing pots at Dan Finch's studio, but I am usually so engrossed in trying to get my glazing completed that I do not take the time to just sit and watch others. There is so much you can learn from just watching! Anyway, the craft show was a very enjoyable time and I came away inspired to try all sorts of new things with my pottery. The Torpedo Factory was, as usual, enjoyable, and probably more so because I took my Mom down with me to see the different art work.
Steve Lloyd demonstrating at the Smithsonian Craft Show

My own pottery was sitting waiting for me when I got home - now bone dry. I knew that I was going to miss my regular Thursday evening because of the convention, so I had worked on a few pieces that I would have ready to take this week for bisque firing in order to keep the routine going. The three main pieces - a bowl and two different vases or urns - are more examples of my attempts to try and produce larger ware. One of my sons just came back from spending a year and a half in Osaka, Japan, teaching English, and he has been tutoring me on what a typical Japanese place setting would look like and what I should make for different types of Asian meals. Besides the normal rice bowls and tea bowls, he was explaining what a bowl looks like that is used primarily for curry dishes. He was explaining this as he cooked us a delicious dinner of curry chicken. I would have included a picture, but we ate most of it!

Goodbye to Spring Break !

2009-04-19T16:29:00.013-04:00

Before I talk about anything else, I feel a need to show this picture of my friend, John, with the five pound large-mouthed bass he caught the other day while we were fishing. Although I am not a very good fisherman, John continues to take me out on the lakes in the area in his boat, hoping I will catch a big fish. For me, it is just a joy to be outside on the lake and watch his excitement as he reels in fish. He said this is probably the biggest bass he has caught in the lakes here around Roanoke Rapids.

Despite not catching any fish of my own, this was a productive week! Not only was I able to spend time daily at the wheel, but I was able to finalize my choices of pieces that will go to the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove for the Finch Potters exhibition. One of the pieces, I was able to see for the first time since it was glaze-fired and, since I did not have my camera with me, will not be able to show on this blog until I can take a picture of it at the exhibition. But, it was the urn on which I had carved a door and spots that looked like bricks behind peeling stucco. Mason stains were used to color it and then it was sprayed clear glaze - I was very happy with the results.

I spent time working on larger pieces, trying to get the height without having to use a torch and without the piece weighing a ton. I am not going to set any records as far as working quickly, but I am getting better at it. I have a few projects in mind that I want to try, but need to hone my skills on smaller chunks of clay first.

This week I go back to teaching - Spring Break is over - but I will be leaving for Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to attend the national math conference. That means I will not be back at the studio for two weeks to glaze or see what I glazed last week. I am hoping in that time to make a few more large pieces and do some handbuilding and carving. The Smithsonian is having its annual craft show at the same time I will be in D.C., so I hope to be able to sneak away for at least one afternoon and see some potters demonstrating. It would also be nice to visit the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria again since I will be up there. Maybe I will have some pictures from D.C. to share next weekend!

Below are pictures from this week. The pieces drying are two of my latest creations. The larger piece, which looks crooked (it's just the angle of the camera - I promise), is about 10 inches tall right now. I imagine it will end up being about 9 inches tall after drying. The face jug is just under 5 inches tall. I have had to start making face jugs on a regular basis to restock my shelves. I sold every face jug I had at the Halifax Market Day and could have sold more! These are small jugs, some no more than 3 inches tall. Not bad for something I started doing with the scraps at the end of a throwing session! The glazed pieces are all I have left from the last two weeks of glazing - I have sold everything else and the two bowls here are already sold! My overall inventory is down to these pieces, some rice bowls, about three or four bud vases, and a few egg separators. Time to work on restocking shelves for the next possible craft sale!

