touching clay, lightly

I am loading the kiln today. I have to refire a pot that I had not signed but sold last week! I promised to put my name on the piece and refire it (with fingers crossed). But you can't fire one piece--it takes a whole kiln load to make a firing. I had several pieces that did not come out of the last firing in satisfactory condition. They were very rough inside and out around the rim for about an inch or inch and a half--glaze too thin. I read on Clayart that a help to refiring is to coat the piece with Elmer's Glue and then apply the glaze--my previous experience was that the fired piece would not hold the glaze. So Friday I coated pieces with Elmer's Glue, left them to dry over night and yesterday applied the glaze by many dips into glaze--which has adhered to the glued surface. Very curious to see how these pieces come out.

Another little touch of clay: Visiting an acquaintance's home Friday night I spied a beautiful carved wooden block. I was itching to have a stamp from it so asked the hostess what it was. It is a family treasure. Once belonging to the grandmother in Greece, it is a stamp used for making the host for the communion service. I asked if I could make a pencil rubbing of the surface--thinking I might try carving the design into wood myself to make a stamp. However, the rubbing did not come out well so the hostess insisted I take the piece home and make my rubbing then return it to her. How incredibly generous! So I made an impression from the wood block into a thick slab of clay. I will let it dry slowly--all wrapped up--then bisque it to use as a stamp. The impression in clay looks great. I will return the wood block tomorrow. The wooden circle is about 4 1/2" across.

yes, I've started

but I have not gotten very far. I am determined to sort out the Keepers from the Not-to-keep-any-longers that fill our closets and drawers. It is so hard psychologically. I am attached to ‘things’ that have NO value for me or anyone else other than that I once used/purchased/received/wanted that ‘thing’. Now it takes space, makes clutter, and collets dust. It has got to go. But first I have to wrestle with every single piece! I started yesterday in earnest and today have a serious back ache! hmmm

And I am dying to get out to the studio. But I know that it is not a one hour break kind of thing. Once I get set up, wedge clay, and get to the wheel the hours roll through my fingers without notice. It is certainly not an hour break kind of thing. Maybe the solution is to give myself one day a week to be in the studio. Maybe if I can look forward to that one day a week it will be easier to focus on the sorting and packing business the rest of the week.

It looks like the closing on the sale of this property is going to be delayed. We expected the closing to be next week--on the 8th. But we have been informed that it is unlikely to be that soon (soon? this has been going on for years!) but maybe within a couple weeks. How discouraging. We are eager to get the contractor busy replacing the roof and refinishing the floors which have to happen before we move in. But that can't happen before we close on that property. And that can't happen before we close on this property. Does that sound to you like we are going in circles? It does to me. We are not looking at doing the work that Andrew is doing on his house--I hope we are not facing that!--and we are not doing it ourselves like he is. Still it seems like a huge challenge ahead getting from here to there!

In the last few weeks I've begun enjoying a cup of green tea in the morning instead of coffee. I had tried before to like green tea--I liked the idea--but somehow could not cultivate a taste for it. Recently I found a tea shop near by and decided to give it another try. The packages of tea come with very explicit directions--the amount of tea per cup, the temperature of the water and length of time for the steeping. Well, it seems to have made all the difference. I make one cup at a time and carefully (obsessively) follow the directions and I love my green tea. I was using too much tea, too hot water, and not steeping the tea long enough. I am using handle less tea cups. I want to call them "tea bowls" because that calls to mind the Asian tea cups. But I've been corrected several times being informed that "tea bowl" is a ritual item for the tea ceremony. The "yunomi" is the Japanese word for the handle less tea cup for everyday use and the translation of that word is "tea cup". But who would know what I am talking about when I say I like using a yunomi for my morning green tea? "Tea cup" brings to my mind a lovely porcelain cup with handle and saucer!

another busy weekend

I am really exhausted tonight. Probably not a good time to try to create a post. I spent Saturday at the Texas Clay Festival in Gruene, TX with hundreds of potters and collectors. The day was glorious and pots wonderful. I went by myself so I was free to wander as long as I liked through the 50 displays and back again and again! I saw work of potters I had not seen before. Saw some friends, too, that I enjoyed chatting with. One friend asked me what I liked best of what I had seen. I was taken back a bit. I had not thought in those terms during my morning stroll through the displays. But I decided I should have been looking more closely, more conscientiously. So I started my rounds all over again asking myself if I was fond of these pots and if so why. I did not bother asking the same question of the pots I was not fond of--maybe I should have. But it did make my rounds richer for me. I think I came home with more than I had in the past. I was not buying work. I am facing packing up and cleaning out in the immediate future so bringing more into the house that has to be packed and moved is not appealing! It might be a mistake to be bringing home ideas of work I want to try my hand at--since I should be packing my studio instead.

