A Piece Of Home

My "wild" clay after bisque firing

Early this morning, with my morning coffee at hand, I pulled the very first piece of "wild" clay out of a bisque firing. WOW! I was surprised to find a terra cotta-like strip sitting there on the test shelf. To my surprise, my little piece of home wasn't quite fully bisque fired at cone 04. That's about 1945˚. So now I have to decide how hot I need to go. I'll admit, I'm a little lost now. Cone 04 is pretty hot for earthenware and this test strip is close to being bisque, but not there fully. It doesn't have that proper "tink sound and just a wee bit of the clay dust is coming off on my hands. So...next step is refiring.

Arrr....Update!!!

Francesco named him "Puffy"

ARrr....I need to update my blog!

It's sorta crazy-busy here since Francesco got out of school. I didn't realize how much time I truly gained while he was out of the house. Three hours all to myself was nice. Of course, my son is really sweet and loves to be in the studio doing things so I quickly implimented a new "work" schedule for he and I and today proved to be a very fun and productive day. He has begun to explore ceramic sculpture and was being mindful of "thickness" in the clay. Gravity however, got the best of him on the one piece and I tried to explain to him why his sculpture kept sagging. It was a good morning of learning. I love the fact that he has graduated from flat pieces to 3-D. The two that he made have nice substance to them. I'm really excited to see how he glazes them when the time arrives.

This new "no school" schedule has found me dead tired by 9 PM. This is something totally new to me. I've always been the night owl and did my best work between 11PM and 2AM but recently I can't, for the LIFE of me, keep my eyes open and I have been wanting to get to bed straight after I take my sauna at 9.

Yes, there, I said it. I own a sauna. That sounds so pompus, but it's not...really. It's totally one of those individual portable jobbers. It's not all foo foo and cool (although, if given the chance I would jump on a traditional cedar one...oh, you bet) but it's a one seater and I got it cause I hate, I mean I HATE being cold and chilly. So, I've been going to bed right after and sleeping soundly and waking at 4:30 AM. It's been working out very well, but I am not really allowing myself any internet time. Just get up, pour myself a cuppa coffee and I get right to working. I've been up before the birds. It's been rather nice.

Fantastic Weekend

Kite flying

What a view! There is no doubt that the scenery at my parent's home, the home I grew up in, is picturesque. Coming back was exactly what we all needed. The city is wonderful but the many aspects of it can drain a person. Nothing like the fresh air, beautiful sky and something as simple as flying a kite to set the spirits soaring again.

Stoneware set

Napkin holders


For me, seeing my best friend from home again was one of the highlights. I have not seen her in years and we just sat and talked and talked and talked at her shower. It was as if I had never left. To be able to pick up where we left off was a gift. It was great. It should be done more often. We vowed to do it more often. My gift was very well received and I was very proud when she sent some of the pieces around the room for the other ladies to hold and view. I personally think it is my best set to date.

Of course, a trip home to PA would not be complete without a walk in my woods. More land has been leveled. I couldn't help myself and started to cry. I'm not sure who, in their right mind, would build their house on coal ash banks (certainly not me) but I wish whomever decides to do that all the luck in the world. They are going to need all the luck they can get. A good portion of the ash bank was STILL burning from the coal mines all those years ago.

This time walking in the woods found me really looking at the ground for color variations. I wasn't sure if I could find clay in my hometown but I was on the hunt and the more I searched the more I really wanted to find clay. Bring in dad to the rescue!

Gallons of "wild" clay

He drove me all the way up the mountain and back again and it got to the point where it didn't matter if we ever found the clay. It was just wonderful to be with him again talking and laughing. Just being around his calm personality was rejuvenating. We are alike. So much alike and we just have always gotten along well. I could spend all day with him and not say much. Just smile and enjoy his quiet ways.

I am happy to say though that we found both red clay AND grey clay and I gathered up as much of it as I could. He just laughed at me. All the jewelry in the world wouldn't make me as excited as I got when I spotted that grey clay outside the truck. I leaped out of the truck, ran to it, plunged my hand right into the clay and soaked in the sensations of ooze around my fingers.

Straight from the ground it rolled
beautifully in my hands.

Right now I am preparing it for the wheel and hand building. If I can get only one vessel or object fired from this clay as a reminder of the weekend and of my beloved woods, I will be happy. If I get more then that is a bonus! My mind is on overdrive right now. I can't wait to sit at my wheel and watch this clay form in my hands.