A Good Start for Spring Break

2009-04-11T16:41:00.005-04:00

Not many people outside of North Carolina are familiar with the Halifax Resolves, but it was an important document, signed on April 12, 1776, which gave the NC delegates the power to join with other delegates in the movement to declare independence from England. Today was the annual celebration of that date. Called "Halifax Market Day", it is a good time of meeting with people, seeing and buying handmade items from local craftsmen, and sampling (pigging out) on homemade Brunswick Stew. So, despite a small crowd due to the Easter weekend and to the threats of rain, I spent the day on King Street displaying and selling my pottery. Actually, the day turned out to be pretty nice, at least in the morning, with a lot of sun and mild temperatures until the afternoon - and turned out to be a profitable one as well, even with the smaller than usual crowd.

The last two weeks have been busy with preparations - preparations for Easter and preparations for Spring Break at school. Therefore, I have not had much time for throwing or for writing. However, I did get back a good amount of pottery from two glaze firings at the studio and was very pleased with the results. The pie birds came out real well and were a hit today along with the usual bowls and the small face jugs I make. Before the day was through, I sold out of pie birds and face jugs! Other items from the firings that I really liked were the tumblers glazed in shino with star blue stripes, the carved pitcher on which I sprayed the tenmoku, and the canister that I call the mushroom-pagoda.

I have the next week off for Spring Break, so I am hoping to have some real quality time at the wheel. There are so many projects I would like to try at the wheel, like trying to start out with 25 pounds of clay to see how hard it would be to center and work, but I want to make sure that I really do have a set block of time to complete a project if I start it. I probably need to create a list of projects and prioritize it. Sounds like another project!

Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain . . . .

2009-03-28T21:55:00.011-04:00

It has been raining for the last three days, sometimes with great downpours, and the backyard is like a pond. I know we will be looking for rain in July, but right now it is a mess. The worst part is having to wipe the dogs' feet off everytime we let them out so they won't bring all the mud in the house.

I don't have much to show for this week. The glaze kiln was not started until Thursday morning, so it will be next week before I see what I glazed on the 19th. I did produce some more bud vases to sell in Halifax on April 11th. And, I made another two-piece urn, very similar to the smaller one pictured here, only about three times larger. That, along with the bud vases will be glazed next week. I also brought home my jar on which I carved the door and brick wall peeking through the cracked "stucco" wall. It has been bisque-fired and is ready for glazing. I think I am going to use my stains to add color to the jar and then spray it with clear glaze this week to be fired.

Now that the weather is starting to warm up, I am thinking more about trying to build a wood fired kiln that will produce some finished pottery. Last year, I tried building a kiln from plans I pull off the Internet. It was basically a small train style kiln made out of regular bricks that I salvaged from old foundations of the remains of old houses in the woods nearby. Even though I was not able to get the kiln hot enough to melt the cone 5 glaze I had used on a few pieces, it was exciting to see the flames shooting out of the chimney and to peek in and see the glowing red ware. I have since bought a copy of the Kiln Book by Frederick L. Olsen and am going to rebuild the kiln in the design of his fastfire kiln. I have already started salvaging more bricks to try out this design. More on that as it happens.

Experiential Learning

2009-03-20T17:45:00.013-04:00

Before I get started on talking pottery, I wanted to share a couple of pictures from Sylvan Heights. Taking students there for a field trip last week gave me the chance to visit this waterfowl preserve for the fourth time. Each time I go, I am amazed by the variety and quantity of birds from all over the world in the park . If you are a bird lover or just someone who enjoys nature and the outdoors, I highly recommend planning a trip to Scotland Neck, North Carolina, to visit Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park.

I love to read books on how to do things. It provides me with all sorts of information and ideas based on the work of others who have already gone through the process and mastered various skills. However, it is by jumping in and getting my hands dirty (literally, in pottery) that I am able to assimilate the information and develop my own set of skills. Since I last blogged, I have had the opportunity to work on a healthy number of skills and, though I am far from mastering any of them, I can say that I have learned a great deal.

