Glaze-orama

As I write I am firing my 2nd glaze kiln with pieces from the last post. My first firing was on Wednesday. I was doing double duty — working in the house and running out to my studio to monitor the kiln every couple of hours. When I realized I had been consumed with something on my computer and missed the end of the firing I panicked. Even though my Skutt kiln is fully automatic I still use cones inside the kiln. When the cone 6s go down I shut off the kiln and the vent fan. I had missed it by at least an hour. The cone 7s were F-L-A-T flat and the kiln was already cooling! I was worried the glazes would run off my pots.

The kiln was already cool enough in the morning to unload. I took that as a scary sign. Usually I need to wait until about 9pm to unload. Granted, it was a light load.

I couldn't unload it that morning. I had to make an emergency trip to Chicago for personal reasons. Torture! I finally unloaded it yesterday when I got back. It was fantastic. Some of the glazes did run slightly, but nothing drastic. The colors were richer and fluid and not a refire in the batch. Here are some photos with lots of close-ups. I think I will let the kiln I am firing today go off the same way. Cone 7. Who knew!

Bisque-orama

I have been cranking the last few weeks to get ready for two big shows at the end of the month. I unloaded my bisque kiln this morning. Here are some photos of pieces before they are glazed. It is a nice time to look at the forms and carving without color as a distraction. Perhaps someday I will do a series of white pots. Hmmmmm....

















All these new pieces (plus more) will be finished by September 22nd, just in time for Art in A New Yard on Sept. 26th at Fir Tree Cottage in Land O' Lakes and the Northwoods Fall Art Tour on Oct. 2,3,& 4 at my studio.

Northwoods Summer Art Tour Recap

This past weekend was the Northwoods Art Tour on July 24, 25 & 26. The tour is in it's 10th year and features 25 stops and over 30 artists.

This is my 7th year participating on the tour. I was at Riverrun Center in McNaughton, WI for the first 3 years. This past weekend marked the 4th year at my own studio in Lake Tomahawk. Here are some shots of my studio.













The purpose of the tour is to expose the participants to art, artists & the art making process. Demonstrations are a focal point of the tour experience. At my studio I like to involve the tour goers in my clay demonstrations. Two years ago during the summer and fall tours I had people make tiles to form a permanent clay guestbook for 2007. The first group of tiles were framed last year. This past weekend my friend Jeanne Debbink helped set up the remaining tiles, plus some Lake Superior stones, my own tile pieces and a cone pack into the 2nd framed grouping. Later it will be grouted and hung next to the other tile piece on the exterior of my studio.









Many people who made tiles have come back to the studio to see the completed project. Below is the Nowak family. Their daughter Emily made one of the tiles when she was 3 year old.



This year I had a guest artist with me at my studio. Katlyn Koester is getting her B.F.A. in ceramics at Viterbo in La Crosse. I met Katlyn when she was 15. She was a student apprentice at Riverrun while I was the Artist In Residence at the center. Katlyn will finish her degree next year. She plans to move back to our area and set up her own studio/gallery space.



Kate and I decided to do another group activity for this art tour. We encouraged tour participants to make mini clay heads. With only a handful of finished examples, a bag of clay and our open tool boxes, we managed to coax at least 30 people to make tiny sculptures. I am going to make a clay frame to house all the heads we collected over the last three days. They will be on display in time to entice another round of amateur artists during the Fall Art Tour.



















The weather during two of the three days was rough, but it didn't stop people from coming out. We had great groups come through each day. We each made some good sales and I'm sure made a playful impression on our guests. We were both touched by the kindness of friends AND strangers that took time to learn about our work. By nature, artists are a private bunch. The tour opens a window into our world and inspires us to shine.



The Northwoods Art Tour happens again in the fall on Oct. 2, 3 & 4. For more information please visit the website, post your question here, or visit Pigeon Road Pottery on Facebook.

Pots for the Northwoods Summer Art Tour

The Northwoods Summer Art Tour is this weekend. My studio will be open to the public from 10am to 5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I've got a lot of last minute things to get done still. Even when I plan ahead, I always seem to run out of time. I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow!

Here's a preview of the new pots fired on Sunday. Next week I will post action shots and stories from the tour.


This is one of my new ring holders. I call them jewelry pads.


There are 8 total.






This platter was a commission. It is titled "Black Bird Fly".


Here's a detail.














This is my favorite pot from the firing.




Cool detail shot!