A mug with a lid

What's this little saucer thing next to that mug (which fits in many car-cup-holders)?

Oh, if you're hanging out at home, and are like me and pour that hot cuppa, then find you really need to take care of something in the other room, and after that there's something else that pulls you away from enjoying it yet...you can keep it warm with the saucer-lid.

And carry your own coaster with you, if you wish.

These are the prototypes.  The little dip in the lip is to cover where my handles are right up to the top of the mug.  It also works as a spoon rest, doesn't it?

I haven't decided whether to spend the effort to make more.  We shall see how my friends respond...what do you think?

The sprial ware

What do you think of white clay body, white creamy glaze, a cobalt spiral in the center of bowls and 2 sizes of small plates?

It's the latest design I've been enjoying making for you. Each item is made entirely by hand, and will not be an exact duplicate of the next one...that's how you know I am not a machine!

 

These go really beautifully with white dinner plates with medalions on them.

Or they look good with lots of other hand made pottery. All my wares are dishwasher and microwave safe, and all are food safe of course!

I'm sharing these with the MudColony link here.

Poster and mugs

 

Poster for the Studio Tour on Nov. 16-17.

Those four leaf mugs have sold, and there's a picture of them on the poster.  Better get busy!  I've got lots of time, er, maybe I won't be writing much here for a few weeks.  Ah, I've already scheduled a few posts in advance.  So dear occasional readers, I've taken care to not be totally absent!

All said and done...

Here's an interesting link about the hourly earnings that a potter might make, after being calculated by Mae Rhee, who published her first article in Ceramics Monthly, and I avidly read it.  http://www.goodelephant.com/1/category/the%20hourly%20earnings%20project/1.html
I like that this edition talks about on-line sales, which I haven't been doing lately. 

Do I really need to have a web page as well as a blog?  Etsy didn't meet my needs, too long for each posting.  Ms. Rhee talks about another shop, and Gary Rith had a new one in his blog today also.

Masks and flowers

2 Treatments of 4 elements

Both vase forms show air/water/fire and earth on the 4 sides.  They are meant to be enjoyed with perhaps a tea-light inside, or just with some dried arrangement that brings out the natural elements.

Color is with glazes, shaping in clay before firingl.

Some days it's time for bright and colorful

Hand crafted glazed ceramic creamer, sugar, and "Sweet" spoon

A chalice with Celtic cross design imprinted on medalion

Jar for goodies with multiple glazes.

Sculptural forms

You may have noticed I like to give goddess forms to some of my sculptures.

An Amazon Goddess

 

A tree, or a woman, or a pregnant tree form that speaks of the promise of new growth.

A dervish with roots, vines twine along her as she twirls.

A Gypsy Wagon to Japanese house

I'm pulling out some sculptural pieces which I've enjoyed making, and am now ready to let them go to new homes.

I've featured this totally ceramic wagon before, here.





And a more architectural form, also for a different kind of housing...found around buriel mounds,
the Japanese traditional Haniwa House, simplified
More information of the history can be found here.

 

These will be featured in my sale during the Open Studio tour "Blue to Black" on Nov 16-17, 10am-6pm.

Their future homes will offer these sculptures a sense of appreciation, perhaps a ritual of kindness, and an energy exchange to reward my hours of effort (at least at a reasonable artist's rate).  What, you don't know what artist's receive for their efforts?  Well, I'm not going to be a starving artist, so please think of how much you think my work is really worth.  Then we'll eat at a local restaurant and leave a big tip for someone who indeed makes a "living wage."

Incidentally, the Haniwa house would work well outdoors.  It is stained bisque-ware, rather than glazed.  The little Vardo Wagon has glaze which won't fade probably forever, and might work just great next to a bird feeder on a railing.  Whatever may be your fancy!

Come see what other potters are doing HERE at Mud Colony blog.

Studio work

Before...(what a mess), but most pots have been put into boxes so shelves can be moved around.

The basic format for setting up an exhibit, but still needs tweaking a bit.

This is my table to do hand work, the wheel is over under the air conditioner, which has now been removed and stored for the winter.  I also am using this table for shipping things.  So supplies will be against the wall behind it, and underneath.  I'm so glad to start putting the pots back on shelves and out of those boxes.

