Denice

My love of clay started when I was 12,  I had a art teacher that thought I was artistic and was a big supporter.  One day she gave every one a ball of clay and told us to make anything we wanted.  Everyone else smashed out awful ashtrays,  my folks didn't believe in smoking.   I had been reading a book on Egypt and decided to make a Egyptian cat pendant for a necklace.  When I touched the clay I fell in love with it and the pendant was so beautiful  I knew clay was magic and I could make anything I wanted with it.  A few years later I was in high school where I could take a pottery class.  Great teacher,  I did a lot of hand building over the next three years.  Never got to throw on the wheel,  we only had one wheel and the teacher would pick a boy to teach  throwing to.   He didn't consider girls strong enough to throw.   I have tried many many different types of art but I always go back to clay.      Denice

My love of clay started when I was 12,  I had a art teacher that thought I was artistic and was a big supporter.  One day she gave every one a ball of clay and told us to make anything we wanted.  Everyone else smashed out awful ashtrays,  my folks didn't believe in smoking.   I had been reading a book on Egypt and decided to make a Egyptian cat pendant for a necklace.  When I touched the clay I fell in love with it and the pendant was so beautiful  I knew clay was magic and I could make anything I wanted with it.  A few years later I was in high school where I could take a pottery class.  Great teacher,  I did a lot of hand building over the next three years.  Never got to throw on the wheel,  we only had one wheel and the teacher would pick a boy to teach  throwing to.   He didn't consider girls strong enough to throw.   I have tried many many different types of art but I always go back to clay.      Denice

Min that is similar to dishes I made for a friend of mine's daughter who had partial use of one arm.   My plate curved around more and eased into a rest for her hand, the family had asked for the built in rest.    I sold sets for several years to other families in the same situation,  I basically just covered cost.   My plate was based on a antique child's dish from England.   Denice

It sounds like the time I was starting to pack  a dozen gourd shape vases with long thin necks to take to a gallery.  I had just started wrapping one when a big gust of wind and pressure pushed through my studio.   It sent my vases crashing into each other and on to the concrete floor.    I wasn't aware that my husband was replacing the seals on the back door,  he gave the door one big slam to see how the seals were working.  I only had one vase that remained intact.  I decide that this particular shape of vase wasn't good for gallery sales.   Denice

It sounds like the time I was starting to pack  a dozen gourd shape vases with long thin necks to take to a gallery.  I had just started wrapping one when a big gust of wind and pressure pushed through my studio.   It sent my vases crashing into each other and on to the concrete floor.    I wasn't aware that my husband was replacing the seals on the back door,  he gave the door one big slam to see how the seals were working.  I only had one vase that remained intact.  I decide that this particular shape of vase wasn't good for gallery sales.   Denice

Min that is similar to dishes I made for a friend of mine's daughter who had partial use of one arm.   My plate curved around more and eased into a rest for her hand, the family had asked for the built in rest.    I sold sets for several years to other families in the same situation,  I basically just covered cost.   My plate was based on a antique child's dish from England.   Denice

Min that is similar to dishes I made for a friend of mine's daughter who had partial use of one arm.   My plate curved around more and eased into a rest for her hand, the family had asked for the built in rest.    I sold sets for several years to other families in the same situation,  I basically just covered cost.   My plate was based on a antique child's dish from England.   Denice

It sounds like the time I was starting to pack  a dozen gourd shape vases with long thin necks to take to a gallery.  I had just started wrapping one when a big gust of wind and pressure pushed through my studio.   It sent my vases crashing into each other and on to the concrete floor.    I wasn't aware that my husband was replacing the seals on the back door,  he gave the door one big slam to see how the seals were working.  I only had one vase that remained intact.  I decide that this particular shape of vase wasn't good for gallery sales.   Denice

Glazing a large coiled bowl with a intricate ancient Indian designs,  I will probably finish it today.   Denice

Adelaide Robineau,  Gertrud Natzer and Edith Heath.       Denice

I have a half finished coiled pot on my work table and a drying cabinet that is nearly full.   I am surprised I am getting any work done at all.   My 95 year old mother in-law has been in the hospital and my son and his wife are back from their European tour.    Denice

