For John Tilton

It really makes me happy to know that a great potter like John Tilton is taking a look at my musings. He asked for some photos of my pottery, so here's my chance to tell you a little about my little piece of paradise.
I am commuting to my studio for the first time in 30 years; an 11 mile drive that leads me out Tidewater Trail to Claremont Farm. A one mile, nearly impassable, dirt road off the highway assures that this is a very quiet spot. I built these buildings with my great friend Michael Littlefield over the course of several years and I still feel like I'm settling in and figuring out where everything belongs.
The kiln shed came first and after a protracted dispute with the county I built the new studio last fall. I have no water or electricity, so it is a rather primitive site. I collect rain water and I have a very small solar panel collecting system to provide light. I wish I could go back to a kick wheel, but this old dog isn't interested in that new (old) trick. So I run my wheel on a generator (a very quiet one) with the hope of one day installing enough solar to be entirely 'off the grid'.
My kiln is fired with wood...a 'bourrey-box' type firebox for those of you who aren't potters. I'm making pots for a couple of more weeks before loading up for firing #5.
It's fun watching all my other fellow bloggers as we all seem to working towards a firing!
Thanks for watching, John!

Award Winning Baked Goods

Kathy Harrigan is an enabler. Perhaps my biggest gustatory weakness is any kind of homemade pie, cookie, sweet bread or cake. Kathy has won numerous prizes at the Virginia State Fair for her baking and I am proud to say that have been an official taste tester and 'critic' of hers for many years! She took one first place this year (an off year for her) for her gluten-free peanut butter cookies. Yesterday she came to LibertyTown with a cornucopia of baked goods. In preparation for the Fair she bakes lots of different variations, submits her best and shares the rest! So here is Kathy with a chiffon cake followed by a 'hot milk' cake with raspberries and then a carrot cake. Next are this year's prize winners followed by little jelly buttery gems (I've forgotten their proper name) and then her famous lemon bars. That's Neal Reed in the background, enjoying some cake. Happy Birthday, Neal!
When I closed my old pottery on Hanover Street, Kathy made cookies in the shape of several of my 'classic' forms. What an honor!

Yet Another Quiz

What well known blogger made this mug, purchased the first time we met?

the everybodyfields

I have been obsessed with this band for several years now...Jill and Sam hail from Johnson City, Tenn. and they have performed at LibertyTown for 3 years running. They are delightful folks with a beautiful talent for writing, harmonizing and playing. Give 'em a listen!

Vote For Eric Olsen

Last night we hosted a reception at LibertyTown to formally introduce my friend Eric as a candidate for Commonwealth's Attorney in the City of Fredericksburg. Eric and I have been good friends for more than 25 years. He is a stellar human being and a passionate advocate for justice. His 19 years as an assistant D.A. in Stafford County has prepared him well for the job. I don't know if any Fredericksburgers read this, but if you want to learn more please feel free to contact me.

A Crate of Babies (or rather, baby)

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

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

Planters

I often fill the bottom of the kiln with planters...it's not been a very exciting part of the kiln so far, but these work just fine. Finished preparing wood with Beth and then I threw a bunch of 5lb. lidded jars. I'll try to take photos tomorrow. I'm on a roll and it feels good.

Carbonated Glazes

I find myself spending a crazy amount of time testing both glazes and slips. It's always been so and with a new kiln (4 firings) and two different chambers, I have lots to discover. I tried an idea today that has been a long time coming. Too many ideas roll around in my head, sometimes for years, before something clicks and all of a sudden I feel I have to get down to it.
Today's fun was adding raw carbon directly into a shino glaze before dipping pots in it. I measured out about 30 ozs. of wet glaze and then added carbon granules in 1/4 teaspoon increments. I like carbon trapping in glazes, but I'm really not interested in firing a complete kiln on a schedule that encourages it. I was teaching a workshop at Penland while Malcolm Davis and Kent McLaughlin taught a carbon trap class. Their positive results were less than 30% ! I couldn't cope with that. But what if carbon mixed right into a glaze gives a very localized reduction? Do I dare expect little black halos in a field of orange shino? I'm no chemist, but I do love sticking things in a 2400 degree fire to see what happens.
I have a 100lb. sack that I salvaged years ago from a defunct factory that heated carbon and mixed it with oxygen to create a major component of high tech carbon plastics (think Stealth Bomber). If it's a genius idea, I have a lifetime supply. Otherwise....maybe I can sell it on Ebay!

Autumnal

If I had a list of favorite words, 'Autumnal' would certainly be in the top 10. I do have a list of favorite seasons (it's a whole lot easier) and autumn has always been at the top. Now I know why...I looked it up in my American Heritage Dictionary and the second explanation is too close for comfort..."2. A period of maturity verging on decline". I fear that I've become autumnal myself!
After spending a few weeks making some bigger, fussier pots I've taken a break by throwing lots of smaller pots. That's where I'm most comfortable and I think it's a good thing that I can still find a lot of pleasure exploring the little nuances that each piece allows. I also like making pots that I'm pretty certain people will use. Michael Kline raises a great point in his blog today about making 'useful' pots and I know exactly what he's talking about. How many people are really going to use the teapot I made that they might have paid several hundred dollars for?
Mugs, on the other hand, continue to be accessible and here in the 'Burg there is something like a cult regarding them. I reckon I've made close to 10,000 of them since I began!

This little candlestick is new for me...they will fit everywhere in the kiln and will be useful for testing glazes. Anyone else out there sell their glaze tests?

Long Trousers

Not to be confused with "The Wrong Trousers", one of my favorite Wallace and Gromit movie. Today was our first proper autumn-like day...bright sun, not too hot and by this evening I was enjoying a delightful chill. This is my time of year!
Here's a photo of the road heading into my studio. This is close to the end of a mile long and very rough dirt road. It makes for a nice, quiet spot.

Beth and I got some more wood organized today and we did some clean up around the property. After she headed home I started putting handles on these mugs. Over the years my standard mugs have evolved into what we would have called a 20 ounce beer mug at Winchcombe. These are a more reasonable size and are inspired by Nicky Cymrot's request...I also made a few for Pam Gallant...she likes an older (squat, I'd call it) version of the stein I make.

I'll finish handles tomorrow and start slipping and glazing...it'll be an abbreviated work day as it is poker night!