high fired

Catherine White Visits Asparagus Valley

2011-02-02T09:33:00.001-08:00

Artist and potter, Catherine White, came to teach a hands-on weekend workshop to the Asparagus Valley Potters Guild this past weekend. She inspired us with so many new techniques - and had us roll up our sleeves right away on Saturday afternoon. The first day we focused on painting, drawing and writing exercises - and created collages from our new found skills. The group of 18 potters had a total blast with a huge table full of paint.

On Sunday, we tried our new cut out, collage, writing techniques on clay - with slip, wood ash, porcelain, and gravel dust. I especially enjoyed trying a technique on my plates called Hakame - in which we used a broom to make sweeping marks in the surface of wet slip. I can't wait to fire up some of these experiments!

cone 10 down - 7th glaze firing

2010-10-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

After a weekend glazing marathon I loaded the kiln yesterday morning before work, came home after work and lit the pilots at 9pm - woke up today and fired til 6:25pm. I usually haven't candled the kiln overnight - simply because I don't sleep well when I'm worrying a pilot might blow out. But I wanted to move the kiln along today so my new apprentice Amy could experience much of the firing.

It was a wild ride - with a brief power outage (I have forced air burners) and a 20 minute hail storm - but the kiln chugged right a long and I will look forward to unloading her on Saturday.

This was my perch for most of the day - watching the sky and staying tuned in to the kiln. I am firing with more confidence each time.

Pumpkin Love

2010-09-23T10:45:00.001-07:00

I need to explore my love of pumpkins. Sit down and sketch their perfect little bodies. I love this time of year when the farm stands are blazing orange. In this photo - I am the 3 1/2 year old hugging my pumpkin.

In a recent interview with friend and fellow blogger, Melinda Baughman - you can read a little more about what I'm working on these days:
Autumn Olive Blog Interview

Home Thrown

2010-09-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

There is a lovely exhibition at Pinch Gallery in Northampton, MA that opened last night. Twenty four local potters have a dinnerware display on one long 24' table. Come see what the Asparagus Valley Potters have going on! Quality, variety, wood, soda, porcelain, stoneware, low fired and high fired. All made with love.

Teaching

2010-05-30T04:58:00.000-07:00

“A good teacher must not only know what she teaches, but also be able to set afire her students’ interest and dedication. Such a spark does not generate itself alone; no, the teacher has to be aflame herself. She must not only know but must love her profession passionately.” – Marguerite Wildenhain
“The Invisible Core”
Thanks to Kit Cornell, I recently had the opportunity to teach an afternoon, hands-on workshop at Kit's studio in Exeter, NH. I apprenticed with Kit back in 1997-2000 and felt right at home in her studio. It was a great opportunity to try teaching a short workshop, rather than the usual 2 or 3 hour class that meets one a week.

Eight women gathered around as I threw and altered a rectangular casserole on the wheel, and then onto two hand-building projects. After a quick demonstration of my hand-built trays and soap dishes - the students then tried some new techniques using paper templates and texture to work on a small tray themselves.

I really enjoy teaching and look forward to making my way back to a classroom someday. I used to teach at the Amherst community arts center, but unfortunately they closed last year. For now, my home studio can accommodate one or two students for more of a private lesson. Students do make a lot of progress with one-on-one attention - but the energy of having a full class of 6 or 8 students is really fun.

Fuller Museum Trip

2010-01-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

The Asparagus Valley Potters' Guild took a day trip to the Fuller Museum last week for the Warren MacKenzie traveling exhibition. My good friend Kit Cornell, whom I apprenticed with many years ago, joined us for the trip and spent a few days visiting with me. We really enjoyed time to talk on the bus and back at home over a bowl of soup and a glass of wine.

I will be taking this weekend, the first of a new year and new decade - to reflect on my work from the past year and set some intentions for the coming months. What pots will I make? What shows will I apply to? When will I make time to play in the studio and let my forms evolve? What new glazes will I discover?

