Bethel Horizons

I've moved! I am now working out of Bethel Horizons as a volunteer organizer. My studio space is mostly set up, and I plan on throwing some mugs on Wednesday. This is a new opportunity for Elemental Pottery. Expect great things!

Stay tuned...

3/50 Project

New wholesale interest!

Someone just got in touch with me and expressed interest in buying some wholesale stuff for a new store in Brodhead - the Harvest Moon. Pretty exciting, especially since the Artisans on the Square will be shutting down for good soon. I was planning on cleaning and sanding my pots this week from the firing I did in December, but before I put them up on Etsy, she will have first dibs. I'm all about selling my stuff locally. Hopefully this works out for both of us.

So after I do some much needed work on the van, I'll be in the greenhouse with a dustmask...

Man, I love this weather. I wish it would stay like this...

Etsy store!

I have opened an etsy store, and I have to say I'm liking it. Hope you guys do too:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6438250

Hi, everyone. Just to let you all know, I am getting ready for the first firing of the year. Right now, I am planning on lighting the kiln tomorrow, and finishing sometime Saturday the 3rd. If you would like to come by anytime during the weekend, please let us know.

So far, our show schedule is small, as I will be trying to get into more galleries this year. The first show will be at the Cambridge Pottery Festival, June 14th and 15th.

Hope to see you all soon!

April 2007 firing

The stuff is out of the kiln, and looks great. The ash coverage is excellent, and I got some nice, deep browns, and warm flashing. Needless to say, I'm pretty happy. Here are some pictures. Sorry I didn't have time to make the layout a little better, but I think the pictures are all you need anyway:

April 2007 firing

Enjoy. Comments are neat.

First firing of 2007 finished!

After 40 hours, we finished the first firing of the year. I peeked in the kiln this morning (36 hours later and it was still 500*) and the color looks promising. I will post pictures of the work after I open it tomorrow or Wednesday. Until then, here are some pictures of the loading and firing:


The door is almost bricked up:


Wood - cut and ready:


I used some good bourbon for my lighting ritual:


I keep the kiln below 200* for six hours to drive off any remaining water:


Taking is easy:


Getting hotter:


Bethany looking tough in the morning:


Side-stoking some wood and wet sawdust:


Almost finished (at about 2300*). Those are flames coming out of the chimney:


The moon:

Winter work

This winter has been hectic. I haven't been able to throw as much as I would have wanted, but what I have thrown, I am pleased with. This vase is about 19 inches tall, and was made in two parts. I also made a paddle which I have been experimenting with. I used it to create the texture you can see.



Also, I have been making planters which I am hoping to be able to market to greenhouses in the area, and possibly sell at home and garden shows.



Click on any of the above pictures to see more of what I have been making these past few months. I hope to be able to fire this stuff in about a month. Bring on the warm weather!

Weekend open house

This past weekend went well. About 50 people came through on Saturday, but only six came through on Sunday. It was raining all day, and the Packer game was on. Overall, I call it a success.

On Saturday, a neighbor came by with her son and daughter, and a bucket of clay that the little girl had dug from a creek bank in Monroe. The mother said, "She needs to talk to someone about clay." I let her throw a lump of it on the wheel, and she made a little cup. She is going to bring it back when it dries. Hopefully, when I fire it, it doesn't melt completely.

Ups and downs

My excitement when I opened the kiln was short-lived. When I got the front stacks unloaded, I found that most of the back was bloated badly. Pretty frustrating. I'm not sure why it happened, either. I may have not burned the carbon and/or the sulfur out completely, or I overfired. If anyone has expertise, please take a look and tell me what you think.

I did get some really nice stuff out of the kiln, though, and I really like how the test glazes turned out. The Shaner Oribe has especially caught my fancy. Half a success is better than none.

