Picture from a customer

I am always curious how my pottery is used.  Here is very good looking breakfast.

 

 

Niagara falls

Visited the Niagara falls a week ago. I have visited the falls over twenty times as most of Japanese guests wanted to go.  This is my second time spending on American side.  It lacks the fill view of the Canadian fall from the America side, but you can really get close to the American falls as well not much waiting for the Maid of the Mist, less than 15minutes (this time) wait compared to almost 1 hour and half (last year).  This is in the state park, and I like its natural setting, walking through the trails..



This weekend, the Elmwood Festival of the Arts in Buffalo.

Hot summer

My studio is on the top floor (4th floor) of old brick building facing south.  Every summer, the studio got hot after 3PM, baked through the window and the roof.  This year, the summer has been just HOT. I finally got an air conditioner, 80,000BTU.  I wanted 100,000 BTU, but was too heavy to move in out of the window by myself.  I figure I need to remove it during the firing to get outside cooler air.   It has been working better than expected, I got 10 degrees cooler than outside. A day after any firing, bisque or glaze firing though, just a drop in a bucket.



The downtown Syracuse festival is this coming Friday through Sunday.  I have one firing done, and another on Tuesday. I usually do not like unloading the kiln day before the show.  I unload the kiln, pack them, bring home, unpack and rearrange with other inventories, then load the van.  Too much.  Anyway, Monday is expected nineties and gusting up 30mph.

I got the smart phone to use with the square credit card reader.  I like it.  It is easy to use, and the credit card payment on a spot is huge plus.  I can't believe how far we came.  We used to use a knuckle buster, and bring the receipts to the bank on Monday. Only problem I have is my phone drain battery so quickly, and need some back-up battery.  I could use the netbook to juice it up, but not compact.....

Plate setter

I got the plate setters, to save some space in the kiln. I hate to use them in the front row of the kiln, where does not get good pull at some stage of firing and choke up the kiln.  So it leaves me to middle or back of the kiln.  It does save the space great, but it is very hard to set up on my front loading kiln.

It has been a hectik.  My studio has been just hot, above 90°F almost all the time.   I need to get an air conditioner. I don't like the air conditioner, but.... I might have no choice.



Half of show done. This is very dry summer, and somehow it managed to rain last two shows, at least each of one day of two.  Sales are good, but the impulse buying of small items are not happening.  Is this reflection of the economy?  I start seeing this last year.

 

 

 

Red worms

The red worm composting started a month ago, turned unexpected problem.  Somehow hundreds of small flying bugs hatched in the bin.  Google searches suggested the red-vinegar trap for the fruit flies.  It did not catch any.  Anyway, I picked up all red worms one by one, and restarted the bin today.  I can't find 250 worms I bought, so there was not there to begin with, or died off. I will give one more go.

The first Western NY Pottery Festival this Saturday.

Two shows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

100 American Craftsmen and Allentown Art Festival are behind me.  There were many people despite the rain in one of the festival days. Next up, the Western New York Pottery Festival.



 

 

 

 

(18"Wx20"Dx6.5"H) I had this piece for the first time at shows, and people asked me what is this for.  Sometime I just make a piece not thinking its purpose, but its looks. What do you think this is for?

Glaze bug

Last firing of this month went all right. I am all set for the Kenan Center.

I got a bit of glaze bug recently.  I am trying to get the no craze celadon. Celadon glaze is traditionally preferred to have the crazing, but I want to try one without.   So far, all crazed.  Steven Hill's celadon recipe found in the web turned out really nice celadon green, but crazed nicely.