Just a quick update.

I was promoted this morning to the position of Admin of this blog:)

Immediately had to put the new powers to use and started messing with the layout:)

I took the advice of Robert Young and just changed the name in the heading for right now.

Tom has some great ideas too, I'm sure we'll venture in to those once things get rolling.

Have a great day folks, I'll let ya'll know soon how things are going.

Times'a'changin'...

As the summer changes into fall, things at WhatNot Pottery are about to change as well.

The first and probably the most important change that has already taken place is the name change... May the earth be light upon you, "WhatNot Pottery"... we will keep you in the back of our minds, as - who knows where our ramblings taketh us or where our work ends up... You may become useful still...

However.

After weeks or agonizing, brain crunching and finding out that all good names are already out there, in the world, doing their thing, TAKEN by somebody else, we decided to go with something somewhat traditional.

Drumroll........

From now on, we will operate under the name "Blue Hen Pottery"... That is, if it will be officially accepted by the authorities. So, just putting it out there. Anyone who has objections, please raise your voice. Anyone who thinks this is a good honest name, we'd love to get feedback.

Why Blue Hen Pottery? - you may ask. Well, we live on a Blue Hen Lane with a handful of hens, none of whom are blue at the moment, however, one of them lays them blue eggs... Blue hens actually do exist . We've considered raising some here at the compound. Not for cock-fighting!!!

Blue Hen will also offer us a cute little stamp and a logo, which I'm excited about.

Other changes include officially registering the business, getting a tax ID #, keeping track of all those receipts that pile up and tend to get lost... participating in some sales and shows (more about that once we know for sure which)... I'm planning to go back to school as well - MCC offers classes on running a business - I really need some edumacation on that... and yeah, between all this rapidly increasing paperwork'n'all we will try to keep busy in the studio/workshop/garage. On top of - kids being back to school and dance lessons, and the ever growing mountains of work at STARworks.

Not to brag, but...

I'm super psyched about getting into The 2'nd Annual National Cup Show at Barret Clay Works.

It's been a while since my last juried show, it feels good to get back on track!

SO. now we have to either change the name on this blog... or start a new one... suggestions?

Busy days in the studio...

...and otherwise. School is starting up for kids on the 25'th. Kind of looking forward to more structured daily plans... and dreading it. Adam and I've been busy in the studio making plates and drawing on them, I'm making covered jars, bowls, and cups. Adam throws the plates and usually I draw on them. Keeping the repertoire simple.

Some more pix from last firings at Dwights.

Chicken and carrots - that already found a home.

Fancy dog bowl :)

Vase.

These mice had chewed a hole in a big cheese-ball, and hopped out of Dwight's kiln:)

That's all for today folks, uploading pix is part magic and part rocket science at our house. So we'll take what we get:)

Observation: I can either spend my days in the studio, which yields a bundle of objects at the end of the week, but means I scramble and scratch stuff for dinners, laundry piles up, and house is in a state of insane mess.

Or.

I can stay out of studio which means I cook decent dinners and maybe freeze and can some summer goodies BUT laundry still piles up, the house is in a state of insane mess, AND I have no work to show at the end of the week...

ohhhhhh.

Cups cups cups

My favorite format to work with. I always used to say that I can't stand doing the same thing over and over and that's why it is so hard for me to be a studio potter...

Well whatayaknow... I keep making these over and over. I guess the fact that I don't weigh my clay and draw directly on the cups give me the sense of freedom, uncertainty and openendedness that I need...

Abstract doodles.

Spring blooms.

Love the surfaces and colors of these two on the bottom. Unfortunately the glaze bubbled :(

Maybe re-firing will take care of that. It'll "take care" of the surfaces too though.

Twisting it all around

This is all that I was able to upload today.

Getting ready to fire a small salt kiln at Dwight Holland's on Saturday. Can't wait!

Play time

The other day I decided to play around a bit with about half a bag of clay - and that's what happened:) I'm not much of a "faceter", so this is a new territory. Something new to play with.