I couldn't resist...

Have you noticed all the birds on pots these days?

studio update to come later.

empty promises

I really don't like to write negative posts. I feel like it only gives more fuel to bad energy. To put a positive spin on this I feel I might save another artist some disappointment and frustration.

Many of you know that Lark is publishing another 500 Teapots book. All of the books in this series are treasures. Jeff has been fortunate to be in a few these books in the past. He wanted to submit a couple of teapots for this new publication. The only problem was that his photos were slides. Prior to leaving for Korea we found a company in Raleigh, NC that converts slides to digital images. He called them and asked if they could meet his deadline of April 20th. They said absolutely. He didn't even want a CD, they could FTP him the images to make the process quicker. We packed the slides and mailed them via priority mail that very day. The next day they confirmed they had the slides. On April 20th (the deadline for the book) they said they would e-mail him a link to the files before the end of the day. At 4:30ish he called and no one answered the phone. He left a message saying he needed the file and to please e-mail it.
NO RESPONSE
Jeff missed the deadline for the book.

He went to Korea and never heard a word from the company. They also didn't send a disk with the images or return his original slides while he was away.

When he got back he called them. They said the order was marked complete and they didn't know why he never got his files or his slides back. They would mail them that day.

Two weeks passed. Jeff paid for the job with Paypal so he file a complaint. The next day he got his original slides and a disc with the images... more than 6 WEEKS LATER!

Of course now we discover this company has screwed over many, many, people. They have something like 28 complaints against them on the Better Business Bureau website.

If you need to have slides transferred to digital images DO NOT USE DiscountDigitalArt in Raleigh, NC... they totally suck.

... that's my rant for the day and hopefully for the rest of this year.

Good luck to all who were able to submit an entry for the book!

family, food & fun

I think this might be the world's largest fiddlehead!

Inside the aviary at the NC Zoo.

I had such a great weekend with Danielle and Jason and I really hated to see it end. We spent a day visiting potteries and a day at the zoo. Evenings were spent eating great food (thank you Jeff for slaving over the smoker all day to provide us with the most awesome barbecue!) and enjoying refreshing cocktails on the porch. Unfortunately I hardly snapped a photo all weekend.
Today it's back to making the pots. We fired another bisque yesterday and hopefully the glazing will get done today, and the gas kiln fired tomorrow. We are running low on inventory! Aside from having a fun weekend with company, we also sold quite a few pots here in Seagrove.
Can a weekend possibly get any better than that?

pig invasion

This morning, I woke up to this...

PIGS in the living room!

When Jeff came to bed last night he said he brought the pigs that didn't make it in the bisque kiln inside... I thought he meant inside the STUDIO. We had some heavy rain and thunderstorms and these piggies were on ware boards next to the bisque kiln that we fired yesterday. The kiln is under a shed roof attached the log cabin we live in. Jeff was afraid if the winds picked up, the rain could reach these little guys. It made sense to bring them in the house, he would have had to walk through the rain to get them into the studio. It wasn't the first, and it certainly won't be the last time, that various stages of pottery invades our living space!

Aside from finishing some beer mugs this week and getting a load of pots ready to be bisque fired, I haven't done much pottery work. Danielle and Jay are coming for the long weekend so I have been getting some overdue spring cleaning done. I am so excited for their visit! They are arriving on Friday and we are planning to visit potteries on Saturday and a trip to the zoo on Sunday. 

They are also bringing their new dog Lewi...

When we visited them in Connecticut, in March, they had just lost their beloved boxer Bizzy. They hadn't planned to get another dog so soon but Lewi just sort of came to them. Lewi is a year old and he has already had three homes. He is much calmer than Bizzy and loves to ride in the car. Since it's a holiday weekend they couldn't find anyone to care for him so he is taking a road trip too.

Hopefully Sophie won't be too freaked out...

an awesome trade

What can you get with a bunch of these?

I managed to get THIS!

One day, in early spring, I had mowed the lawn and commented on facebook that I loved the smell of freshly mowed, wild onions in the yard. Tim Christensen made a comment about how he had been in search of a certain wild onion to plant on his property in Roque Bluffs, ME. I snapped some pics for him and he said it was what he was looking for and would I send him some in exchange for a cup.

How could I say no?!
He asked what I wanted carved on it and I said SQUID!

I met Tim the first time I sold pots at the NH Potters Guild, Potters Market. He was set up across from me. You can see more of his exquisitely carved pots here. You may recognize his work from the cover of Ceramics Monthly a few years back.

workin' at the coop...

