More Handles

If I wasn't a potter I think I'd be a basket maker.  Just received an order of cane and reed and made a few handles.  The first two are smoked reed and the third is a combination of smoked reed and reed that I dyed with walnut husks and tea bags.  I think pots look great in the company of baskets.  I love the textural contrast with the harder, smoother clay.  And the darker handles bring out the richness of the ash glaze so well.

New Pots

Here are a few pots from the last firing.  It was mostly mugs, bowls, and other smaller things.  These were the ones I liked the best.

Red shino vase.

Ash glazed bell vase.

Shino tea bowl.

Temmoku pedestal fruit bowl.

Fired

Fired yesterday.  Conditions were great; blue sky, light breezes.  It was a slightly longer firing than usual but hopefully all will be well.  Unloading Tuesday.

Early in the firing.

Morning light on the kiln.

Late afternoon.

Last light.

Firing Friday!

Pots are all glazed and loaded.  The door will be bricked in and clammed up tomorrow.  The weather should be beautiful for the first firing of the year.

Favourite handle.  Hope survives.

Inspiration

A few years ago I attended a celebration that included musicians, one of whom was playing this marvellous bell.  I was so taken with the bell that I did a few quick sketches on the programme - we're potters - doesn't everything look like a pot?  Over the next couple of years the pots have slowly changed from that original inspiration.  Here are a few in order of production.  Interesting to see how they've morphed.

New Wheel

My new to me vintage 1974 Shimpo RK electric wheel.  My knee injury has still not resolved so if I want to keep making it's going to have be electric for the bigger pots as my treadle skills are not there yet.  It's taking a bit of getting used to.  I keep expecting it to slow as I'm throwing like the kick wheel does - a bit like cruise control when you're heading into corners and there's that panic when you're going too fast.  Just have to build a table around it for water buckets & tools and I'm set.  I'm very grateful that my friend had a spare one and that she sold it to me for such a good price.

Winter

Kiln & Studio from below

Sleeping raspberry canes.

Why I don't have a gorgeous flower garden.  We also see wild turkeys and once, a moose.  Actually better than a garden!

I rarely use the treadle wheel.  I bought it 2nd hand for the romantic notion of it.  I normally use a Lockerbie kick wheel which I love but a right knee injury 3 months ago, still not healed, means I can't use it.  Therefore the treadle.  Bit of a challenge remembering to keep that left leg going!