Hunting and gathering

2009-11-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited. Tim and I went hunting today for winter berries and it was the first time I've found some. Every year before my holiday open house I gather greens, hemlock, pine, holly...and usually buy some winter berries from a florist. Tim and I found a swampy area with plenty for our display. It was a nice break in this beautiful 50 degree day...from the glazing marathon I've been running. By Tuesday I will have fired 5 kilns in 7 days...tonight is the fourth electric firing this week...two bisques, two glaze loads...and Tuesday will be the next firing of the gas kiln. I will unload the pots Thursday and load them into the car - warm and ready for our show. Join us in Wakefield for our 9th annual Deep Blue holiday open house with friends Marianne Snow and Mary Taggart. Saturday, December 5th from 10am-4pm. 4 Salem Street, Wakefield, MA.

Busy, busy...

2009-11-19T15:29:00.000-08:00

Well - thanks to those of you who visited me at the Arts & Industry open house last weekend in Florence, MA. It was my first time doing that show and it was a big success. I also enjoyed the opening of the Cup Show at Artisan Gallery last Friday night and ran into lots of friends - including Lucy Fagella.
Now I'm quite busy in the studio finishing some smaller pieces for my next big gas firing and also glazing lots of dinnerware for orders. My next show will be my annual holiday open house with Marianne Snow and Mary Taggart in Wakefield, MA. Deep Blue is December 5th!

The holidays are just around the corner! My Greenfield showroom will be open December 8-22 for those who are local - and a $ donation to the Food Bank will get you 20% off any one item. Please call before you stop by - my December hours will be flexible on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays or Fridays. 413-772-3141

Inspiration

2009-10-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

I've just come back from a day away in Concord, MA for a Warren MacKenzie workshop, lecture, and exhibit coordinated by Lacoste Gallery. This show is in conjunction with a traveling exhibit that has taken two years to come to Boston and opens at the Fuller Museum in Brockton, MA tomorrow. I plan to attend the Fuller in late December after my show season is over...but today offered a wonderful little dose of inspiration to take back to the studio. I want to wake up early to trim the two dozen bowls waiting for my attention and am SO happy daylight savings will offer an extra hour to spend in the studio.

Passing it on

2009-07-01T05:45:00.001-07:00

Check out the Asparagus Valley Potters Guild blog for a recent post about my apprentice Tanner and my interest in teaching others how to maintain studio equipment and keep costs down. No need to hire an electrician for simple kiln repairs - you just need someone to show you.

Farmers' Market

2009-05-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

I am SO happy to be back at the Greenfield Farmers' Market! This is my fourth year as a vendor there and it is so nice to have the season begin again. Every Saturday from 8am-12:30 we have a great community of farmers and artists selling their stuff! Very often we have live music, cooking demonstrations, or some reason to just hang out for a while. Please stop by and visit.

Can't forget my lucky shoes...

2009-04-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

Ode To My Parents

2009-04-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my Mom and Dad for helping me in so many ways. I love you. Here are some photos of the showroom set up for the Pottery Trail!

12 Hour Days

2009-04-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail approaches and we have received some great press about our event:The Springfield Republican,
The Boston Globe
Meanwhile, I've been putting in some long days getting ready for the show and just finished loading the kiln. This will be my second glaze firing - and I'm excited of course to see the results! I will fire Tuesday and unload Thursday. Stop in during my open studio this coming weekend to see what I've been working on.

Small is good

2009-03-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'm working hard at filling the gas kiln with another firing of "test" pots next month. Small is good! I have small buckets of glazes we're testing and need small pots that will fit in those buckets. Here are some little bud vases that will get some additional decoration tomorrow. We're hosting the 5th annual Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail April 25 & 26 - so I'm busy busy busy with making new work for the show.

I've recently shown some of my glaze tests from the first firing to older and wiser potter/friends of mine who have been able to tell me A LOT about the firing and things to try differently for next time. Thank goodness for the network of potters who have been very generous with sharing knowledge and skills with me these first few years of my business.

