Saturday in the Studio

Today I arrived at the studio at 6:45 am. I closed the electric kiln that had been cracked overnight for a preheat. I'm bisqueing some pots that will eventually be covered in black brushwork and a green oribe glaze. The firing was done by early afternoon.
I threw some flat-bottom bowls that will end up being baskets. Below are six handles that were pulled and draped on a plaster mold to stiffen up a bit. Makes me hungry for ribs.

Below are the baskets after the handles are attached. After I shot this image, I finished the bottoms of the pots with a bit of ribbing and thumbing. I should also mention that these will not be slipped in my normal Tile6. No slip, just decoration and glaze. This is one time I can actually make something and let it dry without slipping or glazing it, as I usually do with once-firing. Since I was going to leave these, I applied a wax resist to the handle joints. This allows them to dry slowly and "resist" cracking.

And finally, below is a picture of my family, minus one Jack Russell, Zella, who is out of frame. My wife, Carrie, is due to deliver our second child in 2-4 weeks. We are very excited and feel as prepared as possible. The smile on her face says it all. Finn, the Jack Russell by Carrie, is 10 years old and needs a vacation from Coleman, our 3 1/2 year old son in the foreground.

Needless to say I'm making as many pots as possible before the new baby GIRL comes. Who knows what I'll be able to do for the few weeks after the birth. Good news is that Carrie is going to take a year off from her teaching job, which means I'll be in the studio full-time for a year. It should be good for both of us. We are equally excited!

Oh, and bonus....I sold a $300 vase right before I left the studio today. Woo-hoo!

Good night and good luck!