KITCHEN FUN

while getting dinner going tonight we noticed how light played through a measuring cup and made an interesting image. the counter was cleared and the camera fetched ........

only one image was doctored other than sharpening. this counts as " other things ".

WOODFIRING

this is a picture of Michele and the N.H. Potters Guild kiln. it is designed to be fired with propane or wood. Michele and i took part in a Guild woodfiring last weekend, Nov. 3-4, one of several firings a year that include anyone from the Guild who is interested in taking part. our shift was on Sat. night from 7 p.m. until the wee hours of Sun. morning. since we live about 3 miles from the kiln location we went back and volunteered some more time Sun. afternoon. the kiln was unloaded yesterday and we all got some nice work. the firing went until 1:30 a.m. on Mon. the 5th. and reached cone 11 at least. i will get some pictures taken but in the meantime thought i would post some pictures of pots that have been fired in this kiln previously.

four mugs

ice cream mugs

bowl - about 6" diameter

triangle vase

this vase was included in the Vasefinder Nationals 2007

www.vasefinder.com

pedestal fruit compote

these pieces are still available for purchase. please inquire about prices/shipping.

jzpots@metrocast.net

603-942-7113

MORE NEW WORK

here is some more new work from the last two firings.
square bowl

two small caseroles

drinking bowl

8" serving plate - thrown with cut rim


two more coverred mugs

and a fruit bowl/compote

the wood firing is on for next week with the loading beginning mid week. Michele and i are looking forward to a night under the stars feeding wood into the firebox.

NEW WORK

it's been a while since i have posted images of new work. these pots come from the two most recent firings - in Sept. and just last Sat., Oct 20th.
first up is a drinking bowl. i've started refering to these pieces that way since watching a video of Pete Pinnell talking about cups. the glaze is a Binns rutile with some cobalt carb. and chrome oxide added. dusting with wood ash when the glaze is wet brings out the turquoise color. i'm always striving to introduce that color in my work.

if i have a signiture piece it is this covered mug. again, it is the Binns rutile glaze on white stoneware with temmoku inside and overlapping on the top part of the mug.

these are two small teapots. they are sitting on a 9" firebrick so you can get an idea of their small size. i made them to enter in a small teapot show. i think the title of the image should be

" T41x2 " tea for one x2 ...................

........... and an oval teapot. i made two of these - similar, but different proportions - also with the thought of entering them in a teapot show.

a pitcher with a glaze combination of sprayed blue ash glaze, covered with a dip in

my " wheat " glaze. with dots of orange in between. there is just a little copper in the wheat to give it the color and just a little wood ash as well. this pitcher is white stoneware and i find this combination works better on it than more iron bearing clay.

a 1.5 quart casserole. i've had this glaze for years and haven't known what to do with it. it is a fritted glaze that, originally, was teal. i took out the coloring oxides and added my own combination of cobalt and copper. the handle is dipped in Temmoku, as is the inside. and just a bit of wood ash dusted on the lid. on white stoneware. i'm happy with the way the glaze highlights the decoration which was done with a broken bit of seashell and some stamps i made just after trimming.

and a large 2 -4 quart casserole with the blue ash/wheat glaze.

.......... and another 2 - 3 quarter with my most popular glaze combination.

i have set up a PayPal account to handle online sales. please contact me if you are interested in any of these pieces.

jzpots@metrocast.net

603-942-7113

History Lesson

along the lines of the previous post ........ i'm often asked about the history of the potters wheel. where it originated and how long ago, etc.. my stock answer has been " well, it's considered the first machine ...... " and pretty much left it at that. mostly because i didn't have a better answer. Ceramics Today website has a wealth of information and i found this link recently about the history of the wheel

www.ceramicstoday.com/articles/potters_wheel.htm

now i can add a little bit more to my answer and really be a geek/nerd. after the invention of the wheel i think the second greatest invention was electricity to make the thing go 'round. i still prefer a live flame over electricity to fire the pots though ........ and along those lines i'll be getting a firing in this weekend and will have images of new work to post. didn't get any pics taken after last months firing, so some of that work will be posted as well. this will be my last firing for the year. gonna close up the studio after the holidays and not heat the place. i'm sure i'll find plenty of stuff to talk about here over the winter.

adios amoebas ~

ADJUSTMENTS . . . .

making pottery is a lot like playing baseball ....... one is constantly making adjustments. there is no really good way to throw - sitting, standing ........ like most potters i learned to throw sitting hunched over at a wheel. after a ruptured disc caused by kicking a flywheel i started to throw standing. this was great for a long time but has it's drawbacks also. keeping your foot on the pedal causes one to keep most of one's weight on the left foot and cocking your hip so your spine is out of alingment. here is my latest adjustment. i got a stool and set it at an angle, padded the seat for my butt and now throw " sitting " with my legs in a more relaxed outstretched way. it's kinda like riding a motorcycle now. and i find i can keep my back straighter and get right over the wheel head. i'm liking the new setup, but if i drop anything it's a real bother to get off and pick it up. once i'm up there i want to stay awhile. we'll see how long this feels good.
here are some pieces i'm having fun with lately. a couple cruets that were thrown and then attacked with a pony roller.