Wow

2009-03-05T10:20:00.001-08:00

We just unloaded the first glaze firing this morning and have spent a while reviewing our notes and glaze combinations. Lots of interesting new glazes to explore and some that are a bit boring. There seemed to be plenty of reduction - too much perhaps...as there were some problems with black coring (iron and other organic material getting trapped under the surface of the clay) or it could have been from my bisque firing going too quickly and not allowing that matter to burn out. We'll be looking at these pots for a while longer to get ideas for the next firing! Very exciting!

cone 10 down

2009-03-03T16:32:00.001-08:00

I fired the kiln today to cone 10 for the first time. It took 12 hours (but I was trying to take it slow). The kiln was very even in the end, meaning the cones in the top and bottom peeps fell at pretty much the same time. Though I was really nervous today - I think everything went well. At around 4pm I called upon Tom White who kindly drove over from Northfield to hang out with me and the kiln for an hour or so. Not too heavy in terms of reduction, but I'll see the results when the kiln is cool on Thursday.

Patience...

Surely I'll have some interesting "seconds" for the annual Artspace Seconds Sale this Friday and Saturday at the Greenfield High School.

Ready and waiting

2009-03-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

I spent most of Saturday and Sunday glazing pots for the first glaze firing...which I planned to load today. Now I'm just waiting for the snow and wind to die down a bit so I can get the pots loaded (hopefully) this afternoon. I'll plan to light the pilots late tonight and fire tomorrow! So - off to make cone packs and review my notes about reduction firing cycles before morning.

The first bisque

2009-02-22T16:28:00.000-08:00

My friend Tom White (potter in Northfield, MA) suggested I do a bisque firing in the new kiln first. This was excellent advice and it offered me a chance to play with the burners and get to know the kiln a bit before trying a reduction firing.

Results:

Nothing blew up!
The cones were quite different front to back.
The "bag wall" or row of baffle bricks needs to be extended along the whole bottom shelf.

Tanner has mixed up about 9 or 10 new glazes during the past month - and I plan to fire her up again in about a week. I'm running another bisque in the electric kiln tonight and hope that will be enough to fill the gas kiln with test pieces. The new kiln has 24 cubic ft. of stacking space, where as the electric kiln has only 7 cubic ft.

That wasn't so bad

2009-02-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

4:15 am - woke to light the first burner and stayed up to check on the kiln often. Seems like everything is in good working order. A few problems came up - needed to replace the battery in the thermocouple and adjust the left pilot which kept blowing out once I lit the first burner. But there's nothing like a little problem-solving before breakfast. The kiln is now cooling after reaching cone 06 at 10:15 am.

I had a terrible dream that I had built a complicated wood kiln with climbing chambers that were accessed by lots of tiny stair cases and I kept getting lost while trying to stoke the kiln myself. It was such a relief to wake up and realize I just had to turn on a burner.

The Kiln is ON

2009-02-08T15:41:00.001-08:00

Sunday night at 6pm and the pilot has been lit for my first bisque with the gas kiln. I spent lots of time reading the manual today - adjusted the door brick, repaired some broken brick and played with the burners a bit before loading the kiln. "Screw Fear" is the motto I'm sticking with this year - so I just lit her up and came in for a bowl of chicken soup. I've checked on the pilot a few times and it is doing just fine. I'll light the other before bed and wake up early to turn on the burners.

What is really kind of cool is that I went up to Lyme NH to meet Barbara on February 9th 2008 - to look at a kiln she wanted to sell. Exactly one year later I am firing her for the first time. It seems meant to be.

