I won't show you the results. They were all dubious pots. My heart was not in glazing. And it showed. I was rushing to get a few new things on the site before the Ceramics Monthly article came out. And it showed. There was a new design that I glazed the old way. And it showed. Can't hide any dubious efforts in a kiln. The CM article did come out and it came out a few days before I expected it. I hope that CM will let me post the article somewhere on the website; I am waiting to hear. Copyrights and the like. I did make some wonderful pots in the last ten days but I also wrote two articles to submit to "Clay Times," another US clay magazine. Recently, I wrote them a letter about an article they published and they asked if they could publish my letter. "Of course," I said. And I figured that if they were interested in my comments on that article about web sites, perhaps I should expand upon my thought in that letter and send them an article - three actually- for their consideration. So, that ate up most of a week. I don't know if I should be spending time like that or if I should only be making pots like these...
A 17" wide landscape and flower bowl. Again, when I am working on these big bowls, I wonder if I should be. Unfortunately, bowls don't sell very well. I still make them and I have a lot of them. I sell them primarily as wedding gifts that I can personalize writing on the bottom before I fire them. Should anyone reading this be interested, be warned. There is a long lead time for personalized pots. If I happen to be glazing the lead time is short. Personally, I love bowls. That answers the question why I make them.
I made another locust pot. Really special, I feel. It's about the size of a volleyball. Big for a pot.
And a large swirl gourd pot..
And another even bigger with three layers of leaves. I don't usually spend this much time carving a pot. The entire surface is carved.
And now for the bad news for anyone itching to buy a pot. I am starting a four month making cycle today! That means no new pots for four or five months! Damn. Think you will be itching to see something new? What about me? When I glaze, I have to really have time to get into it. I am making new designs already and new designs need new approaches to glazing- and new glazes and glazing techniques take me a lot of time. However, dear viewer, keep in mind that I will be working diligently. There will be these updates on a 10 or 14 day schedule. I promise. Don't forget me. You have to love me all the time, not just when I have new pots! Keep in touch. I will.
I leave you this week with a parting thought. Here are some things that I will be working on in the next four months. See how much I really get done. Moby Dick. Hollyhocks. A Spring picture tile. Some sculpture portraits of my favorite collectors. Landscapes with rainbows. Pots with Northern Lights. (I was in Alaska last summer.) Owls....And yes, Terry, I promise to make some frogs. Already I feel I am behind!