Whistle Creek: Opening Day

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Opening Day

Hey everyone. Happy Easter, Ishtar, Passover or whatever you have been celebrating. I've just been celebrating being able to work outside without a jacket. I've missed you but it has been awfully busy around here. May 3 is opening day. No, not the Reds, show season. Cincinnati Clay Alliance has its club show on the first Saturday of May every year. 60 Clay artists on one street ! I always do well there. Last year I did twice what my next best show was so I need a bunch of stuff. When you make tableware, that means 8 to 12 place settings of each glaze plus serving pieces, corner pieces, etc. I'm done with Green, Black and Shino but I still need Blue. Busy Busy . I bisque fired and threw through the cold months, well , when I could force myself outside I did. That led to a huge pile of bisque. Orders late last fall led to me being out of most colors of plates and I can only fit 2 on a kiln shelf then fill in with other low stuff. This train of logic lead to the conclusion that I had a ****load of firing to do. The last 3 weeks have not found my kiln cold. Load , fire, unload, load....I have had to do a bisque just to have enough mugs to fill some 6" high spaces. If I do all plates, I run out of shelves halfway up. It's all a big jigsaw puzzle anyway.

I've also been working on a new shelf unit. It is almost done and I am including a teaser picture of some partially completed parts. Next time you stop by, I hope to have full instructions posted. It is a slick design. Oh yeah, The Subaru returned home after a month in the body shop. Total damage was about $11,000 on an $18,000 car but it looks good and drives fine. The Ford Escape from Enterprise was fine but I'm glad to have my own car back. There's no place like home. Have a great day.

Pile O' Green ,at least that's what I'm hoping for.

Greens ,Blacks, and some tests

She's Back

What the?? Why the third post?

3 comments:

smartcatApril 20, 2014 at 11:33 AM
Toes crossed that sales knock your socks off!
If you are going to get years more driving out of a car I feel it's worth it to fix it. Think of the insurance you save!
Waiting to see what is going on with the shelves!
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Linda StarrApril 20, 2014 at 1:38 PM
love your pile of green, happy spring, happy easter
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Tracey BroomeApril 20, 2014 at 3:20 PM
That green glaze is awesome! And yes, I am intrigued with the middle post!
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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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