Last night, I glazed a piece of pottery for the first time with a spray gun! Granted, it was only one piece (a carved pitcher I made specifically for glazing with Tenmoku glaze), but I was able to experience firsthand the application process and also get a little insight into the pros and cons of glazing this way. On the plus side, it certainly was quick, both in applying and in drying, and easy to see that the coat of glaze was uniformly covering the piece. It was also the case in which the amount of Tenmoku available was ample for spraying, but would have been close to impossible for dipping and I would have had to resort to pouring glaze on the pitcher - something I have not had much luck with as far as getting a consistent covering. On the down side, I felt like there was much more clean-up involved with spraying: the spray gun, the glaze reservoir, the screen and container for preparing the glaze to go into the reservoir, and the mixing paddle. However, the results, which I won't see for at least a week, will hopefully prove that pros outweigh the cons and I am looking forward to learning how to overlap glazes for different effects.

I have also been working more at carving on pieces to create a more interesting look. This week, I was working on an urn in which I added a "door" and was trying to include some windows, but had some trouble with getting the carvings to work the way I wanted. So, rather than risk destroying the urn with too much carving, I did away with the windows idea for the time being and added some places that look like stucco had peeled off a building, revealing a brick wall underneath. I was pleased with the result, and have made sketchs of the windows idea in my log for future reference.

The final bit of my learning curve from this past week was in getting back the casserole I had glazed last week (remember the flying saucer???). First, the glaze did not exactly turn out the way I envisioned it, although it was not horrible. The real problem was with the lid. Apparently, in my zeal to produce lighter, thinner work, I made the lid too thin and it cracked on top (I can see daylight when I hold it up!) and, in trying to make the lid fit close to perfect, I did not account for the clay expanding in the final firing and it no longer fits the bottom. It is close enough that I think I can maybe grind the lip to make it fit and I will then use it - it is not something that I would be willing to sell, even as a second.

One final note - I went to visit my mom and see my brother and sister and their families last weekend in Arlington, Virginia. While I was there, I had a chance to go visit the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria. This World War II torpedo factory on the river has been converted into three floors of artist studios where the public can come in a see the artists at work, purchase original art pieces, and even participate in seminars and lessons. If you are ever in the Northern Virginia area, I highly recommend checking it out. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the pottery studios and meeting and talking with David Cowdrill, a potter who was manning the Kiln Club's annual exhibition.

This upcoming weekend should provide time for working on another possible piece for the North Carolina Pottery Center exhibition in Seagrove as well as building my inventory of items for a sale in Halifax in April during the celebration of the signing of the Halifax Resolves.

Snow Monday - 80 Degrees Today!

2009-03-08T13:47:00.009-04:00

Well, we finally got some real snow! Apparently, this was the first time in a number of years that school was actually canceled due to snow. I thought I would be able to spend most of the day working at the wheel, but Susan talked me into hanging a door on a stall which took up most of the afternoon. However, I was still able to get quite a bit done and took a load in Thursday night to be bisque fired.

I picked up a load of finished ware and was pleased with the outcome of the larger pieces which I hope will end up in the Seagrove show. I have found that it really is more of a challenge to dip large pieces and have decided that I need to get a spray gun and learn how to apply glaze in this way. In the meantime, I am going to order the ingredients I need to mix up some glazes that I wish to try out that the studio does not have at this time. I lean towards earth tones and especially like Shino glazes. I believe I will try to mix some Redart Shino and some Shino with Ash glaze.

Since Thursday, I have thrown a couple of medium size bowls, a pie plate, and some pie-birds. I'm not quite sure how they are going to turn out, but I like to use one when I cook a pie to keep it from spilling out in the oven (I use a lot of fruit in my pies and they tend to be pretty juicy). Anyway, here is a picture of my little army of pie-birds drying out. I hope to throw some spoon rests and maybe work on an oval piece. I tried to create an oval casserole once before and the bottom ended up cracking badly while drying for bisque firing. It's about time I get "back on that horse" and try it again. Hopefully, this evening I will have a block of time I can devote to the wheel - I have completed all my paper grading and tomorrow is a field trip day to Sylvan Heights (an incredible place to go if you like waterfowl and other birds) so I have no lesson planning hanging over me. I would like to have another full load to take in Thursday night to build up my inventory for the sale in April.

