The Pondering Potter

This Is How We Do It

2009-11-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

My state takes its fair share of licks for being-well, you can fill in the blank. We do know how to do some things right, like making fiesta ware... Check out how it's been made for years and have some
pride.

A Good Time Was Had By All

2009-10-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

Be forewarned, it's a far piece out a country road before you arrive at Cub Creek. Luckily, I had an excellent travel partner. We arrived on Friday afternoon and were met by two of the full time residents. They pointed out the kilns and clay studio, then gave us permission to snoop, which we did. It's a very nice set up and lots of clay activity is evident everywhere you look. Once we had looked at the kilns and pots, we headed up to where the residents live. If you are a young potter looking for a residency, I would suggest you check out this place. A few years back, the 4000 square foot plantation home, which had been Cub Creek, burned to the ground. After regrouping, John H., the founder and energy behind this foundation, rebuilt. The new resident housing is charming and cozy with room for six with the two kitchens being a nice addition. The clay studio is still fresh and has a nice open layout.

Now, about Chris...

Chris graduated from Alfred in the early 70's, worked alone in his studio, went on to teach at the 92nd Y, Parsons School of Design and he recently retired from his position at Dartmouth. His ability to speak so articulately about his work and how it's evolved, while simultaneously making his work was very impressive.

Chris makes his work in several stages. Throwing a series of bases, allowing them to stiffen a bit and then adding coils. His coiling technique is somewhat unusual. Rather than adding long continuous coils, he adds shorts coils asymetrically, which gives his pots their organic, undulating shape. He uses this approach with both stoneware and porcelain, then fires them in his very large wood kiln. He also manufactures field tile and employees several interns, who are kept fit by the constant movement in the studio.

Going to a clay workshop is sort of like watching a cooking show. It's nice to see someone who is able to make fabulous things look approachable and also to hear of stories on how to manuever around avoidable pitfalls...

Some hot tips I learned that may help you too...

1) How to glaze the inside of a large pot without picking it up? Buy a water pump for a blow up pool and a shop vac. Place pump in glaze bucket, pump in glaze, have someone standing by with shop vac, and voila!

2) Once that big pot is glazed, it needs to be loaded in the kiln. How to protect the glaze during handling? Mix a 50/50 mixture of elephant glue, available at the local craft shop, and spray it on the piece. This creates a hard shell that burns out during the firing-brilliant!

3) Wood-fired pots must be placed on wadding to keep them from fusing to the kiln shelf, but sometimes the wad will flatten out from the weight of the pots and cause headaches. What to do? Mix wadding mixture and roll into log. Slice into marshmellow sized pieces and bisque fire. Then your large pots can be tilted back, the wadding slid under and your ready to fire.

Those are just a few of the gems I learned.

Appomattox Bound

2009-10-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

I was happy to discover that Chris Gustin will be giving a workshop at the Cub Creek Foundation this weekend, located in Appommattox, Virginia.

Cub Creek was founded by John Jessiman and offers long term residencies to provide an environment for potters to focus on clay work full time. This will be my first visit and I look forward to meeting John Jessiman and watching Chris work.

I will be joined by one of my favorite people and potters, Kate Harward of Tygart River Pottery. Kate makes these lovely lamps, as well as an extensive line of functional work.

This should be just the thing to inject some extra energy into my work...

Bramwell XIV

2009-10-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

Prepare yourself for the Fourteenth Bramwell Oktoberfest...

Stamps have been made, slabs have been rolled, and another year's awards have been made...

Here are the third place awards just before the glaze firing-stay tuned for photographs of the happy winners holding finished pots.

...and a photo of the last blooms of the season.

Turtle

2009-08-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from the poem,
Turtle,
by poetlaurette, Kay Ryan

She lives
below luck-level, never imagining
some lottery
will change her load of pottery to wings.
Her only levity is patience, the sport of truly chastened things.

Recently, I read an article about Kay Ryan and discovered that, in her life, she has been a reluctant poet. If not for the support and prodding of her companion, who stuffed envelopes with self-published books of poetry and sent them to nameless publishers, we may never have read her poetry... I am glad Kay Ryan had such a dear partner.

The article gave me pause to think of my own struggles. For years, I have had an underlying feeling that some day I would wake up and realize the life of a potter is not for me-that I would eventually join the 9-5 world in a more traditional approach to making money...