Capped and Caulked

2009-02-07T13:20:00.001-08:00

We finished a few things on our punch list today in this balmy 41 degrees - and hope to fire the kiln up with a bisque firing in the next few days! Tim finished building the box that supports the weight of the chimney and got the cap installed. We will try and caulk all the seems tomorrow with high-temp caulk if we can find the caulk gun and I'll be reading the kiln manual the rest of the weekend to re-fresh my memory before we fire her up! There are a few adjustments to make tomorrow on the kiln door brick before I try and load the pots.

Glaze tests

2009-01-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

I've spent several weeks reading through John Britt's book, The Complete Guide to High-Fire Glazes and have selected about ten glazes to try in cone 10 reduction. Tanner is my fabulous apprentice who has been on board with me here at the studio since last August. In exchange for studio time, clay and glazes - he works for me a few hours a week. After a little instruction - he has become a master glaze mixer and has been mixing up our new glaze tests in 3,000 gram samples. We always wear a respirator while mixing glazes - but not so much for photos.

The hardest part

2009-01-19T14:33:00.001-08:00

That's my husband on top of the snow covered roof...highly motivated to get the chimney pipe connected to the kiln. Seems 30 degree temperatures are warm in comparison to the past week - and though we had hoped to cut through the roof in late November (before the snow was a factor) we never quite made it and Tim just decided to go for it today! The sawzall died. The drill bit broke. The screws snapped in half. In general - nothing was going our way...but we managed to get the support in place and the metalbestos double-walled pipe is now supported from above - without the weight of it resting on the kiln hood. We've covered it with a tarp for the night - and will finish it up after another trip to the hardware store this week.

I whipped up a warm batch of chocolate chip cookies to show Tim my love and gratitude - and he is now thawing out and napping in front of the wood stove.

I'm so lucky.

Everyone needs a thnead

2009-01-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

So I just finished making a dozen adorable soap dishes as I am trying to use up the last of my Laguna #310 clay which won't be going in the gas kiln. I have a few orders to start the year and will still be firing the electric kiln in order to fill those.

I'm feeling torn between needing to make 50 test pieces fast for the new kiln...and wanting to produce the highest quality work I can make. Wanting to try new things this year - more celebratory pieces like candle holders and cake stands...and needing to make lots of mistakes before I get there.

Good thing my next show will be the annual Artspace Seconds Sale in March '09.

Man Power

2008-12-23T05:44:00.000-08:00

We called on our friend Nathan again for a little heavy lifting. In just a few minutes the electric kiln was moved from the garage (which is attached to the house) to the new kiln shed. Now both kilns will be in a separate building away from the house. Thanks Nathan!

Aaaahhh....New England

2008-12-20T09:06:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since my last post. I've spent most of November and the first half of December exhibiting my work and playing dress up for art openings. It's been fun to visit with lots of friends and customers that I only see once a year or so. Now it's back to work setting up the new kiln shed. Tim is connecting the electric for the little L&L kiln...so we can move that into the shed as well. My apprentice Tanner and I cleaned and moved about 5 shelving units into the new space last week. Their emptiness is like a calling...and I can't wait to start filling the shelves with pots for our first firing. It has taken an entire year to see this kiln project materialize...and when I slide that barn door away I'm still surprised to see a giant gas kiln sitting inside.

Fuel for the Fire

2008-11-12T09:04:00.001-08:00

My 500 gal. propane tank came today for the kiln! Very exciting to have fuel for my fire. The gas inspector will need to come give his "okay" and we still need to finish the chimney installation before we can fire it up. OH - and make enough pots and all new glaze tests! 2009 will be an exciting year.

It's Electric...

2008-10-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

Homeowners are allowed to do their own electrical work! Good times. After I stretched out 7 different 60' lengths of wires and bundled them together...we (and I mean Tim) immediately got them all tangled pulling them through the PVC. It was a free half hour marriage counseling session trying to work it all out. Tim will be doing the fussy finish work today of fitting all the PVC connectors together on the house end and getting the wires into the basement.

Another Gas company is coming today since the first company hasn't been very responsive. We (and I mean Tim) need to dig another ditch for the propane line before the ground really freezes - and that means soon!

