Back in the Studio

It's always nice to have orders for motivating back into the studio. Trillium Gallery on the Coast wants plates, bowls and the new leaf boat serving dishes. A customer from a few years ago asked me if I'd try my hand at making a handle-less butter dish that would match a sugar and creamer she has.

Here's what I came up with... Looks a little like Kermit the Frog... good or bad?!?

Studio Sale Post Script

We couldn't have asked for better weather for a backyard sale...sunny and warm but not too warm. Our cooler spring meant more was blooming in the garden at the same time than ever before: peonies and rhodies at the same time the dogwood was still pinkish. Thanks to the fertile mix added to beds in March everything seemed to be just a little more lush. All those April and May showers probably helped with that, too.

People came! A good rush of new faces and familiar awaited us when we opened our doors.

The stacking sculpture that greeted everyone out front had been in the Edible Garden at the Oregon Gardens for many years so I was happy it went home with a friend who liked its weathered look. Thanks to a recent Portland Monthly photograph, got to name drop the fact that one of these is in Ketzel Levine's collection.

Thanks to all who took the time to come by to visit and help support we three artists. The little video walk through was done by journalist and budding videographer, Gail Oberst, pottery sale helper extraordinaire!

Art in the Garden

Studio sales are a bit like hosting a party and a bit of... "I should've had my head examined!" A lot of work, but can be a lot of fun and rewarding, too.

The past 18 years I've had an outdoor studio sale in a garden setting. This means not only do you have to have a lot of artwork, but the garden itself can't be the beds of neglect that begin appearing as the summer progresses--at least at our place. We were hosted at the beautiful LeBlanc gardens Harold and Cathy so generously made beautiful and loaned for 14 summers. For the past 4 we've had a Spring sale so people come to my house before everything in our yard has plopped. I team up with Louie Gizyn (mixed media sculpture) and Jerri Bartholomew (fused glass) so there is more than just pots to see.

Since we're in the outdoors there are worries about the weather (wet or boil-o), what will be blooming or not, how to get the garage in shape enough to have people come through (cover most of it up with cloths!) and where to put all the artwork to best show it off. Will people actually COME once we've gone to all of this effort?!? And just now I remembered that I need to get REFRESHMENTS! Add it to the list...

This year's sale is tomorrow, May 15. 11 am - 4 pm.
We usually do this two weeks post-Ceramic Showcase in May if you're in the Corvallis, OR area.

Showcase 2010

It was the 28th annual (and my 23rd) Ceramic Showcase over the weekend. A day back from the extravaganza in Portland and am exhausted. If you missed it, here is a photo of my booth to give you an idea of what it's all about: trying to show the world the best of my clay work.

I brought flower vessels and all my new serving ware, as well as the two sculptures I completed for the Sitka Invitational. Sold a little of this and a little of that. More of the new leaf/boat bowls and plates. No dinnerware commissions taken but at least a couple possible bites on them. Would've been nice to have sold a "big one" or two.

Got feedback from fellow potters that my backdrop cloths need to change with my newer glazes. My old blue/green glaze used to pop in front of this fabric but the new sages and tans fade into the background a little too much.

Always something to tweak with an art fair booth. And need to MAKE More NEW Designs!

My hats off to the artists who do fairs weekly to make a living!

New images posted recently: SpencerWorkInClay.com

Crumbly Lemonade

I thought this piece was dry enough and that my firing cycle long enough to dry it thoroughly through and through... but in the very first rise of the kiln up to 200 degrees, when water begins to boil, there were some pockets of wet deep within, and that little bit of steam caused all this mess.

The bad news was that about $20+ worth of underglazes were layered onto this sucker and it wasted a bunch of energy blowing it up and then turning it into gravel.

The good news, if there is any, is that this was a piece that I wasn't so sure about. I'm saved several hours of sanding and mess and another firing. And there's one less big, heavy piece to haul up to the show--tho I'm SURE it would've sold if I'd had it there. It was still an interesting piece to work on and learn from during the forming process.

The longer I'm a potter the more I learn what silly mistakes I can make.

Harvest from Spring Anagama Firing

One of the hardest things about woodfiring is waiting a week to let it cool down before being able to see the pots. Friday we unloaded the Digger Mtn Anagama Kiln after a very long seven days.

Everyone was positively giddy when we saw the first pieces come out with great ash coverage, many crystals and sugary surfaces. As you can see from the top photo, the ash flash was on most every piece. Digger Mtn kiln's Jay Widmer believes it is our particular mix of fir, maple and wet wood (this year alder) that helps develop the colors and crystals we get.

Fellow fire-ers liked the glitzy bumpy vase in the middle, but my favorite for now is the quieter fluted vase at the bottom since it has color and markings that fit the shape well. Got some great color on other pieces and will have to see if the brightness of it all grows on me.

Variations in a Single Firing

This past month I've been working on a set of dinnerware: eight big plates, small plates, smaller plates and bowls. I'm never done so many pieces that were all supposed to match. Luckily the folks buying this set knew that from top to bottom they would get some differences in the glaze and the way the clay looked. That is sure what they're going to get.

The above images illustrate just how broad these variations can be. The three plates on the shelf go from regular reduced atmosphere in the front to very oxidized in the back. The bowls also show how each one dried and warped a bit differently as well as getting different finishes from the firing. Never a dull moment when it comes to pottery...

Below is a complete dinner set that matches pretty well considering.