Mark C.

Ok I moved them from the work bench to the truck and then took all the little piggies(12 boxes) to market (a gallery) -just in time before the pig factories closed down due to sickness.
Now the factories are ordered to stay open but the workers are all out sick. Just maybe the top piggy will work in the factory and keep the piggies moving??
Strange time for the piggies
Time to make some new little piggies for market

Ok I moved them from the work bench to the truck and then took all the little piggies(12 boxes) to market (a gallery) -just in time before the pig factories closed down due to sickness.
Now the factories are ordered to stay open but the workers are all out sick. Just maybe the top piggy will work in the factory and keep the piggies moving??
Strange time for the piggies
Time to make some new little piggies for market

I'm still thinking and planning for a very very long no show period .Sales at galleries when they start up also will be weak. (less tourists and spooked people  for good reason)
sales at my markets will also be less. I am getting more personal contact sales thru returning customers which is fine but I'm having to ship myself more now and I have stepped up and been doing that.Most of those sales(99%) are from far away places. Like Mondays boxes are going to Wa  and Mo-all returning customers from my show base of customers.
I was trying to slow down before this all hit and now I'm a bit slower than I thought so I'm adjusting to this new norm .
I am thankful I had three streams of pottery income and still have one solid one (essential natural food markets)
these are the streams and how they now stand
1 shows-direct sales to customers-still have them contacting me for small sales 
2 wholesale-galleries-markets-bakeries-still have a few orders from galleries and markets are still open selling work
3-consignment-galleries-closed up tight- but one is selling online ok

Nothing like a cold shot of STP on a hot day to send you to the ER. Oh not a good time to go there.

I started out (after learning the basics)questing for now what I refer to potato chip pots super thin. They broke easily -I sold them to the public-I did not know any better. Time went by. I got feedback over time how fragile they where-I made lots of replacements. I learned that funtional =daily use pots for the open market need to hold up well. More stout. I made this change and never looked back. I'm not in the art pot business . I can throw a thin one for me but not for sale.People like them to last.
Shapes is a different deal thats an evolution of learning what you can do with clay and mastering it.

I think an all glazed top with  swing top lid is most sanitary and better than any unglazed threaded lid.

I think an all glazed top with  swing top lid is most sanitary and better than any unglazed threaded lid.

Funny thing about that video Min is those are some crystalline  potters I'm friends with. He just stopped by our place a few months ago and I bought a large bulk buy of heavy duty metal lotion tops from him.I seem to do this about evey few years from them. They have a second home up the coast from me that they are outfitting for another second pottery studio . They have stopped by a few times. We do a few of the same shows  and have helped each other out over the years .Good folks.They are full timers like me and do only crystalline work. Look for them at Anacortes when the next one happens whenever that may be.
PS the lotion pumps I make are screw on tops-the clay is threaded in a mold similar to the video but a bit different as the top is made ina press mold and added to pump jar when firm

Funny thing about that video Min is those are some crystalline  potters I'm friends with. He just stopped by our place a few months ago and I bought a large bulk buy of heavy duty metal lotion tops from him.I seem to do this about evey few years from them. They have a second home up the coast from me that they are outfitting for another second pottery studio . They have stopped by a few times. We do a few of the same shows  and have helped each other out over the years .Good folks.They are full timers like me and do only crystalline work. Look for them at Anacortes when the next one happens whenever that may be.
PS the lotion pumps I make are screw on tops-the clay is threaded in a mold similar to the video but a bit different as the top is made ina press mold and added to pump jar when firm

Funny thing about that video Min is those are some crystalline  potters I'm friends with. He just stopped by our place a few months ago and I bought a large bulk buy of heavy duty metal lotion tops from him.I seem to do this about evey few years from them. They have a second home up the coast from me that they are outfitting for another second pottery studio . They have stopped by a few times. We do a few of the same shows  and have helped each other out over the years .Good folks.They are full timers like me and do only crystalline work. Look for them at Anacortes when the next one happens whenever that may be.
PS the lotion pumps I make are screw on tops-the clay is threaded in a mold similar to the video but a bit different as the top is made ina press mold and added to pump jar when firm

