red S C U L P T U R E

The river of my creative life winds along. OK, so I went back up the mountain to Penland for the 4th of July and some unknown wierdness forced me to buy 3 more boxes of the RED clay? It was cheap after all. Back in the studio at home, glazing beckons. But, I'll be glazing for good ole tried and true high fire reduction, no WOOD no SALT, no romance, no inspiration. SHIT, what can i do so that the procrastination is less obvious. I think to myself, lots of people handbuild with earthenware, maybe I'll play with a bit while I'm teaching a lesson with someone who is working with the red mess anyway, no real commitment. Much to my astonishment this odd craggy and gritty clay is amazingly forgiving and plastic and healing and workable, not at all the properties I expected. From there I began to make a seed pod like form which morphed into a rattle (utilitarianism rarely escapes me). So, next I decide I'll offer a rattle making workshop, mind you I've never offered a workshop in my studio and have made ONE rattle at this point!!!! Since I offered the workshop I decided to explore and work out some of the kinks and technical issues with these forms, I made 10 the next day. They are hollowed forms, some thrown, some scooped out, some slab built. This R E D clay and it's amazing workability is enticing me, it was hard sell, I was downright obnoxious with my disdain for it at Penland earlier this summer. Then I begin to realize that I have been lulled and cajoled into S C U L P T U R E. Although I have a skilled hand in the clay, S CU L P T U R E is for artists, not craftspeople. It's scary how much I love these pieces and MY WORK these days.

Knocked about by the W O O D

I'm in trouble, I was in much better shape before being bitten by the W O O D bug. I'm lost. How does one integrate all of the lovely surface, warmth and variability of atmospheric firing into good old gas reduction with all it's sheen and consistency? All of my glazes are now (UN) magically deliciously way too S H I N E Y! What's a girl to do? I guess I can play with the shino's some to afford some kind of consistent variability.
On the positive, the throwing is going splendidly, the treadle taught me a lot. Slow throwing for me, keeps me in very close rapport with the nuance of the clay, it's all more intentional, less wandering around hoping for something. The pots are going where I want them to go.
I'm two thirds of the way towards firing the big kiln. You know the one with the hairdryers for burners and a kiln shelf picnic table under the damper to trick the fire back down into the lovely O L D Alpine updraft with the blown out spy holes and the two layer soft brick door!!! Potters, we are a "make do", haggard bunch. Wonder what wood happen if I threw in a stick or a burrito of salt or something? Guess I'll scrape some shelves!

Red M U D City

Somehow a box of red clay came home with me off the mountain. I worked with a student with it today. He loves it's rough and craggy darkness. I'm not a fan, or I have very little experience with this material....I could be a fan (in some other lifetime). It was fun to teach someone new to throwing with this material. It really behaves much more passively than does porcelain. This clay is open, it sounds hollow to me, and feels that way to. It is easily manipulated. This batch was S O F T as well. Setting it out overnight in a horse shoe wouldn't dry it enough. It is beautiful and charming somehow to work with. I'm much less tolerant of it's slip left coating too many things in the studio. White slip encrusted on everything,OK ,red slip, gotta go! Why is that I wonder. Dirt's dirt. It doesn't matter what color it is!

Penland Summer 09

This is my 10th summer at Penland. Once again it was home and challenging and crazy serious fun. Ron Meyers and Chuck Hindes were delightful clay rock stars. (Look close at the photo, They are both cracking up. It was fun to watch! :o))
I feel privileged to have been a participant of this class. We looked at a lot and I enjoyed all of the variety. It felt a bit nuts to be thinking about "Loosening up", hand building, treadle wheel, throwing off the hump, low fire, high fire, and the wood, soda and salt kilns. There sure was some bang for the buck going on. As one would expect, all got crunchy at the end but everything worked out. My pots were hard for me to look at still warm, as is usually the case. I have the sense to know to NOT make a judgment. I hastily boxed them and drove off the mountain in tears. With some wine, and Josh Floyd's comment, "get the pots out of the studio to truly be able to see them", I found a few winners. Thanks Josh. I learned a little bit more about who I am and who I am not as a "clay artist", really I'm a potter and the tears flow again.

WOOD

I come home from a glorious week in Anguilla to find a great big box of
P O T S from Stonepool pottery. My expectations were low. These were process pots.....treadle wheel for the first time, made quickly and slipped in an unfocused frustrated rush, not nearly picky enough for my glazing agony. Much to my surprise. I L O V E these pots!! They are rough and brown and Glaze and salt kissed by a Master of the fire. Thanks Mark.
Technically, I threw off the hump and not one "S" crack, evidence of the slow throw is showing and I like it. My haphazard halfhearted slip and oxide brush work has merit, aided greatly by the fire.
These pots are warm and friendly and best of all I N S P I R I N G.

J O Y

It's the point of living.
Life feels right when I have my J O Y on.
There is no dispute,
so smile and find your joy.

I made little tiny letter stamps J O Y to remind me.
Sometimes I loose sight or have forgotten.
So I'll stamp this seed in my pots for me and YOU.
Bon

B E L L Bottom Bowls

Thanks Mark (Shapiro), Now I have to rethink how I make the primary pottery object. But, your right, at least if I'm going to make B E L L bottom bowls there shall be intention about it. I think I was just taking what I got. I do much prefer bowls with less of a B E L L, more angular and appearing lifted vs. sagging.
I'll say the less sagging at this point in my life the better.
I am jonesing for a T R E A D L E .......hard.
:o}
~B~