Asheville Studio Stroll

Since my wife's "due" anytime now with our new baby girl, I thought I'd go ahead and promote the upcoming "Studio Stroll" in Asheville's Historic River Arts District. June 13 and 14, all of the studios in the district will be open for the Studio Stroll. We at Clayspace, will have all new work! I just fired and the other members are firing next week. So, come on down and buy some pottery and ceramic sculpture! Visit http://www.clayspace.org/ for directions! See you there!

p.s. Friday night we'll have a preview. Join us then and get wine and the pick of the litter!

Firing results

Peeking through the peeps, I saw some nasty looking glazed oribe surfaces and some beautiful glazed oribe surfaces. The nasty surface was due to thickness and too much reduction (in those spots), I think. Anyway, most of the kiln was nice. This new glaze has a nice variation. Nice dark runs from the handles, and bleached out on the hot, salted face.

I think some of the glazed pots resemble some of fellow potter/blogger Michael Kline's surfaces. And I think that's okay. I admire him and his pots and I could never do it like he does. I think it's okay to share ideas and explore them and make them your own. That's what I'm doing each time I make, decorate, and fire pots. I just wanted to say that. Below is my artist's statement that I've had for a few years. I think it sums it up.

As a studio potter, I work diligently to make well-crafted wares for everyday people. It’s seemingly less about the “ritual of the table” and more about respecting a long tradition of craftsmen before me and discovering my own voice. As a contemporary potter, I often look to past traditions for inspiration. I’m interested in folk pottery of many origins. My native state of North Carolina, of course, offers a deep well of talented potters, both folk and contemporary, to look towards for inspiration. I want to continue the long tradition of making beautiful wares for everyday people. Simplicity in form offers a broad surface for me to embellish with lines, patterns, and drawings. Before I was introduced to the ceramics arts, I did a fair amount of illustration before and during art school. The combination of three-dimensional forms and two-dimensional drawings was a natural fusion of both my love of drawing and pottery, art and craft. It is my intention to bring together clear and abstract markings to engage the viewer to look closely at how design relates to the form of the pot.

back stack

front stack

This glaze runs! I may need to invest in a grinder.

Sneak peek part 2

Sneak peek.

Looks good.still too hot to unload.

Kiln's loaded. Let's do this.

I loaded the kiln today. I've got some new stuff in there. Recently, I mixed up some oribe glaze to add a bit of color to my body of work. Everything you see with the green oribe glaze has been bisqued. They also have been decorated with a cobalt-free black slip. I got the recipe from M. Kline, and it came originally from Rock Creek Pottery. Anyway, I used this recipe instead of my normal black commercial underglaze because it is cobalt-free. The commercial underglaze will turn blue under the oribe, and I don't want that. Oh, and they are bisqued because thie glaze just doesn't fit too well on a leather hard/green pot. It'll chip off rims and sharp edges. So, the kiln is lit and I'll fire it off tomorrow night putting in 4 pounds of salt. Stay tuned for finished pots!

back stack

front stack

six pound vases

new insulated brick for the door; dipped in a saraset/alumina wash

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!

Wine

hangin out with brandon phillips (Cup) and a little pinot.

Busy times in the studio.