Whistle Creek: Anticipation

Friday, May 31, 2013

Anticipation

Tomorrow morning I leave home about 5:30 to go to ART IN THE GARDEN in Augusta,Ky. It is a beautiful show. It is set on the banks of the Ohio river and as the tents line one side of the street, restored riverfront homes with beautiful gardens line the other. I have done the show a couple of times before and it is usually worth the 75 mile drive. It is not a show where I expect to get rich but it is soooo pretty and I get to at least briefly see friends who come up from the Maysville area to exhibit.There is a big show the same day nearer Cincinnati. SUMMERFAIR is many times bigger but it doesn't have the charm that you find in Augusta. From the artist point of view, there may be more money there but it looks like a lot of work and a lot of traffic and frustration too. It may cut into our crowd. On the other hand they charge $5 to park and $8 to get in the gate. We are free. I'm trying hard to keep all this in perspective. Regular readers will recall that a month ago I had my best show ever. I doubled my " really good show" numbers from last year. Am I spoiled now? Will the rarefied air of Oz prove so sweet that I am disappointed with the dusty air of Kansas? Will I spend all summer chasing an illusive dream? If you are in the area stop by and find out. Have a nice weekend and I'll give you a review early next week.

6 comments:

Lori BuffMay 31, 2013 at 9:04 AM
Good luck with the show, it does sound like a beautiful setting.
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Michèle HastingsMay 31, 2013 at 9:55 AM
I think this will be a GOOD year for shows... I just keep saying that over and over. Wishing you another successful weekend, and lots of fun too.
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Dennis AllenMay 31, 2013 at 10:45 AM
Thanks for the good wishes. Michele, When I was teaching my routine was to wake up, dangle my feet over the side of the bed, and say " It's going to be a great day" then I would repeat that until I believed it! I'll try it again tomorrow.
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smartcatMay 31, 2013 at 6:36 PM
Success and good fortune. Pretty setting, old friends, new pots....it sounds like a winning combination!
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Tracey BroomeMay 31, 2013 at 7:27 PM
It's a crap shoot, these shows. I did really great two weeks ago at the farmers market, best ever, the next week sold zero...... I just take whatever comes my way, if you're gonna do this show thing, you gotta let a lot roll off your back! I figure if you are in a nice place, at least it's not a total loss, you have a nice day,maybe make a few bucks, what the hell....
Good luck!
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June PerryJune 1, 2013 at 12:00 PM
Sounds like a beautiful setting! Enjoy the day,and your friends and hoping it's prosperous as well!
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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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