26 February 2010

Finding a Groove

I've been thinking about rhythm today...a question in my morning crossword sparked it.  We potters talk about rhythm all the time. 
Right now for me that means a series of steps as I progress through my day in the studio that includes:
Turn on the heater 
Take off any plastic that's been covering pots.
Fill kettle and turn on camp stove.
Put batteries in boom box for satellite radio. 
Put out bird seed. 
Then the real fun begins...when I'm in a groove there are pots at several different stages:
-First come the pots ready for a glaze liner. I'm using a mix of old shino glazes these days for most things.
-Next I move to slipping pots that were glazed the day before. 
-Some pots receive another layer of 'accents' ... brushed and poured slips and glazes.
-Then I will finish pots that I threw a day or two before...trimming or 'thumbing' the bottoms of pots.
-I usually throw for the last couple of hours of the day. It takes a long time to finish pots anymore so I don't spend a whole lot of time on the wheel. Today I threw 50 shot glasses, first time I've ever made a serious batch and just about the only time you'll catch me throwing off the hump.
Then, come back the next day and repeat.
This red bellied woodpecker is shy but persistent. It wants my birdseed, but doesn't want it's photo taken and forever has it's eye on me in the studio.
Bowls are all turned now...or is that trimmed?!  Let's just say that they are 'footed'.

I slipped and combed about two dozen bowls. I'm not alone in combing these days!




'Mr Fatstuff' all slipped and glazed and ready to face the fire!

7 comments:

brandon phillips said...

i vote footed. trimmed sounds amateurish, turned sounds carolinian. footed is just right. those bowls are pretty sweet...i hope to have my very own DF pots here someday.

cookingwithgas said...

sounds like a groove to me.
The older potters here turned pots and did not trim.
I learned to throw and then trim.
They did not make pots the pots were called ware.
But footed sounds pretty good to me.
And no matter what we call it is all clay.

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Love Mr. Fatstuff!

I believe you have more than one bird keeping an eye on you.

Anonymous said...

mr. fatstuff actually looks like he's bracing for his impending walk through the fire. like the shot of all the beautifully footed bowl. i'm a crossworder too... they give me a feeling of accomplishment

Hannah said...

Crazy birds are the bees knees Mr F.

Riverby Books said...

Handsome birds, Dan!

Joe Troncale said...

Your bird turned out so well! It was nice to see him green.