Today I went to Waring, TX to participate in the fall festival at the Guadalupe Crossing Market. Again, a beautiful day. There were not hundreds of people there but it did feel more personal. It seemed that most, but not all, visitors had some connection with someone at the gallery. The gallery had several of their artists there to meet customers and visitors. It had such a nice, country, down-home feeling. I enjoyed being part of the celebration and grateful to have been included. But I am mighty tired tonight!

Many friends and family ask me regularly, "Have you started packing?" Well, as of this week I will be able to respond, "Yes!" As that will be my focus for the next 2 months!

full steam ahead

It was a busy week. After 3 years of negotiation, the property on which we live along with other members of Jim's family has finally been approved for re-zoning--from residential to commercial. It is good news and bad news. Good because it means the sale of the 30+ acres will close shortly and we will be able to close on the house we have found to move into. It means a lot to my in-laws to be able to liquidate this property and move into a retirement home where Jim's mother will be cared for with little demand on her and allow his father a little freedom from his care-taking responsibilities. Bad news because we really did not want to give up our home which we built 28 years ago. But it feels like just good news because it has dragged on so long we are relieved to have some finality about the change. So now it is time to start packing--almost! Gotta get those two closing accomplished first!

The potters guild sale was Saturday. It was a beautiful day--though we were inside and did not really get to enjoy it. But there did not seem to be a good crowd at the show--maybe it was just too pretty a day to be indoors! I sold some pots and got to see lots of friends so it was a good day.

I had planned to close up the studio once the guild sale was over and focus on packing and moving. But, I spent some time with a potter friend yesterday looking at her glaze tests and talking about her processes for glazing and decorating. Well, I came home wanting to clean up the studio and make some of the glazes she shared with me and do some glaze over-lapping experiments--that is much more attractive to me than starting to pack. Oh, dear...
We are going to make the garage into a studio and I have to plan it out. I want to get the best advantage out of the space but am not satisfied with my plans so far. Need to think outside-the-box to get everything to fit into-the-garage! So I am off to pack? pot? plan? full steam ahead!

oops, time flies

I am amazed to see how long it has been since I last posted. It does not seem so long because I've been talking to my blog readers for days now! I have had so many things I wanted to write about but have not found the time to sit down and put it into words--and I don't have any new pictures to post.
I've been thinking about how much I appreciate the opportunity to see into other potters lives (through their blogs) and how interesting it is to discover the commonality among us potters. It seems that our inner experiences are incredibly similar in spite of the wide discrepancies in experience, skill and talent. Even the potters who produce fabulous work write about pressures to produce work on time, of good quality and wide appeal. In a way, I guess I most enjoy reading about the disappointments and challenges because they reassure me that I can keep on struggling and not fret too much over my own failures.
I will have a booth in our guild's pottery sale Saturday. I have really struggled to get work made for this show even though I've known about it for months. It seemed just like the year-end theme for a college course: you know all semester or year that it will be due in May. Yet for some reason (or none) you can't determine the subject and how to develop it until there is almost no time left. Then finally you are off and running just hoping that you get to the finish line before the due date has passed. That is how it has felt these last couple of months. I seemed unable to produce anything until just a week or so ago. I've had to have the kiln running non-stop--and of course that is when it began not firing just right. It has fired so consistently ever since I got it 2 1/2 years ago but now it is very inconsistent. Well, I take care of that after the move. For now, just gotta get the work done and packed for the show on Saturday.

what a great day!

I really enjoyed my day with Ruthanne Tudball. Besides being a fabulous potter she is a lovely, charming lady! And generous, too. The above are some pieces of her work that she bought to show and to sell. Then she demonstrated making each of these pieces in great detail. So here is a little outline of the evolution of the charming bottle you see on the left.