I live in a small rural county with about 110,000 pop. We have 51 cases with 3 in hospital 43 of those cases are from contact from international travel and or travelers.
The rest are contact spread in community. Testing is just barley scratched the surface so nobody knows whats really going on. I think this is the case almost everywhere (yes that aircraft carrier and Iceland got to test everyone) so thats a good sample to see whats going on.
So many unknowns -until testing is really widespread its all just a guess really-its testing that will get us back to some sort of norm.Without testing we will be in limbo forever.
At 67 myself I do not want to immerse into a large crowd  at this time for obvious reasons. The data is just not there yet to say when is good  time to get back to shows.
I'm doubt our state will allow it for a long time (gatherings which shows are really) Our governor has been ahead on the curve in terms closeures of a lot of  states (I was told on the 15th of March to stay home)-schools are out for the year and our local JC and local state collage are going into predicted severe financial times for next two years-a 20 million dollar setback for just the state collage alone . 
I'm fine with the no art fairs on the financial side for this year. I like the living longer side of life anyway. I will add that the galleries will most likey reopen again by summer on a limited customer in and out basis or maybe in the fall. As I have written about before I have 3 streams of ceramic income and behold in this crisis I still have one left-the super markets and am still taking in wares early am during senior hours weekly as things are slower but still moving along.
This will be a huge financial depression -no way out of that reality. just look at China's GPD realeased this week.
I miss the art shows (there is a zoom meeting of us vendors at a canceled fair this weekend in lieu of the show)
I believe our state and the other two (Oregon and Washington) in the coalition together will slowly get the testing thing together (not the Feds) and move forward with a solid plan on a slow reopening.Califonia has a huge rainy day surplus that Govenor Brown got together the past 8 years. its at a all time high so we have the $$ to spend to get the testing and PPE stuff  to get it going. This state is the 5th largest in the world economy (nation state) and has the resources and talent to ghet thru this.(ok I'm a native son)
I said on another thread I thought shows would not happen this year and am sticking by that until some more movement with testing appears and we all feel we are getting a handle on it. I do not yet see this anywhere except on an aircraft carrier in Guam and Iceland (we had to cancel our June Iceland trip a few weeks back)At this time all gatherings(shows sports whatever) seem a long ways off.Next year maybe
All this said I need to have enough stock to handle a big show if it happens (and I choose to go-doubtfull at this time)and still think they might happen also doubtful.I have paid up on all but one event for the year now anyway. I still need stock for my wholesale orders (still an unknown) and still need stock for my wholesale super market sales that are on going and still have stock for my consignment galleries when they reopen (still an unknown)-that all adds up to make and stockpile pots.  They unlike bread do not go bad and having way to many pots sounds about righ right now.Its like my own stimulus pile of potterty for when things get better. Also its like later I can play more as well so really its a win win to make them now.

That vendor is Chuck and he is a potter-really nice guy-I have dealt with him for Decades. although he has dropped much of the potters line of goods.He is in Seattle area

That vendor is Chuck and he is a potter-really nice guy-I have dealt with him for Decades. although he has dropped much of the potters line of goods.He is in Seattle area

Blackthorn Yesterdays glaze loads
The 1st photo is the small updraft gas kiln the other three shots are the larger downdraft car kiln
packed up most of these pots for future wholesale order in gallery about 10 drive from here.I take them about 1/2 way down in next Month (late May ) if I'm allowed to go.
The fires turned out very well with only a few refires(3-4 pots with pits) It's pits that happen with so much rutile glaze used in a reduction atmosphere . I have learned very well how to get near 100% refires to work at this point-it all depends where in kiln they go. Working with most of the glazes for over 40 years now I can usually control how much they run. I had one runner in all these pots and it was a sponge holder fired to a hard cone 11 near burner.
Min the new Seafoam satin matt glaze came out super in the small kiln bottom (hot spot)Thanks again for that help
Glazes range from black to browns blues and greens to landscapes-shiny to matt.
I decided to work one week in clay and take the next week off and so forth to get my other projects done. Back to clay next Monday.
I unloaded on Friday  afternoon and by saturday mid day  they where all packed in boxes and accounted for.Some for wholesale otrder some for lacal supoermarkets some for a gallery when they reopen.
 

yesterdays glaze loads stack and ready to fire to cone 11.
I like a lot of space so pots can BREATHE-ok its a myth at least for me in a reduction kiln-I like it packed tight. 
In the  salt kiln its more true
The little kiln a 12 cubic updraft and the car kiln a 35 cubic downdraft.
Little kiln is off now an the cone 11 is almost 1/2 and about to be shut down.
then two day cool-no rush at all for these pots now
 
 

