Whistle Creek: North Carolina

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

North Carolina

Last Thursday, I loaded up the little motorhome and headed south on a pottery junket. First stop was Tater Knob Pottery near Berea Ky. My friends Sarah Culbreath and Jeff Inge were both in the studio so I had a very nice visit with them and shared what has been going on in our respective parts of the world.Sarah continues to make some of the finest pottery in Ky while Jeff has branched out into doing woodcuts as well.You can see their work at Taterknob.com.

Next was a stop at the Ky Music Hall of Fame for the quick tour, then on to Racoon Valley Campground for the evening. Thursday is Jam night at he campground and anyone is welcome to join their regulars for Old Time and Bluegrass Music.I got my courage up enough to play and actually sing in front of 30 or so people.(Like I said, they let anyone play.) I had a great time but needed to head down the road Friday to the Western North Carolina Pottery Festival in Dillsboro.

Friday I was disappointed to arrive too late for the clay olympics that are held to open the show but ended up having such a fine evening that the heart of the show will have to come in another post later this week.I hooked up with friends Mike and Karen Baum and Bev. O'Daniel from Cincinnati and we headed over to Sylva. Bev and I toured Sylva while the Baums went to check in at their motel.

We found one of the nicest displays of pottery I had ever seen in an antique store. The owner is a pottery collector and had brought in pieces from his stash for the weekend.Beautiful pots, all in great condition.Enough talk. Here are the pictures.Tune back in the end of this week for more from the festival itself.

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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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Whistle Creek

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

North Carolina

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