Last month when we selected our co-op days we knew Jeff would be gone for half the month so we had to choose our days around that. I ended up taking three days in one week. Some members like to do it that way but I like to spread them out a little. We have a few special orders of piggy banks to fill so I decided to plan their conception around my time at the co-op. Jeff threw 19 bodies for me the other day. I assembled half at home and I took the rest with me to the co-op. I like to make the most of my time while I am here...

The money slot is a pain to cut. Measuring, trying to be accurate, etc...

Jeff and I had been talking about making a slot cutting tool for awhile and yesterday he made one for me!

Created with two hole cutters, wire and a board. Not fancy at all but it does the trick neatly and quickly.

In between pigs I had a yummy lunch of spicy Asian noodles with some fresh kimchi from the Korean market in Greensboro. Smelly but hot and tasty...

I think we have enough kimchi in our fridge to last a year! When be bought it, it had just been made and it is supposed to get better in time...
and probably smellier.

Mashima

While Jeff was away in South Korea I read the Newberry Award winning children's book, " A Single Shard"by Linda Sue Park. A customer recommended the book to me and being a big fan of children's lit, I had to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed the story which wove a tale of the introduction of inlay work to South Korea in the mid to late 12th century.
As you know, Jeff came home with lots of little pots. Many with sgraffito designs and a few with porcelain inlay, also known as Mashima. He chose these pots because he knew that the carving and inlaid designs would inspire me...
I did some reading online as well as referring to my "go to" book for surface decoration, "Surface Design for Ceramics" by Maureen Mills. Maureen is the head of the ceramics department at the NH Institute of Art. I decided to try two methods of inlay. First was from Maureen's book, using a slip trailer to inlay the porcelain into my carved designs:

This worked best for vases which needed to be trimmed prior to the inlay. It was easy to clean up the excess slip with a scrubby but I did have some issues with the porcelain and stoneware drying unevenly.

Next I did some tiles where I carved them when moist and applied the slip with a brush immediately after:

Once the tiles were almost dry, I used a scrubby to remove the excess slip and reveal the inlay pattern:

This method was quickest for applying the porcelain slip and for the most even drying of the two clays, but it was a lot of work to clean up. I am not a fan of creating so much dust, I did it outside and really should have worn a mask. It was so darn humid today that I couldn't bring myself to wear one.
I am going to try two different glazes on these. Temple white, which is a translucent glaze and Celadon.

Jeff and I also collaborated on this little teapot...

Korean teapots are very small... this one fits in the palm of your hand. It was quite challenging to carve a design into!
Jeff may have been the one that made the trip to Korea, but his visit has inspired us both!

guilt, obligation, and disappointment

Another Hallmark holiday has come and gone. Mothers Day. I awoke and turned on my computer to see all the facebook postings of breakfast in bed, fancy brunches, etc. This is one those days that I have never really felt a part of. I think the only time I have had breakfast in bed was when I was in the hospital giving birth or having minor surgery!

The day for me has usually been spent visiting my mother or someone else's mother and typically that means getting up in the morning and making some sort of food to bring for the gathering and drive an hour or more to get there on time. While the days have been enjoyable, my mind is often elsewhere...

I have had two Mothers Days that were very memorable. I was selling new construction for a builder at the time and worked every weekend, Mothers Day was no exception. One year my daughter brought lunch to the model home for us. We were having torrential rain and most of NH experienced serious flooding that weekend and we had virtually no customers. My partner Mark was there and he opened a bottle of wine that we had in the fridge, washed some of the glasses that were part of our decor, and poured us each a glass. It felt so indulgent (and sneaky!) to be enjoying a glass of wine and a tasty lunch with my girl while at work!

The next year the weather was much better. After work I met Danielle at a very nice Italian restaurant nearby for an early dinner that included some very good martinis. We then went to her house and took a long walk in the countryside together.

Danielle and I have had many, many days like this, it just happens to be that these two were planned around Mothers Day... we don't need a "special" day set aside to enjoy each others company. Too often "holidays" like Mothers & Fathers day make people feel guilty, obligated, or disappointed. I know that over the years I have experienced each of those emotions on the so-called Hallmark holidays. It took me a long time to get over it... and I will admit that sometimes it's still a work in progress.

South Korea's National Treasure

Jeff and the other international artists visited Chun Han Bong while he and his daughter fired his wood kiln. Amazingly spry at 84 years old and still firing this big kiln!

images from MunGyeong

Jeff is slowly awakening from his travel coma and I am getting some photos out of him...

