All good things...

All good things must come to an end and it is time for the last of the pots from the Clay and Blog show to head back home.
Last year at this time we were busy planning the show.
In the year we planned and made the show quite a success.
But I still think what made this for me was getting to know the potters who participated in the show.
Meeting many of them in person  was the high light of putting this together.
And finding out that Hannah, Doug and Angela are all coming to the USofA in April even better.
I do hope we all get a minute to meet.
If you are interested there will be 3 workshops with them.
First one kicks off with Hollis in Cape Cod.
The second in Virginia with Dan
and the third in North Carolina with Ron.
Should be great fun.

Angela

Hannah

Doug

Cheers!
M

Put those days down and walk slowly away.....

Some one and I am not naming any names, is taking days out of the week.
I just wish I could get them to stop.
This week we finished glazing the pots for the gas kiln.
That is always a long job and to top things off we took out Sunday to go and pack up the pots for the Clay and Blogs show.
Tracey, who is the best ever, meet us there for the pack up.
Thanks Tracey!
We packed up some for picking up, some for delivery and a few for shipping.
Then there are some that took exit right over to the gift shop of the Campbell House Gallery.
And in case you are in the area you can still see some of the work and take home a pot.
I have my eye on two I would like to bring home.
I have to pace myself.
I did - or I should say we did come home with a Brandon Phillips, a Zygote Blum and a Alex & Nancy Solla.
I bought a gift, which I can not tell you about since they read here....
But I think they will love it.
There is another gift there I am thinking about.
The director told me about one of our local pottery collectors who came in about 5 one evening and did some serious buying.
All in all I think the show went great and now I am working on  getting some slides together for a talk I will be doing about the show on Friday at  The North Carolina Pottery Collector's Guild. 
Mark has helped me sift through the pictures to bring the slide show down  from 15minutes to about 6 .
I put everyone in without overloading them with images.
If I can ever figure it out I will put it up someplace.

I am looking forward to this part of Sunday!

Then- late yesterday afternoon I unloaded the first firing of the back splash.
I was very pleased and will be out there loading up another kiln today to fire tomorrow.
I am like a cat on a griddle with this thing.
I need to get it all finished up.
So about that gas load- with the tiles, the talk - it will just wait until Sunday for loading and Monday for fire.
There I go taking more days out of the week.
Hey- it's me stealing those days!
I am going to have to have a long talk with me!


 Vase- Mark

Knock knock-who's there?

Saturday night Mark and I had the fun of sitting with two 5 year old and a 4 year old at a cookout.
The night was filled with knock-knock jokes.
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Banana.
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Banana.
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Banana.
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Orange... it was looking like a long night.
Then at this age your attention span and bad broccoli take over and you are on to the next thing.
It was fun to watch their interactions with one another.
Our future.

We are working along on the gas kiln and the test for the back splash.
I fired my small test kiln yesterday and found that just a few degrees hotter and the glaze I wanted to use goes from a warm, glassy, golden yellow, that I want, to a more subdue green. Oh well- it was not me picking up the wrong brush it is the glaze.
Buggers!
I have other glazes that I can use that will not be so fussy- best go back to them.
Just allow me one minute of whine------ there- I'm done----- moving on now.

Yesterday was wet and a bit cooler.

This sassafras tree has been turning color while so many of our trees have not.
We did go up to Greensboro on Sunday and took some "wares" to the farmers market to sell.
It was not the best show ever but it pays a bill.
We did see that the Hickory trees are putting out a nice show of color and the other trees should be close behind.
I like it if they all turn and drop their leaves.
There was a year the Oaks held on and we had ice in November.
The combination was not good- with oak branches full of leaves that broke off and tried to remove the roof of the house.
So I have my eyes on those oaks.
They are showing just a tad of color.




I have not been able to get blogger to work with me on pictures.
I use to be able to load several at a time and now I spend way too much time trying to get it to even open my pictures.
Then I am back to one at a time.
And that is only if I cross my eyes, hold my tongue right and cuss like a sailor.
Ang has suggested I need to go to one of the new temtpales.
Well, that just takes time I don't have this week or next.
So- I will give it a go later and see if that helps.

Meanwhile! Send out word that the Clay and Blogs show comes down Sunday.
Go right now, jump in the car and go see it!
Also I am going to give a talk about it a week from Friday- more on that later.
Back to work!
M

Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story

Mark and I went back to Southern Pines to spend some time taking pictures and taking in the pottery in the show.
As most of you know that is a hard thing to do in a room full of people.
When there are people there talk gets in the way of look.
I enjoyed spending time with all the pots and mentally talked to all of them about what I thought I would do with them if I could just take all home with me.

