Below is a listing of where my readers came from over the last week. It is really hard for me to believe that I have had 58 legitimate visits from China this week. France? Maybe a couple but not 42. 37 from Ukraine? You have to be kidding ! I wouldn't be surprised to find the NSA, FBI, and CIA. I can accept Canada and I know I have at least one reader each from Brazil and Australia but I really suspect that a lot of these are just hackers trying to get past the firewall of word verification and drop some spam or worse. Since I added the verification on comments, NO ONE ! has gotten through to spam me. I know it is inconvenient but it works. Just for fun, If you are from outside the US let me know where you are. Even if you are from the US drop your state in the comments. I know this is not real interesting to you but I am really curious. Thanks for helping out. Speaking of helping out, Next week I spend Friday and Saturday at the Western North Carolina Pottery Festival In Dillsboro NC. It's off 74 about an hour west of Asheville. Friday is fun and games. Some of us may even make some music after the throwing contests. Saturday is the show. 40 of the best potters in the country and a huge crowd of anxious buyers. I'll be in the Baum Pottery booth wrapping pots. Stop by if you can.
United States
| 146 |
China
|
58
|
France
|
42
|
Ukraine
|
32
|
Canada
|
27
|
Germany
|
22
|
Russia
|
15
|
Brazil
|
6
|
Australia
|
4
|
Indonesia
|
4
|
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Please Help
Monday, October 13, 2014
Been a While....
Hey everybody. It's been a while since we chatted. It's not that I have been that busy. My last fall show was the 13th of Sept. and since then, I made a couple of dozen mugs for a stoneware firing and a few piggy banks for a Christmas show. Some how, I can't get in the Holiday spirit yet and when and if I do, it will be too late to make stuff. I guess it doesn't matter anyway. I just can't get into making cute little Santa ornaments, dishes with Christmas trees on them, chip and dip sets, and all the other crap that seems to attract people with a $5 bill to a booth at an art show. I'm sorry, it's just me and it's not my style. If anyone needs nice mugs, casseroles, baking dishes, plates or serving platters I'll be around.
I guess I haven't been totally useless, I've done some work on the house and put up a shed for Tina to have exclusively for her camping and kayaking equipment. I've packed and delivered several cases of pots for our Empty Bowls Project. I've been mowing and mulching a lot of leaves and Oh yeah, I had a final bridge put in to replace a tooth I broke in July. The whole process of extraction, temporary bridge, healing , fittings, and final permanent installation takes a couple of months and I am really glad it is over.
I have been spending the weekends visiting other shows around the area. I need a good late Sept / early Oct. show and I think I am still looking. I revisited one I did last year and even with nice weather, no one was really making any money. A couple of others were better but had issues. One I went to this weekend was crowded but more of a fair/flea market/antique/ Amish fest. It was 1 1/2 hours away and primarily in a pasture that was very muddy. There were a few artists mixed into the crowd but mostly people were walking in the mud eating popcorn and fried food then trying to get their cars out of the field. The good news of all these visits is that I got to see a bunch of friends everywhere I went and I didn't have to set up a booth to do it.
Lastly, I've been seeing a lot of pottery questions over and over. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings and know that we all started somewhere but NO there is no surefire guarantee on anything. Can I fix this crack? Probably not. What if I buy Super Duper Sticky Ooze at the Clay Store? Probably not, try it if you are feeling lucky but don't ever pick it up by the handle that you repaired. Suzy said I can fix it. If you believed her, you wouldn't be asking me.You can make another quicker than you can glue or spackle a bad one.
I'm looking for a clear glaze that never gets cloudy no matter how I apply it or fire it. So is everyone else.
