Min

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

I did make mud sculptures and very just drip sand castles as a kid. In college I discover clay. I soaked up as much knowledge as I could. I focused all my art history research papers on ceramic topics relevant to each AH course I took. I designed kilns, built burners and experimented with glazes. Some of my happiest moments have been working in studios in the woods. After 50+ years, I am very engaged with the interaction of chemistry and firing marks on surfaces. It is my passion. And there is inner peace and there are stellar moments of excitement and discovery. I love it. never a dull moment.
 
 

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

Mondays bench (actually 3 areas)-glaze wares from two fires priced and packed-lots of mugs
Pots been flying out of here lately-shipped to Vermont-So-Cal gallery-all local outlets-
All stocked to the gills for Mothers day and our Collage Graduation weekend-usually a large sales event for all shops locally
today bench is empty -off to a show in am for 5 days
 

Last Wedesday It looked like a wheel repair shop on my bench-really my outside tables next to kilns under large metal roof
I bought a new old stock model A new in the box. These have not been made for 15 -20 years or more. I took it apart and sealed the deck edge and bottom with 6 coats of clear sealer (pressboard with a plastic top )
I also replaced the top deck hardware with stainless steel fasteners and replaced the belt since the original belt had a flat spot from sitting 20 years.I had all the parts as I have a model A already for trimming. This is my 6th Brent wheel now.Not sure what I'm doing with the two extras wheel yet as I use  only 4 of them now.
Thursday my bench was filled with bisque ware -Friday it all got glazed and loaded into two kilns and today Saturday the bench is empty.
Monday the bench will be covered with two glaze fires unloading-pricing and packing-some to my outlet a few (one box) to mothers day show at UC Davis next weekend and most summer back stock .Monday night bench will be again empty. Its about every week-pots on bench pots gone pots on bench pots gone. 
 

Busy glazing once again, Honey Jars this time to be out on Thursday for trip Friday.
best,
Pres

Thanks for posting my question Pres. 
hanging planters for succulents

 

Glazing today, bisque is just turned off. Glaze load goes in tomorrow, then another on Tuesday. This is today load that I have finished glazing though the pic was taken this morning before.
 
 
best,
Pres
 
 
 
 
 
 

My workbench is full of ugly bisque again. I really is my least favourite stage. But a week and a half ago, I decided it would be a good idea to document some new compost buckets before I was packing them up to go to a sale. These are much nicer pictures!
Before you make fun of me for my product staging, I was legit making soup stock with the Easter turkey.

A kiln load has been waiting for a month to be glazed and single-fired. 
After work and weekends have been building a chicken coop with double chicken run. Been raining so much have really put construction behind. Chicks arrive May 8.

(Waster donuts, take less clay than cookies) 
Mugs were my last thing on the bench today

 

(Waster donuts, take less clay than cookies) 
Mugs were my last thing on the bench today

 

On my workbench today ... an experimental bowl with an exaggerated footring/pedestal. How the heck do I fire this thing, on a waster cookie?

Busy day glazing today! These are all waxed and ready to dip.
 

The recent greenware. 

I seem to have a 20 year fixation with small lidded jars.  It started about my third year in college, and has been a form I've worked with off and on ever since. That, and mugs. So.  Many. Variations. For both of those forms. 
I went through a depression several years ago now, and I wasn't able to make a whole heck of lot, but I knew it was important to me to keep making.  I thought, well, the simplest thing to make is a cylinder. I didn't really just want to throw plain cylinders and scrap them, so I decided just to add a handle so I could feel like I was doing something productive.  So consequently, I can make mugs no matter how much I may not feel like doing anything. I'll usually start a work cycle with them, because it gets me into a rythm of moving, which allows me to make the next thing, and the next thing...etc,

When LeeU said “one of my more masculine pieces” in another thread it had me contemplating her comment. Masculine and feminine encompass a large set of related characteristics, would be hard pressed to make a pot that didn’t have curves but that alone doesn’t make a pot feminine. Are visually heavy pots defined as masculine?  At first this seems like an easy question but I’m finding it very hard to nail down what defines a pot as masculine or feminine and yet I have no problem looking at a pot and thinking it is one or the other or neither. Does our subconscious make the decision for us? 

Thanks for posting my question Pres. 
hanging planters for succulents

 

today i had things on my workbench i would be happy to let anyone see.  hope they all make it through the next steps to finished product.
i would be happy if i could capture in the final firing that soft color of the slip.  who knows how it will look when it is finished?

"bench" is buried.  kiln is bisque firing and i cannot use the space until it is opened and i restore the space.  i only bisque during the winter when i am a thousand miles from my glaze kitchen and big kiln.  that allows me to get the pieces home.