I have a half finished coiled pot on my work table and a drying cabinet that is nearly full.   I am surprised I am getting any work done at all.   My 95 year old mother in-law has been in the hospital and my son and his wife are back from their European tour.    Denice

We still use the dinnerware set that I threw twelve years ago,  it its getting a little scratchy looking.   I have been thinking about putting one of the plates in a glaze firing.  It might cure the haze on the plates  or make the puddle.   I will give it a try in my next firing.    Denice

Unloaded a glaze firing last Friday  and finished a coiled bowl today.   My sister left this morning she and her husband has been visiting for a week so I haven't spent much time in my studio.  They are on another long RV trip planning to be back in Sacramento by Thanksgiving.  Peace and quiet until my son and his wife get home from Europe at the end of the month.    Denice

Yappy I have started carrying a letter with my from my neurologist that I am disabled.   I haven't applied for a handicapped tag yet,   I am not ready for the abuse people give you when they don't think you are disabled but are using a handicapped parking spot.   MS is one of those invisible diseases also unless you have progressed to a wheelchair.    I was buying clay the other day and the lady I usually deal with was having trouble putting the clay in my car.  He hands were curled up so tight from arthritis that she couldn't grasp the box.   I helped her pick them up and told her that two old ladies could do it if we worked together.  She laughed.  Now that my husband is retiring I will have help.   Denice

It hasn't been that recent but I added some vermiculite to some clay I was using for a mural.  I thought it would make it lighter and give it that rough look I was wanting.  It succeeded on both of those but failed in burning out.  It was only fired electric to C04,  I took a dental probe and dug out all of the powdery vermiculite on the areas that were visible.   It might of burn't out if I had fired it to C6.    Denice

Pres those teapots look like they would be fun to make,  I love making teapots.  I hope I can retrain my brain and arm connection so I can throw them on electric wheel I just bought.   I just had the foot pedal adjusted so that made a huge difference.  Losing the ability to throw was the first thing I lost to MS ,  I am slowly retraining my brain , I can throw small bows and cups now.  Mark C found me the wheel on E-bay so I sold my kick wheel  and forging forward with my quest.   Denice

Pres those teapots look like they would be fun to make,  I love making teapots.  I hope I can retrain my brain and arm connection so I can throw them on electric wheel I just bought.   I just had the foot pedal adjusted so that made a huge difference.  Losing the ability to throw was the first thing I lost to MS ,  I am slowly retraining my brain , I can throw small bows and cups now.  Mark C found me the wheel on E-bay so I sold my kick wheel  and forging forward with my quest.   Denice

Pres those teapots look like they would be fun to make,  I love making teapots.  I hope I can retrain my brain and arm connection so I can throw them on electric wheel I just bought.   I just had the foot pedal adjusted so that made a huge difference.  Losing the ability to throw was the first thing I lost to MS ,  I am slowly retraining my brain , I can throw small bows and cups now.  Mark C found me the wheel on E-bay so I sold my kick wheel  and forging forward with my quest.   Denice

Many of you already know I have Multiple Sclerosis,  my first relapse was when I was throwing a vegetable bowl.   I had just finished a set of tableware and decided I didn't like way the glaze came out.   My right arm wouldn't work right and I was in a lot of pain,  I was sent to a neurologist because my GP thought I had pinch a nerve in my elbow.  The rest is history.  I wasn't going to let this disease take away everything I had worked for so I started making tile murals.  I made those for about 7 years and I got to the point where I needed more and more help from my husband in moving them and installation.  It wasn't fair to keep him away from his car restoration projects.  I decided to go back to my love of ancient pottery and do some coiling,  I have been coiling now for three years.   Recently Mark C found a Brent wheel on E-Bay in my area so he sent me a message about it.   I bought it and sold my kick wheel that I could no longer use.    I have been throwing small bowls and mugs trying to retrain the neural pathways in my brain the way they do with stroke patients.    My arms are pretty weak,  I hope practicing builds my throwing muscles.   I have a back up plan in case I get to the point I can't work in clay anymore.   I have been growing gourds and drying them,  they look like pots and you can carve, paint, cut and stain them.   Don't let aches, pains or a serious disease take away the work you love.   A woman in my neighborhood was hit by  a car, her daughter was on the other bicycle and was killed.   The only part of her body she could move was her head.   A helper would set up her paints and put a brush in her mouth and she would paint beautiful still life's.  She never let her disability get her down and was inspiring to everyone she met.    Denice

