Busy Hands Homestead

I have been writing and re-writing an an artist statement to accompany my First Friday show at the Missoula Community Food Co-op. The official event is on April 7th, but my pots will be on display for the remainder of the month. "This will be easy," I thought. After all, the wheat design carved onto the surface of my mugs, bowls and plates is an external expression of a more than a decade long ritual I have created for myself to process the news of violence and conflict present in our world. But still, the words to articulate feelings and motions are hard to construct. I was 18 for 31 days when September 11th became a date marooned in the year 2001 and we entered a pre- and post- world. Slightly tipsy, from my first honey brown beer, at an elevation over 5000 ft, in my best friend's college dorm, I watched bright dots flashing across a night sky and I was struck by the surreal beauty of what could have been mistaken as fireworks on screen but what were in reali...

I have been trying to spend as much time in the studio as possible.  (Does that explain the lack of blog posts? It should.) I have week or two until Adam is back at work and I no longer have the luxury of spending long day time hours at the studio.  I feel like I am constantly behind.  The list of things I want to make never getting shorter...  but a few nights ago I trudged through the snow carrying a backpack with a tripod and a camera and a giant box of mugs and bowls.  I had attempted to drive down the road to The Clay Studio of Missoula and promptly got stuck.  After a few tried I got unstuck and I parked on a main road that was getting plowed and walked.  My arms ached by the time I got inside. First learning how to use the wonderful camera I borrowed and then moving one piece at a time through three small boxes of new work. I snapped pictures for hours. By the time I was done, there were eight additional powdery inches of snow on the ...

In the wake of the great sickness , I frantically glazed all of my plates, cups, and bowls.  Each item was then carefully wadded onto it's spot on the kiln shelf. Each shelf carefully balanced on the one before.  By the time we lined up the rows up bricks to close up the door and spackled shut all of the cracks our hands were freezing and it was close to one in the morning. Many hours later we noted with pride no flames escaping from the top of the arch.  Our firing was consistent and even.   Firing Shedule 12:45 am mudded door and started candling, with peeps and damper open 8:00 am  closed peeps, shut damper half way and turned up gas a bump (1/8th of an inch or so) and adjusted the blowers 11:00 am checked on kiln 11:35 am turned up gas slightly and closed damper to 2" 1:00 pm cone 012 down, strong reduction, turned up W burner slightly  2:45 pm turned up gas a bump, damper mostly open, cone 012 com...

So, I did try a few of the things that I mentioned in my previous post Process .  I have been experimenting with atmospheric firings (anagama cone 10 and soda cone 6, 10) playing with slips, altering my vessels through pleating and tried to throw big! Really Big!! (for me anyway).  Well, here are a few pictures.  His and Her's Mugs These were intended to be a wedding present, but then the firing was postponed and postponed and the unloading of the kiln didn't take place until I had already flown half way across the country.  I suppose I will just have to work up the courage to post them in the near future.   Stacking Plate, Bowl and Cup Set I have been trying to alter my thrown shapes, pleating them by either cutting out small slivers of the rim or by just indenting the edges.  I would like make a large plate, small plate, bowl and cup set that, when stacked looks like basal rosette or a flower.   Large Bowls  More pleati...

Interwoven  Wally's Blush Archie Bray Clay  Soda Fired Cone 6 (no glaze) wheel thrown pieces altered and assembled 8" x 8" x 8"   Cocoon    Porcelaneous Stoneware Soda Fired Cone 6 Red Flashing slip on the interior and recessed surfaces wheel thrown pieces altered and assembled 10" x 6" x 4" Emergence stoneware  Anagama Fire Cone 10 Red Flashing Slip  wheel thrown pieces altered and assembled  6" x 6" x 8"