08 April 2009

A 7th Beginning

I've been anxious to get right back to making pots after such a good firing and I'm hoping to fire again before I leave for England in mid-June. That means making a lot of pots in a short and focused time. The weather has been great and I shifted all my stuff from the winter studio to the summer studio about a 75 foot trek (I think I've told you the story before of why I have 2?). My plan was to start throwing yesterday and it turned out to be windy and cold and I turned tail after a couple of hours and came back to town. Today was better by about 5 degrees and I eventually sat myself down and threw a bunch of vase forms. The straight stubby neck is a little different for me. It is always good to get a new cycle underway. My hands have that ultrasmooth feel and a slight tingle from the friction of spinning clay. My hands show the wear of many years in wet clay.
So, here is my wheel, facing east, and ready for pots for firing #7.

For some reason the pot I wanted to make was only 2 and 3/4 lbs. but I weighed out 4 lbs lumps. I made 4 big ones, but the scale wasn't working for me and I went back to my original idea. They will all get handles and sprigs and will mostly go in the salt chamber.

I spoke with Toff this morning about our upcoming show together. Titled "Toff's Mid-Summer Madness", we will both be selling current work and telling tales about our 30 year friendship and pottery support system. Of course, Winchcombe is the touchstone of our connection and we plan to celebrate the contribution that both Ray Finch and Eddie Hopkins made. More details to come about that.

5 comments:

klineola said...

Nice set of bottles! Are you throwing a white clay? Looks like it in the picture. Also, I liked the 8 sided bats. I thought I was the only one with a set of those! Your show and talk with your friend Toff sounds great. How does thirty years go by? Mark, Sam, and I met at Penland twenty years ago. I guess there's nothing more relentless as old Father Time.

Windy here too.
Good luck with #7

Hollis Engley said...

Nice looking bottles, Dan. it's good to get right back to making after firing, isn't it? I did 15 small jugs this afternoon before heading to Hyannis for beer.

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Glad it was warm enough to do some throwing. I think tomorrow (oops, today!) is going to be even warmer!

Aaron Sober said...

Dan,
Good luck. Nice seeing your face again. It has been too long since that Penland concentration way back when. Love the new pots and hope we run into eachother again some time.

Incognito said...

These pots ARE different; hope I can get back to throwing soon! As always, looking forward to seeing the process and the finished products!!! Hope the weather works with you!