She throws a nice bottle.
Then squeezes it between to small masonite boards.
With her 'cheese cutter' she cuts her classic swirls into the soft clay.
She adds a 'kick' in the skirt...
and lugs for 'arms'.
Voila! Here it is!
It is so exciting to watch someone work with clay who has such confidence and such an alive relationship with the clay. She does all sorts of manipulation of the clay while it is still soft on the wheel--no time letting it set up and no use of a heat gun to dry it out. She stresses that she is not working with wet clay--she does not add much water as she works--but soft clay. Yet, in spite of all the handling of the soft objects there is no indication of that handling--no finger marks or indentions in the clay other than what she wants there!

Her opening piece was my favorite--though I do love the bottle:
I am sorry it is not a better shot--it is such a graceful form! Ruthanne talked about the value of drawing for any artist--it trains one to see. She does life drawings--has for years--and in August had her first showing of the drawings. She did not draw with the intention of showing her drawings but just for her own development. Can't you see the dancer in this pot!

exciting opportunity

I just learned, almost too late, that Ruthanne Tudball will be giving a demonstration and slide presentation on Sunday in Austin. I've long admired her work. She has published a book on salt/soda firing and for that she is widely known. She is American by birth and English by marriage. She got interested in clay after moving to England in the late '60s.

A blogging buddy in England speaks highly of her work, too. So when I heard about the possibility of seeing her work I jumped at the chance. Fortunately, there is still room--because it is a demo and not a hands-on workshop which is always very limited.

My interest in this event is enhanced by the focus on throwing and how she works in such a way that she does little or no trimming once the piece is off the wheel. Her work has a very fresh and relaxed look because of the way she works on the wheel and I am intrigued to learn something about that, too. I am really looking forward to this special opportunity.

connections

Well, I say I am pushing to get work made for Clay Ole but I seem to find lots of distractions! Last night I found a very pleasant distraction. I had heard that there was a used slab roller for sale--I've been longing for one but they are so expensive that it had been pushed to the back burner. Disregarding caution, I called and made an appointment to go see it. I had not even gotten into the house before the owner and I were discovering personal connections that went back 40 years! It really was quite incredible.

Leaving aside those personal connections, of great interest to me was her connection to Harding Black, the San Antonio potter who made a name for himself through his exploration of glazes. I remember hearing of the potter Harding Black when I was young but since I had no connection to clay or pottery-making at that time it had little significance for me. Over the last 4 years I've heard references to Harding Black frequently and his outstanding work with glazes. Several months ago I acquired a video of Harding working in his studio and recounting how he got into clay work and what it has meant to him.

I was amazed to learn that my hostess was instrumental in making the TV show/video in the '90s. She has several pieces of his work and wonderful stories to tell of his generosity and gentle nature. She also has several of his glaze recipes which she has offered to share with me!

Recently my niece had mentioned to me that she and her husband received a piece of Harding Black pottery as a wedding gift a few years ago! It is intriguing to me that she mentions that and then a week or so later I have this encounter with that potter's life and work. Isn't life wonderful!

Clay Ole

I am pushing myself to get some work ready for the guild sale next month but am having a hard time keeping focused. The house/sale and moving situations keep pulling my attention away from my studio. Today I went down town to pick up some of the postcards the guild had made to publicize the event. I was delighted to see one of my pieces right in the center of the postcard.

This should keep me busy in the studio--gotta live up to the advertising! This is not a great reproduction of the card--I scanned it in from my printer/scanner and it looks a bit fuzzy.

playing with glazes

A friend wrote that he was going to check my blog to see what I had been doing. Oops, I was not sure I was going to report on my last firing because I was not very happy about it. There is really not a single piece that I am proud of in the whole batch. But, as I looked over the out-put today I was interested in what I learned about some of the glazes. I fired the kiln with a hold at the top and a long soak on the way down to try to get good iron red glazes--I was testing two glazes for the iron reds: Berry's Rust and Harris Temmoku. It was the Temmoku that gave me a great iron red in July--but did not do that when I fired it in August. I am happy with the iron red glazes--not sure they are quite as nice as the ones in July, but nice.

The first and third are glazed with Berry's Rust and the second and fourth are glazed with Temmoku--very hard to tell any difference.

The plate is glazed with the Temmoku glaze. I had three pierced pieces in this firing and this the only one I like. The other two are glazed green--and the glaze is OK but the plates themselves are unsatisfactory.

