Capital f un

As I was getting a promo mailing out there, I thought, "Why not practice some brushwork on the envelopes?" So combining my tedious envelope stuffing with a little brushwork and my love of mail art...voilà (french for "voilà!"): FUN! If you are one of the lucky people on my carefully selected demographic mailing list, good for you. If not, sorry. Maybe I can get into the greeting card business and open an Etsy store like this one.

After Dinner Pottery

After dinner and some time catching up on my reading I returned to the old Micaville studio for some late night pottery. I finished a big jar and then tended to some big bowls by turning over and covering up with plastic as I will be putting up roofing tomorrow. I sat and looked around for a while, listening to some news and then threw a few lids for the jar. At the end of the "hump" of clay I was working off of, I had a tiny amount left on the wheel head. I could have cut it off, but sometimes this little bit of clay can become a nice little unexpected pot. So I threw what I call a 'monkey' dish, a little side dish, I guess you could say. Then I thought of Jenny Mendes and her beautiful little hand pinched bowls. So I decided, since we are having a show together at AKAR this summer, that I would try to make some little bowls inspired by Jenny's. Well here is a picture of some of the ones I quickly threw.

I didn't quite capture the intimate feeling of Jenny's pots(yet). Being pinched, they have a nice softness and wobbliness. She then paints a motif in the center that is always alluring. That will be another challenge, since I don't really paint figuratively. It will be fun to try. Here is one of Jenny's I found at her website, jennymendes.com. It's just 3" wide and about 2" tall!



In other news tonight...I am hopefully going to move in July to the new shop and I've been going through all the accumulated stuff of seven years in my studio. Before I took these mementos down from my throwing spot, I thought I would record it. There are pictures of my wife and kids, my niece and nephews, cards, reminders, etc. The little pot on the left was the first pot I threw after my accident in '05. For the record, I submit...

Shawn's Pots

We're back online! Hooray. It's so nice to be back on the Mac after a few days at the library's machines. At any rate I have been catching up with all the pottery blogging and am happy to see that everyone is still out there making beautiful pots (all over the world!).

My neighbor Shawn Ireland has a beautiful new website that showcases his pottery work and I have just looked at some really nice ones here. I do hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Shawn and I were resident artists at Penland a few years back. I was just over at his place the other day and saw him mixing up a new batch of clay. I'll have to stop by and see what he's making next week.

Drizzle and Drip

It's a drizzly rainy day here in downtown Spruce Pine, and I have brought a few pictures for you on my jump drive. Still without service at home, but no problem. My good friend Sam asked me if I make pots to show on the blog or blog to show what i make in the studio...Hmmm. I most certainly make pots for the blog!

Emmett Leader @ SOFA New York

My friend Emmett has some beautiful work going to SOFA in NYC. Check out the portfolio here.

Connection Interruption

My Internet service has been interrupted and I apologize for not keeping everyone up to date. I am well and I write this from my local public library in downtown Spruce Pine, North Carolina. Hopefully I will be back online soon. I hope everyone is well.

Blowout Redeemed

What does one do with a blown out piece of pottery? Patch the Holes? Abosolutely not! I just wedged up the clay and threw it back on the wheel.

The clay was a little stiffer and worked much better. This episode reminded me how the subtle difference clay hardness makes with different scale pots. This was 10 lbs. of clay and a little too soft, hence the torch. I covered lightly with plastic overnight, which 'evened' out the moisture in the pot, and rewedged the clay, using the wire to cut the clay as I wedged.

On another studio note...Here are a couple of lid treatments for a round jar. I know which one I like better, but let me know which is your pick.

Ayumi Has T's and More

Ayumi writes:

Michael,
I wanted to let you know about my new t-shirts in cases you wanted to mention them on your blog. Attached a couple pictures. They'll be available on Thursday at noon along with new pots and a winking cowboy postcard. The German word [Brennofennkatastrophenangst] describes the fear and anxiety one feels when something goes horribly wrong in the kiln, yet the results are unclear and one has to wait and wonder through sleepless nights, many hours or days, for the kiln to be cool enough to open. There are women's and men's cuts and 2 designs, though the ceramics fight design comes in a boy and girl version. $25each.

Thanks, take care,
Ayumi

But of course(said in french accent) Ayumi! I can't wait to get mine, seeing as German was my first language and angst will be my last.

Check it out at ayumihorie.com

Timely Letter & Not So Timely Blowout

Coincidentally, we received an invitation to our friend's Susan and John's wedding next month. On the envelope was this beautifully written calligraphy. Since I was thinking about brushwork and sketchbooks, I thought I would share this with you. It made we want to write this blog with a pen and ink.

Meanwhile back in the old shop...What not to do with your big torch! I was tired. It was late. No one was hurt.

This a great tool for getting a jump on your bisque firing! But I would recommend throwing the pot first.


And for those who like triangles, this view through the trusses of the new shop.


Have a great Wednesday.

Brush Sketch

Ron has posted some pages from his sketch book, which are always great. I got to thinking that I don't really keep a sketch book but, rather, keep a log of pots I'm making, sizes, weights, etc. Before I do my decorating I make some brush sketches like this one either on tracing/vellum or newsprint. This particular drawing ended up on the 'fridge next to the stove one day and I haven't moved it, hence spaghetti sauce spatter. (my apologies)


I've never been able to keep a sketchbook like Ron's. I've always had trouble drawing pots or patterns with a pencil/pen. I tend to "sketch" my pots on the wheel, and my patterns evolve on the pots as well. I always envy those with good sketchbooks...