Dan Finnegan - Studio Pottery

Laborare est Orare

2012-01-22T12:16:00.001-05:00

"To Work is to Pray"

Long before I met the man, Ray Finch's pots changed my life. On a snowy night in January, 1978, I arrived at The Guildhouse, the craft school in the Cotswolds where I had come to teach. At this point, I had been working with clay for several years while attending several universities, mostly exploring the sculptural side of ceramics. As I entered the great hall of the Guildhouse, there was a spectacular fire place in the center and above the fireplace was a large charger (that's a platter for you Americans!) with the latin phrase above inscribed around the rim. The phrase is the motto of the Benedictine order (and the city of Cincinnati as it turns out) and it was also adopted by the founder of the Guildhouse. Mary Osborne had commissioned Ray to make this for her and it continues to be a much treasured piece. Everywhere you looked in that place were fabulous pots made by Ray, by Cardew and many of the fine potters who were part of the Winchcombe team.

I had never before entered a world that so wholeheartedly embraced and celebrated hand made objects. I am sorry to admit that at this point I had almost no knowledge of the history of pottery in Britain. How lucky then to end up just 7 miles down the road from this extraordinary pottery and it's wonderful people.

When I tell the story of my own pottery life, this is the point where I mention that I had a 2-part epiphany that led to my life as a potter. The first part being my entrance into the Guildhouse and the second, when a week or two later I first visited Winchcombe. I can still recall the sound of the sliding door that opens into the workshop and the earthy smell of a place where clay is king. Of course, in those days, you first met Eddie Hopkins as you entered and Ed always had lots of to say. Meeting Ray was a bit terrifying for me, really...Quiet people often leave me unnerved and if you ever met the man, you know that quiet is his middle name.

Ray was an island of serenity in a vibrant workshop full of characters behind their wheels and plenty of interesting visitors that always kept it lively. Ray took it all in, but remained on the edges, rather than in the middle of things. He had a strong internal life and was content to go through his days quietly, smoking a pipe while making pots or digging potatoes.

I have too many stories to tell about this man who shaped so much of my life...to begin with, I'm guessing that if it weren't for Ray I wouldn't have known any of you folks out there reading this.

Here are just a few little pieces of memory that make my smile and cry at the same time:

Just as I arrived Ray was exploring salt glazing for the first time. The best education I ever got was standing with Toff and him while they were figuring it all out...2 great minds solving a big puzzle. When I last saw Ray in the summer of 2010 he was still making tests and firing the salt kiln! At close to 96 years old! It is only too appropriate that I and my 2 assistants began building my new salt kiln on the very day he passed.

I usually spent the evenings finishing off the firing of the wood kiln with Ray. The work day at the pottery would end at 4:30 when everyone went home. I would tend the kiln while Ray went into the house for his evening 'tea' and when he returned he would often bring with him a couple of Newcastle Brown Ales and we would then finish off the firing together into the night. I would try to be a bit quiet myself, but I'm sure that I drove him a little crazy with my questions and babbling, not that he'd have let me know that.

I asked him once what he thought his legacy might be....not a question that he wanted to entertain, but he answered just the same. He felt that he had spent his life refining the somewhat raw ideas that Michael Cardew brought to our consciousness...those ideas included creating a working environment for his team that had purpose and meaning as well as refining the classic forms and decoration that Cardew used. When the red clay at Winchcombe finally played out (it was full of lime) he adapted the Bourry firebox to stoneware temperatures. There are kilns all over the world that use this idea. I'm not sure that Ray gets the credit he deserves for that. He also found a way to bring some classic slipware decoration ideas to stoneware.

In his later years when I'd visit we would walk over the hill just across from the pottery and talk about the landscape of the Cotswolds and the rural life that, even there in that special place has been disappearing. He wasn't a man to express regret, he was a pragmatist about the changes that life wrought while at the same time he pursued his seemingly idyllic life as a country craftsman. He was a man firmly rooted...in that place and in his deeply felt beliefs. Ray was devout Catholic and a man of strong conviction...he was a pacifist during WWII and refused to fight. (He served with the fire brigade during the war). I've often thought that it takes a lot of conviction to remain a pacifist when your own homeland is under attack.

I could go on and on here, but I won't. Most of you have probably given up reading to this point anyway. I appreciate the kind words that have been sent my way and if you haven't read Hollis' or Doug's recent writings about Ray you should.

Ray was a great potter and an even better man and I am so grateful to have counted him as my friend.

It always seemed to me that he lived his own life by the words 'to work is to pray'. His life helped me to understand what that means. Peace.

Here are just a few of his pots in my collection. I've been greedy and I'm proud of it!

Stoneware jug/ earthenware creamer

look at the lids on the 2 large teapots...I switched them to show that, while made years apart and fired in different kilns, they fit each other exactly.

Ray Finch - Rest in Peace

2012-01-18T08:53:00.002-05:00

I am so sorry to be telling you about the passing of one of the true giants of the pottery world. Ray passed away at the age of 97. I'll write more about this wonderful man later. If you ever had the chance to know him you should count yourself fortunate. He changed my life...and many others.

Old Friends...New Look

2012-01-13T19:41:00.000-05:00

I'm still messin' with all these templates. The photos are an excuse to post.

Ray Finch. Building the first salt kiln. 1978.

Johnny Leach and Nick Rees salting the last firing in his old kiln. '1990's?

Young people have no respect

My youngest brother, Pat and his family.

Jennifer Dyson firing Johnny's new kiln.

Messin'

2012-01-10T20:58:00.001-05:00

Uh-oh, I just discovered a way to change all kinds of things on blogger, so look out while I amuse myself. Today's trick is picture in picture cleverness.

Filling a Void

2012-01-10T09:50:00.001-05:00

I always try to hunker down during the holidays and I'm just now staring to feel the energy for another year. This is always a good time for sorting out the piles of stuff that accumulate during a year and I like to think that I can see some shape to the upcoming year as I get back to the studio.

So far, this is what I've got in mind.

Jason and I will make a serious effort to build the new salt kiln this winter.

I believe a couple of blogging gentlemen from NC will be visiting LibertyTown in early March for some sort of festivities.

I plan to spend the summer with my ever growing group of friends in Great Britain.

I'm also planning an event to be held in Washington DC (our nation's capital!) next autumn. It's still top secret, but watch these pages for further information.

And, of course, there are pots to make, kilns to fill and miles to go before I sleep.

I hope that you are all well and that you are ready for another big year. Thanks for staying tuned! Dan

Gifts

2011-12-30T10:34:00.002-05:00

11-9-47 "It will be some time before I can find time to reply. Visitors are incessant & correspondence so heavy that I cannot get more than 1/3 of my workshop hours for actual pot making. If I send you photos & publications etc. can I depend upon their early return-some are irreplaceable & all take time to get out?"
Sincerely, Bernard Leach

I have previously stated on this here blog that I am the luckiest man you'll know...certainly the richest...and while I don't do a lot of gift exchanging at Christmas, there are a few treats this year that are worth noting. The post card above is a real treasure...Bernard Leach complaining just like I do...never enough time to make pots! (you'll have to ask Hollis to tell you the story about Leach that Byron Temple told us years ago!?!)

Life is good anytime a package shows up delivered by the Royal Mail. This one arrived courtesy of that wee red-headed lass in Scotland...strong tea, ornaments for all the friends that she made here (and Kit Kats!) Thank you, my dear!

Any day spent with Ellie is a gift!

Years ago when I had a big black beard a friend made a bunch of 'Dan Santas'. I drag this one out most years.

I'm tempted to write something sentimental here about ALL the gifts that come my way each day, but let's not get weepy here. I am feeling very grateful these days for all kinds of things, including those of you who take the time to visit with me here.

Collaborations

2011-12-22T08:57:00.000-05:00

"LIDDED BOX" Cedar burl and clay.

Earlier this year I began what is becoming a very fruitful project with my friend Frank. I hand him some random birds and he turns his imagination on!

"LIDDED BOX" lump of Coal and Clay

It' difficult to see, but Frank has turned a small container into this.

A Perfect Pot

2011-12-19T16:31:00.000-05:00

Of course there is no such thing, but it is the striving that keeps me moving forward.

18" tall...it's (still) my favorite from firing #11.

Vase with 4 Handles... 19" tall

Detail

4 Handled Platter...16" wide

I fear that many of my friends misinterpret that fact that I'm never really satisfied with my work. When we unload the kiln I seldom find the 'good' pots very interesting...they've done their job as they should...it's the things that don't come out right that are intriguing...it's the mishaps that present puzzles to be solved. It's one of the reasons that I needed to move from gas firing to wood...I'm a man who needs a problem to solve!

Ask Mr. Finnegan

2011-12-15T09:25:00.002-05:00

I never know what the proper protocol for replying to questions left by commentators is....here are a couple of answers to recent questions...

Loren asked about the tiles that we put on the bagwall:

There's no doubt that putting all the tiles on the bagwall altered the flame path as it passed through the gaps between...we lowered the bagwall first, and my plan is to replace the tiles each firing. There seemed to be a lot more velocity to the flame as it passed through the narrow gaps. The pots just inside of the tiles were quite blasted with both ash and salt!

Several folks asked about how I define a 'standard' sized teapot. I make up to 6 different sizes of teapots (I wish more folks bought them!) so over the years they have all gotten different names. Mini, 1 cup, small, standard, large and extra large (sometimes known as megatron). The standard size is for sharing; it holds 3 pints of nectar!

And then there is the Kit Kat question. For all of my fellow Kit Kat lovers out there...I suggest that you contact your local elected representative and lobby them to break the embargo. Over the big pond in the land of Hannah and Doug and Paul and Toff and Georgie (you get the idea) the shops are full of orange flavored...and mint...and caramel...and dark chocolate!? Here at home, milk chocolate is our only choice. Maybe if we refuse to pay the Kit Kat tax and hurl them into the harbor we can bring about change.

Stay tuned for more answers from our new show here at DFSP when "Ask Mr. Finnegan" returns for another installment.

Pots, Pets and Poultry

2011-12-13T23:13:00.000-05:00

Lots of big ash on a standard size teapot.

A beekeeper needs to make honey pots

Small teapot

Standard Teapot

Miss Moneypenny chillin'

They came from the woods and through the grass. Runaway chickens

A Few Useful Things

2011-12-12T22:45:00.000-05:00

These are just a few of the 100's of pots that were in the last firing.

This is just a small (6") 'off-center' cruet...but I love the gesture.

Small (and tiny) flasks.

A Few Birds from #11

2011-12-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

my favorite

Inkwell

detail

'A Lurking Sympathy'

A Flock of Vases

Butter Dish

Pedestal Bowl w/ 4 Birds

World's Smallest Birds...(That's a penny in front!)

Pedestal Bowl w/ 2 Birds

Selling Pots

2011-12-05T19:34:00.000-05:00

Jeremy Gann's "Dali" in the background.