I tested 2 new glazes that were suggested on Clayart. They are totally unsatisfactory on food-carrying pieces but I think would be great on vases or sculptural pieces (which I don't make!) But I will make some vases to see if I am right in thinking they would be nice there.

I had fun experimenting with making these little tripod footed vases and soy pitchers. They have a lot of personality! Look quite saucy!

Even though I am not happy with any one piece, I did learn a lot from the experiments! Now I need to get busy doing some 'real' work!

friends around the globe

I don't know why I started this blog. It is a pretty far reaching out for me. Maybe because I was enjoying the blogs of other potters so much, I wanted to get into the conversation. It has been such a surprisingly wonderful adventure for me. Some time back one of my favorite bloggers, Ron Philbeck, wrote about adding to his blog a little map that showed where readers were coming from. Wow, that sounded like a great idea. So I put one on my blog--but I hid it away down at the very bottom of the posts! However, I have had so much fun looking at it day-by-day that I have moved it up a bit--on the side bar under the archive lists. I can't believe that people from all over the world are stumbling onto my blog! I am amazed each time I check it and see someone from South America has checked in, or someone in Africa, or Australia. It is amazing! Today there was a reader from Korea! I have made friends with a couple of potters in England who check me out regularly--and we've struck up a real person-to-person communication. I'm waiting for my first reader from Japan--I've visited there twice and love their pottery traditions and appreciations.

Another plus is getting to share my enthusiasm for pottery with members of my own family. Some of them are in San Antonio--and they probably get an overdose that already! But others are far away: my sister in Maine; my niece in Arizona; another niece in Spain. On the downside, I don't hear from my sister in Maine nearly often enough because now she keeps up with my doings via the blog--but she does not have a blog so that I can't keep up with her doings!

Well, the friends that the blog has brought into my life are definitely another of the blessing I celebrate daily! Thanks for checking in!

the challenges

Yesterday I loaded the kiln for a bisque firing. Today I mixed up some new glazes (1000 gm each) and a big batch of an old favorite (8000 gm). It seems like every time I mix up glazes I make some significant mistake. Usually it has to do with manipulation of the triple beam scale. Is that because I had no previous experience working with this piece of equipment? Once I read .8 gram as 8 grams! After scraping away what I could of the excess chrome green oxide I got a great glaze that I have made over and over again! Today I put a 1000 gm weight on the scale when I meant to put a 500 gm weight on! I caught it pretty quick--only had to adjust a 3000 gm glaze to a 8000+ gm glaze! I have a great 'process' developed so that interruptions don't cause problems and I try so hard to be very attentive to what I am doing. Yet I manage to create problems anyway!

Tomorrow I glaze and hopefully I will fire on Wednesday. It is always exciting to get things into and then out of the glaze firing! I keep intending to do some 'developmental' work--throwing a LOT of test bowls to improve my throwing skills AND to have lots of bowls to test glaze-overlapping on--but I have trouble finding the time to do the 'developmental' work because I get carried away wanting to see 'real' things come out of the kiln!

Reading about Andrew moving into his newly purchased home, studio first, has me wondering. I have laid out a plan for my new studio-in-the-garage. I don't need to have a lot of work done before I can get in there but some: some electric outlets, a couple vents and the windows. But I am wondering if I should get more help in planning this than just what I can figure out. I plan to take some of the cabinets and counter tops from our kitchen to use in the new studio--but they gobble up the wall space. There is a lot more space in this garage than I currently have in my studio but not a lot more wall space which is where shelves and such go! A great studio space is a terrible thing to waste!

on the move

I am not getting much potting done because of spending my time planning our move. It looks like soon I will be spending my time packing and really getting a move on.

The house does not grab one's attention from the street--it is unpretentious but pleasant. The whole street is covered with the wonderful Live Oak trees so the neighborhood feels quiet, calm and settled.


But the view inside, from the front door, takes my breath away.


