Glaze and Gas

I'm happy to announce that I finally feel as if I've figured out the kiln! ...... or I should say.... I've just completed a successful firing that I will try to recreate the next time. 

I'm the first to fire the new kiln at Silvie's studio and it has taken some time for me to figure out all the little eccentricities of that little baby. The main problem I had was with amount of reduction and which glazes would not work in certain amounts of reduction. But I've been working with a new glaze base and I am so happy what it did in this firing.

Mmmmmm so excited for the possibilities.......

Women Working with Clay

The Women Working with Clay symposium took place a little while back and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I was surrounded by amazing women who were all just as passionate about clay as I am. What an amazing feeling to be in a crowd like this.

New ideas are stored in my head.... What to make next... Where to move next.... How will each decision effect my work and how it is perceived. So much to think about! Talking to these women reaffirms my decision to become a potter and reminds me that all I need to do is keep working hard at this dream.... 

Woman Working with Clay

Suze Lindsay

The Terra Firma Artistas at the Floyd Artisan Trail

Inspiration

Slowly, slowly, slowly my studio space is increasing in decoration as I get more and more comfortable working in this new area. My goal for my space, and for any studio in the future, is to "decorate" with things that inspire me the most. By decorate I mean a general accumulation of stuff.... and not just any stuff.... but stuff that speaks to my creative process and goals of what I want to see in my work. 

Most of this stuff is things I've picked up on walks around my property and the property the studio is on. Pine cones that stayed attached to their bough so perfectly, leaves that were made into lace by hungry bugs, or a tuft of that pure white hair from a deer's tail. These are things that I want to see daily so that I am reminded why I am a potter and why it is so important for me to recreate this beauty in my clay.

Simply Grateful

I'll start this second entry off by just saying how grateful I am for EVERYTHING right now. The apprenticeship has been going  perfectly. It's been two months working in the new studio and I have already learned so much from Silvie as well as many of the other potters and wonderful people in town. Floyd is beautiful and the perfect community for me to grow as an artist.  The amount of talent in this little town is simply amazing. I am so very fortunate for having ended up in this spot; geographically, emotionally, and career-wise. 

 

  The apprentice kiln was completed in the beginning of October by Master Kiln Builders. I got to help out with it which was great because now I have a better understanding of some of what goes into kiln construction. I was able to fire it for the first time last Monday. It was such a smooth firing. A little more reduced than I would like, but it's all a lesson. I'll be posting images shortly of some of the work that has come out!  

And now on to making more........ 

 

The Start

Here I am, attempting to start a blog about my life as a potter. This blog is intended to keep everyone up to date and keep me on my feet about what needs to be happening in my life. 

I'm happy to say that after a month of vacation at home in PA, I am back in Virginia and ready to start the next stage of my pottery life. I got to Floyd on Monday the 5th and have been thoroughly enjoying my first few days in this gorgeous town. I will begin working with Silvie Granatelli hopefully at the start of September. All of this depends on the construction of the new studio!! Lucky me.... I get to be the first apprentice to try it out. Yesterday I met up with Silvie and had a perfect conversation about everything ceramics and pottery related. Just livin the dream.

I just got a new idea for some new carvings to put on my pots. I walked out the door of my parent's house and saw this in the garden:

What kind of fungus is this?? I don't know but it sure is beautiful! Watch out for the new pots that will be coming around in the next couple months!