Yeah for the power of the sun May 20, 2009

Yesterday was studio day 3 and it turned out to be a gorgeous day. Warm and sunny. Alas, my basement still requires the wearing of socks. So I threw four plates on my new bats in the morning and I set them outside to dry. I love the warm weather because after only about 4 hours they were basically ready to be trimmed.

 

Plates drying outside

 

I also made 8 more bowls. These have a bigger belly and don’t widen very much at the top. That way they won’t spill their insides as easily. 

 

Bowls

And I wanted to show off my fancy Griffin Grip. It makes centering for trimming as easy as pouring your yourself a cup of coffee.

 

Griffin Grip with untrimmed plate.

A few minutes later, Griffin Grip with trimmed plate.

 

A little spring time cup with my favorite flower.

 

Plate Brigade

I have to admit that I am not really into making things exactly the same. A hardcore production potter might call that inability but my aim is not no repeat myself. Things turn out similar size and obviously there is some sort of consistency but I really appreciate the approach of every piece is new and a bit different. I don’t weigh out my clay before, I just eye ball how much clay I need for a cup or a plate or a bowl and go from there. My own collection of work is all different pieces with a few sets of 2 or 3 and I like it that way. I pick my coffee cup depending on how I feel that day and how much coffee I want. I choose my bowl depending on the color of my soup and depending on how much I want to eat of it. I always pick my plate intentionally which has become a great help in being aware and living deliberately. I think there are some like minded people out there that may want to purchase my work. That would be great.

Thank you, cat, for your help May 16, 2009

Today was studio day number two. My bowls and plates spent the last couple of days drying and they were ready to trim today. My cat, Schatz, also decided to help. She likes to go into the basement and jump onto the highest spots and the tops of the shelves. Here’s what that looks like:

 

At least she left evidence

Her little input has reminded me to embrace the accident. Most of the time, the accidental pieces, the one with flaws, the uncentered ones, are the most interesting. So this plate won’t make it into the recycling bucket.

So today I trimmed all the bowls, here are few of them:

And some cups I threw Thursday night with handles;

And here’s a picture of my cats:

 

Mietz is on top, Schatz on the bottom.

Today is the first day May 12, 2009

Today I spend my first full day in my pottery studio with my brand new wheel. Today is the first day that I will make pottery with the intend to sell it. Today is the first day of my business that I will call Upham Street Pottery for now. Today is the beginning of something exciting that will be with me for the rest of my life.

 Here is a picture of my basement studio, a little make shift yet but slowly and surely it is coming together.

Here is the first bowl I threw on my virgin Brent C Wheel

 

A little rusty yet, but it lived.

I made 11 bowls and 2 plates. I also finished three hand-built cups I started a few weeks ago and worked on two other cups that didn’t quite know what they wanted to be. 

Some pics of the work:

 

Some bowls

Some more bowls

 

A plate

 

Three button cups

Today was so great that I can hardly imagine having to go to my office job tomorrow and Thursday. But Friday will come soon and all those little bowls we need trimming. Yippy.