For some reason, just the other day, out of the blue and in response to nothing, I had this sense of calm and acceptance. The underlying feeling just disappeared. So today, I can say, "I am a potter, and that is that."

In the beginning, I had a road map in my head of what success would mean. I haven't fulfilled my fantasy of big city shows and high end galleries, but something even better has happened... I am part of the intimate rituals carried out daily by people who know and love me. In the end, I think I've succeeded in ways I could not have imagined years ago.

I'm the lucky person who gets to make...

Keepsakes for JK and Vaughn's Wedding Guests

and harvest the bounty from my garden...

...and share my life with lovely people who are always quick to appreciate me.
Thank you.

As The Wheel Turns

2009-07-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

An update on the life and times of a non-potting potter...

You may ask yourself, " What has she been doing and what is she building in there?"

Well, I attended a summer party where I had a drink at a tiki bar on wheels... There was also a fair amount of feasting and a very sophisticated fire works display on Saturday night.

I also taught a two week clay class in Putnam County. I haven't taught a kid's camp in years, but it turned out to be a real hoot, plus a bit on an inspiration. It was great to spend time with people who know who they are and where they are going...This is Cora King- such a great name. She has a Johnny Cash voice and a passion for clay.

When I asked the class what they hope to be when they grow up, this guy replied "actor". "You want to be an actor when you grow up?" He replied, " No, I'm already an actor, I just don't get paid for it yet." His largest role so far is young Scrooge-keep an out for this one.

Also, lots of time has been spent on construction projects...

There is now a roof over the pizza oven and the outdoor kitchen is starting to take shape. My studio bathroom has a new window and the claw foot bathtub will finally welcome potential bathers by actually working-such small things bring such big happiness. The long awaited pagoda is half way to completion and my studio sink has been scrubbed and is ready to become a muddy mess again. Clay has been purchased, glazes have been sieved and everything is in place to begin again...

FYI
The Bramwell Oktoberfest is less than ninety days away (mark your calender) and once again the award cups are on my mind. Bramwell master mind, George Sitler, was recently at the Omegang Brewery in upstate New York. He called from the bar to let me know, of all the awards on display, the Bramwell Oktoberfest awards are the coolest. I confess I saved his message and listened to it more than once. Somehow it accidentally got erased from the answering machine-hmmm.

Product Loyalty

2009-06-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

The other day, my son's friend was over for a visit and wanted something to drink. He pulled out my Christa Assad cup, said how much he liked it and asked if I had made it. I let him know that it was made by a "hot" California potter. "Is she hot?", he asked. "What I meant by hot, is that she is at the top of her game, but she is rather easy on the eye as well." He admired the cup for another second, placed it back on the shelf and chose one of mine.

I didn't think too much of it until my nieces stopped by the house. Again, the question was asked, "Did you make this?". Pots made by anyone other than me were put back on the shelf.

When I visit other potters, I am always excited to touch, admire and use pots made by others...I assumed everyone would feel this way-who cares who made it? In the end, I got to experience radical favoritism and it felt good.

On a recent visit from friend and potter, Errol Willett, I was presented with a tea bowl he had made. While I rarely feel strong ownership of any pot that comes into this house, I find that I do think of this cup as mine. I am now musing over the idea of ownership and how we define what we think of as cherished possessions...

Springing Forward From Here

2009-04-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what living in one place for several years does for the garden... This year we have garlic and winter onions in place. Small shoots of green poke through the soil toward the warming sun.

On other fronts, I've discovered plants in pots are big sellers. After a recent chastising from a 93- year old lady for not knowing the exact name of the succulents that live in my pots, I vow to know exactly what it is I am selling... Though I lacked the proper names for my cacti, she bought them all, loaded them on her stroller and made off into the evening.

