Joe Owen

Mark and I moved to Seagrove in 1976 to live on what was my grandfather's farm. When we moved here there were only about 6 operating pottery shops and Joe Owen was one of them.
When we first started making pots Joe showed up one day at the shop we were working out of. He pulled out a pocket knife and went around tapping all the pottery to see if they had a good ring to them. They did- he asked Mark how old he was when he started learning to make pots. Mark told him 27- Joe just shook his head and said, "Too Old, Too Old."
Joe made the most wonderful Rebbecca Pitchers and Strawberry Jars. Many times I have seen them in homes of our neighbors. They are very handsome shapes and warm glazes.
Joe did not like the limelight and as he grew older preferred not to even draw attention to himself. He was still living when we opened our shop in 1982, but did not even have a sign out. He was still making pots at that time, but preferred to sell them inexpensively to the neighbors. A nice bowl might sell for 5.00 a good size Rebbecca pitcher maybe 25.00-

From the show at the NCPC:
Joseph Owen (1910-1986)The youngest of Rufus' talented sons, Joe Owen was barely 12, when Jugtown Pottery opened in Seagrove. His generation was one of the first to grow up assuming that pottery production required artistic innovations to appeal to a changing customer base. Joe Owen operated Glenn Art Pottery from 1948 until 1968, as a largely wholesale business. Joe successfully turned large ware such as porch vases and Rebecca pitchers. He enjoyed experimenting with glazes. In 1968 he opened his own shop, Joe Owen Pottery, in Seagrove

Work with me....

To go along with the small jars I make a two cup teapot and tray.
Yesterday Mark put shelves up in the new area for the slab roller. I hope to start on some trays soon- and teapots.

We have used several photographers to shoot our work. I am quite fond of one and not real keen on this one- his shots for us are always too dark for me. It makes the pots look--- a bit washed out and flat. we are working on shooting some of our own, which are okay for the blog, but do they cross over when sending them off elsewhere? Sometimes yes- but many times no.
We have found when having professional photographs shot it has been worth the money and time. They are there when you do need them, but you should have current work shot yearly- there lies the problem of time and money.

We really need to find the time to take a class and figure out how better to take shots of our own work.

I'll put that on my "to do list" right next to getting the taxes done.

Jars

One of my favorite items to make are jars. They are also one of my favorite items to use. For me they hold lots of possibilities. You can "put things in them", that is useful to me.
These little guys stand under 4" and were made with salt in mind. My daughter asked me to make something for a gift which could hold salt- I came up with these and have been making them ever since.
They will also hold, lose change, jewelery, sugar, and whatever your imagination wants to put in them.
I have made some for the next kiln load, but I really like the little matt yellow one in this picture.......not that I don't like the iron red one as well- we'll it's like your kids- you love them both!

Another one bites the dust-

We enjoyed some company Sunday night through Monday morning.
My daughter's friends stopped in for a nice visit. We enjoyed having them and I took Monday morning to run them around to some of the potteries.
We had a nice stop in with Michael and Mary at From the ground up. Michael took the time to give our company a tour of his work area and show them how he makes the large patters. He also showed us his wonderful stamps he uses for the trees.
We then went to O'Quinn a quick in and out there.
I then pulled into Bobbie Thompson's Pottery knocked on the door of her work area and found her and two of the other potter's taking a Monday off to play with unrelated clay art, they were making paper- fun to play in January. Sucess a pot was bought and happliy taken home.
Smith Pottery- nice new gallery and pots- but again just looking.
Then over to Ray Pottery for a quick in and out there-
Then back here in time to pack them off for their trip home.
They wanted to stop in Asheboro for lunch and so we called the two places I recomended and they were both closed. There were other potteries I had wanted to take them as well- but they were closed as well. I laughed and told them that NC is closed on Mondays. I hope they found some food for the trip home!
Thanks for stopping in and we will enjoy the beer steins you brought to us!

So I am working on a piece which will need casting. I am playing with the size and thickness now- I left wet clay last night and hope today it has set up enough to carve.

This will become a gift for the guest at our son's upcoming wedding in May.
Since I thought I would have this done in January and be in the making stage- I had better get cracking on this!
But first- a trip to see the dentist....
M

Sunday night-

Sunday

Words from the funny pages of past- to be continued.

