A slab built planter

Who would have thought that instead of building snowmen, we'd have enough water in the neighborhood for rafting--almost. Anyway I've been catching up on some writing, but last week got back in the studio to finish up some honey pots and tumblers for an order. While I worked on glazing my friend came over the studio to make a planter. She had an idea to make a pot with vines. First she rolled some slabs, wrapped a bucket, made a bottom--always scoring or course. Important if you use a form like a bucket, orange juice can  or other still form, you need to wrap the form with paper first. Otherwise the clay will stick. Then she started rolling the loose coils. Scratch and wet the coils, but don't press so hard the organic-growing look disappears. Make sure you pull the bucket out before the pot starts to shrink. Remember clay shrinks as it dries and it will crack if something resists this like and immovable form.
This is the way it looks so far. I'll update with the final product. I've decided it's definitely more fun to work with a friend.

Final Student Work for 2011

I admit I'm obsessed with this cat. His name is Big Kitty. I got him as a Christmas present from the Erickson girls around seven years ago.

Two moose, a snail, a hippo, and a dragon.

Isn't he gorgeous. This was made by a 15 year old boy.

Here's the work in the kiln.

This moose was made with speckled buff clay (Cone 5) wrapped around a balloon and the parts added. He was bisque-fired to 06. Details were emphasized with iron brown oxide and dipped in clear. Fired to cone 6.

The last time we met for the year was Dec. 12th, but I tried to take some photos before the students filtered in to retrieve their work. My phone died before I finished, but you'll get the idea. Here's the table of work. The baskets were made by cutting strips of clay and criss-crossing them with slip inside of a bisque-fired thrown bowl. I forgot to have the students flatten the bottom and they are a bit tippy. This photo shows a variety of work we made over a 5-week period.

Paradise Sale and More Dec. 7-15

The Paradise Artisan Sale before our customers showed up.

Jeani, still setting out her wares.

Jo Katona Brown and just a little of her beautiful jewelry

ReNae

Jill Hart--"Nana Hart" homemade goat-milk products and gift baskets.

Browsing and listening to music.

Paradise has talent! Dale, Erin and Jake Major.

Christy and David Holmes work.

Christy and Jill visit.

Wow, it's been a busy week as a potter. Last Wednesday and Thursday friends helped me put flyers in newspaper boxes throughout Paradise. We'd already put up flyers. I still had a glaze firing cooling in the kiln. Friday night I met Christy Holmes down at the Paradise Town Hall and we set up tables and brought our work in. Saturday morning the rest of the vendors came and we finished setting up. It was a great day, with good sales, and fun entertainment. Christy brought a big pot of soup that really hit the spot. Besides the money that I earned I made some great trades at the Paradise Market and at the Winter's Gift Market. I traded for soaps, lotion, honey products, and jam. We'll do the Paradise Market again at the end of May during the Fire Department's Breakfast for Memorial Day. I enjoyed meeting new friends too.

We finished up the Monday night classes this week and had a lot of glazing to do. The pots are all in the kiln cooling off and I hope to take some photos before they disappear.

November 28th-December 7th

Julie wraps a rolled slab around a cardboard ice cream container to make a planter.

A cute visitor from USU came to finish some pieces for Christmas.

Making magnets and ornaments.

Do I need to eat this hippo?

One of my freshly thrown vases.

Ronda Hinrichsen, Me, and Marie Higgins together at The Book Table

At the Winter Gift Market. It was fun and went well.

Monday night in the studio.

A grandmother helping her granddaughter

Making a turtle.

Making a snail

Making a hippo.

Making a pig.

Making a dog.

The row of animals made in Monday Night Studio.

It's always better to be too busy than not busy enough when it comes to the pottery business. This last week was one of those times when I had a little more going on than I could comfortably do well. I finished work for the Winter Gift Market and taught a few classes. And I did a book signing at The Book Table for Sun Tunnels and Secrets and Just Shy of Paradise. Here's some highlights. While being a part of the Winter Gift Market at the Bullen Arts Center in Logan I also ran next door to The Book Table to be part of their Midnight Madness Sale to represent and sign my books. The market went Friday night and all day Saturday.  In the studio I had three classes. In my Wednesday class we finished everything up and glazed the pottery. And in the Monday classes we continued to make pottery, sculptures, magnets, and Christmas ornaments.