The house has a detached 2 car garage in the rear which will be entirely mine to convert to the studio where I will pot and Kenny will paint. You can see a tiny bit of the wall of the garage through the glass door. We will put windows in the wall of the studio facing the terrace so that from my potters wheel I will have the same view as this from the living room. I am very busy figuring out where each piece of equipment, each shelf and table will go. Where do I glaze? Were is the kiln? Where do I store my materials and clay? What work spaces can I create? Where does Kenny work? Where are his paintings stored? I have pages of graph paper with sketches of the space and cut-outs of the equipment and furniture to arrange in the best way. Not getting much pottery made--but I am very excited about my future in this studio! And our lives in this new home!

happy as kings

I love books--especially pottery books. This week I got 2 fabulous books--both from far away. Several months ago I read a review in "Ceramics Art & Perception" (the Australian magazine) of a new book, "The Zen Master, the Potter, and the Poet" by Milton Moon. Since all three subjects in the title are near to my heart I was eager to get a copy. I searched for it on Amazon and then did a Google search but neither of them turned up any thing about the book. Frustrated, but not deterred, I sent an email request to the publisher in Australia, negotiated for them to send me the book and received it last week. What a treasure! Milton Moon is a highly respected potter in Australia who made several trips to Japan studying pottery and Zen. This book is a lovely description of his experiences visiting potters in Japan and of the time he spent studying Zen under his master at Daitokuji in Kyoto. It has some photos of his pottery--but the focus is on his experiences, not on his pottery. A wonderful book which I am reading slowly to savor each step along his journey!

The second is a book of photos of Phil Rogers' pottery published by the Pucker Gallery in Boston who features his work. I know of Phil through his book on throwing--which is a wonderful guide to this craft/art. Recently I was visiting his web site and saw a note that a book about his work was about to be published. Off I went to Amazon and found that they did have it listed but it had not yet been published--it was expected to be published in July. So I placed my order and began my wait. A few weeks ago I got a notice that the publication date had been changed and I might not get my copy until sometime in October. OK, I can wait. It arrived yesterday. If I had known what a treat it would be I would have had a hard time being patient. It is filled with beautiful color photos of his work which bears a strong similarity to Japanese pottery. A really beautiful book!

What an incredible blessing--being part of the pottery community. I love all of it: the presence of pottery going back into the prerecorded history of man; the incredible literature that has accompanied pottery through the ages; and the wonderful people that make up that community--all of these riches freely available to each of us. I cannot believe my good fortune to have found my way into this world of pottery and to have been so graciously welcomed into it.

"The world is so full of a number of things, I ’m sure we should all be as happy as kings." Robert Lewis Stevenson

oh, oh, I lost my focus*

I'm still not back in the studio--and I am planning to show/sell at the guild's annual show in October. Originally I had decided not to commit to the show because of the expected move sometime in the fall. Then, when it looked like we would not be moving before Christmas, I changed my mind and signed up to participate with my own booth. Now, SUDDENLY, it looks like we will be moving late October or early November. We will certainly be packing and overseeing the needed changes at the new house by then. And here am I not yet busy at work in the studio. Tomorrow Jim leaves for Austin for a couple of days--should be my chance to focus on my pottery. But he is busy leaving me with long lists of estimates to get from various companies for the work that will be needed on the new house. It is not a new house, it is 42 years old. So it is in need of some up-dating and repairing though it is in good shape for its years. As I write this I am reminded of Ron Philbeck's home that is in the 100's of years old if I remember correctly.There is such a lot to do and suddenly there is so little time to do it in.

I am torn between being excited about the new possibilities--especially planning a 'real' studio in the garage--and dealing with a deep sense of loss. We love our home and it has our whole life-together history in it. The move was not our own initiation--extenuating circumstances forced it--so there is a lot of regret entailed. However, I am trying to focus on what we gain in making this move and convert the regret to happy memories. Not easy!

No single picture does credit to our wonderful home--but you get the idea! We will be leaving the deer wandering through our yard, eating the shrubs, gardening attempts and flowers, and the raccoons dancing on the roof over our bed at night. We've complained about that--but we will miss it all! We built our home in 1979--we moved in 10 days before our son Ben was born. I thought I would be buried in the back yard...

One of the great pluses will be that my son, Kenny, will live with us and work with me in the studio. The studio will house a potter and a painter! Kenny is 46 and has been painting for maybe 15 or 20 years. He is cerebral palsied and it is incredible what he has accomplished in spite of his handicaps. He has been living independently for many years but his physical condition is deteriorating and I believe that he needs closer supervision than he has at this time. It will be great getting to share the enthusiasms of our art with each other. I am so happy that we can make this change now and so grateful to Jim for being as enthusiastic about the project as I am. Lots to look forward to--but in the meantime I am having trouble focusing on my pottery!

