Event Change and Rescheduled to December 8th and December 9th

Hi,

Thanks for looking at my blog today. I've decided it's too damn cold to be outside this weekend selling coffee mugs. I've rescheduled the sale for the following.

Saturday, December 8th: 10am-4pm

Sunday, December 9th: 12noon-4pm

Email me at Apt51Pottery@yahoo.com for directions to the sale. There will be coffee and cookies available to snack on, in addition to Charlie Parr or some festive music playing in the background. Coffee mugs will still be selling for $10. I hope to see you there. Bring a friend or family member if you want. There will be over 200 pieces (I haven't counted them all) but about 35 cubic feet = 5 kiln loads.

Here's a picture of the last bisque firing I just loaded before the sale next weekend. The top shelf has small vases 3-4" high, and also test tiles. The middle tier contains spoon holders for the kitchen, a basket, cookie jar, and a few coffee mugs. Two tiers below that are chock full of coffee mugs.

Dog bowls - water and food. One of my relatives requested a few of these. They were easy to make, and I just eyeballed them to be around the same size. I'm planning to coat each with a different color.
Plates. Almost 9" wide. Wall is less than 1" high.
I found this rat at the Macy's nutcracker this weekend, swords and all! He looks happy . . . or scary, you choose.

Evoke Gallery has about 20 of my pots in ther Holiday Bazaar. Go check 'em out, they have lots of cool stuff there! Here's an image from their website, with one of my pots in blue and black.

http://www.evokegallery.com/artists.html

Coffee Mug Sale, December 1st - 10am to 4pm

Hi, and thanks for checking my blog today. I'm planning a sale for next weekend, on the corner of Grand Avenue and Milton Street - one block West of Victoria. Coffee mugs will be $10 a piece, and small vases will be $5 - - one heck of a deal for you Holiday door-busters.

These pots will be glazed by next weekend:
Here's a picture of a Downy woodpecker I had taken at Roberts Bird Sanctuary.
Have a nice rest of the weekend. I might post again later tonight.

Conservatory Pictures

Hi,

Thanks for checking in. I went to the local Conservatory yesterday here in Saint Paul, called the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. Here are a few pictures I had taken:

And a nice variegated orchid, not sure on the species...
I loaded another Bisque load last night, which will fire for 12 hours. I have found that a slower bisque is best for me and my clay. I used to fire to cone 05 in about 8 hours, and sometimes a few pieces would crack because the water didn't have a chance to escape. It's a common misconception that pottery breaks due to air bubbles not being liberated.

I'm planning a pottery sale again soon, likely either next weekend or the following - I haven't decided. Lots of work in progress, most of which are pictured in earlier posts. There will be about 150 pieces at the next sale, plus it will be indoors with a few candies, finger foods, and beverages. I hope you will be able to join me. Have a nice rest of the weekend; I'm planning to update again tomorrow night.

Happy Thanksgiving & It's Snowing! . . .and some new pictures.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't have much time to post today, but I wanted to update you with what I've been working on recently.

This is a butter dish with a textured design. I think it will look really cool with a tenmoku - brown to black glaze which will highlight the textures.

Cookie jars and spoon holders for the kitchen.
Small creamers or pitchers. These are about 2-3" high.
The bottom of a bisque load I unloaded today.
New coffee mugs.
Nacho dipper. These just need a coat of glaze and they'll be done!

The back of the nacho dippers. A nice textured design made by a twisted wire.

Gravy boats! I think these turned out pretty well. They have a nice handle opposite the spout.I hope everybody has a nice Thanksgiving weekend. It's snowing right now here in Saint Paul, coming down quite heavy too!

Lots of pots in progress

Hi,

Thanks for checking into my blog for a few minutes. Here's what I was up to for the most part of the day:


Sorry for the short post, my dinner is ready and I'm going to put in a movie before it gets too late. Pictures are fun to look at anyway!

Take Your Time, That's All You Have

I woke up this morning and felt completely engaged with my life. It's sad because I feel like I should be everyday.

I had good conversations with people around me, and that made me feel really grounded.

Sorry for not writing so much recently. Here's what I've been working on though: 25 small, 4" high vases. I think they're really fun to make on the wheel, different shapes and not a lot of clay if I mess up - which I occasionally do!
Cereal bowls, set 0f 7.
Handles for coffee mugs. Do they look like elephant trunks to you?
I'm 20% done with a project I've been working on. I'm planning to make 100 mugs, all different sizes and shapes with 6 colors.

It was my brother's birthday today. It was nice to see him. It's been too long, and I'm planning to make a conscious effort to invite him over for pasta more often.

"The locals don’t know you, they’re the ones you want love from." Ike Reilly

Work in Progress and The Support of Local Art

Hi,

Thanks for checking out my blog. I hope you will enjoy the pictures and reading about the pottery process from my perspective. If this is your first time to my site, welcome!

My goal as a local potter here in Saint Paul is to offer my friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens an alternative to store-bought wares. I don't have a retail store, I'm not a business, and I don't advertise in the newspaper, and that's the way I like it.

My work is reasonably priced, functional, and made to the highest quality. Why?

1. I make pottery for my personal enjoyment and serenity, and I don't make you pay for that!

2. I don't have retail space to pay for like galleries and pottery shops do, and yes they do charge extra for that!

3. I've been formally trained and making pottery for 7 years, so I make the work to withstand abuse by the dishwasher (or if you are rigorous handwasher!).

Thank you for considering my work for your home, office, and holiday gift ideas, and thank you for checking in here when you can.

Here's a picture of four dinnerplates glazed in Anderson Ranch Red. This is a food and dishwasher safe glaze. I have a set of these in my own kitchen.

In fact, here's a picture of a penne rossa dish served on the dinner plate above. If you'd like the recipe for this dish, let me know, and I'm more than happy to provide it. It costs less than $12 to make, and I think it is so much more flavorful than Noodles and sometimes even Broder's Pasta Bar, which the latter I'm completely infatuated with!

Nacho Dippers! These are so much fun to make. They are one piece, and are perfect for salsa and other dipping sauces, coupled with your favorite chip lined on the border.
My Man from Fiery Hill T-shirt almost completely engrossed in clay.
Hope to write more soon. Have a great day!