And I am working on a project that has been years in the making. Several years ago, I decorated the front foundation of my studio with a mosaic made from broken pots. I planned to wrap my whole studio, but other tasks took precedence. The mosaic groove has hit and I was hard at work all weekend. Because I was working on the street side of my studio, I had many curious passersby stop and offer comments and encouragement. Neighbor Tim stopped to let me know that I do the "best work" and neighbor, Lori, who I had yet to meet, stopped with son, Toby. She let me know I have the coolest house on the west side and that she and her son often drive by to see what's new at the purple house.
In the morning, as I packed pots in the car for a sale, local kids were already at the wall, full of questions and comments... "These stars under the window are really cool. How did you do this?" I think I'll recruit them for the grouting phase. I have officially ceased needing to be in total control and invite friends and neighbors to get in on the action, though I feel a bit like Huck Finn. "Come paint my fence!"

Going Green

2009-04-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

While I've been hard at work in the studio, the garden has begun to bloom...

and the bounty of spring is here.

Lemons to Lemonade

2009-02-27T07:06:00.001-08:00

Before getting on the plane to leave California, I picked lots Meyer lemons and stuffed them into my suitcase...I would have picked more, but Amalia was impatient and didn't understand what all the fuss was about-Amalia, we don't have lemon trees in West Virginia!

Last night, I made a lemon meringue pie. It's been a while since I made a meringue and I had forgotten how important it is not to overbeat the meringue. Oh well, it still looks pretty good.

Before starting on the pie, I ordered fourteen pounds of frozen green chiles from Hatch Chili Express located in Hatch, New Mexico. Amazingly enough, they have just arrived at my door and I am quite excited to cook up some green chili. In a few weeks, my clan will be competing in the Green Chili Shoot Out at the Capitol Farmer's Market, so this weekend will be spent fine tuning our winning recipe.

Way West...

2009-02-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

In a moment of spontaneity, I did get on that airplane and flew to San Francisco. Every part of the trip fell into place perfectly...

I was met at the airport by the ultra-talented Diana Fayt, whose blog, One Blackbird, inspired mine. Let me say now, that everyone should have one of Diana's pots and they're just a click away... We have been pen pals for the past couple of years, but we had yet to meet face to face. Without her encouragement, I don't know that I would have made this trip. She picked me up at the airport, and hosted me for the first few days of my journey. It was so great to meet her in person and I found that we had the ease of old friends meeting again after a long time. She lives in a lovely apartment right in San Francisco. When walking out her back door, you are greeted by a courtyard garden, which was already in bloom and the lemon tree branches were heavy with fruit.

Everyone kept apologizing for the cold weather, but when I mentioned that it was 13 degrees when I got on the plane in WV, they quickly realized that I was finding the San Francisco weather to be down right tropical, even if it was only 59 degrees! Diana made sure that I experienced some really wonderful food, including the creamiest ice cream I've had-yum.

We visited her studio which is tidy, orderly and full of her lovely pottery. I also met other interesting people who have space in her building, including a piano builder and a harpsichord maker-the dildo maker had just moved to a bigger space, so I missed meeting those folks. People make their living in the most interesting ways there-anything seems reasonable. Next we were off to Heath Ceramics, which was established in 1948 by Edith Heath. Because I was with Diana, we were given a leisurely tour of the factory and show room. It's located right over the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito and it was the perfect primer for the workshop I was there to attend.

Finally, it was time for the Andrew Martin workshop at Fourth and Clay. Again, I met for the first time internet pen pal, Josie Jurczenia, who has also encouraged my writing. She is the owner of Fourth and Clay and shares her space with Christa Assad and Rae Dunn. Plus, Whitney Smith was there. Yes, everywhere I went, I was surrounded by stars of the clay world.

When I walked through the door, it was announced that the "east coaster" had arrived and things got going. Andrew Martin did an excellent job at sharing his wealth of knowledge. Rather than using a wheel to make his pots, he makes plaster molds of his work, which he then slip casts. I have never worked in this way, but I can see the definite benefits of understanding something about this process. Like anything else, it would take me lots of time to figure out all of the inevitable glitches, but while watching a master, it seemed quite effortless.

Andrew has a very relaxed sort of energy. He told us a story about another potter, who likes his demonstrations to go perfectly. Andrew wondered why, since nothing in the studio actually unfolds in that manner. These musings were the perfect set-up for what was about to happen... At these sort of events, there are always the people who get right up front, and this workshop was no different. All the usual suspects are up front, inches away from the font of knowledge, pens poised over notebooks, book bags and purses wide open from plundering for the pen. It was at this point that Andrew offered to show the consistency of his plaster. As he hoisted the bucket up and over the table to give everyone a glimpse, something went wrong... All of the plaster flew out of the bucket, into the laps and bags of the front row people and then continued on to the empty chairs and floor. The first response was to laugh and then everyone went into action mode. In no time at all, the place was clean, though some remnants did remain on the participants. After all of the commotion, we decided to break for lunch.

