Spring without sunshine

As I was walking across the yard after lunch today it was spitting rain and there was a smell in the air to the rain.
Took me a minute to realize that it smelled like spring.
I was smelling it every time I walked outside today.
Spring- it smells like spring, earthy and lusty and full of promise.
Promise of all those things that come after a long winter.
promise of better things ahead.
Inhale deeply and let it hit the nose and go through the bones and down to the soul, spring.

Today I discovered that when I am working on the wheel my brother Jay seems to pop into my head. Maybe because we would talk about thrown pots.
I had several questions for him today so it was nice to have him with me.
It made me realize that he will always be with me, like a little bird on my shoulder, when I am on the wheel.
And, I realized that Lee seems more with me when I am working on tiles and glazing tiles.
This can not be a bad thing to have them perched inside my soul while I am working.
I just hope they don't want to give me too much advice since I can be a bit hard headed.

Spring- seems like the past month has moved past me so very quickly.
I have many things to accomplish and not all the hours I need to get them done, such is life.
Then again I look at fired pots and pots being made and I know we will work it all out if not at the fast pace we use to at a slower and steady pace.

Spring will soon turn into summer.
But meanwhile I will take some time to notice all the different shades of green that are appearing around me.
When I look out the studio window I can catch the color of the  Japanese red maple against the green of another tree just behind it.
There is no way to get a picture of just what I see but the combination of the two colors is just food for the soul and eye. It makes me smile on this cold wet day.
Spring- go get some it's out there.

March Firing 2011

YES! This firing went so much better then the first two.
We were very pleased with the firing time and the glaze results.

The day after the fire I was able to take a look and see the Iron red glaze through the peep holes.
I was happy with what I could see.

Last night Mark opened the top bricks of the door for some more looks.

 Then this morning it was take the whole door down:

We had 1 teapot with the lid glazed down and 1 pot where there was a dry spot.
But overall the whole kiln worked so much better from the taller shelf at the bottom to how most of the glazes fired.
The Satin matte glaze was hot enough to go more clear with a blue cast to the color.
The blue ash glaze was hot and lost a bit of the texture you see in the glaze but very doable in color and melt.
The Spodumene glaze went very green and lost some of the toasty orange color that I really love, but again I like it.
It made me think about how we chase color or chase a color like that is the only thing we should expect from the glaze.
We tend to ask a lot from all the elements;the clay, the glaze and the fire and not give in to what the kiln gives us.
What I think we  both want from this kiln is more of the unexpected and less of the expected.
Now to see if there is a buying audience to go along with what we get from the elements all added together.

 This Teapot was the one with the lid glazed down.
We will try to get the lid off but it might not happen.

One last note:
Why fire some of the pots again?
Here are the ones from firing two that were put back through the flame:

The two tumblers right and left looked like the one in the middle back.
The ash glaze is melted but not that interesting and not as warm.
The iron red is muddy and just kind of blah.
Now look at how the iron red's color comes out, the wood ash comes into its on and hits that bottom glaze and gives us those wonderful black runs.
It's that place where why settle when you know there is better?

Now- pop back over to the last post to see these mugs before- and now after.
The pots are sanded, priced and going over to the store for sale.
We are getting ready for our spring kiln opening and it will be nice to have some of these new pots on the shelves.
Cheers from a rainy ,cold, no snow day here in NC.
M

It's not me its you

We dumped the burners we used the last firing and went back to the ones we used for the first firing.

Having these in place seem to help all around.
We went out around 5:30 to light the burners and had the kiln on around 5:50am.
It went right up and was heating very quickly and we just let her go.
I stayed with Mark early on and true to my nature wandered away to do other things.
I will have to get a grip on my focus to fire the kiln alone.
I checked back in with him now and again and was surprised when he said we are going to do reduction soon.
Really!??
This was just after noon- maybe noon-thirty.
We reduced the kiln and figured about 3 more hours.
We were done at 3pm.
Fingerscrossed and we are waiting for cool down.
UNDER 10 hours.
Now this is more like it.
She is definitely up for a new and better name.

