Christmas Pots

AH! Finally got to spend a few hours at the wheel. The bowls in front are freshly thrown and the other stuff was thrown and assembled yesterday and trimmed early this morning. There's a teapot, pipkin, mixing bowl, kimchee jar, a few cups. It was about 50 pounds of various clays - 50-50, LB I think, and Sedona, whatever that is! I hope they are all happy being fired together. and I hope this time the iron rust glaze doesn't pit, because that's all I have. Fingers crossed.

Spice Jars

Ahh, I totally forgot I set up this blog in the spring. I'll have to find a shot of my last firing. In the meantime, these are my spice jars and a few cabinets flung open. I think I took this for the frontispiece of a cookbook - which ended up being drawn and parts of this shot included in the montage. The bottles were made over the course of the past 20 years and only I know what's in them! Well, most of them.

Welcome!

After throwing some pots yesterday, it occured to me that I write all the time about food, but never about clay. I have been writing about food history for the past 20 years or so, and have been making pots about the same time. None of it recorded anywhere, except among friends who come to visit and people with whom I share them. I have never sold a single pot in my life and have no intention of ever doing so. Nor is this blog for showing off. The point is to get you to try it as an amateur. EXACTLY like me. It is one of the greatest pleasures in this life. I only wish I could do it more often. I set up a studio when I moved to Stockton in 1994 and back then did a firing nearly every week. It's since moved a few blocks, and a firing only a few times a year, but still the same two wheels and St. Theresa the kiln, all in a basement studio. I like to think, unlike music, you really don't get rusty. This pile was thrown in a few hours. I really love the way they look still leather hard, before firing and glazing. This is only after trimming the bases a bit. After many years I still throw the same way, attach handles the same way, trim feet, etc. I guess it's worked for me. And certain details are mine. This is among the nicest teapots I've ever thrown, for Helen, though I may not be able to glaze it pink. The mixing bowl is for Willa. Handles a maybe little clunky on the mugs, but they'll work. Mookie asked yesterday what my favorite pieces in the house are. I'll show you next time. I have some samples going back to The Clay Hand Studio in NY where I apprenticed in 1993. I'll show you some pots from then too and explain the process of making them. Welcome friends. Ken