During our lunch break, I was approached by Christine Weis Daughtery, who lives on the east coast too. She asked, "Where on the east coast?" I told her that I am from West Virginia, and she said, "Really, me too. Where do you live?" When I told her Charleston, she said that's where she lives. In keeping with the weird symmetry, her last name is Daughtery and my studio is on Daughtery Street...how unlikely. She lives in California during the winter and returns to the mountains for the summer and fall. We plan to have tea together once she comes back east. Small world, huh?

After the workshop ended, Diana dropped me off at glass artist, Lynne Rachel's house. I met L.R. when she moved to Huntington to work for Pilgrim Glass in the eighties. We hadn't seen each other in fourteen years. Again, I was well cared for by another great friend. During my time with her, her neighborhood had a transitional dinner, where each family hosted a different course at their house. We visited five houses, where I had the chance to get to know Lynne Rachel's neighbors. How fabulous to see inside all of those lovely Arts and Craft houses, with exquisite light fixtures and rich wood.

With Lynne Rachel, I rode street cars, walked on the beach, climbed mountains and had breathtaking views of the city and the ocean. The air was so crisp and fresh. L.R. pointed out that the air we were breathing had not been consumed by humans since leaving Japan. Makes you take a deep breath, doesn't it?

Earlier in the day, I had coffee with WV transplant potter, Barbara Edwards, who has been living in California for many years, but still thinks of herself as a West Virginian. She found my blog a while back and leaves me encouraging comments...Another fine first meeting of an internet friend and a friendship blooms...

In another stoke of good luck, my friend, Pete, who lives in Charleston, but is often on business in San Francisco, happened to be there during my visit. He took me to two fabulous restaurants, Absinthe and Aqua. When I mentioned my destination to locals, they said, "Your friend is very nice." And in fact, he is. Without his guidance, I never would have visited these fine eateries. The experience was a window into a world of culinary feats-the perfect foam surrounding the impeccably prepared fish, to say nothing of the fine wine.

After dinner, we went for drinks at Tosca, where the Rat Pack used to spend time. Nothing has been changed for the eighty years it's been in business. The bartender was quite distinguished looking in his crisp white shirt and perfectly pressed pants. The jukebox was full of opera, another first for me. Have you ever found a jukebox that offered opera? It was at Tosca that I enjoyed my first martini. Yes, I've martinis before, but notice I said enjoyed.

They were so cold and perfectly prepared-thanks Pete! After a memorable evening, Pete hailed me a taxi and I returned to L.R.'s, where I had a wee bit of sleep and then it was time to pack up and head to the airport.

Her daughter, Amalia, gave me a chocolate she had saved for me-quite a gift from her. It came in handy once I learned that my flight out of Chicago was going to be delayed for four hours. Just when I was about to melt down, I remembered the chocolate. I felt better once it had melted in my mouth. I landed at 2am and was met by a bizarre wind storm, which had been the cause for delay. I drove home, stumbled into bed, my head full of wonderful memories and the knowledge that San Francisco is full of lovely people and a great place to be.

Confessions of a Potter

2009-01-26T12:11:00.000-08:00

1) My holidays were not stress free.

2) It's been very cold and I have let the studio grow quiet.
3) Living with a teenager is not easy.
4) Sometimes I'm lazy, other times I just want to cook lots of food.
5) I get jazzed when a stranger calls up out of the blue and wants to stop by the studio.
6) I'm often surprised at which pots people want to buy.
7) It is my habit to overthink everything, which can lead to limbo land.
8) In an attempt to be more spontaneous, I am getting on a jet plane Thursday and going to San Francisco, where I will be staying
with super stars of the pottery world.
9) I hope to have lots to say in the near future.
10) My garden is calling me and small starts of basil grow in my windowsill.

Yesterday two lovely ladies came by for some tea and to purchase a present for their friend. They left the studio with several pots and have promised to be back soon. Today, I have been hard at work and feel happier.