*This sparked by Robert Genn's newsletter this week.

and now the rains have gone (I hope)

The sun is out but it does not seem to have cured the pottery block. I did a little trimming on a piece I started yesterday and seem to have made some headway. Of course, it has a long way to go yet--drying and firing twice and glazing! No assurances yet!

I had expected to be back in the studio today working full steam ahead inspired by our 6^ glaze group get-together last night. It was the first attempt at getting a group started since the group I initiated a year or so ago fell flat on its face! I had imagined a sort of research group studying glazes and glaze materials. That was not what the others had in mind. Lives are so busy these days, few are looking for more to do! This time Herb suggested that we just get together to talk about glazes and our experiences. No high tech, no assignments, no work--just good fellowship! And it was very pleasant getting to visit with people who are as enthusiastic as I about their pottery experiences. Unfortunately, several perspective members were unable to attend because of the rain and flooding. Nonetheless, we were a group of 7--a nice size group for conversation. And it was stimulating to see and hear about the work others are doing and the different ways that they approach their work.

I might have gotten into some potting if Jim had not come out to the studio as I was finishing my trimming project to suggest we go over to the 'new' house and check on leaks after the heavy rains yesterday and last night. So, I cleaned up and we took off--stopping for lunch on the way home an hour or so later. Now it is nap time!

it's raining, it's pouring

torrents! Raining torrents. And everything outside was already soaked from all the rain we've had this summer! Of course, the studio leaks like a sieve! The first few times it rained like this it caught me off guard and there was water standing across the whole 7 foot width of the studio. The pedal of the wheel was sitting in all that water and afterward did not function. After a couple of days of being dry it repaired itself to my great relief. So I have learned to put the pedal up on the wheel off the floor. I also have put towels and thick pads of newspaper in strategic points to absorb the water and keep most of the studio floor dry.

Even before the rain began this morning I was unable to pot--just could not get anything to come out right. After several attempts at different vessels of different sizes I just gave up. I don't think it helps to push the river. For the last week we have been negotiating to buy a house. I think that preoccupation--or occupation--has had me so distracted and somewhat anxious that I am suffering a potting block! Those negotiations are complete and now we just wait to see if the sale on our property is going to be realized. We will probably spend the Christmas holidays moving!

UPDATE: In the last 3 hours we have had about 7 inches of rain! That is a torrent of rain, right?

the community of blogging potters

I mentioned sometime back how much I enjoy and find support in reading the blogs of potters. Suddenly lots has been developing on the blogging front. I got a note from Emily Murphy that she had expanded her list of pottery blogs--and put my blog on her list! Wow, that was really exciting. Then I've received notes from some of my favorite potters that let me know they were checking in on my blog from time to time. Then I learned that one of my great far-away potter friends, Tony Clennell in Canada, has started a blog! I look forward to keeping up with his upcoming semester in China. (Notice that I have now added a list of my favorite pottery blog sites to the side bar on this blog.) I love being part of this network of blogging potters!

Today Abbie Cotrell came by to pick up a few more pieces to display in her gallery, Guadalupe Crossing Market in Waring. She is always so complimentary and enthusiastic about my work that it is very inspiring! Back to the wheel! I've been a bit of a slacker the last week or so.

I am still a bit perplexed by the last firing--the one in which I was testing all my red glazes. I have to do that again. I can't understand why I would get such great red's one week and none the next! The only difference that I can identify is the rain we were having--giving very high humidity. Last week was dryer--more typical of our summers. I read a quote from Abe Lincoln that I have now added to the layout of the blog as I think it especially appropriate for all us pottery addicts: "Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." So I shall enthusiastically get going on another 'red' firing!

faux pas

I spent the weekend glazing a batch of pots. It took all weekend because I was trying to be very deliberate and mindful of the glazing process. I completed the glazing on Monday morning and started the firing before noon--as always VERY eager to see the results. But before the kiln could be opened I left for a short trip to Houston to visit a friend there--spending the night and returning late Wednesday afternoon.

I was especially eager to see the pots because I was testing all my 'red' glazes to see which responded to the new firing schedule. I had made 8 small 'vases' to put the various 'reds' on to compare the results on similar pieces. And I had glazed several larger pieces with the glaze that had produced the glorious red in the last firing. I called home Tuesday evening to have Jim open the kiln and describe the contents.

