Collaborations for Celebration

The Celebration of Seagrove Potters show is next weekend. Each year at the Friday night Gala Preview Party, there is a live auction of special collaborative pots and sculptures. Jeff and I have been collaborating on a couple of pieces with our friend Phil Pollet of Old Gap Pottery.

Phil created a large slab built square bowl and stamped his design in the center. He delivered it to our studio and Jeff applied white slip.

When the slip set up, I carved ginkgo leaves onto the rim. 

We all signed the back. One piece was lost in the bisque so we were glad that we made two! Jeff sprayed the bowl with ash glaze and we fired it in our gas kiln.

We are all really happy with the finished piece. Almost hate to donate it! You never know what price it will bring at an auction.

Celebration of Seagrove Potters 10th Anniversary Show

November 17-19th

Historics Luck's Cannery 

798 NC Hwy 705, Seagrove NC

Process

Jeff and I are getting our collaborative work done for the Piedmont Craftsmen's show next month. We will be exhhibiting our work in a group booth, the weekend before Thanksgiving... the same weekend as the Celebration of Seagrove Potters.

Last week Jeff threw a few large platters and shallow bowls. It was so humid that it took forever for them to get to the point of being trimmed, slipped, and carved.

Yesterday I was finally able to get my hands on them.

Jeff had brushed on the slip days before.

I lightly sketch my design with a pencil. It was a little softer than I like to draw on, but we really needed to get these platters done.

Next I carve the ginkgo leaf outline.

 Then I carve away the background. This is obviously the part that takes the longest. I usually like to turn on the radio and listen to whatever is on WUNC public radio while carving. Sometimes I am amazed at how much time has passed when I am finished. I often switch between standing and sitting while I carve. It's a little easier on my "getting old body" to move around a lot.

Done!

One more to go today and then it's back to the wheel.

Happy News!

Jeff and I have been really excited about the collaborative works we have been creating. It seems like nearly everyday he hands me something and says, "Carve some ginkgo leaves on this." We have been so happy with the pots that a few weeks ago we decided to apply to Piedmont Craftsmen, here in North Carolina. Jeff spent a few nights photographing our work (he is a much better photographer than me) and uploaded the application. 

This week we got our letter of acceptance! There were 68 applicants this year, representing a variety of craft media. We were one of twelve that were accepted. This is the first part of the jury process. In November there will be a physical jury during their annual show. We are feeling pretty confident about the next step.

That being said, we got right back to work, glazing and loading the kiln. These pots are pretty labor intensive from start to finish. The interior is glazed in tenmoku and then the rim is dipped in the same glaze. The excess is sponged off prior to the ash glaze being sprayed on. Despite the drizzly weather, Jeff managed to fire the kiln, starting around noon yesterday and finishing in the wee hours of the morning today. We will anxiously await the door coming down on Sunday night.

Collaborations

Jeff and I collaborated on a mug order last month. All wide bottoms, some with his strap style handles and some with my pulled handles. Like most potters, if you have an order, you make extras!
These two are my handles with watercolor glaze combo and some fun little dots.

Someone special might like one or two for Valentines Days... clicking on the photo will take you to my Etsy shop.

It's Celebration Time...

The Celebration of Seagrove Potters show kicks off tonight with a preview party and an auction of collaborative pottery. The Large platter in the photo is the one that Michael Mahan, From the Ground Up Pottery, and I collaborated on. Michael threw the platter on the wheel and gave it his tree design and texture around the rim. He then delivered it to me to carve the ginkgo leaves.

When I was done, Michael, bisque fired, and then glaze fired in his kiln. I still haven't seen it in person but tonight I will get a good look at it. Keep your fingers crossed that it will bring in some big bucks!
We were able to set up our booth yesterday between 3 and 9 pm. It was such an easy set up that I keep thinking we must have forgotten to do something! I don't think the "f" word was uttered even a single time. Jeff and I were home at 7:00, and warming our soup on the wood stove.
Saturday and Sunday, Jeff will keep the gallery at home open, while I work the booth at the show. Last year it was a winning situation for us so why mess it up with a change.

Together We're Better

Jeff threw this large 22" vase over the weekend so that I could carve my ginkgo leaf design onto it.

I am always nervous to start carving into his pots! I have to talk myself into making that first mark. Thankfully I can lightly draw the design in pencil before digging in.

It took me about 5-6 hours to complete. At one point we turned it upside down, resting the rim on a bat, so that I could get to the bottom third without killing my wrist. I had to be careful not to exert too much pressure on the shoulder. Jeff and I are both pretty happy with the end result.

This is one of the many collaborative pots we will be working on this summer for a show in September at Campbell House Gallery in Southern Pines, NC. Stay tuned for some large platters.

Getting Ready for the Celebration of Spring Studio Tour

Jeff and I are doing some collaborative vases for the upcoming studio tour. Jeff threw some larger than I make vases, then handed them to me to carve away...

I always get a little nervous at making that first mark on Jeff's pots. After that first pass with the carving tool, the fear subsides!

Seagrove Area Potters Spring Studio Tour

April 20 & 21, 2013

38 area potteries will be participating. Tour maps are available at participating studios, now and on the weekend of the event. www.discoverseagrove.com