Taking A Break

This weekend, we went to Mount Pleasant to visit our good friends Liz and Rob Boyles.  It couldn't have been a better break!  The weather was ridiculously beautiful, the company excellent, and the show at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, which was the excuse for making this trip, was outstanding!  If you have the chance to see Steve Martin and Martin Short perform, DO IT.  So funny! 

Not much pottery got done this week.  It's ok though.  I finished up a few things on Thursday afternoon, and then took the rest of the weekend off.  It was exactly what I needed after pushing as hard as I have for the last few months.

It is roughly three weeks until the Catwaba Valley Pottery Show in Hickory.  I may be able to get a few more things made between now and then, but I imagine that I'll need to finish up what I've got in the works at the studio and be satisfied that I did the best that I could to get ready.  There are a few things that I can think of off the top of my head that I wouldn't have liked to get finished that I think just aren't going to happen.  You know what, it will be ok.  

A Pretty Productive Week

Know what this is?  Egg separators and wine cups DRYING OUTSIDE on Friday because it was so warm.  Saturday it was mid 40's and raining, but Friday's high of 82 was amazing.

Someone came in Thursday afternoon looking for an egg separator.  I didn't have what she wanted, and I realized that I probably needed to get busy getting some more made.

Most of them got goofy faces.

I put flowers on the wine cups.

The mugs that didn't get made last week were thrown on Wednesday afternoon.  I had a little bit of time between work and an appointment.

 Handles didn't go on until Saturday because it was so damp this week. 

I made some bowls.  These are all 4 pounds.

I also made some soup bowls.  These will have to wait until later in the week to finish.  They weren't dry enough to trim this afternoon.  

Tuesday I went to Charlotte for clay.

Because I must be a glutton for punishment, I got some more Mediterranean Mist glaze.  I'll test this and let you know.  Right now, I am not optimistic that they have corrected the issue with this glaze.

Push On!

These wine cups are the newest additions to the gallery at A Griffin Pottery.  There are a total of 4 of these.  They were in the last kiln load that I fired last weekend.  I had lots of nice things in that kiln load. In addition to these 4 cups, I also dropped off some new mugs and a utensil holder at Buffalo Creek Gallery.  Many of the new pieces went to the Arts Council for my display for Treasures of the Earth.  That show is up through March 7.  I hope that you can find the time to go by. 

I am working hard to get ready for the Catawba Valley Pottery Festival.  Treasures will be over by then, so I can plan on taking things that didn't sell here to Hickory with me. One always hopes to not have much to pack up and bring home after a show, so I am working under the assumption that I will need a booth full of new pots for the March 24th show.  What can I say, I have flashes of optimism. 

Here's what I accomplished this weekend.

Some lidded jars.

This one is shorter and wider.  It would work as a cookie jar.

I forget how much time these take!  It didn't help that things dried so slowly due to all the rain.

The last thing I made was this utensil holder.

I managed a little more height this time than the last batch of big things, but I am still a ways away from my 12 inch goal.

I still need mugs.  I planned on making another group of 6 on Saturday before I left. Sometimes though, one is so tired that it is best to just STOP and go home.  I tried the first mug and couldn't even get one successful pull.  Time to quit.  That clay will still be there this week when I get back to the studio. 

Playing With the Big Boys

There's another load of glazed pots in my kiln right now.  They were fired last night and I haven't been able to get out yet to check on how things look.  There's been freezing rain today, and while the roads appear to be fine based on the number of cars zipping past my house, I have used this weather as an excuse to stay put on work on some other stuff this morning.  I'll get by the studio later today and see what the firing time and current temperature tell me about this firing. 

I packed up for Treasures of the Earth yesterday and today.  Set up is tomorrow and the opening reception, which is always a good time, is Thursday evening.  The big question for this show has been answered - How much pottery fits in a Honda C-RV?  I had no trouble fitting everything in today when I packed the car.  In fact, I think I may have been able to get a couple more boxes in if I needed to.  This is good news.  After unloading the kiln tomorrow, I may take a few more things over to the Arts Council before Thursday's opening.  I will have to see what the display looks like after I've unpacked everything and see if there is anything especially nice in the kiln that might need to go. 

As mentioned above, the opening reception for this show is Thursday evening at the Arts Council.  It will get started about 5:30.  If you don't have plans for that evening, come see us.  I understand that there are a number of new potters participating this year, and it will be nice to see what they have.  There will be good food to eat, charming artists to meet, and nice pottery to see and purchase. 

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I applied to the Catawba Valley Pottery and Antiques Festival.  Well, I got in!  Holy cow.  I am not at all sure that I belong there, but since I had to submit pictures of my work and booth set up as part of the application, someone must think that I do.  If anyone needs me between now and Mar 23, I'll be in the studio frantically working to make sure that I've got enough good stuff to go.  This one is different.  There is a Preview Party on Friday night before the festival itself all day on Saturday.  It's kind of a cool idea.  People buy tickets to attend.  There is food and music and the chance to get first dibs on the pottery.  I'm excited!  If you would like more information about this show, this is their website:  http://catawbahistory.org/catawba-valley-pottery-and-antiques-festival