Top Movers and Shakers

I just inloaded a kiln full of pots and will be shipping the best of the bunch to Dallas for this weekend's Dallas Pottery Invitational. I can't wait to see all of the potters and their pots at the show. Maybe I will see some of you? Let me know if you are going!

I'm a little late with this week's top facebook Ceramic Artists Pages but thanks to Scott for getting these numbers to me! The pages are listed in order of highest percentage change of new fans since last week. Congrats to all the active artists providing interesting content to their ever growing Facebook followers!

Some Painted Pots and The Village Potter

All the pots are bisqued
and the glaze is stirred
 I picked up my brush...

the last bisque with glaze test tiles for Courtney Martin
natures patterns are everywhere! even in a bisque firing!

step by step vine instructions (clockwise)

more pattern, less negative space

Ahh, can't finish this!  (to the tune of Mingei-sota Dreaming, or is that California Dreamin'???)

Staying up late painting pots has once again dulled my recall.

I strive, (I really do!) each session, to refine my painting, to push it to a slightly different place. I guess it might look like the same old @klineola ware, but i hope the patterns are more nuanced, more fluid each time.

I like these just the way they are but the glaze and firing will make these functional and add another layer of subtlety.

coffee break with my newish  Matthew Schiemann mug

Way behind schedule, but, as promised, a few pics of my painting progress, and a link to a great article I just read while taking my coffee break!

Read about the island of misfit pots: The Village Potter



OK! Back to work!

Calling All Clayers

Diana Fayt is doing it again! Join her next month for a brand new online Clayer e-course.

Click here to visit The Clayer website and join the fun. Here's a fun little teaser video!



The Clayer E-Course: Part Two from Diana Fayt on Vimeo.

Deco-Rotation Beginnings

I'm afraid I might be painting myself into a corner (again)!

Just back from conferencing, yet again, and not enough time to get all the ideas that I've had for surface treatments onto all of these pots. Oh my.

But I'm off to a good start, though, and the brushes feel good. New things always happen and its hard to hold back from trying new motifs, etc. But time is always the party pooper.

So, I'll be brief and get back to the bisque straight away. I'll continue to post regularly here and might try to put down some thoughts during this sit-down-and-paint-some-pots day or two.

Thanks for reading.

snowed last night and the studio light is very bright. :-)

Mark Making:Painting: José Parlá video

Sometimes, here on the internet, someone [thanks David Ernster] will share content with you with a kind of perfect timing. A timing that parallels something you might be thinking about and validates. As I sit here painting pots I was thrilled to hear what José Parlá says about mark making and language. I thought I would share this video with you so when you find it it might speak to you as well.

The Fancy Shape

Just back from NCECA 2014 and there's so much to catch up on.
Stay tuned for some awesome(hopefully) deco this week and some thoughts on fanciness!

Do you listen to podcasts while you work? I do and I would totally recommend this one. It's all about a the fancy shape! Check it out.

Shakers and Movers Week 12

I just got back from a wonderful NCECA conference in Milwaukee. Today is my decompression AND my re-entry day, all in one. So, as I get ready to wield some brushes to deco some pots, I offer you this week's climbers on the FB Ceramic Index, courtesy of Butterfly Bend potter, Scott Williamson.  If you have a FB page for your ceramic art and aren't listed, please leave me a comment with your URL. I'll list you ASAP.

Stay tuned for some new deco this week as well as a post about my time at #NCECA2014!

Guest Blogger: NCECA Prep

Editor's note: this is a rebroadcast of Simon Levin's blogpost from a couple years ago. It still makes me laugh. Happy Monday's y'all!

As we pulled onto the highway headed for NCECA it occurred to me that finally I am one of the merging artists this year. Much thought and preparation has gone into this year’s trip. My bag is filled with swag and I have honed some techniques to make my NCECA experience the best it can be. Let me share with you some of the helpful tools I plan to employ.

The over the shoulder crowd survey
This is a common tool used by those who want to make the most of their time. When catching up with an old friend make sure you keep looking over his or her shoulder for someone else with more status. Perhaps someone well known that you would like to be seen talking to, or someone whose ego you would like to massage hoping they can give your career a boost. Never be afraid to trade up, NCECA will soon be over.

 Make sure you have your “I don’t remember you but want to seem like I do” phrases ready.

You will need these. Let me share a few that imply varying degrees of false intimacy.