Never Say Never

2009-03-01T17:19:00.007-05:00

After telling my students that I never get sick, guess what happened - I got sick! Needless to say, this has had an effect on my productivity at the wheel. However, I was asked by two different people this week to participate in a show/sale, one in March and one in April, and this has given me an extra burst of energy to stock my inventory so I will have enough to sell. I had to turn the March date down, but am planning on being ready in April. So, I started out this week working on some smaller items that have usually sold well - bud vases, votive candle holders, rice bowls. I might even try a few soap dishes and egg separators. One of my fellow studio potters has been making egg separators she says they sell quickly. Once I get a big enough stockpile, I can go back to concentrating on creating larger pieces.

I did complete a tall pitcher, a pretty good sized bowl, and a casserole this weekend. I have been trying to come up with at least three "impressive" pieces that I can include in the Finch Potters Exhibition in Seagrove this summer. This past Thursday, I glazed two larger pieces - a lidded urn and the larger urn that I had constructed from two parts. Now I am holding my breath to see how they turn out. The larger urn started out with some "ear" handles, but, while I was dipping the piece, one of the ears popped off and the urn dropped into the glaze bucket, slopping spodumene glaze everywhere, especially on me. It gave me the idea of a line of pottery clothing with drips and spills already on it (I could call it "Glazewear"!). I was able to pop off the other handle and sand both sides smooth before re-glazing the urn. Next week I should be able to glaze the "flying saucer" casserole.

I did pick up a few pieces from last week's glazing efforts. Four of the better pieces are pictured here. I had experimented with mixing copper red and oxblood glazes together to get a more stable red, but the colors did not turn out any better than either one by itself. With the high fire of the gas kiln, the red colors seem to burn out to almost clear on the outside of a piece. Maybe it is time that I try my hand at mixing a glaze from a new red recipe.

"Two-piecer" Successful

2009-02-21T13:02:00.011-05:00

Despite two days spent with a job interview at a school for a position next year, and working to get prepare lesson plans for the substitute for those two days (it takes three times longer to plan for a sub than for teaching your class), I was able to finish the casserole and complete a larger piece. The casserole was really drying out too much and I was working to get the handles and a decorative disc to adhere to the piece. The disc I created from a mold that Susan (my wife) gave me last Christmas - there are four designs on the mold and although it is not something I would want to use all the time, it is pretty neat how it works and fun to mess with every now and then. I also made use of a Playdough machine which really worked well as a miniature extruder.

The larger piece is my first successful time joining two pieces together to make a larger single piece. I was pleased with how the pot came out, especially the weight of the piece. I know I will be experimenting with that method in the future to make even larger pieces. This is part of the work I am doing to get ready for the upcoming show.

I would have started out my day working on pottery, but ended up helping Susan feed and take care of a friend's horses most of the morning. It was pretty enjoyable being outside in the cold (about 25 degrees this morning when we went out at 8:30 am and about 40 degrees when we finished up around 11:oo). I mostly took care of breaking ice off the water barrels, refilling water buckets and distributing hay and feed. Susan took care of the mucking of the stalls and actually handling the horses to get them to different pastures.

I am hoping to spend a good part of this afternoon working with pottery. Besides some ideas for different pieces I want to try, I have started coming up with some drawings of stamp designs that I would like to make for decorating. I am really trying to come up with an original design that will express Straydog Pottery and can be put on a stamp that can be used to mark my work instead of making each mark by hand on the bottom during the finishing process. That would leave on the date to put on the bottom. Right now I date each piece, but it has been suggested that I number each piece and record the number in my kiln log - still thinking about that one.

Still Searching for Time

2009-02-13T16:41:00.009-05:00

I feel like I am already behind in blogging! This week has been filled with grading, lesson plans, church, and the other things I have to do immediately to keep things going. So, it was another week of only a few pieces to take in on Thursday. I spent a lot of time working on a lidded casserole, which still is not finished. It is the picture of what looks like a fat flying saucer. I need to spray it down with water to keep it from drying out completely so I can attach handles and some decorative additions. It has been a real learning experience, but well worth the exercise, if only to help in visualizing how lids fit into design schemes.

