Can you throw 200 pots a day?

I never thought I could. But I see other potters doing it every day! Where might this strange phenomenon be happening every day? At a production studio of course! I was recently hired on as a potter throwing for a family-run production pottery company called Deneen Pottery!

At first, things didn't go so well. I felt like I could hardly throw. Pots were falling over and ripping to pieces. It was like being in beginning ceramics all over again.

But with some dedication and hard work, some pots began making it out alive. These pots were not great by any means, but were encouraging for me to see as they were at least still standing.

 This picture was taken just a few days ago. Finally I am feeling like there is some REAL progress being made. I can throw faster, better, and I am learning about how to listen to my body with posture, proper leg height, and other things I hadn't normally thought too much about.

Some nice rolled mugs. Kind of sculptural, right? At least all the clay I am practicing with is recycled and mixed up to be used again later. 

It has been a great learning experience thus far! I am hopeful that someday I will be able to throw a massive amount of pots like the other potters at Deneen do. It is incredible watching them throw 200+ pots every day. And inspiring. 

Make your own Trimming Tools!

Have you ever wanted to fashion your own trimming tools for trimming your pots? There are many different things you can use to trim clay, but the loop tool design is one of my favorites. This post will show you how I made my own loop tools using some found steel strapping and some wood.

Materials:

• Steel strapping (I found mine in construction garbage from wood packing crates...keep your eyes peeled and you'll find some somewhere)
• Wood dowel for handle - diameter as thick or slightly thicker than the strapping width
• Wood dowel for in-handle anchors - get it the size of a drill bit you will use

Tools

• Saw
• Wood glue
• Drill and bit
• Pliers or something to help bend strapping

Let's do this!

Step 1: Bend your strapping to the shape you please.

• I used a pliers to help bend my strap into different shapes. 
• The simpler the better. I prefer triangular trimming tools.
• Make sure you leave enough metal at the bottom of the strap shape so you can sandwich them together and fit them into the wood handle and drill two holes in to anchor the strap in place. 

Step 2: Saw a line down the top of the dowel and sandwich the two ends of the strapping into the cut mark. 

• Cut deep enough to fully seat the strapping
• Remember to leave enough metal and cut deep enough so you can drill two holes for the anchors

Step 3: Drill two holes through the wood handle and strapping

• I found it was easier if you bound the handle with something like rope or a clamp. This makes it move less when drilling
• Drill all the way through both the handle and the strapping inside.
• I drilled my holes on top and below one another. If you have enough strapping, I bet three holes would anchor the trimming tool even better than two. Just sayin.

Step 4: Glue small dowel anchors into place

• I found this easiest if the smaller anchor dowels were pre-cut to an already small length
• I used Gorilla glue as that is what I had. Feel free to use any wood glue or epoxy, whatever you have on hand. Better make sure it is waterproof though.
• If using Gorilla glue, don't forget the part about adding water to the surfaces for optimal bonding!

Step 5: Set time, sanding, and finishing

• Allow the glue to set up and harden according to the package instructions
• Cut off any large anchor dowels hanging out and sand the whole handle smooth to your liking.
• If you want, apply a finish to your piece. I used a spray polyurethane, but you could use anything from mineral oil to paint. I happened to have poly on hand which made my choice easy. You can leave it raw if you want too, it will just get stained from clay and not look as nice. 
• If you have a grinder or stone sharpener, feel free to grind away a bevel on the outside of the strapping on both edges. It's okay if you don't though, it will still trim clay, and will trim wetter clay better than drier clay. 

Afterthoughts:

• Easy to make and a lot of fun!
• Leave enough space for cleaning the tool out with your fingers in the corners...
• While you can make a bunch for around $15 total in glue, wood, and finish costs, these tools are not nearly as well made as something like a Dolan Tool which happens to be my favorite and they are only $10 each. 
• The metal doesn't stay sharp for very long
• The wide width of the metal strapping is annoying with clay build-up
• Apart from these caveats, it is fun to make your own tools and I believe that the tools you make yourself can help add even more "you" flavor to your work.
• I found a tree branch the thickness of the metal and made some gorgeous handles by carving them with a knife. Get creative! 

Good luck everyone and have a blast!


PS - I posted this a while back but lost the old blog due to moving my website around. I am reposting this to fulfill a request from a viewer.

14th Annual National Juried Cup Show

I was recently accepted as one in 40 participants in a national cup show! The exhibit is going on now through April 5th at Kent State's School of Art Gallery and the cup is for sale through the gallery.

I barely made the deadline to submit, but after speaking with Anderson Turner he assured me that they had not started the jury process and I could still apply. I am very excited and honored my cup made it in the show!

The juror is potter and artist Jake Allee from Colorado. You can see his work here.

Curious about which piece made it in? I knew you were. Don't worry, here it is:

Iron Cup: Temmoku cup or yunomi with pedestal foot.

Homemade Caramels!

Mmm...who doesn't enjoy homemade goodies, especially when that goody is a chocolate salted caramel?!

I recorded the making process so that YOU TOO could make these delicious delicacies. They are not hard, contrary to popular belief. They do take some dedication though, which is spent stirring at the stove for about 45 minutes. BUT! BUT! Before you check out, know that a full batch of caramels makes a large candy load and that you won't be disappointed with the flavor or chewiness of these caramels. They are not as oily as I have found with other recipes, either.

So, without further ado, i present a hastily crafted How to Make Homemade Caramels video tutorial.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Christmas Sale is this weekend!

Dear readers,

I cordially invite each and every one of you to come to my annual Christmas pottery sale!

Here is a sneak peek to what you may find hiding amongst the many fine pots for sale this year.

Be there or be square!

A recent firing

Yo!
Some recent work coming at ya.

These handles turned out very sexy. Temmoku is a wonderful glaze.

Puttin' out more eye candy in hopes you are motivated to attend my Christmas Pottery Sale! It's coming up soon, December 7th and 8th!

Christmas Pottery Sale!

The annual Christmas sale is coming upon us! Just like last year, I will be showing with three other great Minnesota potters. The location is different this year--we are in Shoreview, just 10 minutes north from the heart of the Twin Cities. 

We are gearing up and getting our ducks in a row preparing for the big sale. There is a BONUS this year! The first 10 people to make a purchase get a free pot! WOOO! So prewarm your vehicles, make yourself some hot cocoa and head on over Saturday, December 7th to get in on the action! Even if you can't make the chaos in the beginning on Saturday, we will be hosting the sale through Sunday, December 8th until 4pm with plenty of snacks and your favorite people.

A cup from a recent firing. Photo taken at the family farm.

This past weekend we were at the farm celebrating my ma-in-law's birthday and I brought one of my favorite cups from a recent firing. I wanted to photograph it for the postcard above (I know, it doesn't look anything like it anymore). The glaze came out beautifully and the cup is a nice quiet form, which is fitting in this scenic picture. Just thought I'd share it with you. 

Don't forget to put the sale dates on your calendars! December 7th from 10am-6pm and December 8th from 10am-4pm. See you there!