• “Heeeeyyyyyyy”. Draw this one out, the less you remember the person the longer this greeting should be. It may give you time to recollect and the lag time suggests pleasure and enthusiasm at seeing this stranger.
•  “Wow, you have lost weight”. Always a good way to go, unless they are a recent amputee.
•  “Did that rash ever clear up”?
•  “I always enjoy your status updates on Facebook”.
•  “What ever happened with that paternity test”. Note: This is fine to ask women as well as men.
• “Got that $20 you owe me?” You never know, and if you insist enough you can always settle and let them buy you lunch.

 At NCECA be prepared to see some crappy work.

 You must be armed with vaguely upbeat but non-committal comments that suggest interest but cover your dismay, disgust or nausea. Here are a few.

•  Interesting
•  Look at that!
•  You price your work way too cheap.
•  That ‘s bold!
•  How much time did you spend on that?
•  I have never seen work like this.
•  I admire your courage to present work like this.
•  Now that’s a handle!
•  I didn’t think it could be done, but you have ruined dirt.
•  How many poo-flinging monkeys helped you with this?
•  You have raised the bar for craptastic work everywhere.

And finally you will find yourself in deep and meaningful conversations that you cannot wait to get away from.

 In these situations you will need a few polite ways to excuse yourself immediately. Feel free to use any of these:

• What time is it? Oh man I need to run.
• Oh there goes my ride.
• I am sorry but there is a lecture I really want to hear. (This one is hard to make sound truthful, I mean, holy cow, people talk so much at NCECA. Really how much can you say about dirt. I’d probably listen more if it was about me or Jersey Shore.)

It is always better if you can subtly make them want to end the conversation allowing you to leave still seeming interested in them as a person. So for the more advanced NCECA attendee try these:

• Do you have $50 bucks I can borrow?
• The infection is highly contagious; do you have any lip balm I can borrow?
• Whoops there goes my Irritable Bowell Syndrome
• Do you have any crack on you?
• My therapist says I am due for a beserker rage any day now.

Anyway I am looking forward to my time at NCECA this year. You will find me looking over the shoulder of one of my nearest and dearest friends.

Simon Levin is an irregular contributor to Sawdust and Dirt. He lives and makes pots in Gresham, WI. When Simon is not making or firing pots, fighting fires, or caring for his lovely family, he is creating such wonders as WikiClay! To find out more about Simon Levin and his pottery go to simonlevin.com. 

This Weeks Movers and Shakers

Here are this week's Top 10 movers from the FB Ceramic Index. Each week I track Clay/Ceramic Artists' Facebook Pages and log their numbers. The list is ordered by the biggest percentage of change in each page’s fans from week to week. The Index is far from complete, but so far I have 308 sites. If you aren't on the list, please leave a comment here and I will try to add it ASAP.

Here's little how-to:

• each artist's "box" is scrollable 
• scroll outside the artist's box to scroll down the page.
• if you are a facebooker and are logged in you can 'like' pages here. 
• if you want to leave comments or like individual posts, click on that post and you will be taken to FB.

I hope you find new artists to follow and that new followers if you are and artist on the list!

 

Gary Vaynerchuk

I shared this interview on our #virtualclay event page over on the Facebook the other day in advance of our NCECA talk next week. There are a few really engaging discussions going on there. I really think there are some great nuggets for creatives in this interview. I hope you enjoy and get something out of it.



some markers of the interview courtesy of youtube user Timor Kuliev
03:30 - “jab jab jab right hook” cover and overview
07:00 - Getting through the noise
11:10 - Photographers in social media
16:00 - Linkedin
17:30 - Working on your craft OR working on marketing yourself
19:50 - Humans of New York example to above
22:16 - Be Patient, Making a business is a years game, Marathon
23:50 - Hustle and working hard
25:00 - Inforgraphic - http://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/jjjrhinfographic/
27:30 - Forecasting the future, showing real emotions
32:00 - Why people fear social media, Privacy is dead,and more
34:40 - How to restore reputation
37:50 - How to fight repetition
39:50 - Believing in what you sell, and Complaining
42:15 - Success in vine and Being consistent
44:30 - What creatives waste time on, Information this days
50:00 - What is next
53:10 - Getting back in the game
55:40 - Old media this days, and do your own social media
58:40 - How to grow a Facebook page
1:00:40 - Balance with jab and right hook
1:02:10 - How to give back
1:04:00 - Focus on one platform perfectly or few imperfectly
1:06:50 - Do you ever stop when you reach certain success
1:08:20 - is social media really that important
1:12:20 - How to keep productivity high
1:14:20 - How important is blogging this days
1:18:00 - How to separate personal content from brand content
1:19:20 - Crowdfunding
1:21:00 - How to make a right hook seem like a jab
1:24:00 - Gary weakness, scale the unscalable