Weekend Getaway

2008-10-13T04:54:00.001-07:00

Tim and I have to actually leave the house in order to stop working on the kiln project - or the many other things we are trying to wrap up before winter. So - we took the opportunity to celebrate our 5 year anniversary on this fabulous fall weekend. We went up to Portsmouth NH and then back to Northfield MA and Brattleboro VT. It felt great to get away for a few days.

Back at the Hilton Compound...we have so much to finish in these next few weeks. The ditch for the electrical conduit is ready for wiring and we need to purchase different wires for underground use - and different PVC for the expanse under the driveway. The Wiring Inspector for the Town of Greenfield stopped by last week to educate me on all the things I don't know about wiring. Which is a lot. I've also been learning about Metalbestos double walled pipe for the kiln chimney where the pipe needs to pass through the roof...but I need to do a little more research on that before I buy ($$$). The shed itself is nearly done and painted - just another afternoon to finish that up.

One more ditch for Tim to dig for the coming propane line - and we want to be sure to get that done before the ground is frozen.

Meanwhile, October and November are the busiest times in my studio - getting ready for several Holiday shows and sales...so must get to glazing!

Still at it

2008-09-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

Tim is half way between the shed and the house with the ditch for the electric. 18" deep. The shed is half painted and mostly sided, with a door that works. Can't wait to hear back from the gas company about my hook up!

Coming together

2008-09-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

Made some progress today with the shed. Tim finished the roof, put up more siding, and hung the "new" old barn door we picked up at a salvage place this summer. The door will be refinished and painted - I think it will look great!

Meanwhile, the electric kiln is going non-stop while I get ready for a show on Long Island this coming weekend.

Sparky

2008-09-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

We needed some steel work done on the kiln track - so Mike came by from The Steel Shed in Bernardston to cut off some shims that had been welded on by the previous owner. We jacked up the kiln door with two car jacks and the whole thing was done in a few minutes. They also built me a track for a barn door to slide across on - which we picked up at Renew Salvage in Brattleboro over the summer.

I've also had a propane company come by this week to write up an estimate for connecting me to a 500 gallon tank in the next month or so! They don't require me to purchase 500 gallons up front - but offer a credit plan to pay monthly. Good!

Inspector says "nice" "solid" "good"

2008-09-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

We passed our first building inspection today! I'm so relieved. He wants to come back after both kilns are installed and hooked up...and the shed doors and siding are up. So we will carry on with the siding and Tim is almost finished with the roofing shingles. The steel track for the barn door is being custom made and should be delivered tomorrow morning. They will also help us remove some welded shims the previous kiln owners had in place on the kiln track. We will attempt to jack up the kiln door with two car jacks in the morning. Should be exciting.

King of the World

2008-08-24T08:55:00.001-07:00

Tim is making progress this weekend on the roof! We'll be able to have an inspection scheduled soon and start getting quotes for hooking up propane.

PKMD

2008-08-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

Post Kiln Moving Disorder

Symptoms include:

sneezing
fatigue
clumsiness
wobbly knees
slow speech
muscle soreness
bruises

Sunday, August 17th

2008-08-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

Turn your head sideways...

OMG

2008-08-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day to move a kiln. Months of planing and years of savings came together today...and by 2:00 the kiln was in place with the cart on it's track. The crane guys got it right on the first try. Well done!

Sunday, August 17th

2008-08-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

This whole summer has been about this kiln project.
I've had a small cheering crowd to keep me on track.
The move date has been set, fork lifts and cranes in place...
It's a go for Sunday, August 17th. Noon.

I'll keep you posted.

Scrap

2008-08-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

Tim is particularly proud of how little waste he has left after building the kiln shed. The rake walls are up and a few rafters are in place. We are ready and waiting for the weather to cooperate - for us to move the kiln on a weekend. The ground near the kiln area in NH is too soaked for the fork lift to maneuver around. We are shooting for August 16th ?!