Courtyard in the MunGyeong festival grounds

 Psychedelic beetle

Walkway to the festival entrance. Jeff's hotel was nearby the site and they were able to walk there everyday. 

 Jeff cooked us a Korean style meal the other night... grilled pompano fish, rice, kimchi, along with other little sides of tofu strips and veggies.

On the studio front... I finished a couple of goblets. It's been a couple of years since I have made them. Once I got started I realized I should practice using stoneware before I make more in porcelain. I had a few that ended up in the scrap bucket. Next to the goblet is what I use for slip trailing. Clairol hair color bottles. So far it's what I have the best luck with, besides being inexpensive and long lasting (just like the hair color commercial says!).

return of the gypsy potter...

Jeff finally arrived in Greensboro this morning after missing his connecting flight in San Francisco yesterday. He couldn't get a flight east until 11:00 pm which made his long journey even longer. He was totally wiped out but even as we were loading his bags in the car he started taking treasures out of his suitcase to show me. When we got home is was like Christmas morning, except things were wrapped in socks and t-shirts! I couldn't believe what he managed to get in his suitcase.

 A brick of tea... the fanciest I have ever seen. This is tea from China that Jeff bought at the festival. He also brought some matcha powdered tea home, along with a whisk. I think I see a tea ceremony in our future.

 Beautiful sgraffito plate and on the left is Soju in a very fancy bottle. Soju is like vodka only slightly sweeter.

 These tiny treasures may be my favorites. Traditional Korean Inlay designs.

 I took this photo to give you a sense of size, like I said, tiny treasures!

 This is just a small sampling of the sake cups that he either purchased or traded for. Potters wrap their cups and tea bowls in beautiful scarves that have their contact information printed on them. Most often they are then placed in a wood box. This one is from the daughter of Korea's National Treasure. I am not sure that I placed the correct cup on top of the box. Jeff was fast asleep when I took these and I wasn't about to wake him up to ask! I really like the one in the foreground on the left. My quick photos doesn't do it justice. I appreciate the respect that pottery is given in Asian countries, wrapped in silk, placed in a special box. No newspaper or plastic bags. Jeff did bring a pot home in a paper bag and it was beautifully printed... I will try to get a picture of it. 

 LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

 and each panel is different

This is Jeff's certificate for winning the special prize for the Korean kick wheel competition... the only thing I can understand is Jeff Brown! The tissue paper on the left  has brush work and says something about Jeff and I already forgot what the story was behind that one.

This is only a small sample of treasures. There are many more little cups, little dishes, Korean wine, handmade jackets for both of us, and more scarves for me.

As soon as he awakens from his travel coma, I will have pictures and video from MunGyeong.

keeping busy

Friday I decided to clean up my act and throw some porcelain again. I have three lidded boxes in progress. They are so time consuming to make. Throw the pieces, alter and assemble, then add attachments and decorate. Each process requires some drying time in between. Today I completed this one...

 In between I threw a few cups and those were completed yesterday...

Yesterday fellow potter, Kate Waltman stopped in and we talked about throwing standing up. She said when she moved to Seagrove she made the switch. That was my plan but it never happened. She suggested that I give Jeff's throwing area a try while he was gone. So for the last two days I threw a few pots on his wheel...

Why didn't I think of that earlier in the week? It's definitely easier on the back. I had a little trouble with adjusting speed. This wheel is a Brent and I have a newer Shimpo. I also like the free-spinning wheel head on my Shimpo. I think that I am going to make the switch to standing, it's definitely better for your body.

On another note... Jeff was invited to participate in a Korean kick-wheel throwing competition at the festival in MunGyeong. They don't typically ask the international potters to participate, but this year they asked three of them (+/-?) to join in. Jeff was one of the winners... 300,000 won, which is equal to about $260. He said it covered the cost of the gifts he bought to come home with him.

When we Skyped this morning he was exhausted and ready to come home. He has tons of photos and videos. I miss him bunches and can't wait to see him!

remember my friend Steve?

Steve Cunliffe is an artist in NH and I recently acquired one of his "space" mugs. Steve not only works in clay but also in wood. Whenever we talk on the phone we share what we have been up to lately. Over the winter Steve took a break from clay and went back to wood working. I asked him to send me some photos.

Knife Block...

Pine carvings in process...