After the hectic pace leading up to a firing, sitting with a good book, cups of tea and orange flavored Kit Kats sounds mighty appealing. But, of course, that's a fairy tale. The truth is that we went straight from firing # 11 to a complete overhaul of the gallery at Libertytown in preparation for our opening on First Friday.

We had a preview on Thursday for our 'Friends' and quite a few new 'birds' flew the coop. All the littlest ones sold in the first half hour and then 'the tree' sold to some local collectors which made for a great start to the season.

Kathleen Walsh, Elizabeth Seaver, Rita Brown

In addition to new work from my latest firing we opened up our first annual "Really Big Show" with great oversized work by 7 LibertyTown Artists. AND we had our 7th (or 8th) student pottery sale which was a huge hit. Folks line up before we open at 5pm and some take out bags to their car, then return for another armful.

Very early the next morning I hopped in the car and drove to Demarest, New Jersey to visit the '37th Annual Pottery Show and Sale'. This has been a very successful sale for an ever changing group of potters for a long time. It is a fundraiser for the 'Art School at Old Church' organized by Karen Karnes and Mikhail Zakin, 2 of the 'grande dames' of American ceramics. They invite a couple of dozen mostly useful potmakers to set up inside the intimate confines of this quirky building.

Mark Shapiro

I saw lots of old friends including Mark Shapiro, Matt Kelleher, Michael Hunt, Naomi Dalglish, Jenny Mendes and I met Jack Troy for the first time which was a real honor.

I bought a fabulous teapot from Ryan Greenheck and I know it's a great show when it's difficult to choose which teapot to buy! I almost chose two...there was nary a teapot worth the name when I visited the Philly Museum show last month so I could have justified another.

I am beginning to plan a show of the same scale and quality in Washington , DC, next fall and I've been checking out shows to learn what I can. I talked to lots of folks who gave me good insight.It's an intimate and amazing show of great pots and people. I'm back home now and theoretically things will slow down a bit. I've got lots of photos of my newest work to show and I should be able to sit still and do a bit more blogging now. I miss you guys!

Every Firing An Adventure

2011-11-25T20:56:00.000-05:00

It took about 6 hours to unload the 100's of pots that filled the two chambers. The weather was fine and so was the company. We unloaded in beautiful sunshine and there are too many good pots to take in at once! Of course, there are still great mysteries to be solved and I'll head back tomorrow to start sorting things out.

I think this large jar is my favorite.

Second chamber

First chamber

The tiles are still standing and they look very good.

Still Waiting

2011-11-25T08:11:00.000-05:00

I'm heading out to the studio to unload the kiln this morning. The firings have become much more manageable and less stressful as I've come to know the character of this machine. I started making pots and birds for this firing in June. That's a big chunk of time, effort and (hopefully) creative energy tucked inside. My little peek in yesterday looks promising...!

Jason and I have been making tiles and we loaded a bunch along the bagwall to take the brunt of the ash and salt. Should be luscious.

I have great friends who help me out during this marathon...months of making...a week of loading...24 hours of fire. I'm forever grateful for all the support that I get, and I'm here to tell you that I get wonderful support from my friends and community. Jason, Michael and Beth (sorry Beth, no photo) are veterans of many firings now and they work their asses off, smiling all the while.

Jason Hartsoe

Michael Littlefield

A little smoke

I'll be back tonight with a full report!

"The Dog Ate My Computer"

2011-11-19T22:12:00.000-05:00

The weeks have flown by since I wrote last and life has been action packed!

Lucky for you I've already forgotten half of of it...

I just finished loading the kiln today with a big assist from Jason. (that's 'hot' Jason to you wee lasses from Scotland!) We will light up firing #11 Monday evening for the customary 24 hour burn.

It feels like it has taken forever to get to this point. I'm the guy who thought he might get 2!!! firings in before the year is out. Instead, I'm lucky to get this one in. But that's my life in a nutshell...set out to do way too much, work like mad to get it all done, fall short in the end but still accomplish plenty. I can't help myself.

I last wrote about the movie premiere. It was an excellent evening at The Purina Tower building with more than 100 in attendance, braving the cold and rainy weather to join us. Lots of my favorite people in the 'Burg and plenty of Ryan's friends who were new to me. We had a tasty reception with wine, local beer and mulled cider as well as all kinds of other munchies and, of course, popcorn!

After the reception we showed the film (23 minutes short) and then had a Q & A with Bill Harris as our emcee. I think the film was enjoyed by most(?!) and we had a great conversation about film making and pot making. Now we are waiting to hear if it gets accepted to the International Glass and Ceramic Film Festival in Montpelier, France!

The Beautiful People

Ryan has decided to produce a DVD and I'll let you know when it is available.

The other highlight of the recent past was the second coming of Hannah McAndrew to our American shores. many of you in the know are aware that Hannah was invited by the Scottish Crafts Council to exhibit at the very prestigious Philadelphia Museum Craft Show. Jason drove up to help her get set up and take along some pieces to make her display look good. I took the train up on Saturday and had a great visit with our favorite red-headed potter blogger who lives in the west of Scotland and makes pots like the Pennsylvania Dutch(! inside joke...ask her to tell you). We wandered all over downtown Philly with the entire contingent of Scots without a single one of them knowing which way was up! It was comical because we got to chat walking along and ended up with nice beer and french fries/chips.

Union Station, Washington, DC

Hannah's booth.

I took crap photos, but the show is full of wonderfully crafted work in every discipline...190 of the best. It one of those shows that I often enter and never will get in. I think that the birds would be a big hit there. I'll let Hannah tell her story, but her work looked great and she is such lovely company, it was a good way to spend my day and a half vacation! We packed her up, had a fine meal in a veggie/asian place and then Jason and I blasted on down the highway. I also enjoyed visiting with Bob Briscoe and Shawn Ireland at the show. Two wonderful potters and really good guys.

Philadelphia has fantastic murals everywhere. A mural tour is part of the tourist attractions!

This last photo is hard to see, but still gives me a thrill to look at. As I drove to the studio last week there were 4! Bald Eagles standing in a wheat field just by the road! 2 adults and 2 teens with the youngsters feeding on some carrion. I stopped and watched them for a while. Inspiring!

WORLD MOVIE PREMIERE!

2011-10-23T19:24:00.004-04:00

The ART of EARTH

Official World Premiere of a new Film by

TIMOTHY RYAN POE

Starring: Dan Finnegan, as himself!

Saturday, October 29th, 2011. 8pm

The Purina Tower Theater

(be there or be square)

Early this summer Ryan spent a bunch of time filming me as I went through a cycle of making pots through loading and firing my 2 chamber wood burning kiln. He then spent the summer editing and making a little bit of magic. I think he's created an interesting piece, just 24 minutes long, that gives some great insight into how and why I do what I do.

We are hoping that it will be accepted for the International Glass and Ceramic Film Festival in Montpelier, France this March, but this Saturday will be the the first chance to see it. Popcorn provided!

I will add that I am really pleased with what Ryan has done...he's a soft spoken guy and brought out a quieter side of me which makes it more forthright...I'm not doing my usual dog and pony show. And from time to time I slip and call it 'my film', which it is not. It's Ryan's film about me, which means it's his creative endeavor, not mine. It occurs to me only as I write this that he was the potter, I merely the clay.

And finally, a question: would anyone out there pay a modest amount to see this? Perhaps on a DVD or a pay-perview site. I've been wondering if there was away for Ryan to make a little money for his efforts?

Big SKY Country

2011-10-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

Night after night the sky has been amazing. My little blogging camera falls very short of my eyeballs.

Fat, Juicy Tiles

2011-10-13T20:42:00.000-04:00

I like making almost anything out of clay, and tiles have always been a small part of the body of work I make. For many years I've filled all the random spaces left on a kiln shelf after the pots are set with small 2" square tiles. And they've ended up in showers and kitchens and fireplaces all over these parts. I'm now making a more serious effort to make bigger and more massive tile with Jason's help. (In fact, he does most of the work...I'm just the guy with the big idea!).

3" and 4" sq. before the edges are cleaned up.

This is a perfect way to use up reclaim clay. We dry it then bust it up into small chunks and add an inch or so of sawdust before saturating it with water in the mortuary tub behind Jason in the photo below.

We've made a bunch of wooden frames and this batch is being pressed onto a sheet of backer board. I love the grid pattern and the random letters that result. They are 1/2" thick. I'm not really sure if there's a market, but if I like 'em so much, there must surely be a few like-minded folks.

A Tale of Two Capitols (part 1)

2011-10-05T08:23:00.000-04:00

Last week two buyers for the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond, Virginia, visited LibertyTown with the idea of seeing more of Trista Chapman's work in our gallery. They were enthusiastic about 'discovering' my birds and my functional pots as well, so Jason and I drove down yesterday for a visit. Richmond was the capitol of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Washington, D.C. was the capitol of the North. My home here in Fredericksburg lies between the two, 50 miles in each direction. I visited D.C. today, but I'll write about that tomorrow.

Jason hasn't lived here long, but he knew about this amazing little place about 30 miles south of here called Squashpenny Junction. We took the very brief detour off of Rt. 1 and there it was amidst a crisscross of train tracks, engines and rail cars. (The name of the business is really evocative...who hasn't put a penny on a railroad track to see it squashed into a thin oval disc)As happens more often than is possible, it turned out that I knew the proprietor of the shop next door from many moons ago in the 'Burg. The place is chock-a-block full of "stuff" and we didn't dare go in for fear of losing the day. It is the classic maverick Americana. Their biggest customer comes every few months from Seattle, 3,000 miles away!

Richard was tending Squashpenny for his lady friend. The Folk Bank is his business, right across the road.

The Museum recently completed a major addition and renovation and it is fantastic! This 'dumpling' by Jun Kuneko is part of a small sculpture garden. I love his work and it's always very cool to see work one admires in person.

Jason's artistic view

The most exciting piece at the Museum is "Mocha Dick" (wool felt, vinyl covered fabric and internal fan, 10'x14'x52') You'll never see a bigger felted project and it is wonderful. Mocha Dick is the real-life albino sperm whale that inspired Melville's Moby Dick.

Like any adult whale, it is covered in scars and barnacles. The deeper seams are actually zippers!

barnacle

I left behind 5 bird pots and we shall see if customers find them amidst the usual museum store stuff. It's a nice opportunity.

Spouting Off

2011-10-01T21:59:00.002-04:00

Making a teapot that pours well is really important to me. The spout needs a large 'collecting' area. As you pour, a large amount of liquid is being forced into an ever narrowing spout. This creates velocity and helps the tea 'spring' from the spout rather than dribble.
t

Lots of small holes works best. The purpose of this is not so much to strain the tea (you still need a nice silver tea strainer to catch the stray leaves!) but to keep the loose leaves from getting into the spout and clogging it.

