Dust Control

This weekend was the annual cleaning of the studio in preparation for winter when the windows are closed and water is an issue. I have no plumbing in my studio so I must schlep in water. Summer is not a problem, as I can just run a hose to the building, and anything really messy gets hosed off outside. Soon the outside faucets will be shut off, and I will resort to carrying in gallon bottles of warm water.

Studio cleaning began with resieving all my glazes. This was a big, messy job but needed to be done. Some of the glazes had what appeared to be small stones which had formed since the glazes were last sieved, another mystery to be solved. I am sure John Britt knows the answer.

I threw out terra sigillata I had made in various colors. It was all made from XX Sagger clay and, when fired, crackled on every piece. Today I made terra sig using OM4, which tends to better fit the clays I use. Word to the wise - terra sig needs to be tested just like glazes.

I also threw out some half-made pieces with which I was not happy, and there will be more to follow those into the trash can. I have decided finishing something I don't like is a waste of time and keeps me from creating something else.

I installed a 12-foot shelf running the length of one wall over the windows, and I plan to install another on the other side. This provides a lot more storage space, and it is a great place for small things which tend to create a lot of clutter and collect dust. Shelves above windows do not block any sunlight and use otherwise idle space. It also forces me to stand and stretch way up to reach those things, something I need to do when I am working hunched over the wheel or work table.

I also wedged a lot of clay which needed to be reclaimed. I detest wedging clay. I am hoping some enterprising person will buy a pug mill, put it on a trailer, and take it around to various potters' studios to pug clay. In the Asheville area, someone could probably do that full-time and have a waiting list of customers.

After cleaning out junk and reorganizing, I even scrubbed the floor and washed the windows. The piliated woodpecker sat outside laughing in a tree, but at least now I can see him.

I want to make a serious effort to keep my studio reasonably clean. This will mean making a concious effort to not create dust inside and to clean any wet mess before it dries. I think it will save time in the long run, but we will see how that goes. It will certainly make the studio a safer place to work.

The kiln is nearly full for the next bisque firing. I have room for something very short on the top shelf, maybe a platter. Later today I am going to Wildacres for an all-week class with Cynthia Bringle, so the platter will have to wait. I am looking forward to a couple days of being off the grid and in the mud.

Measuring Up

I love making big pots. Recently I was reading The Penland Book of Ceramics, and the chapter on Cynthia Bringle inspired me to try to make a tall pot for the first time in several years. I made three sections, each about 10 inches tall, planning to add a top with a narrow neck. I left them to sit in the studio overnight before assembling the pot the next day. About 3:30 in the morning, as I was laying awake solving the world's problems, I realized my kiln would not hold a pot that tall. In the morning, I went to the studio and measured my kiln. I could fit a 25-inch tall pot, still a good size. I assembled the pot, saving the top third for the top half of a large pitcher.

I used plastic and wood ribs to make a lot of marks in the pot. The next day I used a cheap yardstick (less than a dollar from Lowe's paint department) to beat the hell out of the pot. The yardstick is lightweight and flexible, so it really adds some nice marks. Beating the pot also helped to release some of my aggravation with the current political campaigns. It wasn't until I went back a few days later and added Newman's Red terra sig to the pot that I noticed the details of the impact of the yardstick.

In a few weeks I will be taking a class from Cynthia. Making this pot has given me a number of questions for her, so I am glad I made it when I did. Right now it is in the kiln for a bisque fire.

Hearing voices?

Today was a day when I needed someone to lock the studio door and not let me enter. Yesterday I threw this rather large vase out of twenty pounds of clay. I planned to pull the top up higher and deeply carve the bottom. That was a pretty good plan, as the vase was made in two pieces, and continuing to throw the bottom would be a good way to make the whole thing catawampus. I put it back on the wheel and did a pretty good job pulling the top. Then my rebellious side took over and decided she would try to throw the bottom higher too. I really did hear that little voice telling me not to do so, but I did it anyway. After I destroyed the pot, smushed the clay into a blob, and stuck it back in a plastic bag, I left the studio for the rest of the day. Maybe tomorrow will be a better pottery day.

I assume other people hear that little voice. So far, every time I have ignored it, I have regretted doing so. I really need to listen to her and save myself a lot of aggravation.

Progress in Handbuilding

I have been working on handbuilding with Mary Mikkelsen for the past several  months. Handbuilding is a slower, more meditative way of creating pottery.

Most of my handbuilding begins with making slabs of clay. I don't like making slabs, so I tend to make a number of them at one time, layering them between sheets of plastic and sheetrock. The plastic keeps the clay from drying out and the sheetrock from getting moldy. I have a small slab roller but find the best work comes from handmade slabs. Today the UPS man delivered a huge rolling pin, which should help.

Once I get a couple good-sized slabs made, I am quite happy to spend the entire day making things, stopping only when I run out of slabs or my back gives out from standing in the same position all day.