Funny Handles, or How I Delight and Scare Myself at the Same Time

I've really been trying to break out of some habitual pottery making, this week. Probably due to the stimulation and/or the self conscious reactions of conferencing! There's nothing quite like seeing presenters at a conference, or working side by side with some very talented potters to shake things a little loose in the head and the hands.

That's sort of the rationalisation or explanation of this pot, anyway.

Last night I needed to handle this bottle. I felt like it needed another element to fulfill some kind of balance. This isn't exactly a NC style jug, the neck is a bit long and narrow. The proportions don't scream whiskey. (maybe the shape is suggesting more of a Chambord type bottle?) So I thought I might give it a pair of vestigial handles, as you do.

As I pulled the little handles off the side of the pot I literally flipped the attachments above rather than below the attachment in a fit of spontaneity and experimentation. It was quite a little thrill.  [private wooohoo moment]

LOL

I know, ha-ha, sometimes I can be a little full of myself or melodramatic.

Anyway, all this just to say that I went with it and kind of like it! But like a new pair of shoes (which I really need, btw) it takes a while to get used to it. This ain't exactly Catawba Valley shape language anymore. I even hesitated to share this little odd pot with you! But, hey, it's just pottery, right?

Well that's all for now. It's Saturday, which means  that I need to update the FB Ceramic Index, but there's so much to do with my clay hands. And as you know, using a computer requires clean hands. SO the Index might have to wait.

P.S.

Will I see you next week in Milwaukee? If not, you can follow my trip here, or on IG, or on FB.  If you are on FB check out our interactive group page that Carole Epp has organized. It's sort of a companion convo to our NCECA presentation on social media( Friday 3/21 9 am). 

Thanks, as always for taking the time to leave me comments and reading my pottery bloggery.

Contrasts and Scale

Freshly slipped pots this afternoon.

The jar to the right was dipped in the bucket by holding the pot by the slightly out-turned bottom. The bottle on the left was covered with slip with a rectangular piece of foam rubber. I used a combination of squeezing the slip out and swiping through it.

But scale has its limitations or at least scale dictates the tools and suggests the approach. For example, if the piece is too wide for the container of slip, I pour the slip over the pot. Sometimes the pot is too heavy to grip by the foot, as in this case. Most pots that are easily handle-able, are dispatched by dipping.

I don't exactly know my motivations for not just setting up a way to pour the slip, and alternately grabbing the sponge to apply the slip, but in the first moments of squeezing the slip out and swiping I knew that I wanted to continue.

Ah, spontaneity!

The mark-making with the sponge seemed appropriately scaled for the bottle but I wonder how it will work on a smaller scale? Maybe a different sized sponge? I would have tried, but I'm out of pots for the time being. Time to make more and see!

Stay tuned,  "Watch this space!"

Form Factor--Design Challenge

Evelyn had some leftovers when we ate out recently and it came in this nice paper container. When I saw this, I immediately rescued it from the paper recycling bin with the intention of painting it. It was a real challenge. First of all, the paper has a light coating that my ink didn't immediately dry, so I had to do some dabbing with tissue. Also it was slow to dry, so I used my torch, not so good. ;-) but the challenge was stimulating!

If only I had a whole stack of these, I could really work out/sketch out some variations in pattern that might include some of the eccentricities of the form.

It's amazing that this establishment uses paper for take out. Most places use styrofoam. It's really a shame, isn't it? I will go back to the restaurant and get the same of the supplier.

paper cup

On the Wall

One more from today about things that pile up and so on.

In the course of a session in the studio, my wedging table gradually gathers various bags of clay, throwing bats, stuff. In the coming days I will begin to paint and glaze.

I painted the wall several years ago and painted the cardboard box a few months ago. Mostly I forget the stuff on my walls as I focus in on the objects I make, but the wall is sort of a subconscious reminder of what I like to do, decorate!

I liked how the pattern on the wall looks like its growing out of the bottle.