It's A Perfect Day...

2008-12-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

Today's power shoppers were the Alten twins. Before meeting the twins, I met their mom, Helen, a potter in a former life. Helen made pots at the Archie Bray. For all you non-clay folks, the Archie Bray is where every potter hopes to spend time. It was so lovely to have a conversation with Helen. With her, I had the experience of becoming fast friends-she is just a delight.

Then came her children....Because they have been raised with handmade pots, they appreciate handmade pots. I have the distinct honor of making the holiday gift they plan to give their mom. I so enjoy knowing where my pots are going and who is using them-thanks guys! When the children of a potter buys my pots, it is doubly special to me. I will always remember them, their enthusiasm for clay and their excitement to give their mom something they know she will enjoy.

To end a very lovely day, I came home and found a package on the door step. While at the Utilitarian Clay Symposium, I bought a Kari Radasch platter. I've been patiently awaiting the end of the Symposium Show, so I could actually possess the platter, instead of just owning it. Today was the day the platter arrived. Yeah! I love my new platter and find myself in a very happy state of being.

A New Day Is Here

2008-12-01T10:31:00.000-08:00

As winter rolls in and all news seems to be bad news, it's easy to get in a funk...
However, as I watched Janet Napolitano, Hilary Clinton and Susan Rice, accept their new roles in President-Elect Obama's cabinet, I felt heartened. While none of these ladies look as if they could mount an arctic hunting expedition, they do look like capable shapers of our near and distant future. Women who have won respect and accolades for doing good, honest, hard, work over extended periods of time. Thank God and the Goddess, too!
For the next few days, I will be at the local Montessori School, selling pots to the children. I always enjoy my time with this group. Because they have been encouraged, they are naturally encouraging and always make me feel loved and special. Last year, one little girl went on a serious crying jag after learning that someone else has swooped in and bought the bowl she wanted. I have to say, it made me love that little girl and my memory of her is still strong.
Yes, children in the above photo are playing with Obama and McCain barbies. They were busy counseling their dolls to "get along" and "work together".

Not A Rock Star Everyday

2008-11-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

I often count on new things working out the first time I give them a try. Since this rarely happens, I'm not sure why I continue on with this mindset. Perhaps I am a slow learner...
I've been busy making large platters by draping slabs of clay over a plaster hump mold and then adding a coiled foot. As I was making them, it popped into my head that the narrow foot might lead to the platter slumping in the final firing. But they came out of the bisque standing proud and I thought, "Well maybe." This is where the magical thinking kicks in, the voice telling you that something is not going to work gets drowned out by the voice of optimism. I didn't completely ignore that nagging voice, and I did start making the feet wider and thicker.
Fast forward to the first glazed load of these pots. Guess what? Sure enough, the platters did slump and I ended up with a kiln load of lopsided platters. Not what I had envisioned... Have I also been making pots that I knew would work for the holidays? I don't even want to answer that question. Have I been enjoying experimenting with the new? The answer to that question is, Yes!
It's times like these that make me really appreciate Michael Kline's blog, Sawdust and Dirt. In moments of despair, I can come in, check out his blog roll and visit other potters without ever leaving home. It also clues me in that I am not the only one coming up empty handed...
Just last week, while visiting Michael's blog, I found Amy Sanders. I fired off an email to say hello, letting her know I liked her work. She then visited my blog, discovered that I had been on a recent road trip with Jen Gandee and wrote me back to say she had traveled with Jen to an NCECA. Jen's husband was Amy's ceramics professor. That brief connection with her made me feel more connected in general. There is a whole community of mad potters out there making things that are both glorious and down right wrong!
Anyway, these little breaks help me to keep things in perspective, allowing me to take a breath and get back to work, which is where I'm headed now, while chanting in my head, "There is still time, be productive."

I may not set the world on fire with my slumpy platters, but I can make a mean pepperoni roll in the pizza oven. In the end, all is well.

