Hello Fall

It's still a week before Labor Day, so Fall isn't really here yet.  Today, August 26, is the first day of school for teachers and students in most of North Carolina, so it feels like summer is over to me.  My niece Fiona started kindergarten today and nephew Callum has started his sophomore year of high school.  Both of those things are somewhat hard to believe. Equally hard to believe is the fact that I am not at school today. 

So what's been happening in the pottery studio this summer?

I didn't get in a regular routine of either work in the studio or updating the blog.  I just couldn't make myself commit to regular hours and I couldn't make myself sit down at the computer to write.  Do I think things will improve in either of those areas in the near future?  Nope.  Not really.  I know that I should, but I just don't want to.  

On to the pots.  That's why you are really here, isn't it?  

After taking most of June off, I started back with some smaller things.  A few new egg separators were added to the shelves.

I made some little jars to go with some corks that I've had for a few years.  Those corks were supposed to be snouts for piggy banks, but that didn't work out.  I've been pouting about my snout-less pigs for about 5 or 6 years now and decided it was time to get over it and do something with the corks.

I tried making salt pigs.  If you need something for the counter next to the stove to keep the "pinch of salt" in, let me know.

After working on the small things, I jumped in on a couple of casserole dishes.

It had been a while since I made a covered casserole.  This one came out pretty nice I think.

A customer asked me to make a salt and pepper set.  This is the first attempt before they were fired.  Those are now finished and waiting to be unloaded today.

That same customer asked for a covered butter dish.  I found a YouTube video that included dimensions for the template as well as instruction on what to do.  I think that the bottom of this is too big.  

I made the bottom smaller and got this.  Looking at it now, I wonder if it is not too small on the bottom. Somewhere in between these 2 might be where I am happiest.

These 2 oval casseroles are made out of the dark brown clay that I sometimes use.  Once of them is HUGE and the other is a more reasonable size.  The big one is a lot bigger than I expected it to be, but maybe when it is done firing twice, it will end up being a good size.  Of course, of the two, I like the smaller one best....and then I broke it and had to throw it in the reclaim bucket. I still do dumb stuff sometimes. 

I fired a bisque fire last weekend and then spent all week glazing.  My first "chore" today when I get to the studio will be to unload the glaze fire.  I have a number of commissions in this load that I'm anxious to see.