Coffee Break vol. 34

Vol 34 of my coffee break series is a four-fer, a quad, if you will. And if you look closely enough you can see a little dried coffee dribble on each cup. I guess I'm a sloppy drinker.

You can see all of the coffee break series by using the little search box on top of the right side bar.

or

by clicking the coffee break label at the top of the right side bar or at the bottom of this post.

the coffee cups are piling up in the shop!
clockwise, from upper left, Josh Copus, Emily Murphy,
Bruce Gholson, and Mathew Hyleck

[Crunch week reminder to self: buy coffee and melita No. 4's]

My Breaks with Doug and Casey

With deadlines looming I don't really have any time for anything other than making pots. But everyone needs to take a break every once in a while, don't we? For some it's 10, 2, and 4. Some need to boost nicotine levels every so often, but I quit that habit quite a few years ago. For me, I check in on my peeps, my blog roll, my watch later list, and entertain myself for a few minutes.

I thought I would share a couple of those videos here. The first is from my pottery bloggery buddy across the sea, Doug Fitch. In this video, I really enjoyed watching Doug decorate a magnificent jug AND very much enjoyed hearing his voice! Most of Doug's daily video blogs are speechless but anything but silent. At 1:20 Doug claims that there is nothing worse than hearing ones voice. But for me I treasure his lovely accent! Enjoy.




The second video is by my favorite 'viral film maker' and stop action animator Casey Neistat. It's a movie about a father facing the age/distance paradigm with his 13 y.o. son, Owen. Casey shares his thoughts in this 20 minute travelogue.

)

Well, thanks for taking a break with me. Now let's get back to work!

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Join the conversation on this excellent post by Whitney Smith at this artist's life: signs of burnout

Handle How To

making lots of mugs

I'm making lots of mugs and cups for my upcoming show in Dallas!

Guest Blogger: Rob Haugen

Installing a New Electric Kiln – Part 2

Electrical Safety and Requirements

In Part 1 of Installing a New Kiln, we discussed how to properly place the kiln and ensure that once it’s operational, it’ll be safe. Proper placement away from walls (at least 12 inches) and ventilation are crucial to safely operating a kiln. In this article, we’re going to look at power supplies, outlets, and energy to make sure that the kiln is able to function properly and at its full capacity. 

Adequate amperage and voltage must be supplied to the kiln to ensure proper function. The last thing you want is your new kiln blowing fuses and tripping the breaker so make sure that you’re equipped to handle the power the kiln needs to work. Once you receive the kiln, check the nameplate for the power specs. Depending on the type of kiln, you may be operating a 240 volt, single-phase model, a commercial grade kiln that may be wired for 240, 208, 380, or 480 volts at single or three-phase, or a 120 volt electric kiln that can be plugged into a standard outlet. No matter what you should always check the wiring and breaker to ensure that your kiln will operate fully and safely. Most commercial grade kilns require direct wiring and outlets so the assistance of an electrician may be needed.

 (Please review the wiring specifications and wiring charts for the kiln you intend to purchase.) 

 Once the proper electrical outlet has been established, plug the kiln in but make sure that there is enough space between the outlet and the kiln for you to move behind it. In the event that you need to unplug the kiln to service it, or for any other reason, you need easy access. Do not stretch the cord but make sure that there is room to plug in and unplug the kiln without touching the metal jacket.

By design, kilns generate an immense amount of heat and depending on the size and type, temperatures can range anywhere from 1600 degrees to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the high heat factor, the best surface to place the kiln on is cement. Other surfaces, like linoleum, may be damaged so cement is the best option. Also, keep the electronic controller within easy reach for heat adjustments and proper control of the kiln.

If you’ve decided that outside the home or studio is the best place for the kiln, that’s great too. Just make sure that moisture doesn’t get into the kiln. Rust is a factor, so if your kiln is outside make sure that it’s properly covered and protected from the elements when not in use. Now the kiln is installed, plugged in, and safe to operate.

So let’s get firing!!


Rob Haugen grew up with Olympic Kilns, following in his father's footsteps by providing electric, gas, and glass kilns. He works tirelessly everyday cultivating a deeper understanding of the ceramics industry and developing the Olympic Kilns.  Come by Booth #424 at NCECA and see the complete line of Olympic Kilns. 