the first of a series of square dishes. i had a couple drape molds made by a woodworker friend and have gotten the idea worked out. this is the only one that has been fired so far.

and a couple things drying - an oval baking dish and a squared, cut rim serving plate. i'm bisquing and have begun another glazing cycle in preparation for a couple firings later this month

please inquire about availability and prices.

jzpots@metrocast.net

603-942-7113

NEW WORK

following is work from the two most recent firings.

porcelain cup

this piece and the next one were made for "DRINK IT IN " - a show that will be at the Worcester Craft Center in Worcester, Mass. this Fall. i have just begun to work with porcelain on a regular basis and while i don't really like throwing it the glazes look so good on it i make myself use it. i tend to work fairly small which helps





the following three pieces are teabowls made with white stoneware and glazed with a combination of sprayed slip, orange matt and sprayed blue wood ash glaze.

this next piece is a covered sauce pot and is made from porcelain and glazed with the same combination as the teabowls. it is lined with temmoku.

this is a serving plate that was thrown and the rim cut when leatherhard. it is 10" diam. and is glazed overall with a Shino type glaze, dusted with wood ash, dipped in orange matt, sprayed with blue wood ash and trailed with a wheat colored glaze and white.

the following two shots are a new glaze combination that i am very happy with and look good on functional ware. the pitcher is 9" ht. the spoon jar 10" and the covered mug 7"

and this last piece is a platter that is 16" diam. slip trailed with thick white slip when leatherhard, dipped in orange matt, sprayed with blue wood ash with more wood ash dusted on top.




please inquire about availability and prices

jzpots@metrocast.net

603-942-7113

KILNGODS

potters are a superstitious lot. there is so much that happens unseen during a firing that the idea of using a figure to watch over and bless the firing came into being long ago. some of us that fire " by the seat of our pants " still find the idea valid ......... and fun. those that fire with the aid of a computer program probobly find the idea quaint, and maybe silly. i have come to a feel for what is going on during a firing by observing the flame at the burner, the amount of backpressure that occurs when the spy hole is opened, the look of the exhaust from the chimney, etc.. you might say i need all the help i can get. i'm starting a collection of kilngods from every firing. they are quite small. the mexican looking fellow below is just several inches long.




and this cowboy - buddha is even smaller. he kept watch over the the firing before the most recent, and the mexican fellow the firing before that.



i fashion them just after bricking in the door of the kiln and they get glaze fired in the following firing. they have been good to me and i will post some images of the two most recent firings.

Demonstration

yesterday, Michele and i travelled to Center Sandwich, to the League of N.H. Craftsmen gallery there, to demonstrate for the day. in 1926, Mary Coolidge started a shop to sell handmade work and named it Sandwich Home Industries. http://www.nhcrafts.org/center-sandwich.htm in 1932, the Industries went on to become the founding member on the League of N.H. Craftsmen. Center Sandwich is in a very beautiful part of N.H.. near Squam Lake where On Golden Pond was filmed. we felt priveledged to be able to spend the day there making pots and talking with customers to the gallery. Corner House Inn http://www.cornerhouseinn.com/ a great restaurant and Inn, is right across the way from the gallery. yesterday was our second trip to Ctr. Sandwich - we delivered pots to the gallery earlier in the month - and has become our favorite spot to visit. i have already talked with the gallery about coming back next year to do another demonstration and teach a class.

and speaking of demonstrations, we are scheduled to demonstrate at the League gallery in Meredith, N.H. next month and also at the League gallery in Littleton in Sept..

there have been two firings since i posted shots of new work and i will get some of that work photographed and on here soon.

enjoy the summer ~

Glazing

On Sat. I was talking about glazing. Here are some pictures of where that stands. The first shot is of my spray booth made from cardboard, duct tape and some nifty plastic fasteners that aren't visible. i spray a thin coating of slip on the bottom portion of pots that gives the clay some richness. It really is adding another " skin " of clay. You can see that in some of the shots. Also, that eliminates the need to wax the bottom of pots. I don't care for wax lines - they're too sharp. I've been spraying glaze more often as well as it allows for subtle layering and gradation. My spray gun gives general coverage and it might be fun to get an air pen at some point for spraying finer lines. This firing will include glaze tests using white stoneware and porcelain with the sprayed slip and some new glazes and combinations of glazes I've been using for some time. Also I want to mix up a concoction of soda ash, baking soda and salt to spray on top of glazed pots to see if it will approximate a salt/soda look. i was given some silica sand that was wedged into some porcelain and it looks great in a wood firing incorporating an addition of salt/soda. My aim is to see if that can be done in a regular gas firing. It could work ........