Tom Gray

For all of you who have gotten to know Tom Gray through his blog- send thoughts his way.
Tom had a heart attack this afternoon and is in Randolph Hospital in Asheboro, NC.
Our thoughts and payers are with him.
M&M

Thwack

Thwack
Whirl
Thwack
Whirl
Thwack
Whirl
Thwack
The sounds coming from the studio are beginning to sound normal- Thwack *^&*%%$%#- dump-%&&$^%^######!!!!!!!
Thwack
Whirl
We are making pots, which I will post later-
Jars, lamps, vases, plates, bottles...
Thwack-Whirl.

getting back to business

As the government finds its way with getting back to work today, we are trying to do the same.

We are both trying to find the rhythm in what we are doing.

We set aside making pots to finish building and set up the new studio. We are bumping around in the rebuilt studio and already feeling at home and yet not quite at home.

I was stamping and carving some pots yesterday and misplacing tools- now that is familiar- and trying to regain some of the thoughts on how and what tools I use to do this- and oh yea- where is that stamp.

I think we both like the new space. We have made more room and it it not cluttered, yet.

We still need to set up the backroom for handbuilding. Put up shelves and all- but we will get to that soon.

We still have to set up the bisque/glaze room, but decided to throw a kiln load of pots first. And- set it up as we bisque pots.

Like I have said," the devil is in the details." But- making pots here, just yards away from the house, back on the farm- feels pretty darn good.

Wishin’’ and hopin’’ and thinkin’’ and prayin’’

What can I say- I am a child of the sixties and I keep thinking in song.
We did not watch all of the inaugural, but we came in the house in time to catch the wonderful music being played by some of the top classical musicians of our time. John Williams, composed and arranged with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet). It was a real moment for both of us. I thought this what we as a people can have- hope- dreams and a bit of class. It was a class act- beautiful.
Then we watched as Barack Obama became president.

As Tom Starland said in his blog today:
President Barack Obama -The day the Earth Stood Still
"At noon today, that’s pretty much what will happen all over the world. I know Linda and I will be stopping what we’re doing to sit and watch this new era begin. I can’t imagine why anyone won’t be doing the same."

As we all know this is the start of a new journey. I am realistic enough to know it will not be easy. There is much hard work to be done, but I have more hope then I have had in 8 years.

We have been in business for 26 years. During that time the past 8 have been the hardest and the past three a real struggle. I don't think the struggle is over. I do hope we, the people, can bring a sense of security back to all of us, the American people.

I am old enough to remember JFK and the excitement of my parents when he was elected. I felt that again today.

Peace be with us.

M

our gallery out in the snow---

another view of our work buildings.

Today- a day for change

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the inaugural is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Bring it on! Bring it on! Bring it on!

It doesn't show signs of Pausing,
And I've bought some champagne for popping,
The lights are turned way up high,
Bring it on! Bring it on! Bring it on!

When we finally cheer the day,
How I'll love going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold us all tight,
All the way home we'll be warm.

The fire is quickly burning,
And, my dear,
yes,we're still changing,
But as long as you love us all,
Bring it on! Bring it on! Bring it on!

Display shelves for local potters

When you visit the North Carolina Pottery Center you will find an area which was set aside to display an example of the local potter's work.
This service is free to anyone considered in our local area.
It gives the visitors to Seagrove a chance to view the work and choose who they would like to go out and visit.
You can see the wide variety and range of pots made in Seagrove.
Admission to the NCPC is 2.00, a bargain in this times don't you think?
You get to tour the historical exhibitions, the current exhibitions and pick up maps and information, along with seeing the displays here.


How much does a cup of Joe cost these days? The money from admission goes to keep the lights on and the doors open.
If you are in NC come see us all- the potters, and the center- worth the price of admission.

The Owen/Owens Reception

The reception for the Owen/Owens show was a great success bringing out about 200 people to the North Caroilna Pottery Center.
The family not only has a long tradition in making pottery- many are musicians as well. The afternoon felt like a family reunion with food, fun and music.
I'll have to get back for more pictures of pottery later in the week.
I hope if you are in the area you will stop in to see the show.

Saturday- a reason to come out in the cold

Getting back to what we do

The potter wheels were spinning at Whynot yesterday and it felt good.

We made list for orders and warmed up making pots in the new space.

It felt better then anywhere we have worked the past 6 months.

So- bring on the warm water, turn up the heat, put some music on the radio and let's get back to what we do.

Cold

What else is there to say except it is cold.
The studio is set up and ready to go and it is cold-
We plan to go out there and try a spin on a wheel today!
Meanwhile I saw this on Paul the Potters Bolg and it gave me a chuckle-
I, like Paul, don't know how to put the video up so maybe one day I will learn but not today-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6CQouI-OMA

PS- I would rather watch Dr. Who episodes and keep warm then make pots today- what does that say about this weather and my state of mind.

