That was so yesterday

I spent today helping my dentist buy a new car,TV or at least have some good money to take a trip somewhere. I thought that was very kind of me.
When I got back from my worthy trip I noticed that Mark had been working hard to help pay for that new item that my dentist will be enjoying.
I did not get to watch him carve these two pretties but I hope they will find good homes after they are through the gas kiln.

I admit I was sitting in the dentist chair playing the cost game

This tooth will cost blank vases, or blank teapots, or blank......
The joys of the self employed.
I remember the first time the light went off in my head when I realized that selling pots meant paying bills.
This was no hobby for us but a reality.
Blank=shoes for two kids.
Blank=food on the table.
Blank= electricity,insurance,phone......

So here are the blanks for tomorrow.

I am digging this jug!

Best get my own work done tomorrow and help pay the bills.
Cheers!
M

Feeling the groove while in the Grove.

The last two weeks we have been moving right along in that good kind of groove.
Pots are moving along, bisque kilns are being fired and bisque ware set aside for glazing.
That hurry up and wait kind of working.
I love the hum of work.
This is how I like it in the studio.
Mark on his side of the room and me on mine.
We have this invisible chalk line that runs right down the center of the room.
You can't see it, but we know it is there.

I love when Mark starts making these tall bottles.
I do have some favorite shapes and bottles are top on that list.
In fact we both make a lot of bottles and I am sure if we could we would make them all day long, everyday.

But, potters can not live on bottles alone so we are also making bowls, jars, pitchers, baking dishes and more.

There is this place where the pots are bone dry before they go in the bisque firing that they look almost ghostly to me. Maybe that is where the bone dry comes in.
They  look full of promise.
Like teenagers waiting to bloom and figure out who they will be

On the weather front we had rain.
It has been ages since it has rained and I think we all perked up a bit after.
We did have tons of rumbling and grumbling around us and we all know what a July thunderstorm can do so we were on a bit of high alert.
We had to walk out and shut every thing down for a bit Monday as things were too close for comfort. I no longer think it wise to continue to stand at a window, with my hands in water, throwing at an electric wheel, when the world is booming with thunder and lightening.

But once it settled in all we had was steady rain.
Life is good!
M

Saturday night pizza with the master Pizza maker of Whynot/Seagrove

My father use to tell people," Never miss an opportunity to eat at the table of Anna Henderson."
Of course Anna was my mother and a very experimental and excellent cook.
This rings in my head when someone like Tom Gray invites us over to share a meal at his house.
He was by last week and talking about his new wood-fired oven he has built.
"I tell you what, he says, Come over Saturday night and we will fire it up and make pizza".
You did not have to twist our arms.
Like I said never miss an opportunity.......
I made salad,a blueberry buckle and we packed a 6 pack of good beer.
But I did not pack a camera.

How could that be- but Tom handed his over and I took some shots that I am stealing from FB.
These are wee shoots,but you get the picture.
The oven was quite hot, good temperature, when the pizzas went in and they took all of 3-4 minutes to cook.

Tom declared them the best he had ever eaten or made, and folks they were fine pies.
As I said never miss...
The beer was cold, the pizza divine, salad good and fresh and the blueberry buckle rounded it all up nicely.
We eat better than Kings around here.
In fact my father use to tell me it is better to eat like a peasant.
He said that royalty ate refined foods and that peasants were stuck with what they grew or made themselves.
Peasant food is good fare. 

I  was also so bold as to show up with two loaves of rising bread to shove in after the kiln, whoops, oven cooled down a bit.
We put those in a bit above 500 degrees and checked them just over 15 minutes and they seemed done enough, good reduction on the crust. We plan to cut one today and see the results.
Tom then put in a pan of tomatoes and bricked the door to let them roast over night.
We have been interested in a brick oven for awhile and now we will have to see if we go the distance and make one..
But I know a place just down the road I might have to slip back over to with more bread in tow.
Meanwhile- never miss an opportunity to eat good food with good people.
Cheers,

M

Keeping Company

My mother use to say, "Remember who you are, where you came from and where you are going."
In others words she was trying to tell me to keep good company.
Lately I have had shoppers who come in looking for Mark's work to go with some of the pottery they are buying from other Seagrove Potters.
I have found that most of them are pairing him up with Ben Owen, not bad company to be in.

And all in all it look s pretty good together.
In the top row are Ben's red pots with a lovely Teadust Bottle of  Mark's.
Then on the mantle you can see a nice Jar and vase that Mark made.

I have been asking folks to send me pictures of our pots in their homes.
I have another I am searching for that has Mark, Ben and Mark Hewitt.
Again they are all very nice together.
How about your house?
Do your pots play well with one another?

