Hannah's Revenge!

Sorry for the lack of photos, that'll have to come later.
When Hannah and Doug visited us last year we heard plenty of whinging about inadequate clays. Today in her workshop she tried to foist more of that filthy red stuff on me and I did try...but I'm not up to such a radical change in just one afternoon, so she's given me some old, stiff stoneware, just to keep me on my toes!
The workshop is tomorrow and we're ready to go...Hannah's got a cake in the oven and several more should arrive before we get started. Life, as ever, is rough! It is wet, windy and cold...my favorite whenever it reaches 100f back home.

A Preview Before I Go...

    24 hours from now I should be in the air, approaching Maine with Nova Scotia on the horizon and Edinburgh as the terminus of a too long but worth it journey. I will do my best to share some of the highlights of my travels, but it has become ridiculously jam packed with goodness so who knows how often I'll find my way to a computer. I won't forget you, dear reader, I promise ! 

    I'm more than ready for the break and the chance to recharge.  Hannah has written a nice blog about my workshop at her studio in the west of Scotland that will be lots of fun. I'll see Hannah a couple of more times, but our plans for a reunion tour with Doug seem to be kaput! I wonder if they don't believe that they can convert me over to the dark (red clay) side?!I will visit them both at Hatfield (what if I arrived Saturday evening to camp and spend Sunday visiting?) and I'll make my way down to Doug's place in Devon for a few days in mid July. Returning to my home away from home in the Cotswolds, The Milway residence in the village of Conderton, nestled up to Breedon Hill, is why I have been coming back for many, many years. I have so many friends there from the days when I was a part of the Winchcombe team and the cozy villages that dot the hills are also old friends by now. So are quite a few walking paths, churches and pubs! I'll spend about half of my 7 weeks there.

    

When I return it will be full speed ahead towards the Hill Center Show in D.C. at the end of October. Here is a sneak preview of the potters involved! Have a great summer, everyone, and don't forget your sunscreen...

Under Attack!

One of the many pleasures of my studio in the woods is getting to watch the birds. This is the first studio I've had without a cat or three so I can feed the birds with impunity! My feeders are morphing into a bit of a sculpture right outside the window from my wheel. 

I was dismayed and puzzled last week to find everything knocked asunder and I could only imagine that a storm had caught ahold of it, but it kept happening and things were strewn in a very un-wind-like way!

I borrowed this great motion sensitive camera from Jason G. and below are the culprits! The little S.O.B's destroyed my little English phone booth feeder last night.

Now that I know the enemy, I can make a plan to thwart them!

But that's not all!!!

(keep reading)

Boots is on the trail!

Google won't let me show you this photo right-side up, but long time readers have heard me report on the pottery-eating mice in my studio in the past!  Below is more evidence...I never know when they'll take a bite!

A Week to Go

    

Everyone needs a 'Sentinal' in their garden!

    I have been way too busy lately, but not a lot of my time has been spent on the pottery biz. A couple of big events at Libertytown (including a yard sale of seconds) and a great wedding (congratulations, Anna and Jym!) have filled up the days, and in theory I am getting ready for my trip to Britain next week. I did speak with Hannah yesterday to firm up my plans...she was not her lively self after a long 'Spring Fling', but I trust that she will be revived by the time I get to her place in the west of Scotland!

    In my last post I neglected to mention that I will be helping Toff Milway at "Potfest in the Park" at the end of July, so I'm hoping to see some of my new old friends there (Margaret, Christine et al)

Magnolia!

Next Month, Next Year and some Old News

I am starting to change my mental gears as I prepare for my 30th(!) visit to Great Britain this summer. I have an exciting trip planned...I will fly into Edinburgh, Scotland and spend a couple of days there before touring in the countryside before visiting old friends. Then it's on to new friends...Hannah and Paul will be putting up with me for a few days. I will do my best to entertain some of the members of the Scottish Potters Association and, in a twist that I find delicious, I will teach the Brits to make teapots!? I think that there might be a space or two remaining if you happen to find yourself in the west of Scotland.From Hannah's I will drive south to the Cotswolds, my home away from home since 1978 when I first visited. Toff and Georgie Milway are incredibly kind to maintain my little Cotswold cottage for me when I'm here in the U.S. (lol) and I'm anxious to see all my friends there. I'm still figuring out my trip to Devon and Mr. Fitch (if you're reading this, Doug, I'll phone you this week), but I do plan to get there at some point. I'm sure that he owes me a beer!

