Weekend-end

Weekends pass like clouds racing before a storm. You look to see how remarkable, how beautiful and then they're gone.

The Finger Lakes of NY gets most of its charm from those perfect days of Fall when the air is crisp, the sun bright and the sky the most wicked shade of blue. This was one of those weekends. So much of it was spent outside, hoarding the sun, the wind, the coolness.... all in hopes that this memory would be enough to last till next Fall.

As a result, not a ton of pots were made this weekend. A great many were glazed and fired. Tomorrow morning early we'll see if we made coal or candy. Needs to be candy since nearly every pot in this firing is spoken for by either a patron or a gallery. Making a run to Rochester in the morning to deliver pots. I love visiting Rochester.

The vase in today's posting was shot this morning; strong sun streaming in the gallery windows. So much sun that even with all of our track lighting shadows just poured around pots. Pretty wild!

Friday's Deluge

We went to Lodi Point tonight as a wonderful rainstorm was coming in. Felt appropriate since today had been a pretty rough day for everyone and we needed a fresh start to the weekend.
Everyone had their camera in tow. We'd planned to be out there taking pictures for a couple hours, but quickly found that the incoming rain had different plans. First the sky went black, then the cold wind swept across the lake and not two minutes later we were racing back to the car to get the cameras out of the rain.

Wednesday comes with rain

We haven't seen much rain this fall. Not complaining mind you, but things are wicked dry. Tonight the thunder in the not too far off distance is comforting. Felt some sprinkles so far but no deluge. We need some major soaking.

In the studio today was a sweet day. I spent most of it making dinner plates for orders placed back in August and July. I love making plates...well, I love the throwing part. The trimming part seems to just take forever. If all goes well this winter we are hoping to make our new dinner plates like our salad plates...squared circles... so, there's something to look forward to in the spring. NEW dinner plate forms!!!

The studio shelves are full of serving bowls tonight. Had a nice evening throwing and faceting and just playing. Almost lost a few... just too damned thin. Those holes will have to be patched in the morning! The image above is from a small one I made about a year ago. Love the combination of the faceting and slip trailing. Top it off with a nice sweet glaze and good lighting. Wish I still had this bowl!

Pictures from the studio

Yesterday was one of those days where it is criminal to be inside for any length of time. Just a beautiful day. After getting more parts for the dining room bookcase primed, I took the afternoon and evening and used that time for throwing ice cream bowls. Anyone who knows our work, knows that we never have enough ice cream bowls to satisfy the demand. Hopefully, we'll be able to keep a few in stock everyday through the holidays. That's the plan anyway.

N thought it would be fun to take pictures of the potter at work. To that end, here are some pictures of yesterday's throwing.

Fall's a'comin' in

With our first morning full of frost, it finally feels like Fall is here. A and I spent yesterday morning hiking and photograph- ing our way up Watkins Glen. Fall color is just beginning but the chill in the air was wonderful! Here are a few pictures from our walk.

Scenes

Just a few versions of an interesting scene up in the high fields above Seneca Lake. I cant wait for the REAL Fall to get here for the foliage change and the crisp air. Love shooting pictures in that sort of weather!

Shelves are happening

Here we are nearly two weeks after beginning this project and we are ready to hit these shelves with paint and start the installation. This is taking a lot longer than I expected but they look so much better that it is hard to complain! Here I have set the lower shelf below the window, just to see the fit and to make sure this is all going to come together. I like it.

Two weekends after Sonnenberg

Two weeks ago we did a show in Sonnenberg Gardens. While this is usually our favorite show of the year, this year we were in for a rude awakening. Upon arriving we found our usual slot that we have been in for 4 years straight... suddenly NOT ours. Okay. They put us in the very back in a cul-de-sac. Not okay. Then we find this potter who is copying our work, glaze for glaze... right in the same row, almost in the exact same spot WE USED TO BE IN. Hmmm. Not cool. Sales were so bad Saturday that we almost cried. Sunday was better but couldnt make up for a bad Saturday. To that end, here is my visual gut composition of how things looked/felt at Sonnenberg this year.

Another rough night

Another less than stellar night of sleep due to some major mid-back pain. 4am and I was wide awake and wishing I could sleep. I would rather be asleep.

Here are a few more images from yesterday's photo rambling.

Saturday on a field trip

Today we went to the Clothesline Craft Show as visitors instead of as artists for the first time. After seeing the entire show we left feeling disillusioned. The sheer volume of buy-sell, bad art and just plain crap outnumbered the decent fine crafts by ten to one at least. When all was said and done, it was more of a craft-y flea market with crafters holding sales and haggling over prices... and less a venue where fine craftsmen could show their work to the public proudly and make an honest wage. Demeaning. Demoralizing. Like an animal in the zoo.

To get the taste out of our mouths we drove home the slow way. Stopped a few times to take pictures and enjoy some interesting light as storms rolled in around us. We drove through the hills around Seneca Lake. Here are a few of my shots. To see Nan's check out her blog.

Boxes six

It never really rained. So after hauling all that heavy 3/4 plywood indoors, I had to move it all back outside again. To make a long story short, I spent a day cutting it all up to size, and then today and yesterday were spent fitting it all together and gluing and shooting these boxes full of brads. DONE. Had planned on doing the finish work this weekend... things like drilling holes for shelf brackets, spraying with primer..etc. Instead my DW has decreed that tomorrow shall be a day off. Haven't really had one of those in months. Probably will still end up with 2-3 hours in the studio at nightfall... but the day is a day for play up in Rochester.

We plan to take in the Clothesline show, and then visit another show put on by one of our painter friends. Luckily they are both nearby since parking is going to be a chore. Here's the link to the
"second storie" show. http://www.secondstorie.net/

Should be a nice fun day in the city tomorrow. Means good food too!

Waiting for the rain

For the past 5 days I have been working on building cabinet boxes for the new built-in cabinetry for our dining room. Today the forecast calls for rain. With 4 sheets of $60 hardwood plywood still outside, we had to haul everything inside at 7am today. Hopefully once the rain is past I will be able to get everything back outside solo, and get right back to cutting and routing. My plan originally was to be done by Sunday. HAH. Now I am hoping to be done closer to a week from last Sunday. Done is also a relative term. Done at this point means, assembled, shelves on, mounted to the wall...maybe primed. I think we'll hold off on doing molding and trim for a few months.

If all goes according to plan, these cabinets will house all of the pots we use on a daily basis, some of our more recently collected pots, our library of periodicals, as well as our cookbooks. Tallied together I am guessing it all weighs around 1000#. Pictures of this process should be posted tomorrow or Friday.

Building Cabinets for the Dining Room

Labor Day weekend and I am working on building some built-in cabinets for the Dining Room. We are desperately short on space for pottery and books in this house. We could have wall to wall shelves EVERYWHERE and we might have enough room for our books and pottery.


The weather couldnt be better. Sunny, dry, 80-ish, no real chance of rain. Perfect for dealing with cutting wood. So far I having a few problems, but a few more hours of thinking, measuring and cutting should provide some answers.

My goal is to be done enough by tomorrow to be able to hang them, unfinished... hopefully then we can paint them in the Spring. Who knows, maybe even get some nice trim for the tops and sides too.

Ideally, by Tuesday I want to be back to work on some dinnerware orders we have. Also have a craving to work on more oval pitchers. They have been a real hoot to make. Very fun.