workshop!

Our local potters guild hosted Bill Van Gilder today and tomorrow.  What a great workshop!  He Shared a great deal of helpful tips and projects that will be fun to incorporate into my work.

Thanks Bill!

Pictures to follow

The Clay

I like being a potter.  I mean that I get a great deal of fulfillment from taking a piece of clay and making it into something that is useful and beautiful.  I feel both connected to my own humanity and to God through the process.  

I'm not sure that I always like being the clay and being worked and trusting God.  I know that that is not the right response but it is the true response.  I want to tell the Potter (God) what I want Him to do with me rather than trusting Him to make what he wants me to become.  I just like being in control way more than I want everyone to know.  In essence I am a stiff piece of clay that is not cooperating with the desire of the Potter.  

My family and I have been reading a book called So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore.  It is an amazing book and it sound much like our story.  I have been in the process of being deprogramed and learning all over again what it means to both be loved by the Father and to walk in dependance upon His love for me.  I have been guilty of making my own way and wrapping it in religious garments.  

My goal is to be responsive clay.

Coffee Pots

Well while I'm posting results here are the finished coffee pots that I made for a customer.  The cup that sits on the top is a strainer that a paper filter will fit in and hot water is poured over and the coffee drips into the pot.

I'm happy with how these came out.  Looks like a good start to a new item.

Clay Test Results

Here are the results of the two bowls that I made with the new clays.  The top bowl is standards #308 clay and the bottom bowl was made with standards #211 clay. Both bowl were fired in oxidation to cone 7.  At this point I really like the toasty look of the 308.  I'm not sure if it would be too much though.  I'd appreciate any thoughts

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Here's My Busy Pot

Testing New Clay!

I have come to the decision that I need to find a new clay to work with.  My old clay is just boring to me and I want to find something that has more iron in it.   I would like a clay that can be left unglazed and look good.  

I am currently testing two clays from Standard Clay.   The first is #308 Brooklyn Red, this is a reddish clay at cone 7.  The Second is #211 Hazelnut Brown, this is a dark brown clay that is suppose to give the look of reduction firing in oxidation at cone 7.  

I threw a couple of small bowls last night to see how it felt and both clays handled really nicely, I liked #308 a little better that could be just because it's a fun red color.  Anyway here's the bowls.

I'll post the firing results as well.

A Little Fun

Having a little fun with using multiple techniques on a single project. This vase may be a little busy but it was fun to do.  Thrown on the wheel with coils, pinching and some added slip

and clay decoration.  I'll show it when it's finished.

Church and Coffee Pots!

Church yesterday went well, our church has transitioned out of our building and into a home churches (Small groups that meet in homes on Sunday mornings).  This has been a huge adjustment but I'm so sure that "the Church" needs reform that I believe we are on the right track. In talking yesterday even though we are a very small church we see that by not putting our money into paid clergy and buildings we will be able to help people in our community in a very big way.  It is really kind of exciting to see that even a small group of people can make a big impact when the focus is on loving God and loving people and getting rid of our sacred cows. 

Here's a few greenware pictures of the coffee pots I'm working on.  I'm happy with them, they are for an order and will be glazed with different colors of my mottled matt glaze base. I'll post the finished product when they are complete.  

Working on Coffee Pots!

I am working on an order for coffee pots.  I'm really liking these and they should be a good item for the future.  Basically a tall teapot with a strainer to put a paper filter in. 

Just starting this new adventure.  I hope to meet some fun new people who are interested in being stretched like clay and people who like to stretch clay.  

I met with friend today we seem to be on a similar journey with being in the ministry and finding that there are many holes in our lives that need to be filled.  I am grateful that I have a real friend someone who I can be honest with and who will be honest with me.  I think that this is a gift from God.  

Today we glazed a slab built vase that he made in my studio a couple of weeks ago.  He knows Japanese and carved beautifully into the vase the script for - God is Love- I absolutely love the Japanese script.