Whistle Creek: October 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Construction and Simon Leach Workshop.

Sometimes you can't find any news of interest to write about( as my readers will attest). Sometimes you have too much news to fit it all in. This week is one of the latter. The big story is that my studio is rising in the back yard as I am typing.The crew from PDQ Pole Buildings is living up to their name and working hard in tight quarters.They broke ground yesterday and even with a four hour standstill while waiting for a footer inspection the framing will be finished today.The studio space is 24x24 large enough for a one person workspace but small enough to heat.The bay on the left is a 12x24 covered "carport" where I can park the boat.Here's a picture of the boys doing the rafter dance.

Over the weekend I attended a workshop led by internet sensation Simon Leach. He was very entertaining and I learned a few things as well. It was hosted by Amphora Studios(Core Clay) and Laura Davis and her crew did a wonderful job with hospitality and facilities. If you get a chance to go to one of their workshops, don"t miss it.Here are Simon throwing with his hands and Daniel Luck throwing with his feet.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

They say the barn is coming!

The back yard is excavated.I have 20 yards of gravel on site.The permit is issued. All I need now is for the builders to show up.I talked to them yesterday and we are hoping to start next week (weather permitting of course.) I am starting to get excited now that it looks like having my own studio is going to be a reality in a few weeks.It will be nice to have some elbow room and 24/7 access.Stay tuned for updates and news of the christening party.

In other new

s. Empty Bowls is in two weeks and I have a lot of greenware bowls that I am going to bisque fire Monday. They should be glazed and fired in time but they may still be warm when I deliver them.

One other pottery item, I have just started trying scraffito on some pots.Maybe I should have learned to draw first.

Well, Tina has been touring the south in the motorhome for two weeks and last night she said she was going to start meandering home. I have

to get busy hauling out the liquor bottles and sweeping up the confetti before she gets here!

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Why Whistle Creek

Whistle Creek is near the area where my ancestors settled in East Tennessee. It is about 6 miles west of I-75 and 8 miles south of Jellico.At various times the land was claimed by England, France, Spain, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky,Tennessee, the Union,the Confederacy, and the Cherokee.My family was there around 1800 and possibly before.My brothers and I still own the top of the mountain and it is still very rough country. I named my studio Whistle Creek in memory of the Allens who scraped their living from the earth and managed to keep it for two hundred years.

Bricks,Bricks, Bricks

I have two loads of kiln brick at home and one more to go. Weather permitting I will get some help from my newly retired brother and haul the rest home next week. I'm still early in the planning stages for the kiln. I haven't decided yet whether to make the firebox perpendicular to the arch a la John Theis managama and groundhog kilns or to place it parallel to the axis of the arch. I do know that with #2 three inch arch brick It will be a 3"6" sprung arch on top of low walls with a sunken firebox. If i can find a saw that will cut 41/2" I can rip some of the arch brick to fill in the ends of the courses and use the arch brick on edge to make 9" thick walls. Any input appreciated.

The Pitcher and the Nun

Yesterday a couple of sweet elderly ladies came into my booth and fell in love with the pitcher from the last woodfiring. (See last Blog entry) They said they wanted to give it as a wedding gift, then they said the fatal words-" Do you take Mastercard? " I replied-" No, but I want this piece to go to a good home and I believe that if I send it home with you, you will send me a check." They agreed and we exchanged info. It turned out they were nuns.Instead of mailing me a check, they brought back a check and some homemade candy a couple of hours later.It was nice to make the sale, but even nicer to send out a little faith in mankind and have a good deed returned.

Ohio Slip

More Spring Fair Prep....

Today was spent loading a bisque kiln with pots I have been throwing the last few weeks.They are made with a really nice red clay that a friend sold me when I couldn't get earthen red at Highwater. I should be able to glaze Monday and fire the whole load again next week. This is the only clay that I fire in the electric kilns but it gives a look that a lot of people like and I can fire economically. This plus pots on hand and pots I have been glazing for the gas kiln should be plenty for spring fair so now I can concentrate on the booth.

Spring Fair

The main project of the week was to try to finish throwing a batch of red clay that I have been working on so I can get the pots fired and glazed for the big Spring Fair sale that the Clay Alliance is holding on May 2. This is the big annual sales event for the club and I am very happly to be included this year but I do feel a little pressure to up my game and have a booth that doesn't look like a yard sale. Once I get the pots fired, I will have to spend some time focusing on display space and building some nice shelving. The sale is 11 to 4 at the corner of Madison and Woodburn ( DeSales Corner) Just take 71 to Edwards rd., Edwards to Madison, Right on Madison and you will be there in a few minutes. You will have a great time and get to meet 40 of the best potters and ceramicists in the region. More info at http://www.clayalliance.org/.

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