The Great Road

opening night of The Great Road exhibition.
the green vase and jar are from the collection of Gibby Waitzkin

A great post by Colleen Redman about the Great Road exhibition at the Taubman Museum. I am honored to be part of this exhibit but regret that I wasn't present for the opening  to be with Donna Polseno (curator/potter), Josh Copus, and Kevin Crowe, all dear friends and comrades in clay. Check out the story that first appeared in the Floyd Press.

One Conference After Another

I've  learned my lesson after NOT being able to complete Pt 2 of the blog covering my wunderbar experience at the St. Pete Clay Florida Heat! SO,  before the wunderbar-ness evaporates as I re-enter all the stuff that needs to be done this week, before glazing, firing, and going to the next conference (#NCECA2014) I want to share some of the pics from the superb 27th NC Potters Conference.

My experience can't be summed up in just pics, especially with so few pics, but that'll have to do for now.

Thanks for looking.

what to wear at a conference

one more before I go
some last minute pottery swiping

ice storm cancelled most of the first days events. ;-(

the "not really photoshopped" pic of
Shapiro and Gill lighting up

live podcast interview with Dwight Holland
hosted by my podcast mentors, Ben Carter and Brian R. Jones

the AMAZING Michelle Erikson 

podderycast giants

the AMAZING John Gill
"throwing" a pot cross section with paper and scissors

Erikson squirrels

the gang at lunch. (l-r, Kyle Carpenter, Mark Shapiro, Ron Philbeck,
Brian R. Jones, Kristen Schoonover, and Karen Newgard)

one of my favorite Gill moments. throwing a bowl on Shapiro's wheel.
everyone stopped to watch!

There are lots of pics on Instagram and Facebook taken by folks who were there.

just use #ncpottersconf or #ncpottersconference

This Week's FB Movers

Last weekend I was at the NC Potters Conference and consequently I'm a little late getting the Index up. But here are this week's Top10 movers from the FB Ceramic Index. Each week I track Clay/Ceramic Artists' Facebook Pages and log their numbers. The Index is far from complete,
but so far I have 300 sites. If you aren't on the main list, please leave a comment here and I will try to add it ASAP.

This Top 10 list reflects the biggest jump in new likes among the FB sites.

Again a BIG Thanks! to Scott Williamson of Butterfly Bend Pottery for doing the database crunching to make this possible. Check out Scott and Debbie Williamson's web page here, and make sure you like their FB page, too!  Thanks Scott!

And now the list! If you're on FB, please support these hard working potters and sculptors!

Conference

We come together at conferences to share our fascination and love of our vocation, but sometimes it simply comes down to communing with our peeps! I'm sure there will be plenty of time (when the power comes back on) for instruction of technique, exchange of ideas, and the validation for our irrational passion for the mud, but sometimes it's the simple act of coming together that we crave as artists. It's a tribal thing. #ncpotterconf

#groupie

musing about mud: On your mark, get set, HIDE-N-SEEK!!!

Treasure hunt in Milwaukee!

Find out all about Hide-N-Seekah in this post at Musing About Mud: On your mark, get set, HIDE-N-SEEK!!!: 62 artists to follow on Instagram — 25 pieces to be found HIDE-N-SEEKAH is hiding 25 pieces of ceramic art in Milwaukee,...

Guest Blogger: Rob Haugen of Olympic Kilns

Installing a New Electric Kiln – Part 1

Safety Considerations

Before Installation there are many things to consider before installing your new electric kiln. Actually, there are many things you should consider before BUYING a new kiln including amount of space, ventilation capability and electrical supply. Assuming that all of those factors are accounted for, the next concern is how to go about installing it. Where should you put your new kiln, and what are the things you need to be concerned about in terms of safety? Good questions! Let’s dive right in.

The first thing to take into account is space. Obviously you should have a space that’s big enough to accommodate your kiln but there needs to be at least 12 inches of space between the kiln and the wall. It’s a safety precaution but it will also help you access the back of the kiln for servicing. In fact, if you can give it an even wider berth, do it. It’s definitely better to have a kiln in a wide open room alone than shoved in a cramped space.

Next, you should absolutely remove anything flammable from around the kiln. Typically this goes without saying but it’s not uncommon to accidentally leave something flammable, like a shirt, near the kiln. Take time to make sure that your environment is safe and free of clutter.