After making cups and saucers that no one will use I needed to make teapots that could collect dust with them. I'll show you photos of the finished ones next time. You can see one with a spout added in the background, looking naked without it's handle.

DON'T let the taper expand towards the end if you really mean to use it! Add that to my pet peeves list.

I could drive you crazy with all the nuance that I believe goes into a 'proper' teapot, but with Ray Finch looking over my shoulder every time I make one, expectations are high!

I use my cut-off wire to describe the arc that I then cut off with a knife.

Then I coax the cut part into a deeper curve, like the opposite of making a lip on a pitcher.

This gives it a jaunty angle to apply to the body of the pot.

I'll also show you how to cut the spout at the tip next time. Another essential element.

"Blogger" really sucked tonight.

Join Me for a Cuppa...

2011-09-28T22:13:00.001-04:00

A cup of tea, that is. Seriously. Anytime your in the area, I would be pleased to take a break for a cup...or two. I make these rarely, because who do you know who uses them? A word to the wise...if you are making saucers, be generous. Space is needed for a biscuit or two or more.

If you happen to be visiting after hours, I may be serving smokey scotch from a flask like this instead.

Mosquito-ville

2011-09-27T21:04:00.000-04:00

The weather continues to be curious, several climates a day but always the rain! Mold is growing everywhere and I am under assault by blood-sucking mosquitos in the studio. There seem to be particular times of day that they need to feed. Not that they can slow me down. Pots are still flowing and I was pouring a lot of slip. Here's my set up, all of which is on a turntable. The pot is sitting on a bottle which keeps the rim from touching.

I pour slip while the pot slowly rotates and I use a brush to 'collect' the dripping bits before I turn it upright.

Combing takes a few tries to get the right feel. This is the first one. A little stiff...

This is a small flask. That's called 'rilling' on the neck.

The crazy weather has also produced spectacular skies. These two photos should be stitched together for full effect.

And our own Hannah McAndrew has made the big time here in the U.S. with a nice photo in the latest edition of Ceramics Monthly! Well done, lassie!

Pots and Peeves and the Natural world

2011-09-20T22:13:00.001-04:00

Small mugs - 3/4lb.

The air is cool and clear and my energy is high. I had a 'stay-cation' last week...spending a lot of my time in the studio instead at the beach house that I rented at Buxton on the Outer Banks. Hurricane Irene removed serious chunks of the rather delicate road leading there, so, no holiday at the beach. I would most certainly have enjoyed myself, but I was completely happy to make lots and lots of pots and stay away from LibertyTown. I aim to keep up the pace as I'm hoping to fill the kiln twice before the year passes.

Large mugs - 1 1/2lb.

So, I have more pottery pet peeves than I would ever admit, but here's one I've probably blogged about before. As Hollis recently referenced, I call the little ball of clay that I place at the apex of the handle of a mug a "dustcatcher". I think that the phrase comes from an old college professor. I like both the look and the feel of this, but it drives me crazy when potters put a great big honking ball of clay at that point. I admire subtlety on this subject! Here below is another way to accomplish the same idea. Instead of a little ball of clay, I place a tiny coil across the width of the handle, then blend it in with three strokes of my thumb.

I've been giving the bees their space for a while. After losing the old queen and observing as a new one slowly re-envigorated the hive, I then learned that they got a lot meaner in the heat of the summer and suffered from a few (maybe more than a few) stings. I'm not overly allergic, but I certainly have a strong reaction! This is the hive with the top 'super' set aside. You can see all the bees down the middle...I'm waiting for the autumn honey flow and hoping that they will eventually spread out towards the edges, storing more honey for the winter.

Look real close to see two young deer. I got to watch them for a long time.

The woods as I drive in to the studio are full of these mushrooms. I've no idea what they are, but it's almost spooky! If you look closely below, you can see them spread all over. These woods were logged about 10 years ago and there are stumps at the base of all of them. We' have had some serious rain for this time of year...

For those of you have stayed with me here to the end, I'm pleased to announce that Ryan Poe has completed the film about me and my kiln and pots etc. and he has entered it in the film festival held in France every other year. We are planning the world premier for later this fall. Stay tuned!!!

Mice vs. Birds

2011-09-17T07:56:00.000-04:00

If you click on the photo to enlarge you will see big chunks chewed from the belly of this Bird! My studio is full of clay! When I ate meat (35 years ago) I did enjoy breast meat...

Insulation layer for the salt kiln floor. I salvaged these giant soft firebrick (3"x9" x24") from a funky old defunct factory that converted carbon from one form to a more oxygenated form. We'll be slowly putting this together through the autumn.

We have gone from summer to early winter in about a day.

World's Smallest Wood Fired Kiln

2011-09-12T22:13:00.000-04:00

Nicky and Todd tending the fire

Or, would you believe, a small test model of a bread oven. I did some consulting and provided a kit of materials, but Helen and Todd built this cute little 'Cob' bread oven last week-end and made some lovely bread this weekend after drying it out. Room for improvement, but lots learned and how cool does it get! The 'Cob' is just clay I've dug around my studio...it's an ancient riverbed and is perfect for this use...good clay and plenty of sand. They mixed long-ish wood shavings instead of straw into the clay, made a form of dampened sand and then covered it with the Cob.

Butter Dishes...or...hatching eggs?

I promised that I was done with birds. The proof follows below. But these are the last ones that I finished last week.

This is a better photo of the piece that I showed earlier last week.

Lidded jars and vases.

This is the proof...

I really liked the form of this extra large 'ginger ' jar and I kept feeling like it was naked without a bird on top. So I kept placing this bird form on and off for a couple of days, trying to erase the what if's that have been feeding the bird frenzy. In the end I left it off and now I'm officially done with birds for now and back to classic pots. This looks a lot different now that's it's done, I'll show you next time.

All the rain has produced fungi everywhere. 4 distinct kinds on my walk today.

With Friends Like This...

2011-09-02T16:08:00.001-04:00

Click on photo to enlarge.

Stealing Back to that Same Ol' Used To Be

2011-09-01T22:05:00.003-04:00

I've been seriously obsessed with the birds for about a year and a half. I've made about 125 serious pieces. I'm ready to give it a rest and return to making boards and boards of useful pots. I need that satisfaction.

I am planning on firing the wood kiln twice more before the year is out, which gives me the chance to shake the cobwebs off and make those pots fly off the wheel. I"m never going to be a great big pot maker, but I like the form of these below. I just don't know what a big pot should feel like...how much it should weigh? These are 8 - 10 pounds. The two on the left are vases. I'll make one more batch of these right away (which probably means next week! Tomorrow is First Friday and I have a couple of things left to finish and Sunday is Ellie's birthday, blah, blah...).

Speaking of First Friday, come on out and see Trista Chapman's wonderful and colorful earthenware pots and silk screen prints from the folks at 'Itty Bitty Press'!

22" high

To wind up my bird frenzy I undertook to make a tree with a few bird perched on top. Some of the first things I ever made in clay were tree-like and I've long thought about making them (trees) in clay,
trying to figure out how to defy gravity. Once the birds came along this was inevitable. The coarse surface and throwing of my sculptural work will be set against the rich crackle slip/ash glazed birds.

detail

Next Up- A Plague of Locust?!

2011-08-28T21:18:00.000-04:00

In between the earthquake and the hurricane we had a crazy thunderstorm in town with winds that reached 57mph as measured at UMC. We are becoming accustomed to the fine covering of leaf and branch that is everywhere. More trees and more chimneys were damaged, but, like the photo below, we are still standing and feeling fortunate. This is right around the corner and remains in this precarious state...it is hard to reach.

Irene never quite lived up to her headlines. It was more like an intermittent but fierce rain and wind storm that lasted 12 hours or so. Anti-climactic, really. We are to be rewarded now with a week of mild and cloudless days. Sounds boring.

My new bat for platters...a full 1" thick x 15"w. Hoping it won't warp?

Another Bird/Book piece

Theodore Roosevelt

This sweet old boy is Theo. He must be 15 years old or more, he's stone deaf and still as wiley as ever. He now resides at the 'Washington Avenue Home for Old Cats That Need Spoiling".

20 Miles from the Epicenter!

2011-08-24T09:06:00.000-04:00

Most people speak of the noise that came along with the earthquake...my first thought was that a big transport plane was passing overhead as it was a low deep rumble of noise. As I think back to the moment, I also realize that some of the noise was my house, creaking and groaning as it was being racked back and forth. Lots of chimneys came down or will come down around town. A couple of pots hit the ground at Libertytown, and it seemed like every painting was at an angle, but mostly we are unscathed and have an excellent story to tell. There was a gas leak in my neighborhood with many homes evacuated for a while, but all is well on that front. I'm not worried about it, but I am looking forward to checking on my kiln this morning.
"Where were you when the earthquake hit?" is already a common greeting!

Earthquake!!??!!

2011-08-23T14:33:00.000-04:00

Let me be the first to say that the earth really does move...so does your house...I ran out as fast as I could, feeling quite sure that it was about to fall on top of me. They say it lasted 30 seconds...I couldn't say. It was thrilling...and overwhelming to get a taste of the complete absence of control we have over ol' Ma nature. All is well...minor breakage and every frame askew.

Bookish

2011-08-21T21:53:00.000-04:00

I am slowly getting obsessed with making books. And like usual, I'm playing with different sizes, from mini to (eventually) maxi. I made these tiny ones first, partly to work out the different elements that make up a book. My plan was to create a book as a pedestal for the birds, using titles that might even suggest that irony ensues.

These are petite...and solid. Up to 3"

Now I'm building them bigger, from slabs, with internal structure to keep the shape from sagging.

This is the first slab built (as in hollow) book. I showed it previously, before adding the bird.

Once I looked at the two together, I felt that I had to cut an opening and make the bird a lid. I guess that makes it an inkwell?

There is a classic photo of a German (or is it Belgian?) salt glazed flask that I have long admired. Like most of my best ideas, it starts in medieval Europe. I've had it in mind to make some for years. That's the great thing about a long career in clay, plenty of time to get to most of the intriguing ideas that tickle one's fancy.

Here's the newest one. Even bigger.

There are butterflies and dragonflies everywhere, even by my wheel.

A Little Handle Tutorial

2011-08-21T13:23:00.000-04:00

Last week I posted photos of these serving dishes and Ron wrote asking for more details. I do love finding ways to add handles to my pots and I'm particularly interested in the seams that result by not blending them in. This type of handle exaggerates that idea.

So, first make yourself a plate...or platter...or bowl. Wide rim optional.

Get some handle clay.

Pull a handle. I usually pull enough to get a bunch at a time. I didn't this time. (It's just a demo, y'know).

My thumb makes the groove. This is 4" long.

The handle is fatter where it meets the rim and tapers on the outside edge.