And now I'm throwing pots again.  The Tailgate Market was great last weekend, but it will only happen one more week.  Then I'll be getting this space cleaned up (much better than this) for the Nov 16-17 Studio Tour.  Tell your friends to come on over...and I hope you can come by as well!

Sculpting again

Starting small. 

So these might be considered maquettes.  I see much that I still need to work on, but am enjoying the curves of bending bodies, and leaves as the decorative touch.  I also want to continue the idea of just glazing the leaves and having the dancing female body bare clay.

Every day I work on some of these.  Not satisfied yet.

For the huge coffee lover

Or maybe another beverage!  I'm sort of biased as a coffee drinker, often decaf.  But I do love herbal teas too.  And cocoa...on some days it just hits the spot.

The huge mugs hold more, and took half again as much clay as my normally big mugs.  Sorry about the poor lighting.  I'll try to take a few more pictures before this goes to press.  There are light blue rims, deep green bottoms and an off white glaze inside and along the tops of the outside.

Again, they may fit in some cars cup-holders.  How much liquid of your choice do they hold?  Just a hair less than 16 oz.  Yesterday's mugs are 1 cup plus an ounce, or 300 ml.

I'm just back from the Tailgate Market on Sat. Oct 19 and have sold all these mugs, as well as the ones I showed you yesterday.  I have more that will be coming out of the glaze kiln next week, and hope to have some for next week for the last Tailgate Market of the season (except for a Holiday Market on Nov 23).

I'm so happy to have sold well today.  It makes up for all the days that I came home with a feeling of hopelessness.  Gotta get that under control.  Maybe.

New colors old design

So far only 2 have been finished, with a new color scheme.

These are the shape which I've found comfortable, able to fit in many car cup-holders, and heavy enough on the bottom not to tip.  They also stack very nicely. (see tomorrow's post with other colors and sizes)

The publications start

Barbara Rogers

My mugs were published!

Rapid River Magazine ARTS & CULTURE
October 2013 issue, Vol 17, no.2, pg 37
Check it out at...
www.rapidrivermagazine.com

The article is about Blue to Black, the studio tour to be held Nov 16-17.  From the Blue Ridge Parkway to Black Mountain, that's why it has that crazy name that sounds like a bruise.  What?  Nobody said it but was thinking it?  Well, now you can talk about it.

bluetoblackartweekend.com

The same mug picture is used again in my listing on that site.

This is my first adventure in a studio tour.  I wonder if I'll be sitting in an empty house all day.  I wonder if I'll sell anything.  I wonder if I'll have a parking problem.  Ah, the anxiety monster that lives under my bed (or is it in the closet of my mind?) has reared it's ugly head.  Time to turn him/her into clay.

What does yoga have to do with pottery?

No I can't do most of what these women can do in Yoga.  But I absolutely love the message.
And my inner me is saying YES.

So check out parts of this long video if you want to see a woman's yoga, with Angela Farmer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6QtP3vRSupM#t=99

There's no reason the same body awareness shouldn't be used while performing pot throwing or sculpting, now is there?






My yoga teachers will all agree that I try, I enjoy and I stop when it hurts somewhere in my mostly sedentary body these days.

I am glad to have seen this video, and been inspired to move the way Ms.Farmer promotes, from within.  I am also glad that I didn't hear about her a month ago, because one of her workshops was right here in Asheville Sept. 15.  And I would have not missed it for anything, though I'd have been in the back barely moving...but learning so much.

Pottery fun Saturday

Barb Rogers, John Britt and Cathy Babula at Spruce Pine Potter's Market.
 Nice harvest decoration outside by parking area.

Many pots, a few sculptures, too many to take pictures of, and I think it isn't a good idea to take pictures of artist's work since they want you to come see it.  So come see it!  They are open Sun. Oct 13 also!

John and Cathy are having a discussion of chemicals in glazes, what else?

Gwen's daughter is Laura Ingles Wilder...so cute!

Earlier in the day the Mudbuddies booth was next to great enjoyable music by the Redleg Husky...and children and dogs, as well as lovely people who wanted to have pottery live with them.