Many of you already know I have Multiple Sclerosis,  my first relapse was when I was throwing a vegetable bowl.   I had just finished a set of tableware and decided I didn't like way the glaze came out.   My right arm wouldn't work right and I was in a lot of pain,  I was sent to a neurologist because my GP thought I had pinch a nerve in my elbow.  The rest is history.  I wasn't going to let this disease take away everything I had worked for so I started making tile murals.  I made those for about 7 years and I got to the point where I needed more and more help from my husband in moving them and installation.  It wasn't fair to keep him away from his car restoration projects.  I decided to go back to my love of ancient pottery and do some coiling,  I have been coiling now for three years.   Recently Mark C found a Brent wheel on E-Bay in my area so he sent me a message about it.   I bought it and sold my kick wheel that I could no longer use.    I have been throwing small bowls and mugs trying to retrain the neural pathways in my brain the way they do with stroke patients.    My arms are pretty weak,  I hope practicing builds my throwing muscles.   I have a back up plan in case I get to the point I can't work in clay anymore.   I have been growing gourds and drying them,  they look like pots and you can carve, paint, cut and stain them.   Don't let aches, pains or a serious disease take away the work you love.   A woman in my neighborhood was hit by  a car, her daughter was on the other bicycle and was killed.   The only part of her body she could move was her head.   A helper would set up her paints and put a brush in her mouth and she would paint beautiful still life's.  She never let her disability get her down and was inspiring to everyone she met.    Denice

Many of you already know I have Multiple Sclerosis,  my first relapse was when I was throwing a vegetable bowl.   I had just finished a set of tableware and decided I didn't like way the glaze came out.   My right arm wouldn't work right and I was in a lot of pain,  I was sent to a neurologist because my GP thought I had pinch a nerve in my elbow.  The rest is history.  I wasn't going to let this disease take away everything I had worked for so I started making tile murals.  I made those for about 7 years and I got to the point where I needed more and more help from my husband in moving them and installation.  It wasn't fair to keep him away from his car restoration projects.  I decided to go back to my love of ancient pottery and do some coiling,  I have been coiling now for three years.   Recently Mark C found a Brent wheel on E-Bay in my area so he sent me a message about it.   I bought it and sold my kick wheel that I could no longer use.    I have been throwing small bowls and mugs trying to retrain the neural pathways in my brain the way they do with stroke patients.    My arms are pretty weak,  I hope practicing builds my throwing muscles.   I have a back up plan in case I get to the point I can't work in clay anymore.   I have been growing gourds and drying them,  they look like pots and you can carve, paint, cut and stain them.   Don't let aches, pains or a serious disease take away the work you love.   A woman in my neighborhood was hit by  a car, her daughter was on the other bicycle and was killed.   The only part of her body she could move was her head.   A helper would set up her paints and put a brush in her mouth and she would paint beautiful still life's.  She never let her disability get her down and was inspiring to everyone she met.    Denice

Mark is the first ridge on your bowl for catching any running glazes?   Denice

Pres those teapots look like they would be fun to make,  I love making teapots.  I hope I can retrain my brain and arm connection so I can throw them on electric wheel I just bought.   I just had the foot pedal adjusted so that made a huge difference.  Losing the ability to throw was the first thing I lost to MS ,  I am slowly retraining my brain , I can throw small bows and cups now.  Mark C found me the wheel on E-bay so I sold my kick wheel  and forging forward with my quest.   Denice

I just put a nice size coiled pot in my drying cabinet which is now full.   My work table needs to be cleaned  covered with clay dust and crumblies,  my other work table is covered with glazed pots I unloaded from a firing recently.   Mark C found a Brent C wheel on E Bay for me to buy so now I need to sell it my kick wheel locally.  I hope I can find someone who will love it as much as I do,  I can't kick it up anymore  to the speed it needs to be.      Denice