What a fantastic weekend in every sense of the word!


First step: dry in the sun.

The Dust Has Settled???

Detail on the third floor
of the Russian Tea Room in NYC
that was totally inspiring me

I like to think that the dust settled here after the weekend, but in actuality, it didn't. More dust just got swept in the new whirlwind of events starting right about 8 PM last night with our visit to a Christmas party at the Russian Tea Room in Manhattan.

The social event brought together bankers and investors and it turned out to be an amazing networking opportunity for me. I was hit with the realization that I need to get things truly in gear when I was introduced to an importer/exporter of fine goods. Mario is interested in seeing my sculptural work and possibly presenting them in his store. That was just one of the many opportunities that presented themselves to me last night.

...Wow...

Like I said, there is lots of dust whirlin' about, but today I was more concerned with my son and his continuing boredom. Everyday for about two weeks now he has expressed (in annoying and mischievous ways) that he has been bored. Not really knowing how to handle this I promptly took him down into the studio and decided that it was time to start really teaching him about art. I neglected to do this as I feel a man with interests in art may have a strike against him. A life of creation is not a good paying one albeit it a very satisfying one. But I can't determine what profession he will choose. All I can do is make his journey to that point loving and inspiring. If I can give him love and wings he'll be just fine no matter what profession he chooses and so we ventured into the studio.

My son workin' the clay

My beloved boy ratties were moved to another section and Francesco has been given a permanent table to work in my studio. He loved every minute of today. His new space was quickly filled with clay tools and cone 06 white clay. He played for 2 hours without wanting my help. Even when I took a small break from making some award medallions he told me he needed more time alone to work on his project.

Award medallions for an upcoming show

At the end of the day we had two fairly nice (well, interesting to explain them better) ornaments for his grandmas. He was so excited to have created something he could give away to people and I loved that he was happy and his mind content with learning new things. He has already spoken about venturing down to his studio desk tomorrow. Maybe I can get him to make me one of those nifty ornaments. It would be truly treasured beyond words. Yeah, I think I need me one of those.

Teeny Tiny World

Tiny porcelain vessels pulled off the hump

The Thanksgiving day celebrations went on through the night here. At 10 P.M. I had had enough and put myself promptly to bed. I just couldn't take any more eating, drinking or cheer with family. The upside to getting to bed at 10 is that by five in the morning I was bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to take on some clay. Having been inspired by a web link to some teeny tiny raku vessels (thank you Sarah) I was seated at my wheel working some tiny vessels of my own.

Two hours into the adventure I determined that teeny tiny vessel throwing was easier than it looked, but I was determined to make it work. I am dying to see pieces like this china painted with fairies and bugs and tiny flowers and little mice with dresses on them. Every step of production though is a nail biting experience, but four finishes out of six tries isn't so bad for a start and I have to honestly say that I feel like I'm on the brink of discovering something big.

Sweet Toot Where Art Thou?

Pan Learns Music

"Limber-limbed, lazy god, stretched on the rock,
Where is sweet Echo, and where is your flock?
What are you making here? "Listen," said Pan, --
"Out of a river-reed music for man!"
~ Henry Van Dyke

Failed attempts at ocarinas this weekend
(Yes the ones in the back felt the wrath of my fist)

Everything came to a halt the moment I read this week's collection of the "Ceramic Arts Daily" articles. One word stirred up emotion and longing in me and since reading the word "Ocarina" I have been on a rapturous quest to make and play my own hand made clay ocarinas.

I have always wanted to learn an instrument. Growing up it was something I couldn't have. Either there wasn't enough money or there weren't any music teachers were we lived. Most of the time mom just said, "NO" without any further explanations. I remember trying every which way to get those lessons. It just never happened. Many, many years later I still long to learn an instrument and up until this past weekend never knew I could turn mud INTO music right here in my studio! Of course, this is easier said than done and I am frustrated because I can't get my creations to make one TOOT let alone proper notes, but I press on. My mind is literally consumed with thought about fipples and sound holes right now.

My muse is off on such a wild tangent. I'm not even going to try and figure this one out. I'm just goin' with the flow and hopefully (soon) the flow will bring on a sweet toot from within the hollow mud.