The photo was taken last year when we were in Blowing Rock NC at about this same time of year. We were lucky enough to be snowed in and we loved it! We usually go up there in January- I don't know if we will get there this month- maybe February?

Fa La La la la lada de da

Bear with me while I sing Mark's praises for putting up not only the laundry room lights, but kitchen lights as well.

Really if you know me you know I can't carry a tune in a bucket- but- I have lights in the kitchen.

And- I did help. In fact he walked me through the whole thing- I wonder who gets to put up the next lights we need.

Let's see- smooth wire gets black and the one with the bump gets white- twist ground wire to nut clockwise?

Oh, and there was something about cutting off the electricity first..............

Hip hip hooray!

2009-coming soon

I awoke yesterday morning at 4:17 and could not go back to sleep. I thought about the whole transition from that July night until now.
It was at times a whirl wind and a blur.
When something like fire or any other major event jumps into your life how do you handle it?
I think most people deal with it.
I can remember seeing folks on TV shuffling through what use to be their house and most saying- "we'll come back from this."
Which is what Mark said that night after the last fire truck rolled away.
He looked at me hard and said, " we will come back from this- it will be okay."
A rock he was then and for me now during this whole transition.
A lifeline.

I thought about our friends who came and stood with me while it burned- thanks Dan and Jim.
They had to park down in the barn yard and walk through the fire trucks and firemen ( people) to get to me. A lifeline- they stood with me and watched it burn. I needed that.
I remember seeing the Volunteer Firemen and women and recognizing a lot of faces. These are my neighbors.
I need to send a thank you their way- this I have not done, yet.

I thought of all the folks who came and brought food or words of comfort- what can we do? Just call.
And many times we did - even if it was just to move a few things.

I thought of our kids and friends - how they took time from their own lives to be here for us. Carry out the debris of the studio- covered in sweat and blackened by soot.
Our daughter who could sit down and put all my jumbled mess on the computer in beautiful spread sheets.

I thought of all the folks at Starworks who took us in, gave us a soft and safe place to be while we figured out how to work through this.
I thought about the support I was giving over this Blog by folks that don't know us personally , but read my ups and downs and cheered us on.

This has truly been a journey.
I don't know if I have thanked people enough- I have tried- but at times there are no words to express the generosity of others.
Thanks- we did it, but we did it with the love and support of many people and for that we are grateful.

Last night I slept-Because as much as we lost we gained back much more.

My hope for 2009 is that my future post are about pots, life and the good things happening in and around Seagrove and Whynot.
I wish a speedy recovery for the Luther's who have also had a Studio fire and one of the teller at the bank who lost her home to fire last fall and is living in a travel trailer with her husband and two kids-

For Mark and I 2009 starts with the first ball of clay on the wheel- I feel it coming.
M

Quick tour-setting up work space

Hello Old Friend

Hello old friend- the pugmill is hooked up and ready for some action.
We moved it away from the wall where it had been before rebuilding the studio and gave it a new place in the room. We added a 4 foot shop light - which we did not have before- as you get older you need all the extra light you can get! Looks great with the "curried rice " paint. In fact it looks like it is hungry for a bite of clay.

Mark was having a hard time setting up his space, because he has not had time to build a mudbox for his stand up wheel. He did rebuild mine back in October. We started talking about the best way to use the space around his wheel and remembered we had saved the counter top from the bar in our old kitchen. We pulled it out and then went looking for the old bar as well.
It was in the old utility room- just hanging out- waiting for the right place to be.
With a little adjusting and some cleaning- we set it up as a counter/work space for him. He was very happy with the results. Now on to some shelves.
I must add that was all my food storage space in the old kitchen- pretty small- I don't miss it.

Just jump we'll catch you

Being a person who needs to think things through can be a real issue at times.
We could do it "this way." Or we could do it"this way."
Or better yet if we took a rocket ship to the moon and found the right tools and materials we could do it"this way."
Now what I need is a one track mind- not one trick silly - one track. Then I would think, " this is the only way to do this and it is perfect!"
So me and my OCD's are heading back out to finish working on this floor plan.
I am sure there is a trip to Lowe's in there somewhere.
I was there yesterday and spent more money then I have seen walk in the door all month.
Thank Goodness for insurance.
If you don't have it- get it.
Otherwise we would not even have these options.
And- NO, I am not getting a kick back from the companies for telling you to do this.
So- Pots are just a dream away- keep moving on the plan.
If it seems I am talking to myself I think I need to-

