Holidays and New Year Cheer

Thanks again for every one's support this past season. During the Christmas holidays I had several people show up to the studio and purchase pots. However, the highlight was giving my pottery as gifts to good friends.

In regards to the Kickstarter project, I am finishing up the last few pieces and will be getting those out to everyone towards the end of the January. I hope those of that received mugs or bowls are enjoying them.

In the studio, I am starting new projects. Ladles are something I always wanted to build, not for soup or punch, but for the sauna, Obviously, they have a dual purpose.

 

I am trying a new style of pitcher, using a cheese grader to provide texture.

 Lastly, I really enjoy accessories so I started to make some decanter sets

 

 Meanwhile, we are looking forward to more daylight having just passed winter solstice.

Details

These days I find myself filling orders for the Kickstarter Project. In order to get the pots out the door I spend a lot of time paying attention to the details. The pots are coming out great, the glaze fits and the colors are working. I am learning a lot about the kiln and glaze chemistry.

 

The following video is of the decorating process, which includes the cleaning up of the handles and waxing the handles to ensure even drying on the handles.

Fortune would have it that a local potter had room in her gas kiln. I had three boxes of cone 10 pots bisqued and ready to be fired. I looked througt John Britt's High Fire Glaze book. I made a batch of Turner's celadon, Jeff's red, Leach 4,3,2,1, St John's black, mino shino and Pinnell's weathered bronze. I am really please with the results.

 

Meanwhile, I am back to the working on horizontal forms. Throwing pitchers using the Laguna WSO10 clay. It is trying for me to throw this clay. I ended up faceting and carving these pitchers to make them lighter and to provide surface detail. 

 

Thanks to those who supported my Kickstarter project. 

John Schauer

Mark Dickson and Annie Oberlitner

Jen King

Ali Palaia

Alex Blazzard

Katie Sisum

Erin Hanson

Kira Metis

Rebecca Brown-Medvec

Stephanie Johnson

Morgan Sicilia

Nancy Vait

Halli D Kenoyer

Gold Town Theater

Elizabeth Suttle

The Browns

Desiree Hagen

Tracy Szarzi Fors

Al Breitzman

LuAnn Yanusz

Dave Aplin

Aileen McInnis

Mikela Aramburu

De Patch

Samantha Kramer

Mike Scott

Alison O'Hara

Kathleen Gustafson

Chris Brown

Kaitlin Kramer

Cheryl Cooper

Laura Norton

Robbi Mixon

Mary and Bruce King

Eric Saetre

Karen Wessel

Johnny B.

Amy Budge

Linda Frame

The Kramers

Maridon Boario

Ovid "Pink"Pinkert
Katie Sisum
Dave and Lisa Gerard
Josh Onion and Greta Mawold

Work In Progress

The last two glaze firings revealed some nice surprises. A combination of the glossy base glaze with rutile makes for a nice over lap with the glossy base glaze combinations of copper carbonate and cobalt carbonate which have a green and blue color depending on the combinations. 

Lately, I have changed the foot of my mugs. I trim less to save time and like the look of the flat bottoms. However, I roll mug for a final touch and then impress a snail shell around the bottom of the foot. Also, the handles are improving due to practice and I am concentrating on making the handles thinner and lighter in weight.

 

The studio is packed, not only am I preparing for packaging the pledges for the Kickstarter project, but I am getting ready for a cone 10 firing in a couple of weeks with my East End Road neighbor and ceramic instructor Megan. These days I am preparing glazes for cone 6 and cone 10 firings.

 This week I am packing the kiln for a bisque firing. Waiting for some mugs to dry for the load in the this picture. I am looking forward to glazing these bowls to match up with the mugs.

 While I throw pots for the pledges and work on glaze recipes I am always looking for new ideas and inspirations for future projects. Today my neighbor Amy sent me the picture of brittle stars and trilobites fossils. She thought I would like it and I did. I will mess around with it and see what happens over time.

 Another idea was inspired by plankton. Here is a plate that incorporates some plankton images with brittle stars.