Easier Inside!

Thanks all for your insight about the s-crack and well, cracks in general in the pottery world.  Am monitoring the drying process more on the bigger bowls and well, being sure to compress the bottoms of bowls more before I continue to throw them.

Tonight after trimming some bowls late this pm I decided to try something new.  I brought some bowls inside my home--- surrounded by LOTS of thick plastic to my couch and started inscribing on them while sitting on the couch with this sgraffitto tool.  So much easier than being out in the cold garage and doing the same.  Notice the blanket- a fleece one under the plastic.  Etched four bowls tonight and a simple vase.  Am real careful to keep the tiny bits and scraps from the etching on the plastic.  Won't do this much--- it's just great when I can.

Tomorrow it's off for a quick 48 hour trip to be with family.  Life is too short to not do the same!
Love the blog world!  Thanks for reading and for all your comments...

First Time- Crack Question!

So, this is the first time this has happened to me--- a crack which turned this bowl quickly into a flowerpot.

Question- what causes this crack?  Is it from the bottom of the bowl being too thick?  or uneven drying?  or not compressing the bottom enough?   What???

Wisdom please!

Am back from time in Costa Rica.  Good trip, although so exhausting!  I'm happy to be back home.  Soon will be working on new forms- first to finish a few orders.

Thanks for reading and your comments.

Soon Off

Well, soon I am off again on another trip.  While it will be a good one, I must say that at this point I'd rather stay here and make forms like this.  

But thankfully, the clay can wait.  Tomorrow morning I hope to have time to etch some words onto some small bowls--- working towards finishing commissions.  I'm so ready to experiment a bit with vases too.  

Costa Rica is my next destination.  Will travel with a group of 18 from work.  

Thanks for reading this and if you're a blogger, thanks for blogging!  I continue to read the blogs most every day, regardless of whether I spend time in the studio. 

Lark & Key Gallery!

 Went to Lark & Key this past weekend while I was in Charlotte.  Incredible gallery- check it out here!  I must admit that I always am a bit hesitant though, to take pictures of such gorgeous pottery.  So, I took few pictures...  Here are the mugs and from this one--- one caught my eye so I bought it.  This particular mug just came in along with a few others and was created by an artist- and I haven't seen any mugs made by her until this one!  It's almost in the center...  Will show a pic of it at the end of this post.

 Meanwhile, here is the pottery at the front window of the gallery.  Jim Connell piece in the middle.  See that house by Tracey Broome at the top center?  Gay Smith Pottery at the top left.  Mark Knott on the middle right.  Amy Sanders on the bottom left.  Mark Knott on the bottom center and Amy Sanders on the bottom right.  Paul Smith's piece is on the top right.  I love it that I'm learning who the artists are in this part of the world.  Didn't have time to get pics of all of them either...

 Shelled a few fava beans that I bought at a hispanic grocery store in Charlotte.  Love the taste of them; they look like lima beans, but taste a bit different.  Easy to find in Bolivia.  These were grown in Mexico.  Put them in a soup.

And here's the mug on the left that is already used each morning.  Thanks Suze Lindsey!  The Michael Mahan mug on the right will have a long break after being used daily.
This was all inspiring--- to encourage me to make mugs and vases--- and well, different forms than bowls.  :)  Now, just to get out into the studio to do just that!
So, I recommend gallery visits at least one per month for inspiration and ideas.  Nothing like picking up a piece of pottery!