In this display I enjoyed how the display was set up and the colors all played well with one another.
Gary Rith, Peter Gregory,  Jennifer Mecca and Judy Shreve.
Then peeking off to the left you can see some Ron Philbeck.
I have to admit I played with all of them.
Picking them up, turning them all around and just enjoying handling pottery I have seen on line but not in person.
There was a person who came up and just starting talking about how she loved Ron's clothesline pots.
She went on and on about them.
Picking up the cups turning them all around and feeling the handles and weight in her hand.
She was thinking about one for her daughter... I just know she would love one... let's hope she bought one.
 


Then I wandered over to this Michael Kline jug that stood all alone, but was like a greeter to another room.
Doesn't it just have the nicest presence?
This jug said to me, come on in take a look around- but be sure to get back over to me with all my fine decoration running around on my fat belly and up across my shoulders and under my handle.... how could you resist me?

But then- oh- a Kitty Shepherd tile!
Kitty's work with all the detail and layers to it really talks.
The bird with those wonderful feathers!
I will tell you the truth, I took it off the wall.
Yes, I did and ran my fingers over those wonderful colors.

I took more pictures and so did Mark.
I hope to get more up soon.
But meanwhile enjoy looking and better yet take a ride out to see the show.
It will come down by the end of the month and the month is rolling away fast.
Peace,
M

A whirlwind of activity

I am still "in" recovery mode. The past few weeks with the deadline on the Clay and Blogs show just about put me under the bus.
But- big but---- BUT all things considered it went real well.
As you can see from the potters who posted pictures we had a great turn out for the opening.
Red dots appeared here and there with some folks standing guard as their spouse went in search of the person with the power of the dots.
We started the week off before the opening with our friends Linda and Gary Starr.
They drove all the way fro Florida to be here.
The Starr's' took advantage of their time by going out to the potters, the NC Zoo, attending a lunch and learn with Ron Philbeck and going to see Tracey over in Chapel Hill.
They are working their way back home, but not before leaving Mark and I with this fun vase of Linda's, which is sitting on the mantel nestled between 3 old bottles from JB Cole on one side and two Donna Craven on the other side.
Thanks Linda!

We also could not resist this tea bowl from the show.
I picked it up.
Walked away.
Mark picked it up walked away.
I picked it up- he took it from me and then I said- you better go find a dot.
Now let's see who gets to use it first when we get it home!
We might have to find some more to add to this one!

After the opening I rode back to our house with Hollis and Dee.
Which was a good thing- we live way out in the middle of nowhere and finding it in the dark can be tricky.
On Saturday I spent some time "dragging" Hollis and Dee to the potteries.
I picked folks that were firing kilns if I could.
It was fun to get out and see the potters and a great time to visit.
There were many wood kilns going last week.
I have to tell you this whole thing was fun.
It was a pleasure to have worked with all the potters.
A pleasure to have had the chance to know many better.
And a real pleasure to see the pots.
Thank you all!
But a big old Thank you to this guy- he truly has always had my back.

Herding cats

I know you all want to see more pictures of the pots and here is what I am going to do.
I need to go back to the gallery when there are no distractions.
No potters-
No wine.......
and no spinach dip!
Then I can take my time to take pictures of all the work.
I had the best time taking Linda, Gary, Hollis and Dee out to visit with Seagrove potters, view work talk and see many kilns.
Fortunately there were several potters who were firing.
It was great to stop in and see many wood kilns being feed.
Of course my favorite was watching Mr. Ken feeding the kiln.

no words just some pictures-

No more nibbles let's just eat this thing!

Ready set- action!
How could it be possible that all those months ago I thought I should ask other clay makers, who blog, to join me in this show.
Why not  I asked myself and since we are Whynot Pottery- well heck- Why Not!
I started slow with the thought just rolling around in my head.
Then when I released it it felt like a run away snow ball gathering strength as it roll away with me running behind.
I don't regret it.
It has been an amazing journey as I have worked with and meet some truly wonderful, smart, thoughtful and creative potters/clay makers.
Because I did not chose everyone in the show I really did not know how this would work out.
I had potters I invited invite a blogger they read and enjoy.
What I found over the months was an extremely cooperative group of potters to work with.
(And people say we are or can be hard to work with and forget deadlines and don't follow through.)
There was a tremendous amounts of effort put in by all to pull this off.