Recipes

I tested some glazes in my kiln this firing:

Shaner Turquoise Oribe (from Sam Hoffman's June/July/August 2005 Ceramic Monthly article):
Strontium Carbonate ... 9
Talc ... 4
Whiting ... 19
Custer Feldspar ... 28
EPK ... 3
Silica ... 37
___
100%
Add: Copper Carbonate 3%
Bentonite 2%

Euan Craig/Lee Love/my variation Oribe (from a ClayCraft post July 13, 2005):
Feldspar, NC-4 (Soda) ... 6
Nepheline Syenite ... 6
Calcium Carbonate ... 3
Kaolin ... 5
Woodash (from fireplace, mixed wood, unwashed, 30 mesh) ... 50
Silica ... 30
___
100%
Add: Copper Carbonate 5%

Rob's Green
Cornwall Stone ... 75
Whiting ... 18
Gerstley Borate ... 5
Copper Carbonate ... 10
Strontium Carbonate ... 7
Bentonite ... 2

Second firing done.

We fired the kiln again this past weekend. It is still cooling down, but we should be able to open it tomorrow evening. All are welcome to come to the opening and feel the still warm pots. I just peaked in and things look good. Many thanks to those who came and helped.

I picked up the new sign for Elemental Pottery today, just in time for the 14 South Artist Tour this weekend. Saturday and Sunday I will be giving demonstrations and tours, and the new pottery will be available for purchase. Even though I am the only artist involved in the tour in Brodhead, there are dozens of other artists within 30 miles of here. Visit www.14southartists.com for more information.

Hope to see you all this weekend!

I've been published!

This is from the Brodhead Independent Register, Sept. 14, 2005. Click on the picture for a larger version.

All covered

I put together the second firebox cover today. These should make closing up the kiln much easier. Hopefully the heat isn't too much for the cement. I also pulled out the grate bars, cleaned them up, and moved the better ones toward the back. I still have to get more wood, cut it, load the kiln, and brick the door before Friday. No problem!


Here's a picture of the glazed pots. Most of these are for Brady Lueck to pay him for building the frame for the kiln. The extras will be for sale during the 14 South Fall Tour coming up on Sept. 24th and 25th.

New workspace

I rearranged the greenhouse this week so I have a little more space to work. I will use this space mainly for storage, but will glaze in here, and in the cooler months, I may move the wheel out and throw here, too.

A week from now I should be ready to fire again. Wish me luck!

Mystery book

My Mom found this book in her church basement and gave it to me for my birthday. I have no idea what it says, but the pictures/plates are beautiful. There are 25 color plates and 12 black and white plates and there is a hand-stitched book included, all in a box with bone clasps. If anyone knows what this is or can translate it, leave a comment or email me. I can scan more pages if need be.

Click on the picture and then click the arrows to go through the seven pages.

Handles

Here are some scans of The Complete Potter's Companion (revised ed.) - Tony Birk. Click on the picture and then click the arrows to go through the four pages.

Moving along

I think I have enough pottery thrown to fill the kiln now. I threw some small cups today just to fill in the spaces and to do some test glazes on. Maybe one of the oribe glazes I've been thinking about.

This past weekend I helped Tony Winchester pack up his stuff. He is moving back to Iowa to be closer to his family. He gave me a bunch of stuff, including buckets, bricks, kiln shelf chunks, an old kiln that he got from Tom Hubbel (I may turn it into a bisque kiln one day), some clay, and a table. Man, does that guy know how to party! It was a little hard for me to keep up. I'm gonna miss driving out there.

Tomorrow, I think I am going to work on the collection box and the damper. Make it a little more airtight. I might start getting my glazing station ready, too.

Sore.

This past weekend went well. Click on the picture to see more.

I finally got most of my glaze materials from Laguna this week. Yesterday, I picked up two loads of wood from Sugar River Hardwoods, and today (my birthday) I'm pretty sore. I didn't realize how much work I was doing until I was done.

Well, before I can enjoy my delicious carrot cake, I have some work to do.