As I push down I am forcing the clay to divide equally on the front and backside of the rim.
(My other hand is usually supporting the backside but it's holding the camera here!)

First it looks like this...

...and then I refine it like this.

This is the backside.

There is no reason that you couldn't blend all these seams in and get just as nice a piece. Just different!

400 Little Ideas

2011-08-16T21:54:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't like a rainbow? This being my 400th blog entry, it seemed appropriate. We get some fierce-some thunder and lightening storms here in steamy Ol' Virginny and it's not unusual to see a rainbow...even double rainbows! Always a sign to stop and take a slow breath. Or drive into a parking lot, dash out of the car and take a quick snap...

I just finished a series of 11 bird vases...these are the silliest.

I've been planning to make vases for a while but got my motivation to start after seeing a pot on Jenny Mendes's blog.

It was an interesting (and colorful) spark.

I have been slowly finding my way into making books out of clay. I've made a bunch of very small ones which i'll show you another time. This one is about the size of a fat paperback and is hollow. My idea is to have a bird or two sitting on a book as a base...even stacking 'books' for a taller base. I have cot a nice size hole in the bottom half of the cover and I'll make a bird lid to fit. I guess it becomes an inkwell?! This is a case of an idea that comes as I develop an original thought...I hadn't thought of the book as a vessel. My original plan was to attach a bird to it permanently.

I used to have a slip I called 'old leather book'...I'm hoping that I can recreate it.

Green Grass, Pet Peeve and Urban Agriculture

2011-08-10T22:14:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist trying to capture the 'green-ness' out at the studio. This is remarkable in August. In spite of some crazy heat and humidity, we have had sufficient rain to keep the grass from turning brown. It makes it a tiny bit more bearable to be spending the summer here.

from my notebook of 'lists, etc.'

I carved some new stamps, small ones for small pots. I am always mystified that so many potters mark their work in ways that are difficult to read...or impossible to read...or they use some random symbol...or an illegible signature. I have used a tiny sprig for my own stamp for a long time, but I have changed it over the years and I've tried to keep track of those changes and when they changed. I made a special stamp for the year 2000 and since then I have returned to lower case letters...I carved djf into the very first pot that I made. I was reading e.e. cummings back in those days! I have different sizes to go with the scale of the pots.

Urban Agriculture

I have this tiny side yard and for reasons unknown, corn sprouted in the midst of grass, heat pumps and lumber. I think that I remember my friend growing corn here more than a dozen years ago...could it be self sowing after all these years?!

An Homage to the Other DF

2011-08-02T22:07:00.000-04:00

A couple of cool candlesticks flanking "Doug's Jug"( tallest is 17")

In case you think that all I do is make beaks, bird feet and turn thousands of little balls of clay into feathers, I submit the following pots to calm you down and provide some balance for anyone who has had enough of my avian flu. I'm still making the birds (over 100 now!) but it feels great to fill up boards with wheel thrown pots. I was thinking of Doug and Hannah's visit when I made the 'jug' in the middle. I grabbed a few leaves from around the studio and learned that it takes more patience than I had today to really cover the pot. Still, I'm hoping that this new blue/black slip will be a winner.

I haven't made these serving dishes in a few years. They used to be a standard part of any making cycle.

I've made a bunch of these, with plans to stack 'em even higher.

Rimshot

2011-07-29T08:36:00.001-04:00

If two is good then doesn't it follow that four is better?!

Still picking blackberries!

The Next Big Idea (bird department)

2011-07-24T15:13:00.000-04:00

Click on photo to enlarge

Thinking about birdbaths...

Mongolia...or Bust!

2011-07-19T10:17:00.001-04:00

My godson, Hugh (Toff and Georgie's son), is leaving today on a rally with a few pals for the next 10 weeks or so. They've bought a used ambulance, retrofitted it for the journey, raised thousands for charity and now today is the day to make it real. The lads will be writing a blog if you're curious to follow their adventure. Safe travels!

Catching Up

2011-07-18T10:09:00.001-04:00

The summer is flying by and the best I can say about the weather is...it's not as bad as it could be! I famously despise the heat (what would you expect from a boy from Buffalo, NY?) and I continue to imagine myself picking plums in England. Still, I am getting out to the studio early when I can and the pedestaled bowls here are some of the fruits of that labor. I'd like to make some giant ones, but I may wait until I've put these through a firing. I worry about them warping.

You can also see a bird on a pot that hopefully looks like a silo..I'm going to play with a series of birds in/on architectural forms. I've been putting feathers on a batch of wee ones while watching the women's World Cup...fantastic competition!

peaches and blackberries...m-m-m-m-m

The summer bounty of produce is wonderful. I took Jason, Beth and Lucy to visit with Warren Frederick and Catherine White and joined them for the beautiful lunch you see below. A beautiful country home and studio, stimulating conversation and a very warm welcome made for a lovely day. Our pots and aesthetics couldn't be different, but how great is it that pottery can be so diverse and inclusive at the same time. Lots of food for thought.

lunch at Warren and Catherine's

I continue to be be amazed at the mentality that is still fighting a war that ended 150 years ago. The losers never let it go!

only in Virginia...

If you are following this here blog in North Carolina you might get a visit from Jason Hartsoe, my assistant, and Lucy Bresson, his friend from France via Ireland. They are both keen young potters and I'm sure that they will find a warm welcome.

A Hatful of Blackberry Goodness

2011-07-08T08:45:00.000-04:00

My studio is in the far corner of a 65 acre country property and blackberries might just be the biggest crop that we harvest every year. They have become my favorites of all the berries (including Chuck and Halle). Bright pink smoothies and blackberry crumble or blackberry jam with bay leaf - m-m-m-! And corn and tomatoes are on the cusp!

After some frantic months I am finding a little time to get back to the studio. Last time I started a making cycle I was overexcited about making birds. They were new and unknown. I still find them interesting and I will continue to make them for a while, but some of the bloom is off the rose. It's working out the 'problems' of a new idea that get me most excited...now it's time to refine and push some of the things I've explored. It is a different energy.

All that is a long way to say that I haven't quite wrapped my brain around a master plan for firing #11...I've made a list of the usual suspects to make and I know that birds will be in the mix (I'm making a bunch of wee ones at the moment) but I don't have an overarching plan/theme yet. It leaves me a bit uncertain at the wheel.

This is not an unusual state for me to be in. I like a good plan. Years ago I used to try and (like the old Communist Party) have a five year plan. Sometimes it just takes a few days on the wheel for a path to be revealed. Meanwhile, it is a certain act of faith that takes me out to the studio these days. Waiting for illumination...

June Update

2011-06-30T08:59:00.000-04:00

I will be putting many of the newest birds on sale this Friday at Libertytown. If any of you readers out there are interested you should let me know...last time I sold them all in 24 hours! Beth designed this new extra large banner for the show...we'll use it to announce each firings arrival.

My Homage to Myself

I visited Charles and Ellen this week south of the city by about 20 minutes. They are planning on building a wood burning kiln and I thought that I could be of help. The only book they had to work from was Rhodes's kiln book...circa 1950's! I do think I helped a bit. Charles has been building cool things on his property for a long time...gazebos, gardens, towers, a nymphorium(!?) and this gorgeous dovecote. It's not something that we Americans get to see very often. I know them from my days in England. This really is a beauty, although I don't believe that it's ever seen a dove!

Dovecote

I've also been helping a visiting ceramic artist from Cuba who is teaching a course at the University of Mary Washington. They are having trouble firing the old Alpine gas kiln. Another relic of the '50's!

This is the entrance to the Arts Department at the University of Mary Washington

Marie's Pie Plate Choices.

2011-06-26T09:46:00.000-04:00

Marie N. has been a steady supporter of this here blog for some time....all the way from Texas! It being pie season, I've ben promising to show her a selection. here are my 3 favorites from the last firing, my dear. The first is a little warmer of a color than appears in the photo. Next will be some teapots for Sara L. in Michigan!

kaolin slip/combed w/black dots

Kaolin slip/black glaze brushed

Crackle slip/amber glaze

The McAndrew Influence

2011-06-23T17:22:00.000-04:00

Clear glaze over black slip over white slip. Cone 6 firing.

Dee Dee joined us for the big workshop this spring and, using the leftover slips, she is finding her own way with the slip trailer, inspired by the magic that Hannah showed us with hers. Very exciting!

Racoon Family out for a stroll in the middle of town in the middle of the day.

What Frank Did!

2011-06-13T12:44:00.001-04:00

Faithful readers will recall that the pots that these birds sat on had 'issues' so I had one of my better ideas and asked Frank to put his considerable wood turning skills to work. He did a superb job and we are both excited to see if we can push this collaboration further. He used cedar and walnut and myrtle and curly maple. They are fantastic!

Frank has a beautiful eye for from and I knew that he wouldn't try to do too much. Most of his work has very classic, understated lines.

"WILMA"

"VERONICA"

"QUINN"

I've noticed that the summer is always slower for the blogging community, but I hope that all these folks taking the summer off do come back. Perhaps it's an overdose of social media? I have my email account, a website and a blog, but I've drawn the line there. I can see how one could be fed up keeping track of twitter and facebook ad nauseum. I'm going to miss those Kline girls!

"ASTRID"

Bird Barrage...the Second Coming

2011-06-01T22:22:00.001-04:00

3 Lonely Lids

I had a slip problem on the bases of these three lids but I plan to ask a wood turner friend to make new ones....might be even cooler than clay? They only stand about 4 " high.
This firing was the 'cleanest' to date...fewest seconds ever and the fewest needing refiring. If it will help I stick them in the electric kiln at LibertyTown and give them a bit more heat.

"PETE" Tea Jar 8.5"x4"x4"

My last posting was mostly small tea jar sized pots. The rest of these get bigger and more elaborate.

"EDGAR" Lidded Jar 11"x7"x5"

"OMAR" Tea Jar 15"x4.5"x4.5"

Most of the birds get the crackle slip/ ash glaze treatment but these nutty rich brown ones are all kaolin and cobalt slips. They are a pain to photograph.

"GRAHAM" Tea Jar 11"x5"x4.5"

These next two are so fat and I know that I'll be making more. They completely crack me up! I have to play the Russian stacking dolls trick (matryoshka)...a bird inside of a bird inside of a bird...having done a bird on top of a bird on top of a bird, why wouldn't I?

"IVAN" Lidded Jar 8.5"x5.5"x5.5"

"HORTON/HILLARY" Lidded Jar 12"x8"x5.5"

I made "GILBERT"at the same time as "IVAN", thinking of Laurel and Hardy.

"GILBERT" Lidded Jar 15"x6"x4.5"

This bowl and the double headed vase I think of as 'trophy' pots. They're pretty outrageous for a boy who has spent his days making mugs and jugs. I'll figure out a lid for these bowls next time.