Steve hasn't made a decision yet on how he will finish these... a few ideas he is bouncing around is oil, whitewash, or even rubbing black shoe polish into them.
When I first saw Steve's pots I could see the influence of Peter Sabin in his work. More recently, when I see the carvings in his pots as well as on wood, I am reminded of Edwin Scheier.
If you haven't seen the dvd of Ed and Mary Scheier's life, Four Hands One Heart, I highly recommend it. Occasionally PBS will run it again but it is available for purchase. I have a copy and every so often watch again because it is such a sweet story.

I got off track there for a moment and now back to Steve. I am excited to see how he will complete these wood carvings and I will beg him for photos when they are done. Aside from this type of wood carving, he also makes furniture and cabinets. Steve doesn't have a website but this is his blog, that he never updates, but you can see some photos of his work from years back.

Time for me to get moving in the studio. I have 3 porcelain, oval dishes with lids to finish today and since it's Saturday there will probably be folks in and out of the gallery throughout the day.
Happy weekend!

**UPDATE***

Steve asked that I include a photo of him in the blog post and he sent me this one:

working quietly

These are a few of the pots I have finished during the last week...

There is one more ware board of vases on the shelf... I sure wasn't very productive this week! My goal was to make enough work to fill the bisque kiln before Jeff returns.
Time is running out.

one Gypsy Potter travels to South Korea...

I was able to skype with Jeff this morning and he also e-mailed me some pictures. Although this one I took off of another participants facebook page. I can't give him credit because his name was written in Japanese. This is a group shot taken when they visited the Korean National Treasure. I believe his name is Mr. Kim. Jeff said he was 80+ in years and still out there firing a wood kiln.

They visited a Buddhist Temple in the country today. Jeff wanted me to see the rock sculptures. We spent a week at Ogunquit Beach in Maine a few years ago and encountered a large landscape sculpture of rocks, among the beach rocks, and this place reminded him of that vacation.

He was telling me this morning that the food vendors at the festival all serve mostly the same things, except some serve little fried bugs.  The brave participants that tried the bugs said they were icky.

Jeff says he won't be eating from the vendors that serve bugs.

The New Trendy Pizza!

FRIED!  If you read potter Gary Rith's blog, you will know that he got me into this fried pizza thing. I make pizza once a week. It's my favorite food and there are no pizza joints in Seagrove so that means you have to make your own. Even when I lived in NH I usually made my own because I can be picky about pizza and it's way cheaper to make yourself.
After reading Gary's post I knew I had to try this so I did a little research of my own. I read a few different ways that restaurants were doing it and decided on a cross between those and Gary's pizza making demo. Like Gary, I used my cast iron skillet to fry the dough prior to baking. I decided to use canola oil because you can heat it at a higher temp than olive oil. My dough recipe made two small pizzas, one at a time in the cast iron pan. The first one I put too much oil in... the second one I didn't add any more and it was perfect. I won't give you all the steps, I am too lazy to type them out, so go to Gary's blog and read them!
I made a fresh tomato topping...

One tomato chopped, 1 garlic clove minced, lots of chopped fresh basil, a few grinds of Himalayan Pink Sea Salt & fresh ground pepper. I let this sit on the counter and absorb the flavors while I fried the dough. This is also a good sauce on pasta in the summer, after pouring onto hot pasta add chunks of fresh mozzarella.

Pizza #1 - fresh sauce, parmigiano-reggiano & fresh mozzarella. I went ahead and cooked the other one too, I figured leftovers are good and while I have all that stuff out and ready to go...
I didn't get a picture of it but it was the fresh sauce with a little jarred sauce added (I ran short on tomatoes) parmigiano-reggiano, pepperoni, mushrooms & shredded mozzarella. The #2 pizza was puffier than #1 and I think that was because of the difference in oil.
I have to say that frying the dough prior to baking, gave it a whole new taste and texture. It was excellent. A little more work and since I am lazy I don't think I will do it every week.
Just for a special treat.


Here is my favorite pizza dough recipe:

Dissolve on packet of yeast in one cup of lukewarm water, let set about 10 minutes and then add 2 tblsp. of olive oil

In a medium bowl, mix together:

2 cups bread flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar

Add the yeast, water, olive oil mixture to the bowl and mix until it comes together. Don't over mix. Cover with kitchen towel and let rise... usually only takes 1/2 hour to an hour, depending on the weather. I have found that the crust is more tender if you don't let it over rise.
This dough doesn't need any kneading. I roll it out on a pizza peel that is dusted with a mix of flour and cornmeal. I throw a little more flour on top of the dough when I pick it up so that it doesn't stick to my hands.
I bake my pizza on a stone that is preheated at 425 degrees. I preheat the stone for at least 1/2 hour. The pizza should only take about 15 minutes to bake.