Circle Bowl

Oh alright, I'll go.  I'm going to the NC Potters Conference after all.  A really nice lady from my guild can't go, so I am going in her place.  Masters of Jingdezhen Porcelain is the topic and I was not sure how much I could use in my own pottery making.  I have decided to go there and just have a purely educational experience.

Yesterday I made this bowl and I like how the cutouts look.  It will make a good candy dish or potpourri dish.  I would like to make one that is large for a centerpiece on a coffee table.

Teapot & Vase

This week I have been trying to make more fun pieces, so I made this teapot and vase today.  The teapot is similar to the red one shown alone the right hand sidebar.  Hopefully it comes out ok.  The last two had a twisted handle that would separate from the pot during the glaze fire.

Today I sent out the application for the NC Pottery Festival in Greensboro in April.

Sand Dunes

Today I unloaded a glaze load.  The piece to the left is a piece I threw months ago but couldn't figure out what to do as far as glazing.  I ended up placing a blue in the grass etching and the Redwood over it all.  The grass is green.  It looks a little like the dunes at the beach.

The photo below shows the finished order for the Seaworthy Gallery in Hatteras.  She will be picking it up in the next month.  Glad to get all the pieces finished so that I can concentrate on other things.

Yesterday I worked at Ruby's Gift in NoDa.  I brought in some more heart dishes, since there were only a couple left in the basket.  At the end of March I will rotate the merchandise.

Pedestal bowls and Creamers

Yesterday I tried to make some of the pieces that were demontrated at the workshop this past weekend.  The photos above are my attemps and the photos below are theirs.

I struggled with both.  With the pedestal bowl (Neil Patterson) I had trouble with the closed form. Only 2 out of 4 attemps made it.  With the creamer (Sandi Pierantozzi) everything seemed wrong. I have some thoughts on how I could incororate the darts into another version.  There are a few other things I want to try, but it will have to wait until later in the week. 

Today I will be glazing.  The order for the Seaworthy Gallery has a few more pieces, so I thought that I better get them finished.  Then on Wednesday I gallery sit at Ruby's Gift in NoDa.

Neil Patterson & Sandi Peirantozzi Workshop

Just finished a great weekend at  the Carolina Claymatters Winter Workshop.  This year the presentors were Sandi Peirantozzi and Neil Patterson.  Sandi handbuilds and Neil throws and alters.  I as very inspired by everything they showed us.  Expect to see photos in the next week of my attemps to recreate something similar to the pieces they demonstrated.

In the photo I am standing with Sandi and her piece that went home with me.  It now resides in my curio cabinet next to the McKenzie Smith fish plate I got at last years workshop.

Vases & Pitchers

Here are a few of the fun items I have done this week.  Everything else has been mostly bowls of different sizes.  Today was cereal bowls.  After the new year I decided to consolidate some of my bowl sizes.  Last year I had 6 sizes, this year only 4.  Hopefully this will work out better.

It has been so nice out this week.  The temps have been mid sixtys to low seventys.  It's so nice to sit looking out into the beautiful sunshine while I work.

This weekend is the workshop with Neil Patterson and Sandi Pierantozzi.  I am so looking forward to this workshop and hope to have all sorts of new ideas in the coming weeks.

Triangle Jar

It was warmer out today, so I was determined to try some handbuilding.  This is my first attemp at a lidded jar. When looked at from the top it twists, so I even placed the lide at a twist as well. The feet are stacked triangles.  I will see how it fires and if there are no problems with cracking or separating I will try some more pieces.  Perhaps a teapot or vase.  After the workshop next weekend, I hope to come back with lots of great techniques to try.

This week I will mostly be working on inventory pieces so that I can get caught up for my shows in May.  Then I can concentrate on show pieces.  I would like to apply for my own show at Mint Hill Arts, but I need to make sure I can make enough show pieces in time for a July Exhibition.

Today I unloaded the kiln and photographed some more of my favorite pots.  My best photos have been downloaded on my facebook page.

Floral Cut-outs

Yesterday I threw the most pieces I've every thrown at one time.  A few weeks ago I purchased some more bats and I was determined to use them all yesterday.   I think that I may have gotten a light case of frostbite on my feet.  My feet got so cold they went numb.  It took hours for them to go back to normal.  Even after a hot shower. Today I learned my lesson and wore my husbands wool socks over my socks.

I made this large platter and for a change decided to do some cut-outs.  They make me think of flowers.  Must be thinking that it is time for Spring. 

Today I glazed the Dragonfly line and loaded the kiln.  It's supposed to be warmer next week, so I am looking forward to being able to open the garage doors to see the sunshine.

Tall Pitcher & Teapot

Yesterday I set out to make a bunch of creative pieces, but alas I wasn't really in the mood.  So, I only made these two items and two Chip & Dip Bowls.  Lame really.  Today I put them all together.  After that I did my slip trail beading on all my pieces ready for the bisque load I will start tonight. 

Then I unloaded the glaze load that I started day before yesterday. I was happy with this batch, since there were no defects that I could see.  On Friday I will glaze the Dragonfly series.  Some of the pieces are for the order I am working on but I am completely out of anything in this line right now.  So, I will also be refilling my inventory for upcoming shows.

1st Glaze Load of 2011

Yesterday was near 50 degrees and warm enought to glaze.  Today I unloaded the kiln and reloaded with pieces I glazed today.  Here are a few of my favorite pieces.  The Twilight glaze never photographs well so believe me when I say that in person these look so much better.  Most of the load is part of an order for a gallery on the coast that is due by March.  Others (like the vase) are special orders for individual customers that have called me in the last month looking for pieces.  Some have had to wait almost a month for me to do a glaze load.  I would glaze again tomorrow but I need more pieces bisqued before the next batch can be done.  So tomorrow I will be throwing again.  Hopefully I'm in the mood to be creative and will make some fun items like teapots.  I also need to wedge up some reconditioned clay thats been drying out in bags. That clay is used for my brie bakers since they are easy to make and the clay can be fairly wet when throwing.  There are no more brie bakers left on my bisque shelf, so I need to make some more soon.