"BORIS" Pedestal Bowl 9"x16"x10"

I made one of these double headed pots for my last firing and expanded on that idea this time. I made 6 of different sizes and and shapes and surfaces. When I made these two I was afraid that they might not be big enough. Now that they're fired I like them a lot. The others are bigger and quite grand. I sent one off to a show in Texas already. Houston, that is. 18 Hands Gallery. More on that another day.

"YUL/YVETTE" Vase 10"x17"x8"

"ZAZU/ZORA" Vase 8.5"x17"x9"

These two candlesticks are the only ones I made...another avenue to explore!

"FOSTER" Candlestick 10"x7"x7"

"ELOISE" Candlestick 13"x7"x7"

I'm not sure what to say about this 'bowling ball' except that it is probably my favorite piece from the firing...I think that the form is just right and the glazes are all softened by the salt. Plus he's got a great expression. I'm getting better at that. The early ones were a little static.

"UMBERTO" Sculpture 24"x10"x9"

This last piece will never make it into my humble photo studio. It's just too big. 4 different slips, all attempts at a blue green, turned out to be shades of blue. Tallest thing I ever made!

Top ~~Dog~~ Bird

4 Bird Totem 40"high

Bird Barrage...Small Stuff

2011-05-30T17:04:00.002-04:00

With the first day of 95 degree temperatures upon us I am hiding in the A/C and numbing my brain with too much photography/computer time. Here are some of the smaller pieces from the firing. There are still mediums and larges to come!

Of course, you should click on the images to enlarge them. It's one of the few things I can make Blogger do.

Xena (detail)

Zelda & Yvonne (8"h)

Francis (10.5"h)

Carafes (7"h)

Dirk ((9.5"h) he gets a feather in his hat when I find the right one

Kirby, Francis & Celia (8"-10.5"h)

Xena (11"h)

Celia (detail) that's supposed to be Milway's fish!

Roger ((9.5"h)

Max (9.5"h)

Francis (detail)

The Best Fundraiser!

2011-05-28T19:54:00.000-04:00

Last evening was the lottery drawing for our annual "Patron Show"fundraiser at Libertytown. 53 pieces were donated and 53 tickets were sold at the start of the month. With the help of all our staff and a couple of very young assistants we drew ticket stubs from a pot. That ticket holder then chose any piece in the show that was still available. So beth runs around marking the works that have been chosen and Aline is writing down the list and the proxies are ready, willing and able toIt makes for an exciting evening and with a room full of wonderful work everyone went home a winner! We serve homemade sangria to help folks keep their strength up and I do my best imitation of an emcee. It's always surprising and fascinating to see how different our tastes can be.

Ellie in her finery (this photo is specially included for Hannah!)

Bea in the great print dress and Emily with Paul...Ellie's mom and dad

Where's Bill T? making a " V"

Leigh (in the center ) was last name picked...and she ended up with her first choice! A perfect ending!

An Illustrated Guide to the Birds of Caroline County - part 1

2011-05-25T08:06:00.000-04:00

detail

I'm moving on to my photo studio now to record these babies but I always hope that a camera could catch the richness of glazes out in the sunlight. I have close to 40 bird pieces altogether so stay tuned.

Ivan -

detail

Firing Rapture

2011-05-23T20:33:00.002-04:00

First Chamber...10 lbs. salt

So many things could have been taken as omens these past few days...the license plate I showed you last or the Chinese fortune cookie that lacked a fortune of any kind. It might have been the huge turkey vultures that roosted atop the chimney while I mowed the grass below. It could even been the giant Christian revival that drew more than 500 cars to a farm that I pass to get to my studio (Bob Jones was there...run away.....).

If I actually believed in omens, then I would have had to pick a positive one because the firing turned out very well indeed. Of course perfection isn't the issue, but each of the different areas that I hoped to improve...did! Good heat in the bottom of both chambers and a lot more color (i.e. better reduction) in both and that was achieved by using the active damper rather than the passive. I'm sure that they will both ultimately have a part to play, but I quite deliberately ignored the passive entirely during the first chamber's 20 hours and used it only some during the 2nd.

Saturday night I drove out to take out a couple layer of bricks in the arch...dark as could be in the middle of the woods with all the pots tinkling and pinging a sweet song. I sat listening for a while and my thoughts jumped from my own excitement/anticipation to thinking of Ray Finch, and of Michael Cardew, all my friends, and all of the potters in history who have also stood by their too hot kilns, hoping for the best, prepared for the worst and getting it right more often than we rightfully should. Opening up a kiln can mean some questions are answered and new ones raised. Pots can sometimes exceed expectation and others disappoint.

I may have written this down before, but it's one of my favorite stories about my days at Winchcombe. After a particularly successful firing I got bold enough to ask Ray what he thought of the firing and after a customary tug on his meager beard he replied that 'every firing was a disappointment'! I've thought of that for more than 30 years now, knowing just he meant. Unless every pot is beyond improvement (which can never be) there is an almost instant recognition of the pots that fall short no matter the reason. Even during that first peek which gave me a good idea that it was a success I was registering the good and bad. And after a little post firing let down I'll be hard at work to solve another of the puzzle pieces.

I'm still sorting and rubbing pots down. It takes a while to really see individual pieces and decipher each story. The birds are also amazing but I didn't get good photos . I'll be in my photo studio soon.

I love this candlestick. The salt really softens the amber ash nicely.

Second Chamber . Cone 10 tipping at bottom and some color! Totem still standing. Photo is washed out.

10...or 200?

2011-05-20T10:13:00.002-04:00

Firing # 10 is complete, but who will be my 200th follower?

The firing was as smooth as it could be and all we can hope for is that the time will pass quickly 'til Sundays' unloading.

I was following this car on the way to the firing. Always looking for favorable signs of good luck.

Jason claims that he enjoyed the night time shift!

Hoping for less reduction this time.

A little window into the kiln made from mica.

Working Smarter

2011-05-18T09:17:00.001-04:00

We finished bricking up the doors about 6pm this evening. I have been promising myself that I would not begin this firing already worn out and by moving everything back a day I think I've done it! I will light the fire 24 hours from now and I hope to be at my best. Jason has the great privilege of doing the overnight shift as he is the newest member of the team. Beth and Michael and Bill, veterans all, will also be on hand. With such good help I can just sit and enjoy the champagne and strawberries and chocolate!

This is the 10th firing and I'm still not finished figuring it out. I still need more heat in the bottom of both chambers, it is always hotter in the back than the front and I need to create a lighter reduction than previously. I'm sorry to use the 'fine tuning' cliche but it is appropriate.

A funny interior. The first one looks like a frightened cow!

There is also a little film going on that I won't mention much until we see how it goes. I'm hoping for more than ' just another naval gazing wood firing potter' story. We'll see. I'll be back in a couple of days.

Pizza 'Fitching'

2011-05-17T20:47:00.001-04:00

Jason here is demonstrating the newest food fad around these parts...tired of cold, day old pizza? Suffer no more, just break out the weed burner and let 'er rip! Another handy lesson learned from the Slipware Kids...

Safety Tip: tuck in those trouser legs!

Getting Loaded

2011-05-16T21:23:00.000-04:00

First Chamber

I normally enjoy the 3 dimensional puzzle that loading a kiln presents, but ol' # 10 is wearing me out. I have close to 50 birds of various sizes and shapes and they fit together a lot differently than my functional work. They are also a lot bigger so I'm ignoring some of my standard kiln packing strategies.

It will also change how the kiln fires and I'm optimistic that it will be improved by being more open. There's a lot more 'airspace' around everything. These photos are from yesterday showing the two 12"x24"shelves in the back of each chamber. I left Jason in town today and came close to finishing the front layer in both. Tomorrow we will put up the doors, do a little preheat and then gather our forces to set a fire alight on Wednesday night. I started making these pots in January...it's been a long road!

Second Chamber

The drive into the property has plenty of birds and wildlife to welcome me each day.

It's a Green World

2011-05-13T21:42:00.002-04:00

Our beautiful springtime weather continues, a perfect time to be turning one's mind to packing a kiln and the river of fire that is soon to come. I added a few extra days to my loading schedule to account for bird decorating/glazing...just not nearly enough. I've been waxing, slipping, waxing, glazing and often waxing and glazing again! (What monster have I created?!) So I'm already planning on pushing everything back a day. I don't enjoy the pressure of frantic pottery making anymore. I take my time, getting everything just so, and try to savor the moments. It's made even better by setting up shop under my new shed roof, enjoying the breeze.

It's always hard to stop making pots...years ago it was true when I had a 4 week making cycle and it remains true today when I can take 3-4 months to fill the kiln.

These were the last pots I was able to finish. I wish I could have made lots more of them.

Before...

...After

A cup that you have to drain before putting it down?!...

I've been threatening to build a smaller gas-fired salt kiln for some time and Jason has been digging the footer before the ground turns to concrete as summer approaches.

The bees are flourishing!

Some of the pots that are waiting to learn their fate.

"Which chamber will he put me in" they ask.

"Do you think he'll over reduce the top again?"

"Am I to be sacrificed at the bagwall?"

All will be revealed in a little more than a week.

Meanwhile, Back at the Studio...

2011-05-07T10:14:00.000-04:00

I'm still struggling to find my focus since the wave of visitors and events that have filled the last month. It finally caught up to me yesterday and I didn't quite make it through to the end of our reception in the gallery last night. I then went home and slept for 11 hours! None of this is convenient since I'm going to fire in about a week and a half. One more event this afternoon and I can then aim ALL my energies on this 'endgame'. I did bring out the big torch, inspired by Doug, and made a couple of bigger pots. Having focused on birds this time around, I'm not certain that I have enough pots to fill it. I always need something to worry about!

This reads 'FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA, 2011 using my new letter stamps .

Candlesticks in progress...playing with stacking forms. I want to make these 6 feet high one day. Well, maybe 5 feet.

We fired some of Hannah and Doug's pots, using a clear glaze (thanks, Ron) . I didn't want to try and replicate their warm rich amber glaze and these are rather stark and handsome in all their glorious whiteness.

Hostess with the Most-ess

2011-05-02T21:13:00.000-04:00

Regular readers here at DFSP know about my week long visit with the British Invaders. Since their departure it seems that some strange sort of levee has burst and visitors are pouring through!

The next future Finnegan potter?

My great and oldest friend Henry (from high school days) and his daughter Corey came next for a day's visit and we had an excellent time catching up while touring the 'Burg.

A couple of days later my youngest brother Pat and his wonderful family arrived to spend spring break week touring the area. They did Fredericksburg and Williamsburg and Washington, DC and Baltimore...some days we spent together, others they were on their own. Easy guests to have and we had a great time.

In the middle of their visit Andrew Coombs arrived for a brief hello. Andrew was my assistant for several years and he's doing great things in Port Chester, NY.

I think everyone's gone now and I have just a couple of weeks to get pots made and load and fire. We're planning on a full moon firing!