The results: disappointing.

1) Only one part of one of the vases produced the desired red. It was just right where it had been dipped twice--thus was thick--the lower portion is gritty, unevenly colored and not very red.
2) The greatest disappointment--and embarrassment--was the large pieces that should be gloriously 'red' were not. I apparently mis-labeled a new batch of glaze. What I thought was "Touchstone Red" was "Cream Breaking Rust"! It is cream and it does break rust--but that was not what I was wanting!
Expectations kill me every time!I did not get ANY of the glorious red of the last firing. Back to the drawing board....

finding support

I start my day with a cup of coffee sitting at my computer. I take a quick look at the news, check my email and spend quite some time reading blogs--mostly by other potters--and finally reading the discussions on Clayart. The blogs are frequently a source of stimulation, encouragement and support for me in my own pottery work.

This morning I was reading the blog of an English slipware potter, Douglas Fitch, that I found very encouraging even though he was describing his frustration on the opening of his last kiln load! I think he has been at his pottery-making for a long time yet today he describes mishaps in his last firing and how discouraging it was to him. Yet, he is charged up to solve the problems and get started on the next round of work! The potter's universal story. I should find it discouraging that such a successful potter is still having these kinds of experiences. Yet, instead, I am encouraged to know that even an experienced potter has these disappointments! How to explain that--even to myself!

I am busy throwing a lot of pieces that I want to use to test out my recent success at getting an iron red glaze. I plan to use several different glazes that have NOT produced the expected red to see if it is true that the most significant factor is the firing schedule--my current theory.

win some, lose some

When we woke Saturday morning we were greeted by a tremendous thunderstorm--an incredible downpour. The predictions were that it would continue until around 10:00 (which it did) and then be lighter but continue to rain on and off all day. I called the organizer of the the show and learned that he was offering to hold the show inside the art center. Still we would be unloading the car in the downpour and how many customers would be out shopping on such a dreary day? And the art center is small, filled with equipment, supplies and work of the center. So Jim and I decided we'd pass on participating. Disappointing, given the push to get work done, and packed for the sale, but not devastating. I was still so excited about getting RED that I could not get very upset!

But, hey, the pots were packed and still in the car maybe this is the time to take them to a little gallery in Waring, Texas that a friend from long ago, Abbie Cotrell, has opened--the Guadalupe Crossing Market. Though Abbie had not seen my work she had invited me to show/sell my work in her gallery. We would take the pots to show her and see her gallery.

We could not go on Saturday because the low-water crossings were flooded but by Sunday the water was down enough to cross--so we went.


Waring is just a bend in a country road in the heart of the Hill Country. There are probably less than a dozen buildings. But some interesting things are happening there and Abbie's little gallery is one of the bright spots. She has 3 buildings that she is slowly restoring and turning into a gallery, a coffee shop and studio space. A cute, country place open only on Wednesdays and the weekends.


She liked my work and selected about 3 dozen pieces to show. After we re-packed the remainders, Jim and I went across the street to the General Store where Abbie said they make the best hamburgers in Texas--and they were great. We were sitting under giant trees enjoying our hamburgers and a gentle breeze. Jim was pointing out that there is not a lot of traffic going through Waring, sales might be pretty slow, don't get too excited yet--when Abbie came over to give me checks for the first pieces already sold!

So I am all fired up to start making pots for Clay Ole--the San Antonio Potters Guild show/sale in October--and for the Guadalupe Crossing Market!

good times

It is good times...even though the car and truck are loaded to the brim with tent, tables and boxes of ware for tomorrow's craft fair and the weather man says we have 70% chance of thunder storms and heavy rain--just like we've had for the last 2 months! Jim and I have about decided we will be unloading the vehicles tomorrow here at home, forsaking the sale! Putting up a tent in the rain is no fun and the rains we've had today and recently are hard, heavy rains--not sprinkles. And even if we got the tent set up before the rain or in between the rains, there will not be crowds of shoppers eager to get out under umbrellas to shop for arts and crafts! So, too bad! But Jim is wonderfully positive--look at all the work I got done which is now ready for the next show (in October!)

And I did get some good work done. Two great happenings over the last week or two. One, I have made a giant step forward in my glazing skills! The last 3 kiln loads had not one disaster! Not even a disappointment! I am hugely happy about that!

