Ask Mr. Finnegan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"

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!