I am loving this flower- she is opening new buds every few days.
A beauty.

back in the fire

Yesterday we loaded up the small gas kiln.
( name is being with held to protect the innocent)

Some of the items I put back in the kiln were some of the pieces from the last load that either did not get hot enough or were just too muddy looking.
Like these mugs:

We decided to bump the bottom shelf up to 8 inches and see if that will help mature all the pots across the bottom shelf. Its funny working out the ends and outs of this new kiln.
Hot spots, cold spots.
We also are going to change out the back burner in hopes that another one will burn cleaner.
We also want to move the firing time up and bump up the heat at a faster rate.
It would be great to get this down to a 8-12 hour firing.
Is this asking too much?
I know when we fire the cone 6 in the electric kiln we are doing that in about 8 hours.
I know,  I know different glazes, differnt kiln and all that jazz but I really think we can shorten the fire from 16 hours.
For a baby kiln that seems a bit long.
Today is calling for gusty winds so we are waiting until Friday to light things up.
Today- time to clean up and get ready to throw more pots.

Here is a little spring coming out- the Japanese Red Maple in the front yard.

The moon this morning-interesting...

Thinking about Spring events

As quick as March came into my life I have a feeling that April will be close behind.
I think April will not be put off and come barreling in in full force.
I want to clue you in on what we have happening here on the Farm for April.
We are going to have our Mud and Suds in the Yard.
We started this last year and loved it enough to have it again this year.
This year back again is Anne Raven Jorgensen from Raven Pottery.
Anne and I go way back.
We met when she was a pottery student at the local community college.
She was holding down the home front while her husband was off in Korea.
She would later move to the area with her family and become a potter in the Seagrove area.
The older girls have gone off on their own, but with one more in the nest they family moved about 45 minutes outside of seagrove.
Anne still makes pottery, but has taken a detour into Jewelry making.
She will be bringing both with her to the event.
Come and see what is new with Anne.

The other Mud person will be Laura Weant Johnson of Snowhill Tileworks  whose studio can be found at 220 S. Churton St. Hillsborough NC
Laura will be featuring handmade ceramic tile and porcelain jewelry.

I meet Laura when she was making tiles here in Seagrove and if you don't know I have a big crush on her son Judson.
He is one of those boys that steals your heart, plus I knew him even before he was born.
So we go way back!
Laura will be bringing a nice selection of tiles and her Jewelry.
Better get here early.


And where would we be without the suds?
Coming again will be Laurie Abela.
I stole this right off her blog!
I'm a soapmaker, massage therapist, and gardener, with a history in cardiac nursing. Living a simple, green lifestyle is my passion, and something I continue to learn about. The gardens here grow food, flowers & herbs, some of which I use in my soaps. 
Laurie has such a soothing personality and does a good job of keeping my feet on the ground.
Then there are her yummy products.
She made me the best rice bundle.
I can't call it a sock because it is bigger then a sock.
I put it in the microwave for 2 minutes and use it for my sore muscles or better yet I toss that baby in the bed before I get in and warm my icicle toes with it.
Me and the rice bundle are close.
I think even Mark steals it away for his back.

We have added one more person to the mix and even though he is not a mud he is the partner of our
Ms. Suds.
Joseph Ezzell will be here with some of his sculpture.
From J's Etsy Site:
Creating art is my football I guess...I'd rather be out creating something than sitting in front of the telly. The wonderful homestead that nurtures me provides the peace and place I need to do my work. My creative, supportive partner encourages me. The magnificence our world possesses inspires me. And my fellow humans continue to supply the junk and cast-offs I use for most of my creations. It's perfect!

Put this down on your calendar of things you must do in April
Rain or shine - we can move then insdie if we need to.
Come on out:
 Saturday April the 16th 10-5 and  Sunday the17th 11-4.
Tell me you read the blog and I will have a surprise for you!
Cheers,
M

Friday Flowers

The kiln is cooling and I have started planning a gas load.
From the frying pan into the fire- gas to electric.
Electric it is a push of the button and gas it is pushing all the buttons.

Several of the potters went in together and bought me this Orchid.
She is elegant and lovely reminds me of Lee with her long lines and beauty.
I hope to be able to keep her around.

