24 September 2008

A Crate of Babies (or rather, baby)

Emily and Ellie came for a visit to the pottery today, which is always a good thing. I think of Ellie Bird as my 'therapy baby'...if I'm feeling blue I make my way to wherever she is. We stuck her in this old milk crate and carried her around for a bit...I think she might have liked it.

After a haircut and fun conversation about food with Jan Coble, I got a lot accomplished in the studio today. I made lids for the storage jars I made yesterday, slipped and glazed planters, trimmed lids and threw some more simple crocks. The jars in the foreground aren't my typical form, but Emily requested pots that didn't take up as much space on the counter, so these are my version of a pot I first came across at Nick Mosse's pottery in Ireland. I can't bring myself to make a pot with a straight line, but these gentle curves suit me just fine. It is rare that I make this 'ginger jar' lid, but it is pretty simple. Being able to span the lid with one hand means a knob isn't required.
The weather continues to be glorious...everything is starting to change...the harvest has begun and hundreds of acres of corn are being gobbled up by combine tractors and poured into trucks and hauled away. I need to find out where the 'corn depot' is, but I believe that most of the corn and soybeans that are grown around here end up as feed for Frank Perdue's chickens. Not too far away on Maryland's eastern shore is an empire of chicken farms. They require lots of grain.

4 comments:

Becky said...

Hello, Dan, I just discovered your blog and am enjoying it immensely - particularly your recent posts on "autumnal" and "birding." (Probably because I, too, am autumnal & enjoy making simple bird forms.) How clever to make a mold from old shooting targets.
Thanks for the inspiration!

Dan Finnegan said...

I checked out your birds, which are lovely. Thanks for looking!

John Tilton said...

Hi Dan,

I would love to see photos of your whole shop. It looks like you are in some idyllic place where you will never be bothered.

I very much enjoy your writing.

John

Anonymous said...

glad to hear potting is going so well, and that the cutie ellie is still darlin as ever!
see you in january!
Sarah in France