She Knows Who She Is

2008-10-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

I was a clay artist years before I was a wife or mother. Early on, I recognized how integral clay was to my well being and happiness. I articulated that importance to my husband before we married. I let him know that if he was looking for a wife with a high earning job, he might need to keep looking. I suppose he was up to the challenge and this past summer we celebrated our eighteenth wedding anniversary. While all these things are true, it has been far from easy and I have gotten lost along the way more than once.
My husband's schooling was long and involved. He had to work very hard, often needing for us to give him time alone for preparation and study. Because I supported his dream, I would take our small child away in an attempt to give him what he needed-often a simple thing like quiet. I, in turn, expected the same support from him and to his credit he has always urged me on, even when I felt like quitting.
I thought that mothering and art would go hand in hand seamlessly, but I was a bit naive. When my son was three, I took a five week residency eight hours from my home. Looking back on it, I can't believe I had enough guts to do it. It was hard and I missed my son terribly. At the same time, I recognized my own need for quiet moments to reflect and learn. I was hard headed and focused enough to make it happen. By the time my son was eight, I had studied abroad for an extended period of time and taken another residency in Maine. When sharing my plans with other non-artist mothers, they would pull their children in closer while shaking their heads to let me know they could never make this kind of decision. I knew that if a father where in a similar situation, it would simply be taken in stride and the wife would keep the home fires burning until his return. I didn't receive that same feeling of support from moms I'd talk to in the school yard about my need, though my absence from home was a direct result of needing more training and time in order to do my job better. After a while, this mindset started effecting me. I began doing less art and more mothering, thinking that this would lead to a well adjusted child. I don't regret how I've spent my time, but working less with clay made me unhappy on a subtle level that was even hard for me to identify. However, my son is now seventeen, can drive himself to school and makes a mean bean burrito without any help from me.
This past year, I have felt more and more like myself, that is my "old self". I now have the freedom to re-visit who I was in the before time. I am reconnecting to the energy that gave me so much happiness. Seeing the film, Who Does She Think She Is, really churned up lots of things that I had simply been repressing in order to get on with the day to day. In part, the film made me sad, revealing the tough struggle women face when trying to do two things well at the same time. It also gave me hope, for there are women out there who, against all odds, are just getting art done.
In fact, my fascination with Janis Mars Wunderlich was in part sparked by the fact that she has five children in her house, yet she manages to continue with her sculpting. This past I Friday I not only got a chance to meet her (a very charming and personable woman), but also got the chance to have a private viewing of this documentary. I knew nothing about the film and expected it to be fluffy for some reason. I was mistaken. I discovered this documentary was made by Pamela Tanner Boll, who won an Academy Award for her documentary, Born Into Brothels. I also learned that Ms. Bolls is a West Virginia native who grew up in Parkersburg. Rather than the film showing women easily going between the two worlds of artist and motherhood, it depicted women having a hell of a time trying to do both. Often the struggle ended with the artist being forced to choose between her art and her marriage. One of the husbands told his wife, "I need a wife." She responded by saying she needed one too-something that I have felt more than once. Seeing how little support these women (with the exception of Janis, who is happily married) received from their husbands gave me a deeper appreciation of how much support I have received.
While I sat in a fairly empty theatre watching this film, it was debuting to a sold out audience in NYC at the Angelika Film Center. While Ms. Bolls has tremendous talent and experience in the field of documentary making, she found that the film industry didn't find this subject matter interesting enough to release. I suppose children being born into Calutta brothels is just more fascinating than the struggle of the female artist in America. Rather than letting this lack of interest from the industry silence her film, Ms. Bolls is releasing the movie on her own. It gives me a sense of pride in her and in all struggling women who must make art...

Mars and Beyond

2008-10-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've been fascinated by the sculptures made by Janis Mars Wunderlich for years. Her sculptures feature the bodies of women, the heads of animals and lots of clinging children. The forms change, but the theme is always the same. I knew she had twins, but I've just found out that she has a total of five children. Aha, the theme makes complete sense.

Today she is at the Huntington Museum of Art, giving a three day workshop. Tonight there will be a viewing of the film, Who Does She Think She Is? , which focuses on five female artists and their struggle to be both good mothers and productive artists. Of course, Janis is one of the artists featured in the film. I am not taking part in the workshop for I am workshopped out, but I will drive over, meet the artist and check out the film...

Oompah!

