Potters Tour Pics...

The kilns were roaring that couple weeks prior to our regional Potters' Studio Tour. It was a good thing we were firing up the kilns because it was a good weekend! I believe everybody involved was a little concerned due to our tanking economy...would people drive out from the city and neighboring small towns to visit the 7 participating studios, much less actually buy the work?! After speaking with all involved, things seemed to be good...most of us only showing a little less sales than the year before.

The images above are of the front of Nancy's house...she showed her pieces on the side porch... the back door off the porch leads out to the studio where I was set up...

The studio and kiln are located just behind the house next to the garden where only the sturdy Amaranth was still standing after our recent frosts.

I was camped out in the studio all cozy and warm with the new corn burning stove heating up the place. Luckily, I clipped some of my big Dahlias before the frost came, because more often with me, I put flowers in my pieces more than anything else...unless it is a mug...I do love my coffee!

Our neighbors on the tour were right down the street...Smicksburg Pottery...a great little retail gallery with a nice studio attached to the back, complete with big salt kiln and terraced garden. Betty Hedman is the owner and main potter there, but these days Josh Floyd is a big presence there as well...Josh lives upstairs of the gallery and works there with Betty...that's him in the picture above. Both make great pots, and there was several other local potters' work on display there also. I made a mug trade with Josh as well as Nancy this year...I had to add to my ever growing mug and cup collection!

I wish I had taken more pictures at different studios but I didn't have the luxury of visiting others while so many people were stopping by our studio...which is a good thing...so that was just a taste of the tour...if you missed it...better luck next year...and if you stopped by, well, thanks!

So until next time...cheers!

Pots and Pumpkins...

Finally...sometimes it is hard to find the time to do anything, that includes pumping out a blog post. This weekend is the big Potters' Tour for our area. It is actually pretty big this year...7 studios and 18 potters total participating...including me. I will be showing at the studio with Nancy just like last year. Its a beautiful weekend for the tour ...crisp, dry Autumn in the foothills with the leaves at their peak. Hope its a good turn out.

We fired the train for the second time and it went a little easier. I only had about 10 pieces in this load. Nancy, Cindy Rogers, and Dan Boone filled the kiln mostly so they did the long haul through the night, and I came at 7 am to finish up.

We were all pleased with the end result after we opened the kiln...Nancy's candlesticks and cups looked great...even loved the crusty birdhouse that sat in front of the ash bed.

Here's a shot of my group from the train and a shot of the train chugging along early in the mornin'.

My new decal images worked really well on a few of the new pieces...

The images are from my garden passing and some of the herbs going to seed. I have taken those flora silhouettes and mixed them with other various elements to create these small, strange, garden dream moments existing in a world of wood ash, shino glazes and pebbled surfaces from the soda.

Well, gentle reader, I am glad I could finally share this past firing and some of the work that came out of it...I will snap away at the tour this weekend and post next week...if your in the area,I hope to see ya..and if your not...well, then I guess your just not...until then...Think pumpkins!