And then, two, the final load that I opened this morning was full (not really full, it was a light load) of RED pieces! I've been trying to get RED in a cone 6 glaze for 2 or 3 years without success. Now I've got red! I was not really trying for red--just a nice rich brown but I did use a new red iron oxide and I did use the firing schedule that my friend, Sandy Miller, suggested for getting red--and low and behold I got red. (Can you tell how excited I am about that?) This is another of the pierced bowls that I am enjoying making these days--but this one is RED!

resulting in better results

I am very happy to report that the last 2 glaze firings were very satisfying. There was not a single unwanted run of the glaze, there were no pinholes or crawling of the glaze! Wow!

Of course, there are folk who would wish for a run or something that would make this piece a bit more interesting! I am sure that will come--but for now I am so happy to not have things I don't want on the pot that I am not too worried about what I might wish it to have

working

I have spent the morning outside glazing a batch of pots. I was armed with my notes from the good people on Clayart who responded with suggestions for improving my glazing results. They sent their suggestions in response to my declaration that "I hate glazing" and a plea for help. I should not have said that I hated glazing--the truth is I am frustrated to death over glazing problems. Of course the most frequent advise was to "practice, practice, practice." You would think (or I did) that all the pots I've glazed over the last 3 or 4 years should qualify as a lot of practice. But in fact they don't because I have not paid close enough attention to what I was doing and the results that were produced. So today I had two note pads to record every step of the process. I measured the specific gravity of each glaze I used and recorded that. I identified each piece that I glazed and carefully recorded what I put on each piece, how it went on, any peculiarities of the glazed piece. So I am beat! I am now waiting for the kiln load of bisque ware to cool off enough to handle so I can get full load of glazed ware into the kiln to fire. I am so eager to see if my close attention to the process will result in better results!

I came to the conclusion, while working this morning, that my real problem--besides poor technique--is that I am not an artist. I am a craftsperson. I have no idea about color or design. And glazing is all about the art of ceramics. Throwing and trimming pots is about the craft of it. And since I don't know what to do decoration-wise I just slap something on the pots and pray for a happy surprise! And that is probably why I like the glazes that are so uncontrollable--they offer a chance at a happy surprise--or a huge disaster. I've had both!

I will have to wait till Saturday to see the fruit of my labor. I will be saying a prayer to the kiln gods as I load these pieces into the kiln. They come through for me sometimes! I worked as conscientiously as I know how--now they have to take over.

some satisfactions

My tulip vase is very pleasing to me--even though it does not hold the flowers very well--it tends to break the stems where they bend over so far.

Lots of ‘family’ activities the last few weeks. Very little ‘production’. But lots of opportunity for reflection on my pottery work—what gives me joy in doing it, how can I stay in touch what has real value for me. One thing I see—which kind friends tried to point out to me earlier—I don’t want to be a ‘production potter’. The question that remains is do I want to sell my pottery at all. My friend, Herb, stays so involved with his pottery work—lots of experimenting and exploring—yet he does NOT sell his work. He gives it a way to any one interested in having some of his work. He contributes to a lot of ‘auctions for good causes'. My great joy is in ‘one off’ pieces where I have let myself explore and experiment. I don’t find much pleasure in producing lots of similar pieces in order to have an inventory for sales! But it is wonderful stumbling into making a piece I really enjoy making and am pleased with even after the firing.

My niece, Margaret, said she thought I was too negative about my work when I write about it in the blog. So here are some of the pieces from the last firing that satisfy me!

This is my second 'incised' piece and I am as happy with it as I was with my first--the one that had tree silhouettes around the rim.

I like this bowl a lot. Even though I have been complaining about the glazes 'curtaining', I really like the way it works in this bowl, it is very subtle.

And I like the foot on the bowl, too. (Same bowl, interesting how the inside glaze is darker than the outside glaze--both same glaze.)

Here is a case where the 'production' of a set of dishes pleases me. The plates can serve salad, sandwiches, or dessert. The small bowls that complement, but do not match, the plates can serve a small salad, soup or ice cream.






And I like this casserole. Even though the inside has a 'flaw'--the green glaze dripped down on top of the white interior glaze. For me it is OK--shows the hand of the potter. We'll see what others think!