November 21st-27th

Of course Thanksgiving took a big chunk of time out of the week, but it was easier this year since we went to my Brother's for dinner instead of hosing it here. It was a small, but relaxed group. We visited, ate, played games, and walked. We had our grandkids for the day too because their parents were sick. What fun!

I didn't teach my classes this week. On Tuesday I did a bisque firing and unloaded on Wednesday before we left home. Friday I spent the whole day mixing glaze. It's kind of like following an extra large recipe for cookies, except that I use a gram scale instead of measuring cups. My ingredients have to be carefully measured, then water added and put through a fine-grain screen so the glaze is smooth. It's a tedious process. And I wear a mask when I do it because the fine particles are not good to breathe and can actually cause "Potters Lung" (Silicosis) or Miner's Lung. After mixing the glaze I hand decorate my ware before dipping them in and/or pouring glaze. I had the kiln loaded for a glaze fire by 4:00.  Then I came up to the house and we had another Thanksgiving dinner with our children and grandkids.

My kiln took an extra long time to reach temperature. I think I need to replace some elements. I fire to cone 7 which is about 2300 degrees. I use an electric kiln which has more control than natural fuel, but not as many options. I have to look through an eye hole into the hot kiln to see the cones. When the kiln reaches temperature they drop. Typically potters use at least three cones, the guide cone drops first, letting you know that soon the firing cone will drop. Lastly there is usually a cone to show you if the kiln is getting too hot.

bottom of kiln

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had forgotten to take a picture until I had already unloaded the top shelf. You can see some of the designs on my pottery. The dragon flies are made with two glazes. First I dipped the green and then did a simple wax-resist design, then poured the second color. I also do leaves like that. The other more complicated pattern is done with wax and under-stains before the bisque fire. I love to design my pottery. 

Table of pottery after I unloaded the kiln. The jars in front are the new French butter dishes I've been making. I'll be taking my pottery down to SLC in the morning to be part of the Finch Lane Gallery for the next few weeks. I hope it's worthwhile. It's always a fun show. 

Finally, here's a picture of Big Kitty. I love to let him in the house after a days work and let him sit on my lap and purr while I watch TV or read. Last time we weighed him he weighed 25 pounds. About 8 years ago, I was at a Christmas party and the hosts had a half-grown kitten. He was so sweet that I carried him around all night. I love cats. A few days later the girls who owned the kitten brought him over and gave him to me as a Christmas present. I think it was sympathy as both of our children were grown and out of the house. I consider that small gesture one of the blessings in my life.

Big Big Kitty (Mouse)

 

 

Nov. 13th-20th in the Pottery Studio

I wasn't able to get much of my own work done this week. Instead I worked on some writing. Currently I'm rewriting a mystery set in Yellowstone. I met with my writer's group and they gave me some good ideas and caught some problems. I also attended the funeral of my husband's 90-year-old Uncle Dean. He was a really good man and it was nice to celebrate his long life with his family and friends. I also attended the wedding of our nephew. We added our well wishes to the beautiful couple who started a new journey in life. Wonderful to be a part of these family events. Beginnings and endings. As sometimes happens, I had to put my working schedule aside for much of the week. And the only work I did of my own was four little frogs. This is what they look like before they're fired.

This darling girl is scoring the legs of her reindeer. She is very creative and only six years old.

I use to teach her in a church class. Now she is all grown-up. It's fun to have her in my class. She also made a really great reindeer.

Happily working on a moose. You can see that he's going to be great. She added a head and formed the antlers.

Can you tell this is a potato, with melting cheese and butter? I think it's the first of its kind.

The workings of an airplane. He's applying a propeller.

He really found his niche is creating this dragon. Soon it will have scales and feet.

The whole class busy creating. It's fun to see that everyone makes something unique. Some turned their animals into banks, others cut holes in the top so they can put stuff in them. And some just left them as sculptures. If you do leave them as sculptures, make sure you put a whole in them to let air escape or they blow up in the firing process.

Really incredible bear. She made a baby one to go with it.

I had two classes in my studio this week. With the home-school group we made animal sculptures. We roll out slabs of clay and wrap balloons for the form, then add whatever additions needed to make the animals. The students were very successful. I'll be excited to see the final products.

In my Monday evening class, we worked on slab pottery also, but played around with textures. These dishes were rolled out about 1/4 " think stamped and pressed designs and then loosely placed in disposable bowls. After they are bisqued we'll glaze them so the designs really show up well.

Next week I hope to fire and continue getting ready for the Christmas events. And of course have Thanksgiving dinner.