Raising the Rafters

2008-07-31T07:07:00.000-07:00

Pack n' Play

2008-07-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

We spent a few hours preparing the kiln for shipping yesterday by building cardboard and plywood supports for the inside of the kiln. They had luckily saved the Styrofoam arch support. We also spoke with Mike about the logistics of the move and set a date for the weekend of August 9th or 10th (depending on the weather). My excitement about the kiln is starting to win out over any fears I may have...and Tim plans to spike my cheerios with something the day of the move so that I'm nice and mellow.

The whole time we were packing the kiln, Leo the dog (on top) had his way with this little pug the entire day. It was quite entertaining.

With a little help from our friends...

2008-07-28T07:20:00.001-07:00

Our friend Nathan came over with his fancy roofing square and helped Tim cut the rafters. Thanks Nathan! This week we will start preparing for the BIG MOVE by building supports for the inside of the kiln. Hopefully we'll get the rake walls up and set a date (and a rain date) for the move.

4 Walls

2008-07-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Half way

2008-07-14T11:42:00.001-07:00

Tim is making good progress on the shed. Weather looks great this week to finish the walls and start the rafters.

I've spoken with a rigger to coordinate the crane that will lift the kiln over the walls and place it down on the pad. We will have the rafters ready to put up asap after the kiln is delivered.

Lego Factory

2008-07-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Good thing Tim's favorite toy as a kid was Legos...
We got our huge Home Depot delivery this week and he's already got the back wall up!

A girl, a gas kiln...a love story

2008-07-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

So this is my beautiful "new" gas kiln. A Bailey Deluxe Shuttle kiln 38/24. It is still up in Lyme NH safe in a shed until we are ready to move it. We'll have our shed materials delivered this week and begin building walls and rafters so that construction can go quickly once the kiln is delivered. Getting it here is a whole other story that I haven't quite figured out the details on yet - but we have a month or so to work it out.

Stay tuned...

More digging...

2008-06-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

A little more excavation today to work on some drainage issues around the new kiln pad and also to dig the ditch for the electrical conduit which will run from the garage to the new shed.

The skies opened up immediately after the excavator left and filled our new ditch with a foot of water. That's okay - we need to figure out the electrical code anyway.

Concrete

2008-06-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

There's no turning back now. The kiln pad is poured.
Matt Did a great job finishing the surface and will be back this weekend to remove the forms. It's been an exciting morning for me and I'm glad we postponed it a day considering the hail storm that came through western MA yesterday.

work work work...

2008-06-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

Tim is digging a ditch for the Alaskan slab to be poured on Monday...while I continue to make pots upstairs in the studio and dream of new glazes to try in reduction this coming Fall!

"Build Like A Pro"

2008-06-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

Tim is quite the handyman but he has never built anything of this scale - he has made lots of renovations to our home. So he's reading and planning how to approach the kiln shed so that when the kiln is delivered we can raise a roof over it asap.

Excavation complete

2008-06-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

Ed and Jay finished the excavation on Monday and the pad is level and ready for concrete. We had planned on a flat slab but are now considering an Alaskan slab because of the amount of water that comes off the mountain behind us.

It begins...

2008-05-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

So it begins...excavation for my new kiln pad and shed. I've saved my money for the past three years to see this day come. THANK YOU to everyone who ever purchases a piece of pottery at a craft show, Farmers' Market, or open house. Thank you to all my customers, friends and family who have showed up to support me along the way. And special thanks to Tim for believing in me and for wanting more than anyone to see my dreams come true. I'm not sure if Ed Young's Excavating can understand just how happy I am to see him break ground on this project.

Permission

2008-05-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

Received my first building permit to proceed with my kiln shed project. I now have permission to build a 14' x 20' kiln shed to contain two kilns. My current electric kiln and a large Bailey shuttle kiln which will be fired with propane. This kiln is currently in Lyme NH and this blog will document its journey to my new kiln shed this summer.