Thursday, January 20, 2011

Pottery Pants

This week has been a good one for slipping on the old pottery jeans, lighting the heater and working in the studio.Blondie doesn't care how many times I wear jeans between washings but I'm curious as to how many days, weeks, or months my fellow potters let their clay pants go between washings. Let me know in the comments. (It's also been great weather for sitting in a recliner with an old dog on my lap.)


I'm excited that I am attending a workshop with British Slipware potters Hannah McAndrew and Doug Fitch in April. I will see them in Fredricksburg, Va, on the 15, 16, and 17th. Dan Finnegan is putting this session together at Libertytown Art Center. Hollis Engley is hosting them earlier in the month on Cape Cod, and Ron Philbeck is hosting a one day session is Shelby,NC between Asheville and Charlotte.There are links to Hannah, Dan, and Hollis in my blog list and Hollis has some info at http://hatchvillepottery.blogspot.com/2011/01/british-slipware-potters-workshop-on.html. These folks really know what they are doing and anyone with an interest in slipware or traditional British pottery shouldn't miss this opportunity to see two of the best in action.

In other matters, I would like to thank Hollis and Tracey Broome for putting up links to my site on their excellent Blogs.It's an honor to be included and I am already seeing more traffic.


This last picture show the dilemma of a slack schedule. The pot on the right is typical of what I have been making. The one on the left is the pot I should be making so I can stock the booth with cheap, easy to carry impulse items.I'll get it straight one of these days. It's been snowing like crazy but it is still warm in the studio so I had better get out there while I still can. Thanks for stopping by.

7 comments:

  1. haha I love that picture of the cylinder and giant jar. its funny how some days you can be so on and other days so off.

    as for your jean question I usually keep one pair i use for throwing for 1-2 weeks. Unless i spill something on them or have my reclaim clay splatter all over them..

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  2. I usually wear mine a week or two with clay on them but when I glaze they get washed more often.

    I am thinking of going to the slipware workshop in Shelby. It's not really what I do but might be good for me to learn.

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  3. Glad to have you on my blog roll! I had tried once before and it wouldn't post for some reason, I think I was doing something wrong. Anyway I wear my jeans for more days than I care to mention when I am in a throwing cycle, makes me feel more creative or something :)

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  4. Like Tracey, I'm happy to have you there, Michael. Especially after meeting you and seeing the kiln. I love what you're doing. I change into my clay jeans when I get back from morning coffee, then take them off (and replace them with clean ones) when it's time to make dinner or go out in the evening. That routine goes on for weeks, until they're so damn dirty even I can't stand to walk around in the cloud of clay dust that blows off them.

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  5. Thanks for the input everybody. I think The pair in the photo was clean on Christmas!A good stiff brush makes them last a little longer. All this makes me wonder if Charlie brown's pal Pig Pen was really just a potter on his way home from the studio.

    Hollis I do appreciate the link but I must let you know I'm not Michael with the kick ass kiln. I'm Dennis from Ohio.

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  6. Hi,
    Thanks for the mention Dennis, looking forward to meeting you in April.
    Best wishes,
    Hannah

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  7. Hi Dennis
    Thank you for mentioning our trip, I look forward to meeting you. I usually wear my trousers for a week, by then they're so covered in clay I can barely bend my knees:-)

    I also do the same as you - I make lots of big things, when I really need to be making lots of small things

    See you in the Spring, cheers, Doug

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