I live in a small rural county with about 110,000 pop. We have 51 cases with 3 in hospital 43 of those cases are from contact from international travel and or travelers.
The rest are contact spread in community. Testing is just barley scratched the surface so nobody knows whats really going on. I think this is the case almost everywhere (yes that aircraft carrier and Iceland got to test everyone) so thats a good sample to see whats going on.
So many unknowns -until testing is really widespread its all just a guess really-its testing that will get us back to some sort of norm.Without testing we will be in limbo forever.
At 67 myself I do not want to immerse into a large crowd  at this time for obvious reasons. The data is just not there yet to say when is good  time to get back to shows.
I'm doubt our state will allow it for a long time (gatherings which shows are really) Our governor has been ahead on the curve in terms closeures of a lot of  states (I was told on the 15th of March to stay home)-schools are out for the year and our local JC and local state collage are going into predicted severe financial times for next two years-a 20 million dollar setback for just the state collage alone . 
I'm fine with the no art fairs on the financial side for this year. I like the living longer side of life anyway. I will add that the galleries will most likey reopen again by summer on a limited customer in and out basis or maybe in the fall. As I have written about before I have 3 streams of ceramic income and behold in this crisis I still have one left-the super markets and am still taking in wares early am during senior hours weekly as things are slower but still moving along.
This will be a huge financial depression -no way out of that reality. just look at China's GPD realeased this week.
I miss the art shows (there is a zoom meeting of us vendors at a canceled fair this weekend in lieu of the show)
I believe our state and the other two (Oregon and Washington) in the coalition together will slowly get the testing thing together (not the Feds) and move forward with a solid plan on a slow reopening.Califonia has a huge rainy day surplus that Govenor Brown got together the past 8 years. its at a all time high so we have the $$ to spend to get the testing and PPE stuff  to get it going. This state is the 5th largest in the world economy (nation state) and has the resources and talent to ghet thru this.(ok I'm a native son)
I said on another thread I thought shows would not happen this year and am sticking by that until some more movement with testing appears and we all feel we are getting a handle on it. I do not yet see this anywhere except on an aircraft carrier in Guam and Iceland (we had to cancel our June Iceland trip a few weeks back)At this time all gatherings(shows sports whatever) seem a long ways off.Next year maybe
All this said I need to have enough stock to handle a big show if it happens (and I choose to go-doubtfull at this time)and still think they might happen also doubtful.I have paid up on all but one event for the year now anyway. I still need stock for my wholesale orders (still an unknown) and still need stock for my wholesale super market sales that are on going and still have stock for my consignment galleries when they reopen (still an unknown)-that all adds up to make and stockpile pots.  They unlike bread do not go bad and having way to many pots sounds about righ right now.Its like my own stimulus pile of potterty for when things get better. Also its like later I can play more as well so really its a win win to make them now.

Blackthorn Yesterdays glaze loads
The 1st photo is the small updraft gas kiln the other three shots are the larger downdraft car kiln
packed up most of these pots for future wholesale order in gallery about 10 drive from here.I take them about 1/2 way down in next Month (late May ) if I'm allowed to go.
The fires turned out very well with only a few refires(3-4 pots with pits) It's pits that happen with so much rutile glaze used in a reduction atmosphere . I have learned very well how to get near 100% refires to work at this point-it all depends where in kiln they go. Working with most of the glazes for over 40 years now I can usually control how much they run. I had one runner in all these pots and it was a sponge holder fired to a hard cone 11 near burner.
Min the new Seafoam satin matt glaze came out super in the small kiln bottom (hot spot)Thanks again for that help
Glazes range from black to browns blues and greens to landscapes-shiny to matt.
I decided to work one week in clay and take the next week off and so forth to get my other projects done. Back to clay next Monday.
I unloaded on Friday  afternoon and by saturday mid day  they where all packed in boxes and accounted for.Some for wholesale otrder some for lacal supoermarkets some for a gallery when they reopen.
 

IT guy I'm not a It guy just a potter who has been around (potter nor-cal boomer) 
That kiln I think was made by 
slipmaster sugar creek industries
put that in your search engine and you will see that make/made slip equipment for many decades. They would know that kiln inside out-Now as to Karl King he lives in  Copenhagen and is not letting his kilns run free.
I am old enough to know about sugar creek as I like cookies back in the day and also bought a few things from them back when nets where made for catching fish not surfing with.
Hope this fairy tale ends well for all -cowabunga
oh ya welcome aboard matey hope this info helps ye
thar she blows and blow the man down

No its in bottom shelves and bottom front in 1st photo of little kiln-I have had it for decades now and was running low on the old school talc that makes it happen.Min helped me with new talc usage and a new tweeked recipe .

