Showing posts with label bill van gilder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bill van gilder. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Back Porch Pottery...

After an evening walk I was out on the porch enjoying a glass of wine (it finally feels like spring!) and I was looking at all the pots that we have displayed out here. Our collection is so large we that we don't have room for it all in the house! I was admiring these two pots that I found in the closet after JZ died. I packed them up and moved them twice. It was until I came to North Carolina that they have been on display. The one thing that I hadn't noticed before is that these have both John's JZ chop and Bill van Gilder's chop. I know that these were made when he and Bill were in business together and I think that John made them, but I am not 100% sure. When I pick them up they feel like John's, but maybe I am a sentimental romantic!


I have quite a few pots that have both of their chop marks. Most are smaller and have more of a Byron Temple influence.


These pots evoke a southwestern feel for me and I wonder if they were made during the time period of a show in Frederick, MD at The American Design Store...


This card has been tucked inside John's kiln log & glaze recipe notebook. I treasure the notebook and refer to it often. The back of the card says the opening reception was on March 24, but there is no year. I am thinking sometime in the 80's. Perhaps John's family or Bill can help me figure out the date.

That's all the news from the back porch, sorry there was no musical accompaniment (lame reference to NPR's Back Porch music).




Sunday, March 4, 2012

wee little pigs

Literally, these are wee little pigs

about 3 1/2" long! too small for coins but wouldn't they be perfect for dropping in little wishes written on paper? Or a place to keep those fortune cookie fortunes that are just too good to toss.

I have been working in the studio by myself for the past three days. Jeff was volunteering and attending the North Carolina Potters Conference in Asheboro. Since he was up and out of the house early, I made it a point to get into the studio earlier than usual and be productive.

I was inspired by Michael Mahan's post on making pear jars in one piece, and decided to give that method of making covered boxes another go. John tried to teach me some years back but I was never successful. The first go around this time ended up in the scrap bucket. On the second attempt I dug out my Bill Van Gilder book and reread his tutorial on the method. This time I was more successful!

I am going to make some more this week, this time working on throwing them a little thicker so that my gallery isn't so thin. I also need to pay more attention to what the underside of the cover will look like while I am closing it in. Behind the boxes, bowl and cup, are some soap dispensers that I finished. Tomorrow I have 7 or 8 more of those that should be ready to carve. Everything has been drying very slowly.
Let me know what you think of the round boxes and if you have any tips on throwing one piece covered boxes & jars, please comment!