Shino yunomi

Here are a few yunomi that came out of the last firing, it's the typical wood ash on shino, a nice reliable combination. These and small bowls and cups are the real backbone of the firing. They pay for wood and clay etc. There is a storm headed this way today... so better get to it. Maybe 1-2 feet of snow and 20-60 MPH, we shall see if they are right about this. Make good pots!

Favorites from the fall firing

Here are a couple more favorites out of the fall firing. These are the pots that there never seem to be enough of and keep you coming back to wood firing.

More pots from the fall firing.

Here are some more pots from the fall firing. It's been so long since I have blogged that I almost forgot how to use this program... it's like falling of a bike... once you know how it's easy. The winter has hit Minnesota so there will be no more firing until spring... time to cut and stack wood and make pots for the spring. Have a good day and Make good pots!

Some pots from the fall 2009 firing

Here are some pots from the last firing.

Snow!!

Ahhh.. it snowed yesterday and will snow today... it looks like there is a chance that it may snow almost everyday next week. We will have to see about that, sometimes the weather man is right, sometimes not. I'm not going to post any photos of snow just yet, I'm sure that there will be plenty of chances in the months to come. The cool weather is great for cutting and splitting wood so it's chainsaw time.
Let's see where did I put the hockey mask and video camera...
Make good pots.

Plates and a jar

Here are a couple of plates that I made today. They have a very clay feeling to them. I want the pots to feel like they are very close to the clay pit, freshly dug and made right there, on the spot. They remind me of South Dakota where I grew up, where there was nothing between you and the clay, and for that matter not much else, besides me and the clay!

Here is a jar, I don't really know what to think about it, or where it's leading to. We'll have to see what happens with this idea. There is something there just can't seem to see the next step yet.

The beginning of the cycle

Just starting to get serious about the next firing. A few tokuri to get started while l take care of other things. It's always good to start with a clean plate, because the clay will take over. This will probably be a hot and sticky cone 12 firing. Igayaki and Shigaraki seem to be what is coming out on the wheel. Well have a good day... Make good pots!!

Breathing in... or out

The last few months have been the blogging equivalent of an out breath. One of those cycles that I'm beginning to recognize. Time to breath in and start blogging on the next New London Anagama firing. Many fresh ideas.... we will see what happens... good to blog again!!

Stacked rock bottles

Monitor problems are finally fixed and everything is computing smoothy. It's amazing how fast the blog world moves, and how much there is to catch up on.
Jared came down from St. Cloud on Sunday afternoon to get in some throwing. I was in a sort of relaxed mood so I made these bottles. They are a combination of life experiences that come bubbling up one around each other. I was really struck with rock stacks that I saw on the islands of the East China Sea, watching Goro Suzuki throw orbs, and add to that an anagama. Sonehow it makes perfect sense..... Ha... probably not at all. They were fun to make, and left me with a happy heart. What more could anyone expect..
Make good pots...

Happy Easter

It looks like my monitor is going berserk, so I might be off for a bit. Happy Easter!

Goblet tops

Some days are a real blue collar existence. Being a potter is a job. A really nice job.. but still a job. This morning I threw these 128 goblet tops, later this morning will come the stems and in the afternoon put the two together. Well, I have many miles left to travel... so keep the wheels spinning, make good pots and have a great day!!

A couple of yunomi

Always fall in with what you're asked to accept. Take what is given, and make it over your way. My aim in life has always been to hold my own with whatever's going. Not against: with. ~~Robert Frost

Here are a couple of yunomi that are my favorites out of the last batch. I have an order for two hundred goblets, so I throw a few yunomi for therapy, some days more therapy is needed than others.
The weather is springing right along and I got the bike out today and rode it to work... felt sooooo good!!

Wadding from woodfiring

The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whosoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. ..~Albert Einstein

stone pots

Here is a picture of some stone pots that were outside a Buddhist shrine on Jeju island. I love the scale and weight to them. They have no connection with anything that is going on right now. I thought that you might like them because they are inspirational.
There was a blizzard here on Tuesday and it really threw a wrench into everything. I threw a couple hundred yunomi's in an attempt to ignore the reality of the endless winter. Marlin our local electrician is coming tomorrow to wire a phase converter up for the clay mixer!! Then it will be on to the thirty or so biggish pots needed for the coming fire. Hopefully the large pots will help keep me disconnected from frozen iceland outside. Hoping for a glimse of something other than white. Keep the wheels turning.

tokkura

Started rolling on some tokkura today. They are white and tight, it's a good starting point, maybe some slip deco or the shino dip and finger swipe.
The weather was almost springlike and I started measuring out for a small wood kiln for the spring. Things like that are such a treat.

Yunomi

Today I made some tight yunomi for the tight folks, and some loose yunomi for the loose folks. The weather here has started to calm down a bit. Those poor buggers in the Dakotas are feeling the wrath of Mother Nature. A flood and a blizzard at the same time, hopefully the levee will hold.

Trapped in a Snowglobe

Sometimes I have this feeling that I'm trapped in a snowglobe. These flakes are big enough to cause some serious bodily harm. The snow came down again today for most of the day. Winter has returned. Spring is just to timid for it's own good.
Back to work. The spring (did I say spring) firing is coming up. Maybe I should say the late winter firing. Make good pots!!

Three Graces

It was one of those days that felt kind of loose. I stacked up these little vases on a whim. There were three of them... hmmmm.. the Three Graces? It's snowing right now.. snow globe sort of snow... huge flakes!!
Enough blogging. Gonna go make some evening pots. Take care and Make good pots.

The nicest person you will ever meet

There isn't much going on at the pottery today. To balance out life, here is this picture of Shinsaku Hamada, Shoji's oldest son. I had the pleasure of spending some time with him, he is with out a doubt one of the kindest persons I have ever met. He gazes into paradise, and shows you the mountain top view. Sometimes just thinking of him makes my pots better. Well, that makes me want to make pots. Which I will do. So have a great day, and Make good Pots.

The meaning of Big

Not much going on today, it's a sort of rainy day. Doing reclaim and cleaning and some odds and ends. I thought that I'd put up this picture for anybody. It's a large woodfired jar with flyash dripping down. It's maybe 3' tall, the size doesn't translate as well as it should. It is one of Svend Bayer's, perhaps one of the largest that he makes. I walk by it everyday when I go into the work room, it says "Well what are you going to make today... it better be good".
Well have a good day ... Make good pots.

New tea bowl and saucer

I've been goofing around with a new teabowl and saucer to go along with the new teapot design. This is where I ended up today. Not to sure about it. What do you think?
It's turned into a rainy day, perfect studio weather. The rain is melting the ice and there is an earthy feeling about. Love it.
Well back to the studio. I need to pug up some reclaim and get ready for some throwin..
Make good pots!