Now that the kiln is in the room (away from the wall by at least 12 inches) you need to ensure proper ventilation. As the kiln gets hotter during the firing process, the room it’s housed in will also get hotter. It’s the same effect as if you were in your kitchen. Hot stove equals hot room. For a gas kiln, it’s essential that an exhaust hood be placed above the kiln to remove heat and gases like carbon monoxide. Even if you are going to install it outside, make sure that your gas kiln meets all local regulations in terms of ventilation. If you are unsure about proper ventilation, contact an electrician or other expert to guide you. You’re dealing with heat and fire so it’s definitely a case of “better safe than sorry”.

Your kiln is now placed in an appropriate area, free of clutter and set up with proper ventilation. It’s time to get down to the actual operation of the kiln.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Installing a New Electric Kiln to learn about electrical requirements and how to stay safe once the kiln goes live.



Rob Haugen grew up with Olympic Kilns, following in his father's footsteps by providing electric, gas, and glass kilns. He works tirelessly everyday cultivating a deeper understanding of the ceramics industry and developing the Olympic Kilns.  Come by Booth #424 at NCECA and see the complete line of Olympic Kilns. 

Made with Care

I promised myself not to make excuses for my 12x12 tardiness, because your time is valuable to me, but it has spurred some thoughts.

Time is our most precious commodities as creative people. It takes time to make our stuff. Yet time is something I give freely when asked. Whether it is an unannounced visitor to the shop, or email inquiry from a student, or a call from my daughter’s school, I most always stop what I’m doing and attend to these interruptions. I care, right? [I write, right?]

But what happens to my 12x12 rule, then? My commitment to making those 12 pots? Coming up short isn’t necessarily an epic fail. It’s a fail, for sure, but at the core of the rule is that I try. A good friend of mine once advised me as I was faced with a daunting task to just make it look as though someone cares. That thought has stayed with me many years. His idea was a kind of permission, a pressure valve, a prayer from judgment. It’s a concept that keeps us from the brink of giving up, of losing hope.

At the core, 12 x 12 is a motivation, an inspiration, to get our hands on our stuff, to make something. It’s a coach, it coaxes us to just do it . It’s the hope of a small goal leading to a large goal, which is, after all,  the important stuff, the stuff that might seem daunting by itself.

Years ago, my mother-in-law, Jackie, jokingly posed the question, “how do you eat an elephant?”

You might have heard this, before?

Her answer, after my dumbfounded expression and pause was, “One bite at a time.” [canned drum roll and apologies to all animal lovers, elephant lovers, vegetarians, vegans, et. al]

The point is, that by giving some kind of effort, things do get done. They may not always get done in a timely fashion, like high noon, but hopefully something comes out of trying. I tried to write 500 words a day back in January and was able to realize that a week was about as long as I could keep going, but it was a construct to led to really a meaningful experience for me.

As creative people we notice stuff, about the world around us and within ourselves because when we do, when we make stuff, it gives us satisfaction. Maybe joy? It gives us a footing in the world, it’s grounding.

Whether these objects embody that joy that comes from making is hard to know, but the important thing is that we care and we try. No judgement, no critique.

SO haters gonna hate, Time and attention police may scorn as there look at the time stamp on this picture, but here is my effort from this morning, All 13 made before and after 12 noon as several hurdles were thrown in their way. But those hurdles will be long forgotten in the hours, days, and weeks from now when these pots come out of a kiln and the pots succeed or fail in a far more important way.

I guess that’s my excuse, anyway.

[your thoughts are kindly welcome and sometimes needed. they motivate.]

Thanks for reading.

#virtualclay

musing about mud: #virtualclay - join us in the conversation

#throwdown

 I got the message from my "coach" and good friend, Ron Philbeck, to "go make some pots" this morning.

So I did! (after all the office work that was past due.) It was a sloppy 12 x 12 and they came a little after noon, but they are done and I'm off and running for the day. Sometime its takes a coach!
Thanks Ron. [Ron really is a coach. A Crossfit Coach! Go Ron!]

Speaking of coaching, why don't you take the 12 x 12 challenge with me. Post your daily dozen on your favorite social media outlet: blog, twitter, instagram, facebook. Use #12x12 as your hashtag and that way I can find your pics and collect them for a post on this blog next week when I get back from the NC Potters Conference!!

when the boss speaks, you listen

#mugshotmondays

Evelyn and her Carole Epp mug.

Happy monday y'all!

next up, 12x12. then maybe Heat pt. 2

arghh, time!

This Weeks Movers and Shakers

Here's this week's facebook clay artists movers and shakers! You can scroll within each artist box. Click on pics and posts to go to the facebook page to comment and/or like!