At the Washington Nationals baseball park.

Anything to make the kids crack up...notice Hunter in the background doing his "That Guy" thing

Kiera and I are big friends

Add your own caption for a prize!

Public Notice...Artists' Yard Sale

2011-04-29T20:01:00.001-04:00

Although completely unrelated, you must click on the photo below and read and enjoy!

Riverby Books is a fantastic used bookstore here in the 'Burg and Paul Cymrot writes the best things I get to read. His 'whiteboard' comments are legendary.

Tomorrow morning at least a dozen LibertyTown artists will be selling everything from art and art supplies to random household items.
I will have a big bunch of pots for sale covering most if not all of the leftovers from the past 9 firings.

For many years I fired my work in a gas reduction kiln and that kiln produced so few 'seconds' that I stopped selling them...I'd either give them away if they weren't too bad or chuck 'em out. I suppose that it is the snob in me that enjoyed being able to declaim my unwillingness to sell any pot that less than a 'first'. And it has always bugged me when folks would come to the shop and ask immediately for the 'seconds'. I know it's more of my snobbery, but I can't help myself.

That brings me to tomorrow...the wood kiln often produces pots more beautiful than I imagine, but there are some that just seem to lack that certain je ne sais quoi and others that have various flaws. I'm doing a clear-out just before firing #10 and eating a little crow because, the truth is, I do sell 'seconds'....once in while...and reluctantly. Maybe I'll wear sunglasses and go in disguise...

Aline has great plants for sale!

Doug and Hannah Redux

2011-04-24T22:26:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that a week has gone by since H & D finished up their workshop at LibertyTown. We packed so much into one week that it's hard to digest. I'm sure that their heads must be ready to explode!

I met the gang (Ang included) in Cape Cod as their first workshop was winding down. After good-byes with Hollis and friends at the coffee shop we piled into my Jeep and headed for western Connecticut, a beautiful rural piece of Ol' New England that I know well from my younger days.

Our mission was to visit the pottery of Guy Wolffe, a well known maker of traditional earthenware pots and a great enthusiast for old pots...and old music as well. Sadly we only had a couple of hours to visit and poor Guy had so much to share with us that I'm sure he must have been spent by the time we left. This is a man who throws close to 30 tons(!) of clay a year! and plays a mean blues guitar...and banjo as well. He made 25 lb. pots for us, shared his collection of old pots, treated us to cold drinks, dusted off the guitar with a great old bluesy song and generally shared his enthusiasm for clay and his excitement at meeting his British 'cousins'.

We heard tales of Oprah and Martha and Dustin and Meryl...this is a potter who moves in different circles than many of us. Still it was great to meet him and I look forward to getting back there one day.

Jennifer,Jason, Misha and Beth...4 of my current and former assistants!

From Guy's place we then did a marathon trip to Virginia...a ten hour drive passed huge chunks of America, but what can you do? This is a big-ass country! I still had to show them my patch of God's green earth here...an hours drive west to the Blue Ridge Mountains, an hour east to the Chesapeake Bay and one hour north to Washington, DC (our nation's capitol). We toured LibertyTown and my studio on the farm (we stayed in the grand old farmhouse there...thanks to Steve and Nicky) and spent a day in Washington, visiting the new native American Museum and The Freer Gallery of Asian Art (my favorite on the Mall). We visited Trista Chapman's studio back here in Fredericksburg and made burritos with Emily, Paul, Ellie, Jim, Elizabeth and Milo. Plus several visits to Carl's Ice Cream (the line last night was almost a half hour wait!), Parthenon Pizza and Sammy T's. And we even managed a cup of tea once in a great while...

Lots of laughing the whole week. Ellie Bird called Doug "naughty". She's correct.

We held a reception on Friday night and had a great turnout. A good deal of cash was exchanged for pots and by the end of the weekend there were just a few remaining. I was delighted to see people supporting this newest venture of ours. This is the first time we've hosted out of town artists for a workshop and we advertised both regionally and nationally and we are already muttering about next year's pottery workshop marathon. The response was very gratifying.

Sorry, they're all sold!

Of course you've probably seen lots of blog reports about the workshop itself. It was a fantastic few days and inspiring to many of us. It was really good idea I had. There have been so many good connections made and tales told and future plans hatched.

Lovely pots

trying out the inner tube slip trailer

Slip trailing a large platter

Everyone was able to do a little sgrafitto on one of Doug's jugs

Within minutes of concluding a sublime workshop I whisked them off to the most ridiculous event I know (and I mean that in the best way possible!)...the 34th annual Virginia State Frisbee Championships. Friends of mine have been hosting this from the very beginning and it attracts some of the best frisbee players in the world. It is a totally zany, counterculture lovefest, held outdoors rain or shine in a local park. Hannah couldn't ever get her brain around it and as we left suggested that it might all have been a mirage! Of course, the moonshine she drank may have clouded her judgment. Both Hannah and Doug were indoctrinated/inducted into the Laszlo's Weenie World Family (if you don't know, don't ask...it's complicated...) which involves buying meaningless stock which requires the wearing of the pirate hat and wielding of the mighty sword...and the drinking of the 'shine...the 'clear' or the raspberry! I don't understand what struck Hannah as being so unusual??!! I hope that she will relate her take on this when she gets home. Don't pull any punches, Hannah! Tell it like you saw it!

Toasting with a pirate's brew...(hint... think moonshine) impromtu bluegrass band in background.

I think I've been putting off this recap because I don't really want to bring this adventure to an end. It was a couple of years ago that we first discussed the idea of the trip under the shade of the Milway's plum tree orchard in Gloucestershire, England. Now my mind is slowly turning towards my 10th firing coming up on the 17th/18th of May. I still have pots to make and lots of new bird ideas I won't get to this time. But that's always the way...

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good-bye!

2011-04-18T20:17:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a misty-eyed parting with our dear friends from across the big pond. Kevin Crowe kindly provided a wonderful meeting place and warm hospitality for the hand-off. The ol' slipware couple and Ang are in the capable hands of Ron Philbeck now, making their way to the heart of North Carolina clay country. I am completely shattered and happy to be back home with Miss Moneypenny and the aftermath! It'll take me the rest of the week to fill you in on our fantastic week. It should be no surprise that Doug and Hannah completely charmed and inspired all of us who were lucky enough to be with them this week!

Lunch on the porch!

In Kevin's studio, full to the roof with pots awaiting the fire.

Love those t-shirts!

Alive and Well!

2011-04-15T11:33:00.001-04:00

I apologize for the lack of updates , but we've been keeping very busy and have often been far from the land of the internet...a poor excuse for four bloggers, but there you are. I'll do some catching up next week. The weather has been glorious and the company delightful. Now, on to the workshop!

Surprise Workshop!!!

2011-04-08T09:17:00.001-04:00

In case you just crawled out from under a rock you should know that these two charming British potters will be in residence at LibertyTown Arts Workshop in Fredericksburg, Virginia next weekend.

Fredericksburg is just one hour south of washington, DC and we still have space available.

The weekend package cost $150.00 which includes a reception friday evening, demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday and a cookout on Saturday night. As an extra special bonus, the oldest frisbee tournament in America is happening just across the river and we may have to drop in on those old (and young) hippies!

(I apologize to Doug and Hannah about the photos...I grabbed them off of the web)

Betwixt and Between

2011-04-06T08:54:00.001-04:00

Life has been overfull lately, what with gallery openings, beekeeping, and workshop preparations, but I'm still squeezing out a few pots when I can. I'm feeling a little desperate to get enough made for a May firing. I've been thinking of candlesticks for a while. Here's my first try.

My Second Hobby

2011-04-04T22:19:00.000-04:00

We took this first hive apart right to the last 'super' where we found the queen!

For most of the past 35 years or so I would often quip that I had no hobbies...making pots is what I would choose to do most days even if I didn't make my living by it. Then I discovered poker about 5 years ago and ever since then I've admitted to having a hobby. Now I have two...today I became a beekeeper!

I drove to Washington, D.C. (our nation's capitol) today to meet Todd C. who started two hives last year and today was the day to divide the more active hive and remove the queen before it swarmed! Very exciting to be there and watch as Toni, Todd's mentor, and Todd go through the entire hive, piece by piece, and find the one and only queen amidst the 40,000 - 60,000 bees that are inside! Very exciting. These are urban bees, sited just a few blocks from the Halls of Congress and the Capitol Building.

Todd's hive is so healthy it was overcrowded and was REAL close to swarming.

Todd is a keen beekeeper, but he reacts badly to stings, so he keeps himself well wrapped up. I am less sensitive... a subject for another time...

Box o' bees!

Todd pretends to be looking for the queen.

Looking down into the hive

5 frames of bees, honey, nectar, polen, eggs, brood and the queen were packed into the 'nuc' box. This was duly sealed up for the 50 mile ride back home.

This is the nuc box for transporting.

About halfway home I noticed a bee in front of me so I rolled down the window and she flew out. Then it struck me that where there is one bee escaping, perhaps there is another. So I turned around, going 70 mph, to see the following scene on the rear window!

I decided that I just had to carry on as fast as I could and not stop. The red lights were a bit hairy, but they never showed much interest in me and I got home unscathed. Every hobby should start so auspiciously...

Food Show Winners!

2011-04-03T19:37:00.002-04:00

Our 5th annual "FOOD SHOW" opened Friday night to wide acclaim.,We always open the show with an "Art made from Food" competition and the entries this year were delightful to behold...and to consume! After the judging is complete, the eating commences! Most things don't last long. Thanks to all who entered. Start thinking of next years prize winner now!

'Choc-fil-a' was my entry, what else could I make? 100% edible...except for Hollis' plate.

"Mona Lisa' in jello...coffee, tea, etc. to make the colors

'The Bug Juice Bar' was the first place winner by a large number. Great work, Sharon!

Detail of the 'Bug Juice Bar'

I couldn't even look at this one and people were funny about eating it....chocolate cake with a twist!

Kathy H. continues to produce exquisite and delicate entries each year. All of these flowers and petals are made by hand.

The 'White House' suffered some structural problems as the night went on. Faulty mortar?!

'Edible Easels' by a group of under five year olds and their moms! (and Neal)

Snow Falls on Spring

2011-03-29T08:37:00.001-04:00

Just as we were getting used to spring-like weather, winter has returned for another visit. I don't really mind...if spring arrives early here it means summer can't be far behind...the dreaded season of heat and humidity.

Bird on a Bowl

2011-03-25T23:52:00.001-04:00

This is about 14" wide.

I've got a few proto-types for a bird bowl in the studio but this is the first one that I've finished. I know that there is an awesome idea here, and this is just fine, but I think I have to increase the scale to really make it work. I've been letting the bird-bowl idea gestate for a while now and I certainly have had the incredible pedestaled fish bowls of a certain Toff Milway in mind as I've pondered this form.