Blackthorn Yesterdays glaze loads
The 1st photo is the small updraft gas kiln the other three shots are the larger downdraft car kiln
packed up most of these pots for future wholesale order in gallery about 10 drive from here.I take them about 1/2 way down in next Month (late May ) if I'm allowed to go.
The fires turned out very well with only a few refires(3-4 pots with pits) It's pits that happen with so much rutile glaze used in a reduction atmosphere . I have learned very well how to get near 100% refires to work at this point-it all depends where in kiln they go. Working with most of the glazes for over 40 years now I can usually control how much they run. I had one runner in all these pots and it was a sponge holder fired to a hard cone 11 near burner.
Min the new Seafoam satin matt glaze came out super in the small kiln bottom (hot spot)Thanks again for that help
Glazes range from black to browns blues and greens to landscapes-shiny to matt.
I decided to work one week in clay and take the next week off and so forth to get my other projects done. Back to clay next Monday.
I unloaded on Friday  afternoon and by saturday mid day  they where all packed in boxes and accounted for.Some for wholesale otrder some for lacal supoermarkets some for a gallery when they reopen.
 

Blackthorn Yesterdays glaze loads
The 1st photo is the small updraft gas kiln the other three shots are the larger downdraft car kiln
packed up most of these pots for future wholesale order in gallery about 10 drive from here.I take them about 1/2 way down in next Month (late May ) if I'm allowed to go.
The fires turned out very well with only a few refires(3-4 pots with pits) It's pits that happen with so much rutile glaze used in a reduction atmosphere . I have learned very well how to get near 100% refires to work at this point-it all depends where in kiln they go. Working with most of the glazes for over 40 years now I can usually control how much they run. I had one runner in all these pots and it was a sponge holder fired to a hard cone 11 near burner.
Min the new Seafoam satin matt glaze came out super in the small kiln bottom (hot spot)Thanks again for that help
Glazes range from black to browns blues and greens to landscapes-shiny to matt.
I decided to work one week in clay and take the next week off and so forth to get my other projects done. Back to clay next Monday.
I unloaded on Friday  afternoon and by saturday mid day  they where all packed in boxes and accounted for.Some for wholesale otrder some for lacal supoermarkets some for a gallery when they reopen.
 

liam, show them the photo you took and ask them to write a cartoon caption on the dog's conversation.   they can probably do a lot of them, those dogs are communicating!

Blackthorn Yesterdays glaze loads
The 1st photo is the small updraft gas kiln the other three shots are the larger downdraft car kiln
packed up most of these pots for future wholesale order in gallery about 10 drive from here.I take them about 1/2 way down in next Month (late May ) if I'm allowed to go.
The fires turned out very well with only a few refires(3-4 pots with pits) It's pits that happen with so much rutile glaze used in a reduction atmosphere . I have learned very well how to get near 100% refires to work at this point-it all depends where in kiln they go. Working with most of the glazes for over 40 years now I can usually control how much they run. I had one runner in all these pots and it was a sponge holder fired to a hard cone 11 near burner.
Min the new Seafoam satin matt glaze came out super in the small kiln bottom (hot spot)Thanks again for that help
Glazes range from black to browns blues and greens to landscapes-shiny to matt.
I decided to work one week in clay and take the next week off and so forth to get my other projects done. Back to clay next Monday.
I unloaded on Friday  afternoon and by saturday mid day  they where all packed in boxes and accounted for.Some for wholesale otrder some for lacal supoermarkets some for a gallery when they reopen.
 

Some work is better than none-You should contest that ruling as its a mistake.Our state has a covid deal with unemployment I heard

Oh yeah, we are lucky that it was 67 and sunny here today and pretty much the same all week.  That has taken some burden off!
As for art lessons in the shed, nooooooo way!  This shed is so crammed with greenware and equipment I have a hard time moving around myself.
They HAVE however been getting a lot of use out of sidewalk chalk, markers, paint, melted crayons and all sorts of other creative outlets inside during the day.  They've even made a few pinch pots themselves outdoors while doing a "picnic".  I love my boys!  I just love it more when they go to school and come home tired :p