I've been doing clay for 6 months now and my Mom says I should start selling some of the stuff in the living room. How much can I charge for a mug? It took me 3 hours to make and 6 hours to decorate. Is $75 too much? Not enough? I know it's a little heavy and the handle that I cut from the slab is a bit wonky. Does this really matter? The market place doesn't really care how long it took you to make something. Taking my time, I can throw, trim and handle a mug in about 10 minutes. My buddy Mike can do it in 5. Are mine worth twice as much as his? It's the other way around. And No amount of glaze, carving, slip trailing, or applied fanciful characters can save a pot that has bad form or handles. Spend your time on fundamentals until you can produce nice naked pots, then worry about enhancing them.
I've been making these beautiful mugs. ( picture proves they really are) How much can I charge for them ? No one knows. Where and how are you trying to sell them? Do you have a following? What prices do you see on similar work at the shows you do? Buyers that come into your booth determine price, pure and simple. All your cost calculations and time studies tell you what price you can afford to sell at. If that number is higher than what people will pay, don't make that item. I don't make teapots unless I just feel like it because I know they take me more time than they are worth.
One more last item. The first of November is the Western North Carolina Pottery Festival in Dillsboro. I'm going down to help my friends Mike and Karen Baum. Stop buy ( not a typo) and say hello if you are there. Also on Oct 31 (Fri.) Clay Olympics start about noon and afterwards, some of us are planning an acoustic jam session. If you play anything, feel free to join in. Takes more nerve than talent. Thanks so much for reading.
I guess I haven't been totally useless, I've done some work on the house and put up a shed for Tina to have exclusively for her camping and kayaking equipment. I've packed and delivered several cases of pots for our Empty Bowls Project. I've been mowing and mulching a lot of leaves and Oh yeah, I had a final bridge put in to replace a tooth I broke in July. The whole process of extraction, temporary bridge, healing , fittings, and final permanent installation takes a couple of months and I am really glad it is over.
I have been spending the weekends visiting other shows around the area. I need a good late Sept / early Oct. show and I think I am still looking. I revisited one I did last year and even with nice weather, no one was really making any money. A couple of others were better but had issues. One I went to this weekend was crowded but more of a fair/flea market/antique/ Amish fest. It was 1 1/2 hours away and primarily in a pasture that was very muddy. There were a few artists mixed into the crowd but mostly people were walking in the mud eating popcorn and fried food then trying to get their cars out of the field. The good news of all these visits is that I got to see a bunch of friends everywhere I went and I didn't have to set up a booth to do it.
Lastly, I've been seeing a lot of pottery questions over and over. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings and know that we all started somewhere but NO there is no surefire guarantee on anything. Can I fix this crack? Probably not. What if I buy Super Duper Sticky Ooze at the Clay Store? Probably not, try it if you are feeling lucky but don't ever pick it up by the handle that you repaired. Suzy said I can fix it. If you believed her, you wouldn't be asking me.You can make another quicker than you can glue or spackle a bad one.
I'm looking for a clear glaze that never gets cloudy no matter how I apply it or fire it. So is everyone else.
I've been doing clay for 6 months now and my Mom says I should start selling some of the stuff in the living room. How much can I charge for a mug? It took me 3 hours to make and 6 hours to decorate. Is $75 too much? Not enough? I know it's a little heavy and the handle that I cut from the slab is a bit wonky. Does this really matter? The market place doesn't really care how long it took you to make something. Taking my time, I can throw, trim and handle a mug in about 10 minutes. My buddy Mike can do it in 5. Are mine worth twice as much as his? It's the other way around. And No amount of glaze, carving, slip trailing, or applied fanciful characters can save a pot that has bad form or handles. Spend your time on fundamentals until you can produce nice naked pots, then worry about enhancing them.
I've been making these beautiful mugs. ( picture proves they really are) How much can I charge for them ? No one knows. Where and how are you trying to sell them? Do you have a following? What prices do you see on similar work at the shows you do? Buyers that come into your booth determine price, pure and simple. All your cost calculations and time studies tell you what price you can afford to sell at. If that number is higher than what people will pay, don't make that item. I don't make teapots unless I just feel like it because I know they take me more time than they are worth.