This peach tree volunteer is bloomimng.
She grows where I once had a compost pile- seems she hung in there and we have watched her grow.
I always wondered why we never see any fruit until last year as we watched one squirrel after another come and "help" us harvest.

My house is hard on plants.
I live on 100 ac farm and usually all I can get to bloom in the house are African Violets.
They were made for me.
They love to be ignored and really work best when left to dry.
They are forgiving and continue to bloom in spite of me
My kind of flowers.

So fingers crossed for the electric fire and hope for the next gas one as I am mixing things up.
I have planned a bottom shelf of 8 inches to see if we can get that heat down there.
Cheers!
M

Looking for luck

I am slowly getting back to work this week.
I started working yesterday on a cone 6 firing of tiles.
Glazing the tiles can be a tedious job since I like to put in different colors and they all are being painted in.
I did try some last time with glaze and cold wax, then I poured the background and I was pretty happy with the results.
I am not sure it saved me any time, but I did like the results.


I have to admit that Lee seems more with me when I am in the studio since she spent so much time here with me last year.
Last year she would come over roll out her own slabs for tiles, spend the night with us and then finish up and head back to Raleigh late the next day.  We had made plans for more tiles we wanted to do together.
Her next plans for tiles were going to be Hummingbirds in memory of our brother Jay.
I am sad she did not have the time to do even one.

Lee asked that we make jars for her ashes along with another potter friend.
A project I will think about soon and post pictures later.
 I have to get together with her friends to figure out what we are going to do.
One thought is that I throw them and they decorated them.
I thought it could be nice and fitting to put a Hummingbird on them along with some of her favorite flowers.

Today I will be glazing and running many thoughts through my head as I try to clear some cobwebs out and form a more clear picture of where I am going this year with clay.
I keep running back to it even though there are many things pulling me away.
What is it about getting in that place where the hands take over and the mind feels free to wander or you are so focused that it takes you to another level?

I have been thinking too about the families in Japan and listening as one thing happens after another.
If you have not read the blog by fellow potter Euan Graig you should his accounting of what he and his family are going through is so well written and gives you a first hand look at what is going on.
Our hearts are with him.

I have been checking in on many blogs and I am inspired by what I see others doing.
And I was thrilled to see Tracey had her building about finished.
I was amazed at how quickly this has gone up and happy that she will have a space to call her own.
Yea!
I was also inspired by Megan's post about what you can get done in 30 minutes while she is adjusted to her life as a Mom. It made me think that even if I don't have hours there are a lot of 30 minutes in a day.


I am sure I will get back soon to long days in the studio but this is going to be a year.
One that brings many reflections and thoughts.
Here is my thought to you today- Do you have a will?
Cheery Right?!

Happy Birthday Leslie!!

Lee, Jay and Leslie 1967

Happy Birthday Leslie!
May you live long enough to be a burden to your family and friends!

walking under water

Sometimes things are not as them seem.
Happy Birthday to Brother Jay and keep Lee safe at your side.

I just wanted to thank you all for your kind words and thoughts.
It is funny how your words carry me through a day.
They ring like sweetness through my brain as I walk through the tasks at hand.
Thank you- it may be a few days before I come back to the blog as we get things in place.

I am spending some time reflecting on Lee and my family.
Peace,
M

For the love of Lee

Lee Henderson Lewis was a spring baby, my oldest sister and second oldest of the 5 of us.
Lee was smarter, older, wiser, prettier, kinder, classier and very tender hearted.
What many of you did not know was how very brave and fearless she was.
When faced with melanoma of the eye about 5 years ago she was given the option of having her eye removed.
Not an option that any one who makes their living as an artist would even want to face.
But face it she did.
They removed her eye and she moved on to continue to do the things she loved.
Lee and her partner Tony work mostly doing commercial Faux finishing.
They worked on many of the restaurants and buildings in the Raleigh area.
It was nothing for Lee to climb up 50 feet to do a job.
And she did.
She rarely ever complained about the hand she was given to play out.
Two  years ago she pushed me to a place in clay I had never gone.
Without her encouragement and sisterly persistence I would have never tackled the Jungle House tile Mural.
With her love and support it was done and delivered last November.
While I was working on it our oldest brother, Jay, died.
On the day he died I was working on the tile mural and I placed his name and date of death on one of the tiles.
I showed it to her and she loved it.
I also placed her name, mine and Mark's on a tile when it was done.