Other pieces are a couple of bowls, a couple of urns/vases, and a couple of small face jugs. The reclaimed clay really is pretty moist and it has taken some time to get used to working with it. Last night, the only pieces I had to from last week that were ready to pick up were a small rice bowl and a lidded bean pot. I like how the pot turned out, but it surprised me when I saw how off center the handles are - I really had made an effort to keep everything centered and symmetric.

A friend of mine and fellow teacher is also learning pottery and we went in together and ordered about a dozen different colors of mason stains - greens, browns, blues, yellow, etc. We also got some Coleman slip, so I will be trying out these stains and slip in the near future. I brought home two pieces that were bisque-fired last week to experiment on with the stains.

I need to create at least three special pieces in the next few weeks for a summer exhibition that begins in May. More on that later, hopefully with a copy of the flier with all the details. Until then, I plan to grab whatever minutes I can at my wheel and try some new things. First order of business this weekend is to clean up all those little muddy paw prints so I can start with a relatively clean studio space. I wonder how I can incorporate the additions of our cats and dogs into the pottery design!!!

Happy Valentine's Day - don't forget to give your soul-mate a card, an extra hug, and a special expression of love! My motto for my thirty-plus years of marriage has been, "A happy wife is a happy life!" Pretty close to, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

cmj

Latest Work

2009-02-07T23:21:00.010-05:00

Well, the snow went south last Tuesday night and today the temperature was 64 degrees! Made it tempting to get out the tiller and start preparing the garden. But, I ended up working with the reclaimed clay and now have about 40 extra pounds ready to use. I tried some of it this afternoon and was pretty pleased with the results. It is a little "wetter" than I what I usually use, but has a good consistency throughout. My next "clay project" is to work up some raw clay that one of my neighbors gave me from her farm. It is a white clay that she says has always been referred to as "pipe clay" in this area and was used in the past as a food additive for people who were felt to need some calcium - especially pregnant women! Anyway, she gave me a box of it to see what I could do with it. I guess I will start by putting it in a container and covering it with water to see if I can get out any impurities. More on that as it happens.

The pictures are some of my latest work that I was able to pick up last Thursday evening. I am trying to do more with glazes - overlapping, multi-glazes on pieces, and using stains. I really need to try spraying glaze. It looks like I could do some different things with spraying that I cannot do dipping. I have really taken a liking to Spodumene and to Shino. They both seem to go well with most glazes and are easy for dipping. I have not had much luck with the reds and understand they are especially challenging to master with cone 10 firing. One of the potters Thursday night told me that she mixes copper red and ox blood glazes together and has good luck with that combination. I will try that soon.

In one of the pictures, I have three vases that are "sporting" a sun tile. That was my first attempt at making a stamp. It works so well, I have made plans to make a few other designs.

The face jugs are not from the last firing, but a collection from the last couple of months. After showing the lastest jug I made last week that was going to the studio to be bisque fired, I thought I would show some final products.

cmj

Chance of Snow

2009-02-03T20:50:00.006-05:00

Although it's not much, I was able to put aside some time to throw a few pieces on Sunday. It seems that there are just too many other things that must be done - I can only put off grading quiz papers so long! I started making small face jugs early on as a way to recover something from battles I had with a portion of clay and in which the clay was winning. The little guy here is the result of having a hard time with what started out as a two pound bowl. Nothing was going right and I kept trimming away bits and pieces until there was just enough left for a small jug about 4 inches tall!

I did accomplish getting my corner straightened up and started the process of reclaiming about 40 to 50 pounds of scraps that I have been saving over the last few months. So, I guess the weekend was productive to a point. The forecast is calling for a 30 to 40 percent chance of snow tonight and tomorrow morning - a pretty good chance for this part of North Carolina. I, like my students, am hoping for at least enough to have a delayed opening. A full day off would be wonderful and I could spend a good part of it on the wheel. Teachers like snow days as much as the kids!

