1001 Pots 2018 coming soon

Spring sale 2018 Stewart Hall Claycrafters Pottery Studio

1001 pots 2014

The show is coming up in July through August and I will be there with my work. Stop by and see me if you can.

Bryan Newman on British Studio Pottery Collectors

Pottery Video: Measuring Prints for Specific Forms | FORREST MIDDELTON

I am going to purchase the download of this Ceramics Arts Daily with Forrest Middleton. I am interested in learning more about silkscreen methods and I think this will be invaluable.

Pissed off in Paris: Another View of the Garden

Pissed off in Paris: Another View of the Garden:                                

My friend Cathy Baran is a fine writer/journalist. And this is a fun read for those who love/hate Paris.                                        ...

Glazing begins

I am beginning a glaze cycle today probably for next 2 weeks. Two different types of kiln. The majority into electric kilns and I have 2 other firings using a wood kiln. I want to locate a crazing slip to try on some of the wood fire pieces. This wood kiln doesn't deposit a lot of fly ash and so I am trying to figure what to apply to the surfaces of the pots to make use of what does fly their way. This wood fired teapot has a shino glaze and its tray was electric fired.

Tibetan New Year Wishes

Happy Year of the Water Snake

begins Monday February 11

Form and Function with Hasegawa Natsu

Here is a youtube that shows the work of a young japanese potter Hasegawa Natsu

and her methods of work. At the 7:46 mark there is a display of her pieces presenting food. Wonderful, beautiful unity of form and function! And something that I am very interested in developing in my own work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0lBDIVPHD0&list=PLF8D40BC2E9B38E9B

Heaviest snowfall since 1971

December 21th we had a meter of snowfall. That's a lotta snow. Our Tempo collapsed under its weight. We also thought it wise to take some of the load off our roof in case while away from home new storms came with more accumulations. It did storm again on the 27th with lessor amounts for us but Montreal was hit hard with 45cm during the storm and then another 5cm afterwards. Ploughing the streets has been overwhelming for the crews and many streets are still covered and piled high. Here is an image from Global News

These are the working hours in the studio for the next few weeks into January 2013 -KILN ROOM: CLOSED from NOW UNTIL JANUARY 18th -STUDIO: OPEN until JANUARY 6th -STUDIO: CLOSED between JANUARY 7th AND JANUARY 18th. Friday Dec. 21 OPEN regular hours Saturday Dec. 22 OPEN regular hours Sunday Dec. 23 OPEN regular hours Monday Dec 24 CLOSED Tuesday Dec. 25 CLOSED Wednesday Dec 26 CLOSED Thursday Dec 27 OPEN from 1 – 5 pm Friday Dec 28 OPEN from 1 – 5 pm Saturday Dec 29 OPEN from 1 5 pm Sunday Dec 30 OPEN from 1 – 5 pm Monday Dec 31 CLOSED Tuesday Jan 1 CLOSED Wednesday Jan 2 CLOSED Thursday Jan 3 OPEN (regular hours)

Adequately insulated?

This is a view from the uncompleted wood storage shed to the small insulated studio building. We just spent the past week there checking out if our insulation work over the summer was adequate to keep us warm in the winter months. So at minus 15 Celsius we were cosy. Can we remain as warm when it dips to minus 30? Yet to be experienced. Maybe January will throw some seriously cold weather and we will see how well we did our job.

Presenting food on studio pottery

Went on a search at the local biblioteque to find cookbooks that show food presentation. I found a few mostly Asian that were interesting. Elizabeth Andoh published a few tantalizing editions of the sort of thing I was looking for. And a few of the recipes served in various pots.

Along with this is Marcia Tani Paul's blog at http://maashaclay.wordpress.com/ She presents recipes and food on studio pottery created by various artists including some of her own. I really enjoy receiving the posts she makes

I want to really get serious about what I make and how it could be used in daily food preparation and serving.Here is one approach to a banquet feast I found online from Country Homes & Interiors Magazine. I don't know who created the work but it is wonderful.

The Fire has been lit

The fire has been lit and keeping us toasty and warm. There is no snow yet but anyday it will surely arrive. We marked our roadway with posts for snow clearing and might still have the chance to raise a Tempo to keep snow off the car. Here is a picture of the stove with its first wood fire going.

Winter and a woodstove

I am still alive and kicking. We are currently in Montreal as winter looms and we still have not installed the Intrepid II wood stove from Vermont Castings. It is such a beautiful little stove and it will allow us to stay longer into the colder times ahead.

And this is the building it will keep warm once we solve some of the many small insulation issues.

I am late, I am late for a very important date, no time to say hello, goodbye... I am late, I am late, I am late.

I feel like the white rabbit these days with the move from city to Gore and then back to the city to glaze and fire. Also doing things in preparation for my niece's upcoming wedding which took me to the land of twilight while trying to be dressed in clothing I have great difficulty in relating to. I have so many deadlines and delivery of work next week I hope I don't forget my own name.

End of the May already!

MAY 2012 just a few days left. Here is a picture of Gary working today with another of his specialized hats (a recycled brown paper bag with famous logo which you see lying everywhere by the roadsides).

We saw this specimen of a skunk cabbage poking through the ground last week. The following is quoted from a botanist's webpage ....

Common wisdom is that skunk cabbage is a stinky, ugly trash plant. Wrong. I have read that the smell comes only from the leaves that only unfold after the flowers are done but that the smell's purpose is to attract pollinating insects. Not possible. It is said that you can eat raw skunk cabbage leaves after boiling; other reports indicate that you'd do better to invite an actual skunk into the kitchen because, then, at least the skunk would (possibly) enjoy the process. We continue to work inside erecting a dividing wall for the bathroom. Here is Gary with his Tom Terrific hat on, allowing him to do the best job ever!

Elements

Arts Morin Heights is having a group exhibition. Saturday is vernissage day. The theme is Elements which I interpret as Earth, Fire, Water, Air or Wind and Space. I made five tiles and using oil paints proceeded to paint the bisqueware. I didn't have enough time to use slips and mason stain so I opted for this approach.