One thousand

We had a great turnout at the building wide open house, and had wonderful time at the Awaken studio open house last weekend.

My Etsy sale reached 1000.  I did not expect this four years ago.  I started the Etsy in November 2007.  I stumbled upon the Etsy while googling the other potters, and found someone was actually selling the pottery on the website. I was very fortunate to get into the Etsy early, when not many potters were there. I am actually a member of Etsy old timer team. Now, I see there is over 1000 potters selling Etsy.

I had two firings since my last post.  I made the saggar about one inch taller and wider with the refractory clay, and the oxidation is back...  And one of the saggar is split in a half.  I am back to drawing board on this.  I will put a piece of wood inside the sagger at next firing to see what happens. I used to fire with pots wrapped with straw soaked in salt water for a couple day in a saggar to get nice flashing effects.

My

Studio open house this Friday and Saturday

Time flew by.  This is fourth annual studio open house. I have two firing done and lots of fresh potteries, lots of earring holders, teapots, bowls, and more.  I will clean up and set up the studio and some baking tomorrow.

At the Hungerford Building

1115 East Main Street

Door 2  suite 422    - 4th floor

Rochester, NY 14607

 

12/2-3

Studio Open House

Here is latest teapot collections;

[caption id="attachment_1867" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 31"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1868" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 32"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1869" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 33"][/caption]

Yes, this one survived.

Teapot 28-30

I loaded the kiln last week, but strong winds were expected until Tuesday.  Then, I was checking the forecast on Monday night around 9pm, found that Tuesday is again windy.  I wound up firing the kiln Monday night. over night.  It was very claim and quiet night, perfect for the firing.  Tuesday, there was no winds, of course.

I opened the kiln today, and another good firing.  The refractory clay - sagger held up well.  Here is teapot 28 to 30.

[caption id="attachment_1854" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 28"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1855" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 29"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1856" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 30"][/caption]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Slab built teapot

I was making slab pieces yesterday, and decided to make a teapot with it. This is my first attempt on assembling a box shape. It came out well, I think. Hope it stays one piece after firings.





Another warm November. Leaves are still on trees, and we have not seen snow on the ground this winter.  It is very nice everyday.  I have finished delivering pottery to galleries, and am working on the open house on December 2 & 3.  I hurt my right forearm four weeks ago trying to pull the loading deck door, and it still bothers a bit.  It is hard to heal while working with clays everyday.

 

Refractory clay

I have been sickly last two weeks. Change of season, I guess. I think the fall is dragging long this year, and we finally had a couple of frost this week.  I have been working lightly.

I got the refractory clay body for the sagger. It felt like throwing a sandpaper, but threw well. I hope this last longer then 4-5 firings.



I had fourth firing in one month this week, I think this is my record. I did not lose any piece due to oxidation, but one teapot, sort of.  I tried to glaze differently, and came out just bad. I totally forgot that the turquoise glaze turned to red if glazed over the white glaze.  I might try adding a decal on this teapot.

[caption id="attachment_1834" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="teapot 26"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1836" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 27 fired"][/caption]

Wall hanging

Here is my customer's kitchen.  I have been begging her to send me a picture of my fluted bowls on the wall.  Thank you Patti for pictures.  It looks great.



This fluted bowl has a grooved foot, so a screw head hooks with. I learned this idea at Richard Aerni's workshop years ago. This is a very neat idea as it does not require a wire around a foot, makes it easy to clean after its use, and put back to the wall.  It is very stable.

Teapot 26 & 27

Here is teapot 26 and 27.  I played with the bottom while still wet.

[caption id="attachment_1812" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Teapot 26"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1813" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Teapot 27"][/caption]

I am working on the whole food diet thing, sort of.  We still eat meat, but the half of used to and added chickpeas or other peas in vegetable mix.  I go to the public market once a week to get vegetables and fruits.  It costs one third to quarter compared to the grocery store.  I leaned to cook the peas quickly with the pressure cooker and find some good recipes using pears. I eat more genmai rice (brown rice). I feel more energy during day.



I had another successful firing last week  (third firing in three weeks),  and am getting close to fill the wholesale orders and consignment stores.  Still need a couple more firing to get ready for the holiday rush.

 

Nice sunny day

We hit close to 80F today. Nice lazy day.  I was pleasantly surprised the number of people went through my studio last night at the first Friday.  The set-up was not inviting to people so they hesitated to come in (I was hidden at the corner of the room) until I started trimming pots. I need to think about this for next month.

I finally fired all one-of-kind teapots I made.  I did not lose any pieces in this firing!!!

[caption id="attachment_1804" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 24 fired"][/caption]

First Friday

I am participating the First Friday at the Hungerford building this coming Friday, 10/7 5-9pm.  Over the year, I was on and off due to lack of people coming up to fourth floor. Recently more artists moved in to our floor, and I decided to give another go, October and November leading to the studio open house in December.

Quickly getting fall-like.  I think the leaves stay greener than usual, but started changing quickly this week.

Here is teapots, just out of the kiln.

[caption id="attachment_1789" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 20 fired"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1788" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 21 Fired"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1790" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 25 fired"][/caption]

End of summer

I was at Rochester Public Market for the Artist Row today, and this was my last outdoor show this summer. Public market is located down the street from my studio and a good place to hand out fliers for the upcoming open studio. There were lots of bees and zombies in the crowd. Nice sunny crisp fall day.