This is a piece I made yesterday. I added the feet today. The newsprint under the feet allow them to move as the pot dries, helping to prevent cracks. This is a low-fire, red clay. I don't usually use dark clays, but I have some and need to use it. I prefer not to throw with it, as throwing makes a lot more mess to clean up. Even though I know light clays make just as much mess, somehow the mess from red clays seem a lot more difficult to clean up. In my fantasies, I have a studio large enough for two complete areas, one for light clays and one for dark. In reality, I clean a lot.

I used the leftover slab to make this wallhanging. The insert is woven strips of clay. I am not sure where I am going with this piece. It is really a prototype for future wallhangings. I like pieces which hold organic things such as pinecones or seashells. I had not idea what to put inside this piece so decided to try weaving some clay to see how that works out.

It has been nearly three weeks since my knee surgery, and I am finally back in the studio. Today was spent glazing pots and loading the kiln which as I write this has just begun firing. It will be two days until I can open the kiln and see the results of my work. Opening the kiln always feels like being a kid on Christmas morning, hoping I will get at least some of what I wanted!

I have begun taking hand-building lessons with Mary Mikkelsen. Mary and her husband Henry Pope collaborate in making beautiful work at Mikpo Pottery, and learning from her is a wonderful opportunity. Now that I have gotten glazing out of the way, I have enough room in the studio to practice the techniques Mary showed me. Working in a small studio means space is always an issue, but having the windows open makes the space feel larger. One of the birdhouses on the studio porch is again inhabited by a little Carolina wren who sings from sunup to sundown. This spring he seems to especially enjoy singing along with Robin Bullock's guitar recordings www.robinbullock.com .

I have also resumed hammered dulcimer lessons with Donna Germano classictouchmusic.net and am trying to spend some time each day practicing that. Playing the hammered dulcimer is like trying to pat your head while rubbing your belly and standing on your head at the same time. If it doesn't drive me batty, perhaps the brain exercise will help prevent dementia. There is a little song sparrow who sometimes sings along. His taste in music is obviously not nearly as good as the house wren's.

Dry Ridge

People keep asking me why I chose the name Dry Ridge Pottery. We live just south of Weaverville, North Carolina in an area known as Dry Ridge. We are surrounded by mountains which do interesting things to our weather. Often in summer, huge rain storms will come toward Dry Ridge, and they pass right by us without leaving a drop of rain. Others in the area get frequent downpours while we get almost nothing. Last summer we had two days of rain, the preceding summer, one. Better to be Dry Ridge Pottery than Dry Ridge Farm.


Today I picked up some gorgeous new glazes and am anxious to try them on those lidded jars. Buddy accompanied me to Highwater Clay for the first time and made lots of new friends. Unfortunately, he cannot hang out in my studio, as the stuff on the floor of a pottery studio is not something he needs to ingest, and Buddy eats just about everything he can get hold of. One of his current favorites is maple tree seeds.

Kapow!

I opened the kiln today to discover that two pots had exploded in the kiln. These were two of the four pieces for the fountain. I imagine they were not quite dry before firing. The challenge will be making replacements that will fit with the pieces that survived. Thankfully, it was a bisque firing, so I did not have pieces glazed to the kiln, and there was no damage to the kiln. It did motivate me to vacuum the inside of the kiln, something I needed to do.

Clay shrinks as it dries and again with each firing. Making replacement pieces of a certain size and shape is always a challenge. Pieces also tend to change shape a bit, which is why lids are usually fired on their pots rather than separately. Even teapot spouts thrown on the wheel tend to uncoil a bit in firing, so, if a spout has a definite bottom, many potters will attach them turned a bit so they will rotate to the correct angle. Just one more reason I don't like to make teapots!

I was finally able to get back out to the studio today. I am waiting for knee surgery to be done in a few weeks. In the meantime I have learned that being in pain greatly diminishes my creativity. I can force myself to make pots, but creativity cannot be forced. Two artist friends have recently shared that they have been experiencing the same thing. One of the ironies of getting older is that we tend to have more time, but aging bodies are not always able to keep up. I am looking forward to being able to resume physical exercise like walking and yoga, things that allow me to enjoy long hours in the studio.

Yesterday I attended the annual Catawba Valley Pottery and Antiques Festival. Daniel Johnston http://danieljohnstonpottery.com showed a video about his Large Jar Project and demonstrated skills he learned in Thailand. I was not planning to buy anything at the show, but I fell in love with Charlie Tefft's work and brought home one of his pieces, a lovely platter with two Carolina Wrens, my favorite bird. http://ctpottery.com/. One reason I went to Catawba was to pick up some inspiration for my own work. Having a studio at home can be isolating, so I have to make time to stay in touch with other potters and their work. I am grateful to live in a community with so many extraordinary artists.

Today I started a fountain inspired by one I recently saw. Making a fountain which works correctly is a feat of engineering. I want this one to make enough noise that I can hear it in several rooms, but not splash enough to make a mess. The design I am working on requires at least five pots which are then assembled into the finished product. Halfway through today's work, I wondered why I did not just buy a ready-made fountain and spend my studio time making something else. Stubbornness, I suppose.