One more last item. The first of November is the Western North Carolina Pottery Festival in Dillsboro. I'm going down to help my friends Mike and Karen Baum. Stop buy ( not a typo) and say hello if you are there. Also on Oct 31 (Fri.) Clay Olympics start about noon and afterwards, some of us are planning an acoustic jam session. If you play anything, feel free to join in. Takes more nerve than talent. Thanks so much for reading.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Summer Shows
The aches and pains that follow a show are easing up after a great Saturday in Bellevue Ky. This is a really nice little show to do. The site is right on the Ohio with a lovely view of the Cincinnati skyline. Lots of old friends peddling their wares. Lots of regular customers coming back to get more stuff. Beautiful weather and wonderful organizers and volunteers. I did very well and so did my friends.
Bellevue was a wonderful finish to my outdoor show season. Last summer, I did six shows. This summer I dropped two of them and ended up making just as much money. I wouldn't have minded having a couple more good shows but there is no point in putting in a very hard 14 hour day and ending up with less than $500 in sales. I have struggled with taking too much stuff to shows but I like my line of tableware and baking dishes.I refuse to make yarn bowls, berry strainers, sponge holders, or incense burners. When people ask, I tell them I don't chase the pot of the week trying to make a fast buck.I make solid timeless country pottery that will last a lifetime.. That's my brand and I'm stickin to it. Slow steady and dependable. If I make all those gimmick pots people can get them anywhere at any pricepoint. If I stay in my brand, people know they can only get it from me. On the other hand, if you take that dinnerware times 8 of each piece times 4 glazes and add a few vases and jars, you have a lot of stuff. I carry a pottery store, not a gallery display. I have coped by making my shelves lightweight, flat folding, and fast to set up. I carry a lot of mugs and bowls. Most of these have dedicated boxes with cardboard sleeves that I can quickly drop stuff into at the end of the day. Other items have designated boxes and wrappings that never leave the box. It is efficient but it still takes up to 2 hours to pack up after a show and there are lots of heavy boxes. I have gotten rid of all cardboard boxes and paper wrapping. Everything is in good plastic boxes with lids. No worries about sitting boxes on wet grass or getting them rained on.
All four shows this year had great weather. Not to hot, not too cold, no rain. People came out in good numbers. I particularly had a lot of returning customers this season. My buddy and mentor Mike always advises people to make plates. Most of them don't listen or don't stick with it. It takes a while but once people start buying plates, you've got a good customer. They come back for more and they come back for bowls, mugs, and serving pieces. I've been doing shows for 5 years and this year really paid off. Every show had return customers coming back for more. When they come back, they don't just buy a mug either. Life is a lot easier when you don't have to make your money $20 at a time.
I did something different at the last 2 shows. I cleaned some odds and ends of little cups and such off the studio shelves and made little grab bags that I offered to $50 customers or people who saw me on the internet. I'm not sure that it boosted any sales to a higher pricepoint but people loved it. Customer appreciation always comes back around. Hey I even made 2 women happy at the same time. Not many guys can say that!
Next up is packing stuff up for Empty Bowls and making a few more things for Holiday Fair. Thanks again to everyone who came out to a show this summer and especially all those return customers.I just love talking to you and hearing all the kind things you have to say.