2008-10-09T12:13:00.001-07:00

It's time for the 12th Annual Bramwell Oktoberfest. The hosts of the 'fest, George and Laura Sitler, are pictured here in front of the Perry House. Yes, that is a tuba you see on the porch-part of the traveling oompah band, leaderhosen and all...
The first Oktoberfest consisted of a merry gathering of 12 or so people. We loaded up Abra and Ariel's little red wagon with a small keg of home brew and set out for a walk through this lovely historic town. Twelve years later, it's grown into a full-fledged Oktoberfest. This year we expect 400 gallons of micro-brew from breweries located up and down the eastern seaboard and untold of amounts of home brew. International beer judge, Owen Ogletree will travel from Athens, Georgia, to pass judgment on the beer and to educate us on the finer points of ale. The awards I made are safely packed and ready for delivery. In short, all is well.

Recycling Day For Clay

2008-09-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

This is my clay recycling station. First, I slake down the clay in a bucket with water. Next I shove the moist, sloppy clay through a screen, pictured in the back corner of the photo. Then I scoop up the clay, place it on top of a piece of canvas and wait for the sun to do the rest. Every now and again, I go out to roll it into a log. Once enough moisture leaves the clay, it's ready to be wedged and become a lovely clay object or, if this plan fails, the clay is returned to the slurry bucket and recycled again.
Over the weekend, our new neighbor, Phil, threw a party. I ended up giving several tours of the studio, sold some pots and discussed the merits of a wood fired pizza oven with his guests. Phil says next time, he plans to take a commission...

The Maker and The Critic

2008-09-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

When studying clay at university, the professor gives out concrete assignments, such as make twenty-five teapots by next Monday. Everyone gets busy quick, cranking out lots of pots and keeping the best for the Monday critique. The class would take lots of time discussing the work, praising the good and pointing out the bad. At the end of the long discussion, the professor would bring out the trash can, trashing what was deemed a failure and keeping what was successful. While this approach is potentially painful, it was also very helpful.
Left alone in my studio with no critique deadline, it's easy to make a pot or two, judge it successful or not, and then move on to the next thing. The downside of this approach is that rather than forcing myself to work on something until it in fact works, I can say, "Oh yuck, no more of that." '
Going to the Clay Symposium worked to remind me of the far away time of class critiques. While there, I got to spend hours watching successful potters who have spent years honing their skill. Pot after pot, they have forced themselves to work out the glitches. Often the information was just so simple, yet powerful. My favorite demonstrator was Bruce Cochrane, a Canadian potter who has taught for 30 years . Here is one of the simple things I picked up from him. As he was throwing his nesting bowls, he started with the biggest and worked down to smallest. I was busy feeling stupid for not realizing the genius in this approach, when someone spoke up and said, "God I always start with the smallest and struggle to make the biggest one big enough." This comment came from one of the elite in the group, which worked to make me feel better. I was then able to accept it as a eureka moment-this is but one example of such moments.
Back home, I'm busy working on the Bramwell Awards. I allowed popular opinion to guide my design, though I wasn't so sure that the design was my favorite. However, my studio is full of these pots-a small portion of the bisqued pots are pictured above. Over the weekend, a friend from Connecticut visited. He loved the shape and texture of the award cups, and ordered 30, which he will use as his holiday gifts-sans the Bramwell stamp, of course. That order is forcing me to continue working on this shape and after I finished the 80th cup, I'm beginning to figure out how to make them. Without the impetus of more money for these shapes, I may well have abandoned them to move on to something else. Like so many things in life, I'm glad to be forced to continue working to improve my understanding of the form and am receiving a sense of accomplishment. Thanks, Henri!

Big Thumbs Up From The Universe

2008-09-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

I was just writing about how the clay community is sleepy here in my town, but change is in the air. I was on my way home the other day, when a sign caught my attention. It had images of pots on it, then I saw the word clay and supply. I immediately pulled into the parking lot and knocked on the door. The owner's, Michael and Karen Garnes, welcomed me in and showed me around. Not only will they sell clay and glaze supplies, but they are setting up a lovely teaching studio, which is full of light and lovely shades of green and blue. They are just moving back to the mountains from down south and saw the need for more things clay! There are no clay supply companies in West Virginia, and if you are a friend of mine living in a city with clay, I've probably called you up at least once to beg you to bring clay to me on your next visit. My search for clay mules is over. Yes, the only clay supply company in West Virginia will be located at the bottom of my hill. I could literally walk down there, throw a box of clay on top of my head and soldier it on home. I am still experiencing disbelief, but even as I came home from yoga class, the owner's of the new business are in there working hard. The open date is slated for October 15th! Good friend Mary says, "It's a big thumbs up from the universe. Now is your time to shine." Thanks Mary, I will do my best and I do feel buoyed by this event.