The form of this pedestal makes it seem like it is in flight so I've dropped the feet back trying to represent that feeling. It's hard to see, but I put a rather straightforward pulled strap handle on the backside. It fills an important visual and functional purpose. I think...

Detail of a large 'double bird' vase that I'm working on.

A Treat for Doug?!

2011-03-23T08:56:00.001-04:00

Just a couple of weeks until "The British Invasion" gets underway with the arrival of Doug and Hannah in Boston. Doug was hoping to ship some of his local clay over but I'm hoping that this beautiful ocher clay will do the trick.

I'm sending some to Hollis, Doug, and I think you might like it?! It has some sand and fine pebbles and is part of the estuary mud left behind by the Rappahanock River. It's a little 'short' but has amazing dry strength and I love the color. I've used it before as a slip for stoneware temperature and Jason, my new assistant, is putting it through its paces in the electric kiln at LibertyTown.

P.S. John Britt has a great article on roadside glaze material in the latest Ceramics Monthly

Big Boys...and a Return to Chattering

2011-03-16T23:31:00.000-04:00

I'll never be a great big pot maker but it's thrilling to take 'em on!

10 -15 lb. planters...still to be slipped and combed.

I have, from time to time, played with 'chattering' on the surface of my pots. I like any decorating that involves the wheel going 'round and 'round. Traditionally the 'divots' would be filled with a contrasting colored slip and then scraped back to reveal the diamond shape in strong contrast. I used to use glazes that pooled to highlight the effect...now it is slips with salt working the edges. The old tricks are the still my favorites, just adapted to suit my own muse.

6"long metal banding...split length-wise. Very flexible

The tool bounces like an old fashioned typewriter...if the clay is right, if the angle and pressure of the metal is right, if the wheel speed is right...it's easy!

Les Ismore

2011-03-15T22:17:00.001-04:00

I don't seem to have the time to organize thoughts into words these days, so I'll let my little camera do the talking...with all the news in the world I'm feeling blessed and worried all at the same time.

Fat and juicy handle.

Pies and planters.

Transformer

2011-03-13T09:56:00.001-04:00

5lb. + 3 1/2lb. + 1 3/4lb.

= 10 1/4lb

I can't face any more 'feathers' at the moment so I've put the birds aside to make some 'real' pots...8 pie dishes (that's for you, Marie N.!) and three large planters. I need to fill up that big-ass kiln!

Got Wood?!

2011-03-11T19:35:00.000-05:00

The wood pile has been growing quickly now that Jason and his muscles have joined our crew. We've spent several days running back and forth to the old lumber yard I mentioned a while ago to collect fuel for the kiln...free for the taking! This stack is 5' high by 4' deep and close to 45' long. More than a few firings I reckon!

Where Ideas Come From...

2011-03-09T19:50:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure who first suggested to me that I turn a piece that I had made upside down, but I've been doing it for a long time! Stacking forms on top of each other is another way to try and see things differently. I think that 'seeing' is the most important part of a creative life and I don't want to get too accustomed to accepting obvious solutions to my work.

Pot on top of pot....a new totem idea...?

These two on top of each other are an interesting, and maybe even better, approach to my totem idea. I would usually have each piece diminish in size as I stacked them up....like the one that just finished, but I really like the 'posture' of these two together...very anthropomorphic, don't you think? So, I'm asking myself, how high can I take these? 3 high...4...?

I am reminded of the tree pruning technique called "pollarding".

Shiva, the multi-limbed Hindu goddess also comes to mind.

Then I started wondering could I put digits on the end of these spout-like appendages and turn them into hands?! Some ideas are just plain scary...

I've been thinking about these birds as legs or bases for a while and, while I have no concrete ideas yet, I'm sure that I'll do something with it eventually! I really like the look of this.

Just Photos Today

2011-03-08T08:40:00.000-05:00

24" high

Detail

Before...

After...I tried to make the wings appear to overlap...it'll be more evident when glazed.

Yesterday's Wet Work

2011-03-01T09:06:00.000-05:00

In case you thought I'd forgotten how...7 and 8 pounders.

Totemic

2011-02-27T23:10:00.000-05:00

At 44" this is hard to photograph...

A detail in the shade

I made 8 of these so far...still need stoppers

I think this 'slate colored junco' must have been stunned as I was able to get within a few inches of it.

Mug Making Ideas

2011-02-23T23:34:00.000-05:00

A couple of months ago John Bauman wrote a post about making mugs and I've had it in mind to respond ever since. John makes an argument for a simple straight sided cylinder with a turned foot and he extolls the virtues of those horrible diner mugs (the ones that often come filled with tepid hot water for your tea!). I hope that this doesn't end our 'bro-mance', but I must wholeheartedly disagree! My pots are almost always about curves and the intersection where two curved lines meet. I make two basic mug forms: one is a tankard style based on those found in medieval European pots and the other form is a smaller round cup.

gotta love the slip...
I've seen this round cup form in lots of old pots...Persian, Chinese, medieval and English slipware, but nobody made it better than Eddie Hopkins. I'm sure I've written about this before, but I have a small series of slides of Ed throwing and handling 500 mugs like this in less than a 5 day week! The beauty of this little one is a full round outward curve which changes rather abruptly to an inside curve that flares out just a little bit. Someday I'll write about the different ideas of 'round'. This size is made from about 3/4 lb. of clay and usually gets a 'one finger' handle.

18 ozs.

This tankard style is the one I've made the most of...thousands and thousands. It has the extra added fun of having three distinct segments and I play with the different relationships between them...sometime the bottom bit is very round, sometimes more subtle like the one above. And sometimes the 'waist' is higher or lower. The handle springs from the rolled ring that I leave at the top. That little feature is one of the threads that holds my work together. I like how glazes break and salt attacks there.

This is the fruits of last fall's labors...

Because I see mugs as an everyday item and I make lots of them I would never put a foot on mine. I do give them a fairly thin lip...anyone (man or woman) with a serious mustache will know that thick rims can be dangerous!

Next Up: TeaBowls: Overhyped Juice Cups

Expanding on an Idea

2011-02-18T22:20:00.002-05:00

Jason and I fetched more wood for the kiln yesterday and there is a few years worth on the site now! Wood has been a struggle lately and my friend Rudi's connection to the old saw mill in Massaponax is the gift that keeps on giving! We will go back again next month for more.

9" high - this is a (successful!) prototype modeled on a drawing I did of an ancient pot.

Today I was able to spend the entire day in the studio. I threw parts to make a half dozen more of these 'carafes' (above) which I think are quite jaunty. I'm thinking that they need some kind of a stopper. After the last firing and the success of the birds I filled pages in my composition notebook with sketches of new possibilities. Making a totem pole was one of those ideas. I'm not a great big-pot maker, but I can stack forms to the moon (or rather, to the top of the chamber...)

the first bird totem pole in progress

This will have 4 birds in all...that's 4 beaks, 8 eyes, 8 feet and who knows how many hundreds of little balls of clay for feathers...it might take a couple of days to finish making it...I'm thinking about a bird bath next.

44"high/18 pounds...reminds me of those Volkous/Soldner pots from the '50's!

By the end of the day I had attached these bits to the lids and 'beaked' them. I'm enjoying the character variations that different bases and body shapes seem to take on. I hope to finish these in the next couple of days.

future bird jars

I was trying to make a bowl-shaped pot here below, but it ended up being too much like a teapot missing a lid. I have another bowl that I pulled oval and I'll put a head on each 'corner'.

another prototype...it might pour...

Revelations

2011-02-15T23:21:00.001-05:00

1976 - Tempe, Arizona

I must say that blog awards strike me as silly at best. In fact, I'm not too big on awards of any kind...somewhere in my attic are the various ribbons etc. that anyone making art for decades accumulates. Years ago I got a best in show award at a local fair...my sweetheart at the time was over the moon with the ribbon...I myself was much more interested in the check that came with it. She got the ribbon...I got the cash!

You might have guessed by now that I have recently been given one of these blog awards by Meredith. Normally I'd ignore it, but I really enjoyed meeting Meredith and Mark when they visited recently and out of respect for her and in the interest of general prurience, here are 7 things you may not know about me!

1) I am the oldest of 6 kids in my 'small' Irish family (5 boys -1 girl) and I went to catholic school until leaving for college. (8 years with the Sisters of Mercy - an ironic name at best - and 4 years with the Jesuits).

2) My first interest in the arts was theater...Tom Stoppard is still my favorite playwright after W. Shakespeare.

3) I went to college planning to be a lawyer. Instead I discovered clay.

4) I didn't own a car until I was 25...this led to lots of hitchhiking...a trip to NYC, then on to Montreal, then Bartlesville, Oklahoma before including several cross-country trips back in the swinging '70's.

5) I am a huge sports fan...I played lacrosse in college and Ultimate Frisbee for close to 20 years after I moved to the 'Burg. I think that athletics could be described as a 'physical' art...the movement of the human body interacting with others across a field is a beautiful spontaneous expression. Just as I train myself to make better pots, a ball player trains himself to be ready for the challenges of the moment.

6) I did a two-month, 1,500 mile bicycle/camping trip through New York and New England in the summer of 1977 with a great friend of mine.

7) I was a rock'n'roll roadie off and on for a couple of years, working a hundred shows or more...some of the acts included Frank Zappa, Blue Oyster Cult and Johnny Winter...also acts like Dolly Parton, Bill Cosby (the biggest hand that I ever shook!) and the Vienna Boys Choir.

A Whole New Pace

2011-02-11T21:36:00.002-05:00

I'm starting to get an idea of what full time bird making is like. I am used to making LOTS of pots when I get to the studio...some weeks I'd throw and finish a 100 pots or more. That's the Winchcombe way and it has served me well all these years. Now it can take all day to finish a couple of pieces...and I'm starting to grow more comfortable with this new series of 'tasks' that make up a clay day. Throwing the pieces happens in just an hour or two...assembly is another story.

Putting the birds on top of pots is an obvious next step and each becomes it's own little (or eventually big) pedestal. I plan to keep the bases very simple this time around, but there is lots of potential for involving them more in the future.

These Martin Brothers inspired pots are starting to morph into something more 'me' as you can see from the photo below. I've twitching I'm so excited about making a giant 'totem pole' version of this.

My first 'Bird on Bird on Bird Action'

The British Are Coming!!!

2011-02-04T13:27:00.002-05:00

OK kids, it's time to mark those calendars and make a date to join us as we spend a weekend with these two masters of red clay
Hannah McAndrew and Doug Fitch!

You can join us here in Virginia...or with Hollis and the Cape Cod Potters in Massachusetts to the north of us, or with Ron in North Carolina (which is, of course, south of us).

Please help us pass the word around....we already have folks from Ohio and Pennsylvania signed up to come! Don't miss out.