The only drawback in having a tiny studio with lots of windows is lack of storage space. I have pottery tools hanging from the window frames and sitting on the sills. I am considering ways to hang things from the rafters, especially since reaching up high to grab something is a good way to stretch out a body which has spent hours hunched over the wheel.

This week's unseasonably warm weather allowed me to open all the windows, transforming the studio from a closed, cozy space to merely a holder of clay and tools as I seemingly potted in the woods. The birdhouses have been cleaned and are ready for the many possible residents who have been checking out available homes. The gardens think spring is here, and everything is sprouting new leaves and even some flowers. There is something about potting in the midst of nature that feels very right, as if the beauty and enthusiasm of nature feed my creative energy in a way nothing else can. 


This area is full of artists of all kinds, many of whom say nature is their inspiration. We have a beautiful sculpture, "Welcome to the Mountains" created Ed Byers http://www.edbyers.com/. Sitting in our kitchen is a ceramic rooster salt shaker made by Cindy Trisler http://www.mudlusciouspottery.com/ . Cindy and her husband also raise food and are a source of terrific chicken-friendly eggs. We enjoy sharing our home with art which reflects the beauty of this area. Those creations are even more special when we know the artists.

Help the economy. Buy something created by a local artist. You really will be glad you did!

I had meant to post at least twice a week. A severely sprained knee kept me out of the studio until yesterday when I was able to play in clay for a couple hours.

Some lidded jars are drying and almost ready for the kiln.

I added terra sig to another piece to see how it would work on something so highly-textured.

As for today, it is pouring rain, but the Downton Abbey marathon is on PBS, and a big pot of soup is simmering on the stove.

Terra Sigillata

I love the way terra sigillata looks, rich and buttery, almost like leather. I recently made my first batch of terra sig. This platter just came out of the kiln. It is 14" in diameter, Newman's Red terra sig over Brownstone clay, cone 6 oxidation, NFS.

Luminary, 4", cone 6 oxidation, multiple firings, 2011.

These photos and the one below were taken by Joy Tanner in a photography workshop taught by Joy Tanner and John Britt. It was an excellent workshop. Creating a photography setup of my own is on my agenda. Thankfully, my husband Larry is a photographer and has all the expensive equipment.

Vase, 7.5 ", salt & soda, cone 10, 2011.

Glaze Drama

Swept Up Off the Studio Floor Glaze

This past summer I took John Britt’s week-long glaze class, aka Glaze Chemistry Boot Camp for Masochists. It was fun and inspiring, leaving us determined to create our own glazes. Upon returning to my studio, I decided to make some of the semi-matte glazes found in Hesselberth and Roy’s Mastering Cone 6 Glazes. The three glazes have the same base glaze and different colorants.

Lesson 1 - If something seems like a dumb idea, check it out before doing it.
John had said that, when mixing dry glaze, to lay it all out on a sheet of paper. John of course meant to write out the recipe, but my brain had imploded from all the discussion of chemistry, so I translated his remark to mean laying the dry chemicals on a sheet of paper. It seemed like an asinine idea to me, but I was determined to follow directions and lay out each 5000-gram batch on a sheet of newsprint.

My intuition told me the paper would tear on the way from the counter to the bucket, and it did. The entire 5000 grams of dry chemicals ended up on the floor of my studio. Thankfully, I had not yet added the colorants, so the mess was not as toxic as it could have been. Keeping on my respirator and gloves, I swept up the mess into a glaze bucket. I figured I had nothing to lose by going ahead and mixing it up as a glaze, so I did.

Lesson 2 – Pay attention to the details.
The recipe for Field Mouse Brown called for manganese dioxide as a colorant. I did not realize it came in two different size grits, and I purchased the 80/100. Maybe 5% of it made it through my 80-mesh sieve. After consulting with several more-experienced potters, I decided to add 200-grit in the amount called for.

Lesson 3 – Do not try to test new glazes in a brand new kiln, and don’t make assumptions.
My test tiles looked fine, so I decided to try the glazes on actual pots. In addition to bisque ware I had been hoarding, I had a set of very small, thin bowls. The one in the photo is about 3 inches across at the rim. The cone 5 test cone which had come with my new kiln had come out perfectly in a previous firing, so I assumed the kiln was firing correctly. In reality, it was not even close. The small bowls came out fine, but the larger pieces fired way too hot, and the glaze ran a lot. Thankfully, I had listened to my intuition this time and used extra bisque ware to catch drips.

The new kiln is a whole other story, but it took numerous firings to correctly calibrate the thermocouples. They are now set to 45 degrees more than the factory-set 18 degrees. The cone 6 firing was actually 7+. I like the glaze on this bowl, but only thin, small pieces can be fired with this glaze at 7+. The bowl has some nice striations running vertically, I think from the larger grit manganese dioxide. To get any of these three glazes to look as they do in Hessberth and Roy’s book, I have fired them to cone 5 with a 2-minute soak. They would probably look better fired to cone 5 ½ or with a longer soak .They all run off pots if fired to cone 6. I have not yet figured out why and am open to suggestions.

Lesson 3 – Keep your sense of humor. It is the only thing standing between you and insanity.