And, since I can not find the other picture I will post this one of the wee grand child who is not so wee anymore.
We should all be full of this moment of joy.
Cheers!
M

No Photo's please

Bear with me as I ramble this thought out of my head.
I read an article yesterday in the Va. Pilot, from my hometown of Norfolk, VA., about a couple who only do show.
They have no website, no face book, no online anything and allow no one to shoot pictures of their work.
Their thought is if you take pictures you will not buy their work.
They make tiles.
They think if you take pictures you are doing so to either copy their work or to show your friends their work without buying it.
This has given me great pause as someone who has a website, blog and face book.
I am always looking at how best to get the word out about our work, who we are and what we do.
In fact yesterday I enjoyed the company of a couple who had done the following.
Researched the area on line.
Looked at and narrowed down what they liked and wanted to buy.
They walked in talked a bit and picked out 3 pieces.
Set them aside  from the mass and decided on one.
They were pleased and I was pleased.
They had done their homework.
He asked me do others folks do this as well.
And I said yes.
I have had others come in who have done the same.
With that said I think I will keep my website, Face book and blog.
You can't get rid of me that easy.
And, although I enjoy what I do, I also enjoying sharing.
So I guess I will go back to the pictures.
You don't mind do you?
Snap!
M

Details

I am in the middle of some major catching up in my office after not taking care of the monthly books since March.
I am locking (chaining) myself to my desk for a few days.
Meanwhile some pictures of pot deatils to entertain you while I kick myself into the summer months from the spring.
Maybe I can get it all done today!
Nice thought!
Now where are those dang statements and little scraps of paper....??

A bean and a cow....

I really did not trade a cow for these beans but they are heading skyward.
I just want to know who is going to pick those beans.

These guys stopped over for a bite to eat.
Being the lousy guest they are we threw them out.

It's July and after 100 degree days we are having a lovely California morning...
enjoy!
M

Summer flowers

I just put some sunflowers out in the studio and it makes me really think of summer.
It is 101 here today and even the bugs and birds are hiding out.
Usually you can hear the bugs and birds all day long, but today it's like they just rolled over and went back to bed.
Too hot to be moving around much.

These are two of the first Sunflowers I have through the kiln and I like the yellow but have my mind on going with some red or orange for the next ones.
I use to grow sunflowers every summer but the last two years we have opted for veggies instead.
I planted two beds of green beans  in hope of lots of green beans.
I have one bed with 4 beans and little to no flowers for more....????
The other bed is covered with blooms and there are tiny, tiny green beans coming on.
Yea!
Now what to do with those 4 green beans?
Any suggestions on how to best utilize them?

and a garden tile -I like these radishes.

In fact I prefer my radishes on a tile. I have never been a big fan.
I try but you can have mine.


Time to go get a cold drink.
Is it too early for a beer?
M

Simmering Sunday

Today is one of those low boil Sundays in July.
The humidity is around 98% and makes it feel much like a thick soup out there.
Sitting in the basement with a fan blowing is much cooler then the realities of being outside.
Today we started the day by doing the yard work that we have had to put off for weeks.
It is a good thing we are the neighborhood association around here.
Otherwise the vote would be to bring us up on charges or someone might have thought we moved because of all the ground cover around the house.

Yard mowed I moved back to finishing up the pots that came out of the electric kiln.
I enjoyed this new flower and using some blue along with the red flowers I have been doing.
I take notes after each firing and then I find myself not reading them until I unload the kiln.
It seems to me notes should be read before you glaze not after.
Maybe I will make myself a note on that .....

I feel a bit like Jeckle and Hyde with my work as I bounce back and forth  from the wheel to the slab roller. After I glaze I think I am right back to the wheel and then when I unload the electric kiln I think I might want to glaze some more tiles first.
But the wheel calls and I will get back to these.

The close forms are easy to get ready to hand as I made either feet or key holes on their backsides and they will just hang on a nail or screw.

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But I have been playing with these wall pockets that I made on how and what I want to use to hang them with.
I am bouncing around on materials and have tries several things before it was time to give it a break.

So how is your simmering summer going or are you in full winter yet?
Hot here cold there?
Cheers!
M

July 8th 2010

There has been plenty of rumbling around us this past week.
Thunderstorms a plenty seem to surround us and bring to mind the storm of 2008.
Maybe that is why I am awake in the wee hours of the night.
Can't sleep what is going on?
What's on your trouble mind.
Then as I sit here I see it is July 8th.
It has been 3 years since the night lightening struck our pottery studio and burned  us out.
3 years and I really don't think about it as much as I use to.
It has become more distance in my mind.
But this year it has made me think again.
In 2009 we had to be home on the 8th. Just had to be.
Last year we went to Maine and did not stay home for the 8th.
Can you see how the mind heals.
This year we are home for the 8th and I am treating it like any other day.
Life moves on doesn't it?
Things change like the tide that rolls in and out.
Life takes shifts and turns and you just have to ride it like a wave in that tide.
2008 and we were homeless.
2010 and we are still making pots.
2011- it will be interesting to see where we are.
Remind yourself that life has ups and downs but it is all in how you weather those downs.
Happy 8th I say- Happy 8th of July 2010.
From there: The fire
to here: Home is where you want to be.
Is it any wonder I fell for this song?

