Mom always said " If all the other boys jumped off the roof would you? " ( Maybe, depends on how high the roof was) Dad said " If you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas" I think I've been paying too much attention to my friends Dan and Tony AKA the handle kings. I've been very happy making nice little pots. If they had to have a handle, they got a handle. If they didn't need one they didn't. Then this crap started happening around here.
The vase on the right will hold flowers just as well as the one on the left., The one on the left will never be hung by those handles,. Either one can easily be picked up with one hand. Why did this happen? I couldn't control myself . GOD FORGIVE ME I JUST HAD TO DO IT !
It happened again this morning.
Does anyone know of a 12 step program for excessive handle disorder? STOP ME NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
Hello everyone. Happy Father's Day to you Dads out there. To the rest of you just take this as a reminder. OK enough of that. A while back I posted a video on handle making. The content was fine, the quality was awful.It is really difficult to do selfie videos while demonstrating how to do something. As a way of improving it, I reshot it this morning in two parts. There are as many handles and ways of making them as there are potters. These videos are just to demystify one way of doing it for those beginners out there who struggle with it. Enjoy
After allowing the handle to set up and hitting it with a torch for a few seconds.
Every first Saturday in June it's time for the Augusta Ky. art guild to put on their annual show. It sits along the banks of the Ohio River, there is a ferry across the river, and the street is lined with big old houses with beautiful gardens. It is one of the most scenic shows I know of. I did the show for several years but it was a lot of effort. It is a long drive so I had to leave home before 5:30 AM and didn't get home til after 8 PM. Some years I did OK, some years I didn't but I did make friends with some of the other vendors so I still like to drive down and visit. Art shows are so much nicer when you can leave home at 10 , not set up and knock down a booth, and come home when you want to !
Rob Weigartner selling some jewelry
My friend Toby ( left) acting like her sister is buying something
Quickest way to get to Ohio
The whole street is pretty much like this.
Lots of music
Trish McLennan ( in apron) does nice image transfer decorated pottery.
She had a crowd every time I passed her booth.
I remember this guy's last name was Denham.
I think he had a booth just for busking
He was doing some nice old tunes.
Since Spring Fair, I have made a few pots but since the next show is in August, there is no rush to finish anything. I've been cleaning and re organizing. I've sold off a few things that were taking up too much space, broken bad pots, had a seconds sale and it has had some effect in opening up the shop. I may even have made enough space for a photo booth! I'll let you know how that comes out. This week, I've been screwing around making some larger pots. These are about 16" each. I know how to make bigger ones but they get to be a real pain to carry around to shows and these are big enough to be corner pieces while being small enough they might actually sell.
In other news, fellow Balladeer John Giver is in hospice care. I guess he had written some songs that Christine Lavin ( Sensitive New Age Guys, Four Bitchin' Babes, etc) had recorded and they had become friends. She came to town last weekend to pay her respects and give a somewhat impromptu concert in his honor. Turns out she is about my age. I had expected her to be 30 years younger and when she started to sing, she was. She put on a great little show for about 100 people and we all had a good time. One of the openers was Lenny Hall and his wife Linda singing the old Billy Joe Shaver song " I'm Gonna Live Forever" It was a perfect song for the occasion and Lenny does it much better than I do but in case you don't know it, here is my version.