Bellevue was a wonderful finish to my outdoor show season. Last summer, I did six shows. This summer I dropped two of them and ended up making just as much money. I wouldn't have minded having a couple more good shows but there is no point in putting in a very hard 14 hour day and ending up with less than $500 in sales. I have struggled with taking too much stuff to shows but I like my line of tableware and baking dishes.I refuse to make yarn bowls, berry strainers, sponge holders, or incense burners. When people ask, I tell them I don't chase the pot of the week trying to make a fast buck.I make solid timeless country pottery that will last a lifetime.. That's my brand and I'm stickin to it. Slow steady and dependable. If I make all those gimmick pots people can get them anywhere at any pricepoint. If I stay in my brand, people know they can only get it from me. On the other hand, if you take that dinnerware times 8 of each piece times 4 glazes and add a few vases and jars, you have a lot of stuff. I carry a pottery store, not a gallery display. I have coped by making my shelves lightweight, flat folding, and fast to set up. I carry a lot of mugs and bowls. Most of these have dedicated boxes with cardboard sleeves that I can quickly drop stuff into at the end of the day. Other items have designated boxes and wrappings that never leave the box. It is efficient but it still takes up to 2 hours to pack up after a show and there are lots of heavy boxes. I have gotten rid of all cardboard boxes and paper wrapping. Everything is in good plastic boxes with lids. No worries about sitting boxes on wet grass or getting them rained on.
All four shows this year had great weather. Not to hot, not too cold, no rain. People came out in good numbers. I particularly had a lot of returning customers this season. My buddy and mentor Mike always advises people to make plates. Most of them don't listen or don't stick with it. It takes a while but once people start buying plates, you've got a good customer. They come back for more and they come back for bowls, mugs, and serving pieces. I've been doing shows for 5 years and this year really paid off. Every show had return customers coming back for more. When they come back, they don't just buy a mug either. Life is a lot easier when you don't have to make your money $20 at a time.
I did something different at the last 2 shows. I cleaned some odds and ends of little cups and such off the studio shelves and made little grab bags that I offered to $50 customers or people who saw me on the internet. I'm not sure that it boosted any sales to a higher pricepoint but people loved it. Customer appreciation always comes back around. Hey I even made 2 women happy at the same time. Not many guys can say that!
Next up is packing stuff up for Empty Bowls and making a few more things for Holiday Fair. Thanks again to everyone who came out to a show this summer and especially all those return customers.I just love talking to you and hearing all the kind things you have to say.
Friday, September 5, 2014
OOPS !
I was cleaning off my desk this morning and I discovered that the show I thought was the 14th is this Sunday Sept. 7 ! I did glaze this week and have a kiln about ready to unload so I'll be fine but it was a good save at about the last minute. Hope to see you. 11 to 5 Nisbit Park, Loveland, Ohio. Here's what I've been working on instead of the Pottery. The pottery pays very little and this pays a whole lot less.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
A Quick Trip
Hey everyone. Friday morning, I left home about 6:30 AM without even unloading a bisque kiln that had cooled 24 hours. I picked up my brother Norris and headed South to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors, follow the path of Daniel Boone, visit with a couple of my favorite potters, and get to know some new ones.
We drove down I-75 until we got to Corbin,Ky then we made a hard left turn into history and headed down 25E and the Cumberland Gap. In 1769, Daniel Boone blazed the Wilderness Road the main migration trail from North Carolina, Virginia, and points North and East.It followed trails of the Native Americans and the Buffalo. It led to the Cumberland Gap that allows north/south passage through the mountains into Kentucky. About 1800 my 3rd great grandfather Joseph Allen walked that path to the Cumberland Gap, turned left down the Powell Valley and established our family in Tennessee. After the Civil War, my maternal grandfather James Stone ( whom I got my first name from) walked the same route from Virginia but turned right into the Cumberland Gap and settled in Kentucky. 25E is a great road with the exception of slowing down for small towns, it is scenic and uncrowded. 4 lanes of 60 mph (maybe a little better) and a slightly shorter way to get into N.C.
At Pineville, Ky. we stopped at THE NARROWS of the Cumberland river where Daniel Boone had survived an Indian ambush. It is what is known as a water gap, a spot where a river flows through a mountain and wears away the earth to make a flatter more passable route. (Harper's Ferry Va.is another water gap) It is a beautiful spot to visit if you don't have arrows raining down on you. A short hike and we headed on down the road to Cumberland Gap National Park.
