Dry

Working at 7,000 feet in the dry mountain air is so different from working at sea level 2 blocks from the SF Bay. Things happen that I'm not used to - both good and bad. I can make a cup in a day, dry it in the sun and fire it the next day. BUT... Last week I learned a painful lesson while making 3 large compote bowls. I have to REALLY SLOWLY expose complicated pieces to this unforgiving air. See what happened (thankfully this was one piece out of 3)........



One tip that has helped me tremendously up here is a tool that Christa helped me make when she came to fourth & clay. It's a damp box made from a simple plastic storage box with a tight fitting lid. You simply fill the bottom with about 2" of prepared plaster and let it cure for about a week. Put enough water in the bottom to totally soak the plaster without any puddles and VOILA you can store work in process or slowly dry finished pieces for an indefinate amount of time. I guess I should have left this piece in the box for a little longer.

Don't you just love pottery..it's so fun to guess what next can go wrong.

The Day After....

Back home from the 2 day Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival. Here are some photos of my booth right after set up. Thankfully many of these pieces have found new happy homes. Now it's time to unload the truck and decompress. The show was decent for me, better than last year sales wise. The weather was spectacular except for the afternoon wind that would come breezing through and send all potters with tall slender bottomed vases (that would be me) heart's racing. The crowd on Saturday was good and so positive. Sunday was a sleeper. I did manage to sell one of my ceramic peas to a blind lady. ACGA should consider having the festival be one day with a Friday preview? Just a thought.

Are you wondering about my kiln misadventures before the show? All I can say is third time's a charm....everything came out great after I hauled it up the hill and used my sweet husband John's new spiffy John Toki kiln. I feel like a crazy girl for having such a hissy fit. When faced with a similar dilemma in the future I am going to practice what I have preached to others - "Drink don't Whine...."

Trickster

Please join me at the sensational Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival this weekend:

I am hoping I'll have tons of new work for you to see. Kiln problems have me doing a last minute firing in a borrowed kiln. The work in it is largely inspired by my flea market obsessions ... Primarily my love of vintage textiles. We'll see what the trickster kiln gods serve up for me. Keep your fingers crossed... I need all the help I can get at this point.