In addition to a reception Friday evening we will have some sort of social event/meal planned for Saturday night. This is a rare treat and I know that we are going to enjoy ourselves!

Check out our website at www.libertytownarts.com or phone us at 540-371-7255

The Year of the Bird!?

2011-02-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

It's been several months since I've made pots (such is the life of an art center owner) and this week I've been slowly working in my studio, trying to build some momentum. The studio starts out somewhere between 32 degrees F. and 40 when I arrive, but my little heater gets it up to the mid-50's in an hour or two and I'm happy with that.

While I can quickly clutter the studio with every tool and teacup and notebook until there is no more useful horizontal space remaining, I try to begin each cycle with everything in it's place.

I wasn't sure what I'd feel like regarding bird making after a long layoff...they're such a departure from the last 30 years. But I find that I'm still having fun making these and I really do have pages of new doodles to try and bring to life.

So. I apologize in advance to anyone celebrating the year of the rabbit, but I declare, in the land of Dan, that this is to be the year of the wood-fired salt-glazed birds! Look out world...

More Handles from the Met

2011-01-31T19:37:00.000-05:00

I spent a couple of hours on the wheel today...the first pots I've made since my November firing. I need to ease back into a routine...I have so many ideas at the moment that it's hard to slow down and be as focused as I'd like to be.

Feast your eyes on these beautiful appendages!

The Mongol Rally Fundraiser

2011-01-29T09:43:00.001-05:00

Hugh Milway, son of Toff and my favorite godson will graduate from Durham University later this year and before putting the engineering degree he is earning to use he is determined to see the world and go exploring. A man after my own heart!

Stock photos of previous rally-ers

So some time this summer he and a few friends are undertaking The Mongol Rally! The Rally is described as "10,000 miles of bad roads, no roads, bandits, 3 deserts, 5 mountain ranges and adventuring bliss" This is semi-organized by a group called The Adventurists and they have a big web site that tells all about it. In addition to the challenge is a great goodwill component...each team raises funds for a charity and Hugh's team will be driving an ambulance which they will also donate when they get there. His team is keeping a blog which won't be too active until they get on the road. In the meantime we are having a raffle here at D.F.S.P. in cooperation with Conderton Pottery.

I left parts for 2 birds at Toff's workshop last summer and he finished them, making what seems to be a cross between his fish and my birds. What's kind of crazy is that these are our first collaborations after more than 30 years of friendship! Fired in Toff's salt glaze kiln, they are rare beauties indeed and you can take a chance, or two, or more by purchasing a 'raffle' ticket.

If you go to this page of Toff's website and scroll to the bottom there are three charities that you can make a donation to. 5 pounds (about $7.50 these days) is the minimum donation. Each donation gets your name in the hat for the drawing in July. Don't forget to leave your email address in the message area...that's how we'll track you down when you win. (someone has to! it could be you!)

Fish/bird detaul

Fish or bird...you decide!

You can donate via paypal if you'd like...eventually they'll ask you for a British address. Just type in "the Old Forge" and "GL20 7PP" for the postal code. It's Toff's address.

Handle Primer NYC Style - the first

2011-01-25T21:53:00.001-05:00

I like the way the decoration emphasizes the handle shape.

I spent an entire day at the Met in New York and took dozens of photos of pots...mostly looking at handles. I'll post more as the week goes by. If you read the literature that the Met provides, you would wonder if there were many pots at all. In fact, there are thousands of amazing pots in every nook and cranny of that spectacular building.

How cool to make a double handle an animal head!

There are pots there that I've seen in books for years with plenty of room for them to be examined. It's always awe-inspiring to be reminded of how much the history of humankind is told through ceramic objects.

Never lose your lid again...

These double handled pots are huge...5'-6' tall and 4' wide. Maybe bigger. In fact, there were lots of huge pots made thousands of years ago. The technology is fantastic to produce such beauties...long before cones and burners and store bought materials, potters were true masters.

60 Hours in the Big City

2011-01-24T09:44:00.002-05:00

Times Square

I'm still a bit worn out from my trip and still reveling in the glow of big city life. As much as I love my small town I am always energized by a visit to any city of note, I love the energy, the cultural life, the food(!), the architecture and the people watching.

I took the train from the 'Burg to Penn station and then walked from there to Times Square and on to THE POD, the funky hotel I stayed in. Tiny rooms nicely furnished and a fair price. I then took the subway uptown to the New York Ceramics fair.

After an interesting visit there I started walking...across to Central Park and then a visit to The Plaza Hotel. I thought I might have afternoon tea there, but at $45.00 per person...I kept walking..

Tea room at The Plaza

That evening I saw the Broadway play 'Lombardi' at the Circle in the Square Theater... I love theater, and I love football, but this was not a particularly good play. Fun to sit in the second row in a theater in the round, but it's not good when the stage is more interesting than the play itself.

Walking back to the Pod late night took me past Rockefeller Center and Radio City and the famous ice rink at 30 Rock. Fantastic art deco buildings!

I spent all day Friday at the Met (the Metropolitan Museum of Art). A fabulous day filled with pots everywhere. I'll write a separate post on that later this week.

The Met

What about food, you ask? Felafel, pizza, mushroom ravioli, sunflower bagel and cream cheese and a couple dozen bagels to bring home. Hard not be a glutton there, but walking keeps the appetite up!

Obligatory pizza shot

The highlight of my stay was spending Friday evening with my adorable niece Courtney and her boyfriend Matt...we had a great meal and then went on to see the musical 'The Fantastiks' at the Jerry Orbach theater. We sat in the front row for this one in a tiny theater (I almost tripped one of the actors they were so close). This is an old fashioned musical with very simple staging and a bittersweet story of love and redemption...with lovely music. Surely you recall".....try to remember that time in september...." A delightful production and evening.

Saturday after loading up on bagels I walked and rode the subway to Greenwich Village to visit my favorite tea shop in the world. McNulty's is run by two Chinese gentlemen with Brooklyn accents and smells of tea and coffee and world long gone.

I then visited the American Folk Art show which was another home run as far as pots go. Everything I liked seemed to cost $6,000.00 or more...and my tastes are fairly humble!

I'm back home now and hoping to finally get back to my studio...I haven't made a pot since October(!) and I'm full to bursting with ideas!

The Big Apple

2011-01-20T06:09:00.002-05:00

I'm off to New York City for a couple days of museum visiting and theater attending. See you when I come back.

Coming Soon; "the Mongol Rally"!

The Big Apple

2011-01-20T06:09:00.000-05:00

I'm off to New York City for a couple days of museum visiting and theater attending. See you when I come back.

Coming Soon; "the Mongol Rally"!

Immortality

2011-01-16T10:51:00.002-05:00

In 1994 I traveled to western Massachusetts to do an ACC show with a body of work quite different from the useful pots that I am better known for. My first interest in clay was as a sculptural material and while I have made my living as a functional potter I have never let go of those those early ideas and interests.

"The Vase and Beyond: The Sidney Swidler Collection of the Contemporary Vessel

At that show I was approached by Sidney Swidler about buying some of my work. Sidney, it turned out, was a keen collector of American Ceramics and had (I think) a great eye for good work. He bought this piece below and told me that he hoped to donate his collection to a museum one day. Last week he phoned to say that he had indeed donated 802 of the 1200 pieces that he collected over the last 30 years to the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, California. And 2 of my pieces were in the collection and in the coffee table book that was published in conjunction with the exhibition! (hence the title of this blog).

The entire collection is on display at the museum and if your anywhere nearby it looks to be a marvelous show to see! My photos of the photos in the book here are weak and I'm looking for the original slide to show you at another time. As we might say in England, I am quite chuffed to be included!

"Bedrock Teapot" 17" h

A year later Sidney appeared at my studio here in town. the first thing he told me was that he wasn't here to buy...he was on his way to North Carolina to buy work there with his quarterly allowance for pots(!). In spite of himself he bought a bunch of my functional pots which he said that he would be giving as gifts. Some were pots I had made at Toff's in England and some were pots from wood firing with Bill Van Gilder in western Maryland. I guess he kept this one for himself. It's not an exciting form, but I refired it in my gas kiln after woodfiring and it has an extraordinary luster on the surface. On the phone, he called it a teabowl...I object! I don't make 'em (well, hardly ever).

"Bowl" twice fired 4"x6"

The exhibition at the Crocker was reviewed by the Art Critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, Kenneth Baker. He wrote:

"I entered 'The Vase and Beyond' not particularly interested in modern ceramics, but by sheer force of connoisseurship, the Swidler Collection kindled a new appreciation and curiosity in me". (how cool is that!)

More Old Pots

2011-01-09T14:48:00.000-05:00

Mighty busy these last few days: meeting with city officials all week hoping to get some support for LibertyTown, First Friday opening reception, Bowl-o-rama Saturday (we make bowls at LibertyTown for Empty Bowls), new helper Jason arrived Saturday evening to move in to his new digs, late night playoff games courtesy of my wonderful DVR and today we've been eating brunch and drinking tea and touring the town. So my default blog subject remains old work.

3 legged watering can.

I lost my mind for a few years back in the early '90's and did my best to explore ideas outside of the tradition that has usually guided me. Colored slips brushed and trailed, matt glazes that were usually sprayed, thrown and altered forms with lots of exaggerated parts. Fun to make and easy to get attention, I eventually returned to the brown pots I know and love.

3 legged something or other.

Back in the (photo) Studio

2011-01-06T08:56:00.002-05:00

After my last firing I barely got photos of the birds taken before life just got too hectic. I never did shoot any of the 'real' pots so I'm playing catch up now. Sadly, a lot of good pots are already gone, but there are plenty of gems left.

side-handled casserole
I'm more than ready to get back to making new work, but I have to wait until I get a few more projects done. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who finds that once I begin throwing I lose interest in a lot of outside things.

teapot

oval vase

rectangular baking dish

oval pitcher

All pots are for sale if your interested.

New Year - Old Pots

2011-01-03T09:44:00.001-05:00

Over at the Whynot Pottery blog, Meredith and Mark have lost leave of their senses and have written a very flattering description of their visit to Fredericksburg last week. They have obviously 'drunk the kool-aid' and fallen under my spell! Thanks so much for the visit and the too kind words. More reasons to love this blogging world.

Last year at this time I was making my way to the studio to make a point that I was a potter, no longer a patient. A year later I am as strong and healthy as ever and looking forward to another busy year with the arrival of a new apprentice later this week and the arrival of Doug and Hannah for a workshop tour in April and a visit to New York City for my birthday later this month.

I hope that you also have big plans for a great year!

I thought I'd show some off some earlier work from time to time.

Salt glazed charger. Arizona State University, circa 1976.
Sorry about the copper red, Hollis, I didn't know better back then!

Soup Tureens/Ladles. Artistic photo!? Circa 1980

Baking Dish. I didn't keep a brush in my hand for long. 1980