Pleasant Drive, Perfect Weather

2008-09-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

My head is full of information, images and ideas... What a treat to watch people who so intimately know how to work with clay. While in everyday life, the label potter might not garner much understanding, for a few short days I was with people who work with clay everyday and still come to learn something new from the interaction. Spending time with potters is not the norm for me, a solo clay artist in a town with a very sleepy clay community. Spending this time with people who share my need to work with clay gave me a fresh perspective, fostering a reawakening of the passion I have for clay.

This is my newly acquired Mark Shapiro tea bowl. The plate above was made by North Carolina potter, Michael Kline. The sculptures are made by one of the artist-in-residence at Arrowmont-it's life size and entirely made from clay, even the lace.

Driving in my car...

2008-09-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

This week I will be attending the Utilitarian Clay V Symposium, where seventeen nationally known ceramists will come together and share their approach to clay work through demonstrations and dialogue.
My co-pilot will be Jenn Gandee and I am very excited to get in the car and head south. It's a relatively small conference and is limited to two hundred participants. It always does me good to hear of stories from other potters-to learn of their struggles and successes, which usually leads me to the conclusion that we are all crazy. All of this unfolding in the Smoky Mountains will simply be a plus.
I'm sure I will have lots of stories and pictures to share, so stay tuned...

The Garden Behind the Studio

2008-09-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

I'm lucky enough to have a lovely vegetable garden behind my studio. Today's yield is a bountiful bowl of delicious cucumbers, peppers and onions. The onions have been drying in my out building for the past two weeks, and today I finally got around to braiding them up. It's a pleasant, meditative process and I can't wait to get my fall crop in the ground. This weekend the eggplant and serrano peppers will be ripe-chili rellenos are part of my weekend plan. I also stumbled across a pear tree in my neighbors yard. I don't know how I've missed it all these years, but a tart will be the perfect end to a weekend feast. If you are in town, give a call, stop over and enjoy some lovely food with us.

My clay work today has also had a garden component. Several years ago, as a neighbor moved, she gave me a small pot of hens and chicks. I accepted them, but wasn't really that excited by them. I left them on the front porch over the winter thinking that would kill them and I would be off the hook. I am here to tell you, hens and chicks need absolutely no care and they will still flourish. From those three small starts, I have grown a jungle of hens and chicks. I made some little pots to hold a small portion of them and today I put them in their new home.

Things go in the Studio

2008-08-29T11:11:00.001-07:00

One more layer of straw and mud have been added to the oven. So far we have had 7 pizzas, 3 calzones and 2 loaves of bread. Every baking effort is a delicious learning experience and the response from our friends is quite good. Next we will order the hydraulic lime for the exterior shell.

Every year, I am the official maker of the Bramwell Oktoberfest awards and I am busy making...For the past couple of years, I have been experimenting with handbuilding the awards. The pots pictured here are handbuilt, i.e., built using slabs of clay.

The bottom photo shows a thrown cup. It takes years to learn the art of throwing a pot... Handbuilding has a quicker learning curve. I always assume folks will go for the thrown cup, but after a weekend of friends stopping over and picking their favorite, I can tell you the handbuilt cups are the winner. Feel free to offer up your opinion-I'd love to hear from you and it's so easy to post a comment...

And a random aside... Several years ago, my dear friend Mary's mother died rather unexpectedly. It was her wish to be cremated. My friend asked for an urn-yes, I just so happened to have one on the shelf... I went through an urn phase several years ago. Anyway, over the weekend, I had an unplanned visit with my friend, Gene. His sister died a few weeks back and she too chose to be cremated. The plan was to take her ashes to the ocean, but they haven't been able to get there yet. He let me know that his sister is in an urn made by me, and is happily placed on the mantle until they can make it to the ocean. I feel very honored but it's also a bit strange. So as of today, body count=2. Wow. My mother, who loves all things macabre thinks this could be my calling...