The Devil is in the details

It is slow going here setting up three rooms of "stuff" and making changes.
We have decided to use Cynthia's word for the year, which is focus.
We are going to finish setting up the wet room first. We both have our wheels where we think we want them for now.
Now we are figuring out what we want beside and near and around them. We will go back to the slab room and the glaze room later.
We need to get on some orders and get some pots made.
So the goal is again Monday!
Finish what we have in hand.
FOCUS
Come monday, it’ll be all right
Come monday, I’ll be holdin’ you tight
I spent four lonely days in a brown l. a. haze
And I just want you back by my side

or

Barry Manilow Come Monday lyrics
In 3B it's Diane
and she's makin' a plan she says
I'm gonna change my hair
it just don't fit my face anymore
I'm gettin' out of here
I just don't like this place
anymore tired of all the stallin'
this time it's for good
come monday
come monday my life starts again
my new point of view is beginning
come monday that one day my ship's comin' in
and this time I'm ready to roll!
come monday
come monday n
ow here's Ken in 5N
and he swears once again he says
I'm gonna lose the weight
gonna get in to my clothes again
I'm gonna graduate
I'm gonna be the one
who knows again no more lame excuses
then it's understood!
come monday
come monday my life starts again
my new point of view is beginning
come monday
that one day my ship's comin' in
and this time I'm ready to roll!
come monday
come monday
come monday
come this monday
hey Bob, I'm changin' my job!
hey men, I'm making a plan!
yeah slim,I'm joinin a gym!
and this time I'm ready to roll!
come monday
come monday my life starts again
my new point of view is beginning
come monday
that one day my ship's comin' in
and this time I'm ready to roll!
come monday
come monday
come this monday
come this monday

6 months- 6 months and we are moving in

Just a reminder of what we looked like on July 9th the day after the fire

And now-

Picked up pug mill and most of what is left in space at Star.

Arranging space here-

Pictures soon-

time to clock in and floor plan

We are shuffling the stuff. Now it is time to get serious about where it is all going. As you can see the mix room is filling up fast. It holds glaze materials, lamp parts, tools packing materials.... and sometimes just the where does this go item.

If we had made no changes in our work room there would be no thought in this process, but we made changes. When you have a fire you lose things and you need to make changes in order to keep from dwelling on what happened and move on.
This week will make the 6 month mark for us. We hope to end this week back in place and ready to work.
Well- as you can see we still have a lot of figuring to do about what is going where.
We have decided on the slab roller-
Now wheels.
I was on the left side and Mark on the right.
We are switching sides. We both have two wheels to set up, shelves, counter tops and table....
Bring in pugmill,
Back to the baby steps and back to Lowe's Hardware.
What's the theme song from Cheers:
Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows Your name.
I wonder if I can get a beer there?

Hey Michael Kline a poem about your wheel- she misses you!

Winter wanes as a lone wheel stands in a white room
Quietly and silently waiting-
While the owner frets away the hours
Hammer and nails the tools of choice
Waiting the lone wheel sighs
Gazing softly through the window at the nights sky
Waiting for the man to come back to caress and whisper in the night
Soon he calls
Promises she moans
As she waits

Lights and bread-

Today was one of the good days- we finished the trim on the windows.
We cleaned out the back room and brought the slab roller home and set it up.
We finished the lights in the laundry room. ( thanks Anna- we used our Lowe's gift cards to buy the lights)
And we put two lights above the sink in the kitchen.
I might show you those later.
Back a few years ago I decided to finally build a real kitchen on the house.
We live in a house built in 1959 as a "guest" home for my grandparents. It was built as a one bedroom with an open floor plan. Downstairs a bed and bath living room/kitchen and porch.
Well- after my grandfather moved in he never built the "other" house my grandmother wanted. The one with the large county kitchen.
So as we were growing up we spent all our summers here on the farm.
My grandfather added on to the house putting two bedroom, a bath and a 1/2 basement in.
We have spent the better part of our lives here making it into a house.
As Mark would tell you, it seems to have been a house built by a "committee." We have found many strange things about the building of the house. Such as molding which goes through the closets- sheet rock which was never taped or muddied- and don't get me started on the tiny bathrooms and oil base paint-
Anyway, we built a kitchen on to the house.
Our plan this summer was to finish most of the unfinished kitchen.
Not a big list, but one we had to put off due to the studio fire.
So hanging some lights this week made us both cheery.

I keep walking around the studio today saying, "are you sure we are done?" "Is there something we have forgotten to do?"
"Can we really move back tomorrow?"
Pinch me I'm dreaming!

Baking bread, trim and putting up lights

We ran out of trim yesterday- I had to sand and paint more and it needed to dry.

So - make a sponge for bread and talk Mark into "helping" me put up lights in the house.

If you know me you know I am the helper.....