In the past few weeks pottery has been shipped in or delivered from Seagrove, Burnsville, Bakersville, Black Mountain, Asheville and  Chapel Hill North Carolina.
York, South Carolina
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Rumson, New Jersey
Trumansburg and Ithaca New York
East Falmouth, Massachusetts
Ocala, Florida
Lecanto, Florida
Johns Creek, Georgia
Granada, Spain
Anchorage, Alaska
Brisbane, Australia
Abilene, Texas
Mineral Point, Wisconsin
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Louisville Kentucky
Mountain West Utah
Berkley, California
Cambria, California
Stockton, California
Saskatoon, Canada
Castle Douglas, United Kingdom
Devon, United Kingdom
Ilminster,  United Kingdom
Otago,New Zealand
The pottery has all been unpacked and the show set.
The food, beer and wine readied 
All I hope for now are people to come through and view the show.
 I want to see them handle some pots and hopefully take some home to live with.
It is really why we do this.
We all make work to be used and enjoyed.
So, if you are around, dropping through, in the neighborhood and are that person- stop in and see the show.
You will not be disappointed.
See you there!
M

Mark Heywood-Teapot in the online gallery

 

Sneak Peeks....

These are just sneak peeks as pots are being placed around the Campbell House- more later.

Monday Teasers

Linda Starr and I unloading our kiln on Saturday- I think I am going to keep her!
Just in from seeing the start of the show going up!
I am very excited at the work and how it is all coming together.
There will be more pictures to come.
And, yes, I saw two red dots already and I think ,if I have my way, there will be more.
To be continue........

Friday nibbles -Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story

Judy Shreve

Judi Tavill

Renee Margocee

Annie Singletary

A week out from the opening of the show!

Time somehow has crept past us all like a thief in the night.

I find it hard to believe it is all coming together.

Pots are in and coming in to the Arts Council, blog post are printed- in your dreams, remember I need ink-

And October is peeking around the corner.

I keep stealing looks just like I do when a kiln is cooling.....

So sit back and get that beverage of choice and go read some blogs.

Cheers,

M

Friday nibbles -Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story

 Cindy Shake

 Chris Luther

 


Po Wen Liu 劉博文

Emily Murphy

Throwing in the towel

Do you ever have those times when you feel like throwing in the towel?
This week has my brain pinging all over the place. The show- you have heard about the show- is coming up so fast.
I have been spending some time trying to pull together the last element of the show.
A page from the potters blogs.
I really feel it would be hard to have this show without letting the public look at someone's blog, or at least a post from their blog.
Really this part has been fun. I finally figured a quick(?) way to do some cut and paste and I like how that has worked out.
It does not give the true blog page but it gives you the story, since that is what this is about, and some pictures.
I added in about me page that I am pretty happy with.
I grabbed (stole) what I thought I would like to have from potter's websites.
I have learned even more about the potters, who they are , where they studied and other quirky bits.
Now- don't get me wrong my mind is like a sieve these days and it will quickly drain away.
Someone will ask me where did such and such study, live, climb a big mountain, eat their first taco and I will have to say there is this nice book of pages over there to look at and I highly suggest you go look them up and read their blog.
There are moments like the past week where I love the tool the internet provides for us.
A quick search can give me good choices for material.
And boy you have to love cut and paste.

Then there are those pots to be made.
Mark is making the crown pots and this one was covered up waiting for handles.
I just thought - I know how you feel- a towel over the head would be nice right now.

I am making a few orders and some fillers- love those bottles.
I know I have said it before, but it is a favorite shape for me.
Comfort food maybe?
I know we all have favorite things we make bottles just grab me.
Comfort shape maybe?

This coming week promises to go just as quickly as the last.
I still have PT twice a week.
I think this will be it for me I am feeling tons better and get bored with going.
I think that is good.
And now that I have said green ball and my homework I usually toss myself on the floor and do my exercises.
Like I should be doing now....

Happy Sunday!
M

Friday nibbles -Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story

Barbara Edwards

Mel Robson

Hitomi Shibata

Takuro Shibata

9/9/2010
My eye lids are too heavy for deep thoughts- fall is at the door and bed calls my name after playing with printing blogs for the show.
So- good night all and enjoy some more reading....

Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story

A Lot- a lot has been happening around here and I am busy as this funny bug here flapping my wings as I try to finalize this show.
One of the things I asked the potters to do for me was to let me print a page from their blog.
How simple that seemed to me at the time.
Just click file and print!
Yea- there you go thinking again.
So here I am playing around with some cut and paste, don't you love cut and paste?
It means any fool, like me, can do things that only a professional could do many years ago.
Gosh these computer things are fun.
And to my astonishment- I am work this out!

So here is what's happening- the pottery has begun to arrive at the Campbell House Gallery, the blog post folks want to include are arriving in my in box.
I have started to play with and print them out.

My computer tells me I need a new color cartridge, add that to the list of things to do today.

And it is only September 9th!
I have high hopes that all will come together.
So stay tune----put the opening date on your must do list.
And, if you have not looked at the online gallery please do so by clicking on the link .
There are some fabulous pots there that are up for sale now.
All you have to do is contact the arts council and they could be yours.

Now -all I have to do is get some pots made for a gas load and glue some backs on tiles and get ready for the end of the month.

Cheers!
M