A couple of average size bowls, a pie plate, a tumbler, a vase, and the face jug is the product of a few hours at the wheel. Besides working on size and lighter weighing pieces, I probably should also be working quicker. But, since this is not my main means of income, I would rather work on quality instead of quantity. I have a "order" for a set of bowls and a pie plate that I am trying to fill for a friend. The other pieces are just me trying some different things or, lately, making things for myself, like the tumbler. Thursday nights are my regular pottery nights at Finch's Pottery and I spend my time there glazing pieces that have been bisque fired the previous week. The glazed pieces will then usually be fired the following week in Dan's gas kiln - so the whole process from beginning to end takes about two weeks on the average for me to see the final work. Maybe I will have something to show after this Thursday.

One last picture. I had cleaned my little corner studio (even cleaned all my tools) and after working with the scraps for reclaiming, I left a muddy tub under my workbench because it was really cold outside and I didn't feel like messing with the hose and cold water in the dark. The next morning when I checked on the pots I had thrown, I was greeted with this sight of muddy paw prints all over the floor. Apparently one or more of the cats (we have four) decided to walk around in the tub and then leave the room, leaving their tracks as evidence of their presence. Back to cleaning!

I hear ungraded quiz papers calling to me. I sure hope it snows!!!

cmj

Getting in the "Habit"

2009-01-31T13:25:00.001-05:00

Alright! If this blogging thing is going to work, I am really going to have to be intentional about consistently posting to it each week. I doubt that daily is realistic, but my hope is that by posting a couple of times a week, I will also be more intentional about a regular schedule of throwing and finishing pottery. Having to juggle time for pottery around my "real" job of teaching sometimes causes it to take a back seat in priorities. What I need to do is to get myself in a rut - create a schedule that I can follow that will allow me to do everything I need to do in addition to everything I want to do. Sounds easy enough, doesn't it???

Today, my first order of business is to clean up the corner of the utility/furnace room that I call my studio. It really is a corner that I share with the washer and dryer, furnace, some shelves and a cupboard. Not a lot of room, but enough for my wheel and a portable workbench that I can use to prepare clay for throwing. The countertop of the cupboard becomes the drying rack. There is very little room, but the dogs, Josie and Bear, do manage sometimes to come lie at my feet while I work, and Voltron, the nappy yellow cat, likes to use the wheel from time to time.

Once I get things straight in the "studio" and can set aside a good couple of hours to devote to throwing, I need to get to work on a few projects that need to be finished in the near future. I really have been pleased that I was able to sell most of what I made in my first year of pottery, but really need to work on not openly looking terrified when someone says, "This is so beautiful and so nice and heavy!" So, my goal this year is to really work on making more with less - cutting down on the weight and thickness of the pieces - and to make more pieces of larger size. Hopefully, I will have something to show for my efforts in my next posting.

cmj

A Beginning - 01/30/09

2009-01-30T18:26:00.000-05:00

I am a beginner - a lifelong learner starting out on another experience which I hope will last a "lifetime" in whatever time I have left on this earth. I have always loved pottery, but it was not until moving to North Carolina that I was able to find the time and the right avenue for learning this craft. And, so, for the last year I have regularly gone to the studio of Dan Finch and continually work at learning and honing skills in turning and glazing pottery. I say work, but it is not like work at all. I find shaping clay into decorative and functional wares as being both calming and exhilarating at the same time. Maybe it is because I am creating something. Maybe it is because I know that I can always start a piece over if it doesn't look the way I want it to. Maybe it is because clay is so flexible that , even when it does not look like what I started out to make, it allows me to continue and turn out something just as good or better. Maybe it is because I am a beginner and every pot is new and exciting. I read somewhere that every time someone sits down at a wheel, he or she is a beginner - maybe that is the real reason I am drawn to pottery. I don't have to worry about each piece being perfect, because each piece is different and unique - perfect in its own way.

I have been encouraged to start a blog as a way of communicating my experience in clay. What I hope is that this site will serve as a record of my progress, a gallery of work I produce, and a way of me sharing the joys of pottery with anyone who wishes to visit this page, as well as sharing some of my other interests with the world.

Chris Joyce