I am getting ready for the first Friday in October and November and the open house in December.  Back to the studio time. I talked my clay supplier about the sagger clay and found one premixed for refractory use.  I am getting it next month.

Here is a teapot 25.

[caption id="attachment_1776" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 25"][/caption]

 

Forks over knives

I watched the documentary, Forks over knives, last night.  This makes me really thinking.  I used to be a market researcher, and am familiar with the statistics. This documentary explains the extensive research done in China about the correlation between the meat consumption and the heart disease and cancers, in statistic significance. I knew our generation of Japanese is taller than my parents generation when I grew up 30 years ago as we ate more meat products, like McDonald.  I like eating meats as the source of protin rather from the peas.  I do not think I can become a vegetarian, but certainly try to curve the amount of meat consumption and gradually increase that of peas and vegetable. I cooked the pasta dish tonight, using the chickpeas instead of the chicken, that was not that bad.

 

Potters from Uzbekistan

We had potters from Uzbekistan visiting Rochester last couple days. We were invited to see their slide presentation and demo (throwing, painting tile and figure whistle) of their pottery at Rochester Institute of Technology and they visited my studio and two other studios in our building this morning. They are 5th or 6th generation of potters and learned lots about their pottery. Their pottery intervenes with Japanese to Chinese pottery through the silk road, and somehow American Indians.   It was lots of fun and great experience.



I had the best Clothesline Festival ever last weekend, weather was good and people came to buy!



Here is a picture from my customer Linda.  She told me at the Elmwood Festival, that she bought peaches at morning, and thought this tray would be the perfect for them.

Almost perfect firing...

I got every pottery reduced.  I am very happy for the results, and am ready for the Clotheslines Festival this weekend.

[caption id="attachment_1737" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 19"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1738" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 22"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1739" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Teapot 23"][/caption]

This is my discontinued blue glazes, and applied to thick. Unfortunately it pours very slowly.

Interior of one of sagger did not hold up during the firing, and shot up pieces into a bowl and surroundings. I believe this is fifth firing of this sagger, and others show crack as well.  I need to find better clay recipe for the sagger. Does any one know a good recipe?

The Creator's Hands

Loaded the kiln, and realized I needed more small mugs than large mugs.  I need to rearrange the kiln before firing on Tuesday.   I had two weeks between my last show and the Clothesline festival, and did not have enough time to make enough pottery to fire twice, so I decided to relax.  I had lots of naps this week.  I needed them, and feel very refreshed now.  After the Clothesline, I will start making pieces for the holidays, and load up my etsy store.  I updated my one of kind teapot page with slide show, enjoy!



I received the news from Carleen, the Creator's Hands, one of my consignment store, who decided to close the door at the end of  October. This is the first store who carried my work almost 20 years ago.  I knocked the door without any appointment, and asked carry my pottery.  They accepted even though I had very few potting experience before. I enjoyed the very good relationship with the store.  I knew she wanted to retire recent years, and am very happy for her to retire, but will miss the store greatly.

 

Elmwood Art Festival

We had very good weekend at the Elmwood Avenue Festival in Buffalo, NY.  Good crowds, and weather.  I got nervous when a festival staff informed us on Saturday of possible gust of 40MPH due to the Hurricane Irene on Sunday, but we got very lucky.  We were at just out side edge of the Hurricane, and got occational gusts, but not as strong as 30MPH.  I was planning to take pictures of the setting up, here is the tearing down instead. It took us a little over a hour .  Next-up, the Clothesline art festival in Rochester, NY two blocks from my studio.

I added a new page for the one of kind teapots I have been making this year. I need to see pictures at once, and will figure out a better format for these pictures in coming days. Lots of them found good home.

Teapots 17- 23

Had good two firings, only one big platter cracked.  I am not sure what happened to the platter. I might push too much the flatten the edge..



[caption id="attachment_1621" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Teapot 17 Fired"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1622" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Teapot 18 Fired"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1623" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Teapot 19"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1624" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Teapot 20"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1625" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Teapot 21"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1626" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Teapot 22"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1627" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Teapot 23"][/caption]

Lake Ontario

Thunderly Sunday

I decided not fire the kiln today, that means there is no way to fire 3 time in 8days.  I finished loading the kiln yesterday, ready to go. But looking at the weather map, and expecting lots of thunderstorm, and the remaining pieces for another firing (mostly duplicates), I stayed home and took naps almost all day! If I go to the show already tired, my grumpy face scares away the customers.  I learned several years ago.  Turned out, there were several thunderstorm passing through with winds, so I made a good decision.  I will fire tomorrow, and pack potteries with plenty of time this week.

3 glaze firings and 1 bisque in 8 days

Getting ready for the Elmwood festival next weekend.  I realized I mis-caluculated the date to the festival.  I have not fired the kiln after the two shows, and really needs pots!  I have finished the first firing on Wednesday, and now bisquing today.  I will glaze tomorrow getting ready for the glaze firing on Sunday, then Wednesday.  That is the schedule.  I got tired today, and came home early.  A set-back..  But, much needed rest.  I  feel like I really did not have a real day off this summer.  Good news is that heatwaves were the past and it starts to fell the fall, so the studio is not that hot like three weeks ago.