Just before you get to the park, you go through a tunnel that is 4000 ft long that actually runs under the gap. There is a nice visitor center with very friendly rangers and a Southern Highland Craft Guild gift shop. We saw some gorgeous work including a nice display of pots by Sarah Wells Rowland of Village Potters in Asheville. A couple of tips from the ranger and we were off to climb the trail to the saddle of the gap where you stand on the very spot that made migration possible. As we got out of the car we saw rhree big wild turkey foraging on the hillside.Always a nice way to start a hike.
Even for an old guy carrying too much weight, it is less than a mile each way and only has a couple of hundred feet of climbing. ( the whole point of being in a gap) It was a nice trail and it felt good to get out of the car and get a good stretch. We were glad to be going up the trail before it got too hot It is also approximately where the three states of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky meet. You look back down the Wilderness Road into Virginia, downhill to the north is Ky. and downhill to the south is Tn. We were standing in the actual footsteps of our ancestors, Daniel Boone, and Dr, Thomas Walker.
A short drive to the Pinnacle overlook on top of the mountain and you can see where the Union gun emplacements were located during the civil war. There were 9000 Union troops there who retreated from The Confederate General Zollicrofter, blowing up their munitions behind them as they left.
After a very nice visit at the park, we headed down the road toward Morristown Tn. and I-81. We did find that this is not the route to take if you expect fine country dining. About 2pm we gave up on a good lunch and got some chicken strips from the hot case at the Marathon station. They were just as yummy as you would expect. On the upside, there are nice views of the river and of Douglas Lake. Just not a lot of food choices. You might want to keep your tank full too.
By 4pm we were ensconced in the Motel 6 in Johnson City Tn. It was a Motel 6 but it was clean, the room was big enough for two beds and a couple of comfortable chairs, and the folks were nice. No free breakfast but all the coffee you want and a comfortable place to sit. Quiet but surrounded by choices of places to eat or pick up needed items. I got to bed early and woke up too early but that;s life on the road. We watched the AM news drank coffee and went to breakfast. We took our time packing then headed down I-26 toward North Carolina. Make a left at Unicoi, stay on 107 when it crossed the state line it becomes 227. Keep going and you go up and down mountains, past streams and pine trees. Past sawmills and machines that could move mountains. It was a beautiful trip on a good road with light traffic.
Our destination was the SODA CHICKS AND CHET pottery sale. Several years ago I spent a week in a Gay Smith workshop. I was awed by her skills and the beauty of her pottery.Every year she, Kent McLaughlin, Suze Lindsey and a couple of guests have a Labor Day sale.Every year she sends me a postcard and every year I promise myself I will go. Then I get busy and don't make it.This year, Dan Finnegan from Fredricksburg, Va. was one of the guest potters. I met Dan about 3 years ago when he hosted the British Slipware Potters Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew tour. He is a very nice, very fun guy with mad crazy potter skills that he learned apprenticing with Ray Finch in England. No better pedigree anywhere. Between the two of them, I decided this was the year to go. I'm so glad we went. We got there about 10 for the opening and I had some time to catch up with Gay and Dan before the crowds got there.The last thing you want to do at a show is suck up the artists time when they need to be greeting other customers so I made a couple of purchases and we were on our way before long.
We made our way to Kingsport Tn. and on into Lee County Va. picking up the route of the Wilderness Rd as we went. It was another beautiful drive with pretty light traffic and good roads.There were a few more towns and lunch choices on this route.
We drove down I-75 until we got to Corbin,Ky then we made a hard left turn into history and headed down 25E and the Cumberland Gap. In 1769, Daniel Boone blazed the Wilderness Road the main migration trail from North Carolina, Virginia, and points North and East.It followed trails of the Native Americans and the Buffalo. It led to the Cumberland Gap that allows north/south passage through the mountains into Kentucky. About 1800 my 3rd great grandfather Joseph Allen walked that path to the Cumberland Gap, turned left down the Powell Valley and established our family in Tennessee. After the Civil War, my maternal grandfather James Stone ( whom I got my first name from) walked the same route from Virginia but turned right into the Cumberland Gap and settled in Kentucky. 25E is a great road with the exception of slowing down for small towns, it is scenic and uncrowded. 4 lanes of 60 mph (maybe a little better) and a slightly shorter way to get into N.C.