When we went to put the lights up we found the hole in the ceiling was bigger then the cuppy thing which goes over the hole- now it's Sunday afternoon and Lowe's is an hour trip if not more, the hardware is not open and I am thinking- what now. Mark does the old ah- ha and goes and gets one of the many junk Cd's they send in the mail. With some holes cut for the wires we fit this over the hole and place the cuppy thing up against that and - no hole and it looks just fine. What do you do with the ones you get in the mail?

A bride and putting things in place

Many years ago now a young man showed up at the pottery and said I want to make pots. I handed him a ball of clay and said okay throw me a pot. He did. I said we are putting a roof on the house how about helping with the roof and we will talk about you working here. He was not ready to make pots but he loaded and unloaded kilns, mixed glaze, waxed and glazed pots and did any thing else we needed. He went on to make pots and is now a traveling potter. He throws for shops here and in the mountains.
Last year he brought this beautiful, smart, funny and kind women he had meet in Italy here to met us. It was the week after our fire. We were barely functioning, but we knew she was special. She spent six weeks here in NC and while they stayed here some they also went to the mountains and the coast. He was in love with her, but so were we. They came and picked blueberries sat and talked with us. Made us laugh when we thought we couldn't. When she was going home I knew we would miss her.
Don't let her go I thought----
Well- I saw him in November and I asked how it was going. He said I am heading there in December- we are getting married!
I want to tell you, sometimes the good guys win!
I see for them a long and happy marriage- Love and laughter go hand in hand.
We had an invite to the wedding--- wish we could have been there.




We are done in the mix room- happy dance here.
These shots were taken before we loaded it all in. But Mark built a bench down one wall and everything else is on shelves for storage.
I find myself just walking in and looking at this room. One down and we are moving along. Of course we won't be in the other room tomorrow.
But this week I think we could do it!

Fits and starts and baking bread

Mark just sent me the funny from above. After 2008 we thought we might get a "get out of jail free" card for 2009. I don't think it works that way.

So far for 2009: I lost my keys and a wallet at Lowe's Hardware- good thing was they were turned into lost and found and everything was there.

I glued a round of tiles and the glue did not hold. We figured I must have let the glue freeze or get too cold sitting out on the porch before Christmas- I was going to post on how I do this, but I will wait until I get new glue. I spent last night pulling off the backs I had glued on and scraping away the glue. The good thing was- the tiles were not hung and did not fall off the walls.

I know there are good things going on - I just have a short fuse for the minor things right now.

You get a bit tense after 6 months of not having your space and thinking when will this be over?

But- it has only been 6 months and yesterday we, Mark, hung shop lights and finished putting in the shelving in the redone mix room. We then hung 3 ceiling fans. I am the helper- I put things together, hand tools and hold things.

Then in the afternoon I baked bread.

I stopped to see Tom Gray the other day and had a great chat with him about baking bread.

Between him and my son they have convinced me to throw out some of my "dated" ideas on bread and give these new ones a go.

Oh, my- I am sold. Tom lent me a copy of his book on Artisan breads which I have been reading along with the Bread Bible. So I set to work on an experiment.

I used water, yeast, salt bread flour and wheat flour to make a "sponge" which I set out to rise in a plastic container for about 3 hours. And rise it did- all the way to the top. I folded it down and put it into the refrigerator for the night. The next morning I pulled out a chunk of sticky dough and shaped it into a ball, covered and gave it two hours to rise.

I had preheated the oven to 450 degrees with a pan on the lowest rack.

Well, I knew I needed to water bath so I put water on to boil.

I must have put about 5 cups of water in the pan- because I did not go back and reread the amount to use.

Put the bread in , which I had in a shallow pan.

There was steam pouring out of the oven, which worried Mark. I thought- maybe I had better check the amount- Oh, 1cup water.....

The bread came out with a beautiful golden top, but a tad under done on the bottom.

Note: use different pan.

BUT- the taste was absolutely wonderful.

Moist and Chewy- we sliced it after it cooled and ate 1/2 on the spot.

Yesterday's bread was baked on the bottom of my cast iron skillet with less water.

I use a muffin tin filled with water.

It did not get the same chewy golden top but the inside or "crumb" was again moist and chewy.

Mark, who has been with me since the earth cooled and has eaten a lot of home baked bread in our time together, was ecstatic over the bread. He eats bread several times a day. I have been trying not to eat bread too often. It loves to cling to my thighs. But- yesterday after cutting the bread I thought- what can I give up to eat this bread? Salad maybe?

We had bread and brie for lunch it was tasty!

Time to start another batch.

Thanks Tom- I'll get your book back to you.