Back.

Hard to believe, but I'm back at the wheel. This is the first piece I made. New clay (starwhite from Starworks) so that was a bit of an adjustment. It has less grog and is finer in composition. I love this picture in part in that you can see that the wheel is still brand new. Plus, this is one of the easiest forms I make.
Spent some time unloading the furniture kit, full of well, furniture for the kiln--- kiln posts of varying lengths.
Here's the wheel before I made anything. Ate a delicious gourmet soft pretzel, thanks to my parents' ongoing generosity. They make and sell these at their own business and my freezer has a bunch. Perfect way to begin time in the studio, on top of a plate with lyrics from one of Peter Mayer's songs.
Purchased 500 lbs. of clay recently. Here it is. Doesn't look like that much, but it will last for awhile. With the cold coming, it's in the washer/dryer room.
Don't have a scale to weigh the clay yet, so I guessed and formed several 1 lb. or so balls. Turned out these were big, but they're a start. Made several tea bowls; will make more later today.

So good to be back! It's been a long road these past six months. Simply having my hands in clay is heavenly!

Any ideas as to which scale to get for weighing clay?

I will get a triple beam one. Do I need another additional? Have the ohaus triple beam one picked out already.

Oh, and Tracey- I did get some incense and burnt it at the start. Perfect! Thank you.

And, it's cold today, so the space heater will come in handy. Loving this!

More to follow.

Tomorrow is the day

Finally got my wheel set up and ready. It's so CLEAN! (brand new is why) and just beautiful.
Beginning to unpack a few boxes of pottery supplies. Hard to know which banding wheel to get.

My next big purchase is metal shelves--- heard from several to get them at Sam's Club. Will check out wal-mart as Sam's Club is nowhere close. And, I'll purchase a scale online somewhere to weigh clay.
Tracey Broome, you are brilliant! This is the space heater I ended up buying from Lowe's. It was priced $35 and then they sold me this one, the display one for $20. It really does set out a bunch of heat...and I will pull it away from anything before turning it on. Thank you a bunch, Tracey for that wisdom!
I cannot put into words how tough it has been to be away from the wheel for 6 mos. Part of me has been missing. Tomorrow, I"ll put my hands into the first of 500 lbs. of clay, wedge it, and begin to make some like these. Thankfully, one doesn't forget how to make something at the wheel, although I expect it will take awhile to get back into it. While it'll be awhile till I fire something in the kiln (I travel to Costa Rica for a week soon), I keep telling myself that this will take time. At least I can make a bunch of pieces and just line them up trimmed and all, getting them ready for a bisque firing.

Off to find a scale to weigh clay and a metal shelving unit. Thanks for all the support and suggestions!

The World of Glazes

New book purchased today. White in the center is from the glare of the iPhone. Several have recommended it. Hope it's good! Couldn't find it cheaper than $40. Have you read it?

So much to learn about glazes...

This is a contraption that Adrienne Dellinger showed me at Clayworks, in Charlotte where I used to make pottery. How I miss that place and people! Yet, I don't miss it enough to return to Charlotte. I'm quite happy in Southern Pines. Anyway, it's a simple plastic container with a pipe put into it... and silicone, I think to seal around the plastic pipe. The glaze/clay water is poured into the container, yet not down the pipe and the sediment and all settles in the plastic container, with the water rising to the top. When the container fills up, it'll eventually drain. I plan to make this and put it in my sink along with a gleco trap installed in the pipes under the sink. Google gleco trap if you have no clue what it is. I didn't until yesterday, thanks to Adrienne's teaching.

Am in Asheville, NC as I write. Almost didn't come, but quickly figured out that if I don't get glaze ingredients now, it'll be quite awhile before I do so. And, well- I needed a break from work, so here I am.

As usual, it's simply wonderful to be here. I passed through Charlotte on my way here and it was fun to talk with Adrienne a bit about the pottery world. She's so wise and generous. Not sure how I'd get through this studio creation without her insight and support.

Have decided to start off with five glazes. Found four from Clayworks that I liked and got recipes for them. Found another today.

So, today, I spent a long while at Highwater Clay in Asheville. The staff there was so incredibly helpful. Bought the dry glaze ingredients for 5 glazes.... one out of this new book pictured above.

Never thought I'd be using my chemistry knowledge again. Chemistry was my least favorite class in high school; at least I'm figuring out how to use the little I learned in it.

So, little by little I'm figuring this glaze stuff out. This book will be my fun, fun leisure reading! Still need to purchase a triple beam scale.

As I write, my car has 150 lbs or so of glaze ingredients! So much to learn...

On another note, it's supposed to snow or flurry here tonight, which I love. Winter is only winter for me if there is snow sometime. I've waited awhile for snow this season.

Tomorrow it's back home. Am thankful that Starworks pottery is close by (1/2 hour away), so I can go there if needed.

Oh, and I traveled there for the first time last weekend and brought home 500 lbs of clay! 250 lbs. of star white (star works NC kind) and 250 lbs. of high water's brownstone clay.

Will make the ben garden, clear, bluegrass, and maybe hare's fur blue from the pic above of the test tiles taken at clayworks.... hard to remember as I don't have my recipes with me. Long day!

Any glaze making advice? (Will definitely make small amounts and use test tiles before I mix big 5 gallon buckets).

Dilemma

Decisions, decisions. It has been an ongoing dilemma about which kiln to buy. I ended up choosing a Skutt 1027, single phase--- which arrived today and it goes up to cone 10. Was really interested in a Skutt 1227 KM, but it was $800 more! If only money grew on trees.

This has not been easy. I keep telling myself that I have a house payment, that I soon will need a new car, and that I need to keep saving $. My other rationale is that I really don't see myself as a full-time potter ever--- it's a wonderful avocation, and well, if I decide to ever go full-time, I can purchase another kiln that is a bit bigger and use this one as a bisque kiln. This kiln- the 1027 is a good basic kiln, it just looks small. And, it can go to cone 10 which is a plus. 7 cubic feet inside, compared to 9.9 in the other. Still, I understand it can hold 38 tea bowls. And, they say it's the most popular-- a good basic kiln--- actually, a bit better than a basic one.

I've got to look forward on this and keep moving ahead. I also am mindful that I don't make many big pieces.

I also made the decision to buy a kiln before the purchase of a washer and dryer. Sometimes one has to do what one has to do. Creating a studio is EXPENSIVE.

That's my kiln rambling for the day. Pictures tomorrow and a trip to Starworks to contemplate which kind of cone 6 clay to buy...

Any words of insight? What kiln do you use?

I tell myself that this is a good choice for now. It is a beautiful kiln. It will be more beautiful after the electrician comes and wires it, etc... and it's ready to go.

On another note, buying a wheel was MUCH easier. I have a brent C. I'm already loving it. My plan is to get my hands in clay at the wheel on Sunday afternoon. :)