At Pineville, Ky. we stopped at THE NARROWS of the Cumberland river where Daniel Boone had survived an Indian ambush. It is what is known as a water gap, a spot where a river flows through a mountain and wears away the earth to make a flatter more passable route. (Harper's Ferry Va.is another water gap) It is a beautiful spot to visit if you don't have arrows raining down on you. A short hike and we headed on down the road to Cumberland Gap National Park.
 |
| Dam at the Narrows |
Just before you get to the park, you go through a tunnel that is 4000 ft long that actually runs under the gap. There is a nice visitor center with very friendly rangers and a Southern Highland Craft Guild gift shop. We saw some gorgeous work including a nice display of pots by Sarah Wells Rowland of Village Potters in Asheville. A couple of tips from the ranger and we were off to climb the trail to the saddle of the gap where you stand on the very spot that made migration possible. As we got out of the car we saw rhree big wild turkey foraging on the hillside.Always a nice way to start a hike.
 |
| Monument at the Saddle of the Gap |
 |
| One of the Locals |
 |
| From the Pinnacle |
After a very nice visit at the park, we headed down the road toward Morristown Tn. and I-81. We did find that this is not the route to take if you expect fine country dining. About 2pm we gave up on a good lunch and got some chicken strips from the hot case at the Marathon station. They were just as yummy as you would expect. On the upside, there are nice views of the river and of Douglas Lake. Just not a lot of food choices. You might want to keep your tank full too.
By 4pm we were ensconced in the Motel 6 in Johnson City Tn. It was a Motel 6 but it was clean, the room was big enough for two beds and a couple of comfortable chairs, and the folks were nice. No free breakfast but all the coffee you want and a comfortable place to sit. Quiet but surrounded by choices of places to eat or pick up needed items. I got to bed early and woke up too early but that;s life on the road. We watched the AM news drank coffee and went to breakfast. We took our time packing then headed down I-26 toward North Carolina. Make a left at Unicoi, stay on 107 when it crossed the state line it becomes 227. Keep going and you go up and down mountains, past streams and pine trees. Past sawmills and machines that could move mountains. It was a beautiful trip on a good road with light traffic.
Our destination was the SODA CHICKS AND CHET pottery sale. Several years ago I spent a week in a Gay Smith workshop. I was awed by her skills and the beauty of her pottery.Every year she, Kent McLaughlin, Suze Lindsey and a couple of guests have a Labor Day sale.Every year she sends me a postcard and every year I promise myself I will go. Then I get busy and don't make it.This year, Dan Finnegan from Fredricksburg, Va. was one of the guest potters. I met Dan about 3 years ago when he hosted the British Slipware Potters Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew tour. He is a very nice, very fun guy with mad crazy potter skills that he learned apprenticing with Ray Finch in England. No better pedigree anywhere. Between the two of them, I decided this was the year to go. I'm so glad we went. We got there about 10 for the opening and I had some time to catch up with Gay and Dan before the crowds got there.The last thing you want to do at a show is suck up the artists time when they need to be greeting other customers so I made a couple of purchases and we were on our way before long.
 |
| Dan Finnegan |
 |
| Gay Smith |
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| This Kent (Chet) McLaughlin bowl followed me home. |
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| New mug from Dan |
We made our way to Kingsport Tn. and on into Lee County Va. picking up the route of the Wilderness Rd as we went. It was another beautiful drive with pretty light traffic and good roads.There were a few more towns and lunch choices on this route.
 |
| Where Blondie has wanted to be since I got home. |
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