The good news keeps on rolling...check out the listing below for next years adventure!

Kevin and I led a kiln building workshop at Penland 10 years ago and they have asked us back to do the same trick again. Check out the other lads that will be joining me! Hot stuff!

And, in case you remember that salt kiln we started months ago, I finally got a welder out to the site and we are ready to set the arch, although I have no idea when we will get to it.

50 Shots of Courage

I won't fire again until the autumn, but I am trying to get a head start before I spend a good chunk of the summer with my British 'cousins'. I've been doing lots of testing lately, and I love to sell my test tiles! You will notice that these are my classic 'juice cup' form. Very mystical stuff...I'm no Doug Fitch, but I do think about getting a proper video camera...this is fun!

Me and Donna Summer

A couple of tiny films, sorry about the sideways viewing!

Bandana via Warrenton

I wanted to share some photos before this event joins my line-up of sweet memories...

Naomi and Michael's pots

Several week-ends ago I drove over to the home and studio of Warren Frederick and Catherine White. They were hosting an afternoon potluck/demonstration/sale with Michael Hunt and Naomi Dalglish for a group of pottery lovers from Washington, DC. Michael demonstrated the making of a Korean "Ongii" pot, traditionally used to make kimchee. It was a wonderful to see!

These beautifully made slabs, thrown and stretched on the floor, are then shaped in an arc before being joined to the slab base that he's pounding out below.

 The arc creates the rudimentary flared shape of a pot and a second on top curves in towards a neck.

Here he is adding a coil to draw the neck in further. I didn't get a picture of the hammer and anvil paddling that did most of the shaping, it was too captivating to remember.

Michael is kicking the wheel the whole time. It looks like he's throwing here, but that would be a bit of an exaggeration. The paddling makes for very strong walls that can be stretched thin as a result.

Warren and Catherine's anagama kiln

A studio scene

9 years ago I taught a kiln building workshop with Kevin Crowe at Penland...Warren and Catherine were our guest artists, Naomi was one of our students and it was there that she and Michael met! And we 5 will all be exhibiting together this fall at the "POTTERY ON THE HILL" show in October (with 10 other great potters!).
My own pots don't owe a lot to asian ceramics, but I love most anything made out of clay and it is always inspiring to around folks who are masters of their materials.

Biblio-pottery

This piece will be available this month at LibertyTown's annual Patrons Show. Tickets go on sale Friday (Thursday if you are a "Friend" of LibertyTown...and I ain't talkin' Facebook friend, either!). We have 50 wonderful pieces of art and craft donated and we then sell 50 tickets for $150.00 each. At the end of the month we have a drawing and as each # is drawn, that patron gets to pick their favorite work. The big black planter from yesterday will also be included, filled with beautiful plants! (sorry, Caroline!)

to 5" high

Now, Where was I...?

before

So, I figure that if I publish 8.3 photos a day I will be paying the low, low price of a penny per photograph. What else can you buy for a penny?...and what do kids do in place of penny candy? I used to love to go to Vick's, the creaky old corner store of my childhood. He had an ancient oak and glass  candy counter and behind it were dozens of choices...peach stones and mary janes, licorice and pretzel rods...all it took was one quart bottle with a deposit on it and you could fill your pocket! But, I digress...

I spent today slowly going through the pots from the firing, parsing the results from my latest effort. I could have used more heat, but it really was worth taking a chance to change things up. There are lots of tasty pots and some of the large vases are really quite excellent.

Second Chamber

Second Chamber

First Chamber

Large Planter.

21" high 

24" high

Turn this pot inside out!

A rare mishap in this firing. There were very few seconds at all!

Bread Plates

Extra large teapot