Kiln Building
For anyone waiting patiently for more words on the converted soda kiln….sorry, you’ll have to wait a little longer. I’m off again starting tomorrow to assist my pal Shane Mickey with a ‘real’ soda kiln to be built with the help of a few students at Penland. Two weeks from now we will have built […]
Fresh Pots
The next few days after a firing are always an interesting period of reflection…it seemed to have gone well but one never wants to let expectations soar too high. It seemed Firing #11 went well, 23 hours is about right and most of the cones were down where I wanted them down. Unloading proved that […]
Fire It Up
Finished loading the kiln last night, ready to get the fire going. I’m headed for a few hours sleep this evening, then up at midnight to get it rolling. Forecast for the train ride is 24 hours of firing after a chilly overnight start. Thankfully a little help from some friends will trickle in, Tracy […]
At It Again
Been a while since the last report, I’ve managed to make some work in the studio during the last few weeks and I hope to fire the kiln in a few days, right before heading down the mountain to a little pottery festival in Hickory, NC. Stay tuned for a firing report coming soon.
Morning
Here’s to a happy and fulfilling new year for all. I’ve been out of the studio for a few weeks now, after a much needed vacation around the holidays. Back at home, it feels like it will be a bit longer before I can get back into the studio and get moving on the next […]
Update
It’s been a busy few weeks here on Roan Mountain, what with the firing and the Studio Tour and all. The last firing was very successful with nice pots coming out all around. My plates turned out well and are almost all gone already. More on the firing to come… I’ve gotten lost in the […]
MudFire Holiday Sale
If you’ve never met the good folks who run MudFire Studio and Gallery down in Atlanta, GA then now’s the time. I recently sent some of my pottery down for the big Holiday Sale which kicks off today, November 28 and runs through December 23. Over 100 ceramic artists will be represented, so you’re sure […]
Cold Out There
All potteries in Mitchell County, NC are reporting snow today. We’ve been getting some weather lately, as they say, cold snaps and snow showers. Here we have the view from the back porch which over looks the creek, and on the other side we see the woodpile, stacked in the Mitchell County tradition and shielded […]
One Day Only
Apparently something has been going on recently in a little placed called “Marshall” over in Madison County, NC. So it’s down from the mountain and through the woods, out on an island in the river. Friday I’ll be “taking a break from the studio” and attending a one day only artists’ market at the Marshall […]
Fall Break
Just a hint of fall color. A whole month come and gone since the last report. The general conclusion is that October seems to have disappeared some how. It’s been a busy month here on Roan Mountain, with a kiln firing the first week and back to back craft shows in the middle. Just started […]
Still Here
Finished Fresh off the wheel It’s been an awfully long time since the last update. Busy as usual since the last firing, mostly working in the studio with occasional distractions. I have about a week left to make work for the next firing, so hopefully I’ll be cranking out some good ones for the upcoming […]
Kiln Log #8
You may have noticed an obscure reference to the recent firing here on Roan Mountain. It was firing number 8 and sadly not as successful as the last two. After making some adjustments to the bagwall and firing approach I had two very good firings in a row. Almost all of the really cold areas […]
Take A Hike
Recently finished up the little summer tour here in western North Carolina. After 3 “craft shows” on three straight weekends, plus a kiln firing somewhere in the middle, it was finally time to take a break. Joy and I snuck away for a quick trip into the surrounding backcountry. I am often reminded of what […]
The Booth Shot
Just finished the latest firing here on Roan Mountain, but more on that later. At long last here are a few shots of the new booth, making a valiant effort last week at the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands. The display turned out as well as I has hoped, the general plan being to […]
Yet another stack of wood
Well the new display booth is finally resting for the night, ready for its maiden voyage tomorrow. The woodworking project turned out to be a lot bigger than I had imagined, as many things do. But after almost two weeks the booth is finally built and painted. I found myself pondering questions of craftsmanship, the […]
New Pots
A few more pots from the last firing, finally photographed. I had a few forms which were new or improved which I left bare, meaning no flashing slip or nothing. Just the raw clay, loaded strategically into certain areas of the kiln. These two square bottles were a small version of a new form which […]
Hands In the Mud
Back at the wheel this weekend, the cycle begins again. This go round I started with a few of my bowl forms. On the left is a board of small square bowls, upside down and awaiting a trim. On the right is a slightly larger and more open square bowl fresh from the wheel. Also […]
Wood Day
With the kiln here for about a year now, I’m starting to notice some semblance of a cycle emerging. Sometimes the fresh pots have to be sanded and rushed off to a craft fair somewhere, but with the studio tour here come and gone the pots I recently unloaded are still out by the kiln, […]
Hello, etc.
The first dispatch from the new home. The latest news from the studio here on the top of the mountain. Just wrapped up the studio tour this weekend, I was lucky and it turned out to be a little better than I was expecting it to be. The real news was the latest firing of […]