 Lee passed quietly into the night with Tony at her side.
I hope whenever she is that the paints are true, the canvass tight and the powers that be ready, I  know she will be putting them all to work.

We love her dearly and will miss her always.

Safe travels and Peace be at your side, along with fields of butterflies and hummingbirds.

M

A quick run into town

I made a quick trip into town to deliver pots to John Britt to "carry" back to the mountains for Kari.
While I was there I took a look at what was left of the pottery from the conference that was being held at the Randolph County Arts Guild.
If I am right this was the 24th year of the conference.
This year the presenters came from China.
I have to admit I know no more than that but I thought I would snap some pictures to share:

side one

side two

side one

side two

all boxed and waiting for a home...

I am sure they had a great time and was sorry I had other things to do that meant I could not be there.
Maybe next year!
M

Results of firing #2 in the new smaller kiln named little bit*#...

a first look

door down

door part way down

 I just asked mark what we are going to call this kiln and his response was he is calling it little bit*#... because she seems to have a way about her that just makes one feel... well feel like she is in control of things.
The firing went well enough but this much I will tell you:
It went too long- about 16 hours- we should be able to fire this kiln in less time.
It wanted to stall and played hell at the end of the fire and it took some real messing to keep thing going up.
We bent a cone 11 at the top right but only bent a 9 at the bottom.
We put some cones all over the kiln and from the second bottom shelf up things look pretty good.
The bottom shelf was not as cold as the first firing but still not great.
I have set aside about 1/2 the pots from that shelf to fire again.
With all of this said we are happy with most of the pots that came out and the best thing is the kiln is small enough to do another firing pretty soon.
With some fine tuning.
What is the plan for firing number 3?
Replace back bunner.
Open bottom up to 7 or 8 inches from 6 inches.
Use different glazes on the bottom shelf.

And just keep working it until maybe we call call her little darling.
M

We all have our job

Today we are doing firing number two in the new smaller gas kiln.
We loaded the kiln on Sunday but Mark was out and about and I am not ready to fire the kiln solo ....yet......
So this morning we lit, lighted,the kiln and we are chugging along.
I am hanging with Mark and learning the fine art of listening to the burners.
Don't you love the sound of a gas kiln- like a heartbeat.
Anyway Mark is trying to teach me the forgotten art of gas fire.
When we were students I would start the kiln and do the early turn ups and then Mark would come in and finish the kiln.
We had two small kids and I would pick them up from the school's daycare and head home for Mother duty so I really never learned to fire the gas kiln.
Then when we built the BIG gas kiln Mark took that on too.
We both did everything, throwing, bisque fire, glaze, load but he fired.
I have a goal that I will learn how to fire this new kiln.
And now that it is out there I guess I better!

I am thinking about marketing my brush holder- any takers?
What do yo think 9.95?
I think I can get them in a USPO box for cheap shipping.

We saved some seconds to fire and this is how I heat them up.
I place them on top of the electric kilns just after they are just finish firing and then I will place them in my baby test kiln to  make sure I have heated them up enough.
This helps keep them from blowing up.
We once put a pitcher that had sat around about 3 years in the big gas kiln- blew the bottom right out of that pitcher.
Lesson learned.

This is a vase we also have in this kiln firing,
The first go round these had big crawls on them.
I set them aside for the first couple of firings in the new kiln.
I put one in the last kiln and it fired up really nice.
Let me see if I can do that again.
It does help to get the pot nice and warm before putting on the glaze.
Then wait for it to dry - I put the iron red on- then when it was dry I put some ash glaze on top.

Teapots! I got two in and I wanted all 4 in.
I am still use to that BIG kiln that ate pots!
Not so with the little gal we have now.
A name- what could we call this little kiln.
Do you name your kilns?
The folks who bought our electric kilns do.
I use to name our cars but never named the kiln.

Better go check the temperature and pretend I am paying attention!
Cheers!
M