Bats with a hole

The bats with a hole seems working.  I have left a platter all day like this, but the rim is not lifting up.  I covered the platter with a plastic overnight, and continue tomorrow. I made a throwing bats with a hole part, and threw one yesterday so see if warp. It stayed flat. This is 1/4" MDF. If I can use it as the bats, I will make small bats out of the leftover 2'x2'.



I threw yunomi (green tea cup) and sake cups off the hump.  I don't know why I make them off the hump, while the most others off the bats.  My habits,I guess.

Web of information

I  spent last weekend reading through the blogs and watching the videos of demonstration. I was amazed amounts of information out there, like attending the several workshops at once.  It was lots to absorb.  I picked up one great idea from Tony Clennell's blog , a thin bat with a hole in middle, to cover the large platter, preventing the edge from lifting up while drying up the middle.  I am having this problem, and only solution has been to leave it under the plastic for 3-4 days before trimming, but I do not have luxury to have couple of these sitting around in my tiny studio.  I went Home Depot and got 1/4"MDF board, and made one bats.  I threw a platter today, and use the bat tomorrow.  I noticed several potters have converted from cone 10 to cone 6.  This makes me to think.... If I can convert, I can bring the studio back to home, something to think about it.  To test the glaze, I need a small test kiln.  I saw it on the craiglist, but was not quick to respond.

Spring Already

Another nice spring day. Just amazing.

Butter dish

Butter dish.  I have been making the butter dish for three years now.  I made the french butter dish for one year, but I was not satisfied customer when I used it myself. so discontinued.  Then I decided to make the covered butter dish.  I threw a wall part of the cover, and square it while wet, and assemble with the top made with the slab.

I made a couple modifications based on the customer feedback.

The original butter dish had a rather flat tray.  This caused the cover to slip over from the tray.  So I made a ridge/ rim to a tray. The size of the cover was not consistent and sometime it is narrow enough, that the gap between the edge of the tray (width) and the cover has too much wiggle room.  Now, I have a template for the bottom of the butter dish cover, so the width of the cover is consistent, and the movement of the cover on the tray will not interfere with the interior wall and the butter. At least, that is the plan. Now, I am looking at the picture, I may need to modify the length as well.  How do you think?

No winter

Warm. It is like in April. Forecast for next Tuesday is 76°F.  We are still in March, right? This is great not shoveling snow.Snow in the spring is usually very heavy, and sticky, back-breaking.  Windy, though.  I have no plan to fire the kiln, so it is all right. Studio is set, and I am back in production.  Here is a couple hours of throwing. After throwing about four dozens, my arm feels fine. This is good news.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is today's teapot, #39.

Teapot #37 & 38

I finished rearranging the studio. I should have done this long time ago.  I have a space for table now, without blocking any shelving.  Now I need to build up the inventory.  Show season is around the corner.

[caption id="attachment_1965" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Teapot 37"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1966" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="teapot 38"][/caption]

Teapot #36

It was record breaking warm day, hit 67°F .  I almost done setting-up the studio with new shelves, and squeeze out a space for another shelving unit. I am gaining so much space.

[caption id="attachment_1962" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Teapot 36"][/caption]

One of a kind teapot #35

Last Friday and Saturday, there was an opening of the exhibition with Richard Aerni, who has studio in the same building. I did not take pictures, but thought very good showing of both of works. Here is a teapot from the show.  I will post them next several days.

[caption id="attachment_1953" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Teapot 35"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday was the workshop. I had no idea of what make of workshop. Come to think about it, I have attended two in the past, one by Richard Aerni and one for slab building.  Richard Aerni showed his two sectional throwing technique demonstrated, and everyone had tried it. It was fun, but I was not well prepared, or do not have much particular things to offer.  I probably can teach with very small setting, but I am not a workshop materials.  I am graceful that my friends gave me great moral supports.

I am back in the studio, and rearranging the studio.  It has been six years since I moved in this studio, and recently noticed I had some dead space on the shelves due to its long depth.  I bought two 18" shelves for replacing the current 28" shelves.  It will take next couple days.  I already again the table space.

One of a kind teapot #34

[caption id="attachment_1948" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="One of a kind teapot 34"][/caption]