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home 

Now go make pots!

I am thinking jars.......

M

Hush now and just do it

When I am glazing for the electric kiln I have to remind myself that there is nothing quick about what we do.
If we want to get the results we are after we have to put some time in.
I keep thinking about a different way to do these layers of glaze but then i keep coming back to the buts..
But- if I do that then I don't get the background color I want
But I don't want to do just slips and a clear glaze.
But I don't want to do multiple firings.
But if you would be quiet we could just get this done.
BUT, BUT, But......

I first started playing with glazes and wax when we were just starting.
I was using thrown vases back then rather than tiles and pillow vases and hand built vases.
And I was trying to wax with hot wax... oh, now talk about making yourself crazy.....
The designs were much tighter and some worked and some did not.
I would put tons of work in them to have people ask- will you take 20 bucks for it....
No, no,no.....
I finally set that part of my brain away and just made pots.

After the studio fire of 2008, 3 years this week, but that's another story.
My mind wandered back to things I wanted to do but never took the time to do.
So I keep telling myself this is something you want to do.
So get with it and when it is done you will be happy for the time being until that part of your brain says, Yea, but what if we do....

I am picking berries like a crazed women.
So I am out early to get some more.

Then I am freezing to make jams and jellieswhen I have time.
Time- just rolls off the tongue...time....what's that!?
Cheers!
M

Things that go boom!

Happy 4th of July.
The 4th has many mixed emotions for us all.
First it is a time of celebration.
For me it is a time to remember and reflect.
Maybe it should be like Christmas and we should have 4th of July resolutions.
LIKE:
I resolve not to drive in city traffic anymore.
Not to go to WalM*art and look in judgment at the people who dress like it is Halloween all year long.
Not to wonder out loud why someone wants to drive in my lane coming right at me when they have their own lane.
Not wonder why we act the fool when we have a holiday.
To maybe be the fool and not stand back just watching.
To dance more and step lively.
and find some time to laugh too loud.
There those are my 4th of July resolutions how about you?
What would you like.

On another note my father died on the 4th of July proudly telling my mother just before he departed,
" I guess I made it to the party."
This after being handed the sentence of cancer back in 1994.
He would ask will I be here for Christmas, no the Dr said.
Will I be here for Thanksgiving?
No the Doctor said.
Will I be here for....
Finally he asked will I be here for the 4th of July.
The Dr, said maybe.
And my father set his goal.
July 4th 1994- you are in good company.
Happy 4th.
M
Tomorrow- back to clay.

painting by family friend Peggy Earle

It's summer time hot here in central NC which sends me out the door early to get those hot weather things taken care of.
The blueberries are coming on and there is nothing better than gabbing a bowl and heading out to pick a few, maybe a big few, for my morning cereal.
I love that hot,sweet, tangy with the cold milk and cereal...oh how good is that!?
Then there is the yogurt and blueberries...
or ice cream and blueberries....
I can find many way to eat them before I start thinking muffins,upside down cake,buckle...hummmm
I need more!

Yesterday I received an email from Samantha over at Bulldog Pottery.
She and her family were set up across from us at the Celebration Of Seagrove Potters last fall.
She had taken this picture of me and my sister Lee.
I was so happy to have this and yet it broke my heart just a little.
It makes me smile and weep all at the same time.
It is still hard for me to believe she will not be helping me this fall.
She use to come and stand with me all day wrapping pots and letting me talk with customers.
And she came loaded with lunch goodies.
I will miss her.
My sister Leslie is planning to come and help me and we were talking about wearing tee-shirts with a picture of her giving it to cancer.
On the back we could write-my sister died and all I got was this tee-shirt.
I know,I know how morbid this sounds and some of you might think poorly of this but we all grieve in strange ways and we do it through laughter and tears.
Always laughter first.

and then there is the food.
I have this peach and blueberry upside down cake on my brain.
I think I will make one soon to share with some friends.
I could eat it all but then it would be grief through food and my hips could use a break!

Many days this blog is about pottery and many days this blog is about my life and family.
I just want to thank the readers and those of you who hold me up and give us all encouragement.
To make any kind of a living from what you do is to step out on the edge of darkness with your eyes closed and no safety net below and jump.

I hope I never hit bottom but keep floating down and looking as I go.
I know that one day I might not be able to continue to do this as I have been because of age, health and  because life just happens.
There are no crystal balls to tell me anything.......

Okay-okay let's get back to those blueberries, we're not done yet.
Happy 4th-happy and safe and family 4th..

M