Spring is here!

Well spring is finally here and I'm starting to think that summer is right around the corner after the temperature has reach the upper 80's the last few days. I haven't been in the studio as much as I would like to have been the last couple of weeks. That is due to some renovations in the studio that had to get finished. I finally hung the plywood on the walls of the shop, hung some shelves, and some track lighting to make it easier to see at night while I'm making pots.
Due to all the lifting of the plywood, I threw my neck out of whack and had to get acupuncture and today I am getting my first hour long massage! I'm looking forward to that. Pots are finally getting made though and I started the next cycle of pots with some small tea bowls and then some two piece vases.
Yesterday I made up 1000lbs of clay, you can see how that is done on a YouTube video I have posted, so that clay will be ready in a few weeks. My goal is to continually make clay all summer so that in the fall and winter I will have two tons of clay ready. I make my own clay because it makes for a better throwing clay body and it also cuts down on cost. My clay costs around 11 cents a pound. If I was to buy the clay pre-made, then it would cost 28 cents a pound. I do have labor to add in there also but it only takes a couple of hours to make a 1000lbs. You also need to have the space for the clay racks.
The picture above is the spring view out of my window by my wheel. It's nice not to see snow!! This is my first spring in the new house and studio. I love to see the transition that the leaves make from a bright green to a darker green as the spring moves to summer. With the coming of spring comes the need to cut the grass every week as well. A riding mower and a beer makes that job a lot easier.
As the next cycle of pots is made, I will post some pictures and try to continue the blog. Thanks for following and have a great week!! My daughter just woke up from a nap so it's time to move into Daddy mode.

Snowed in!

What a week. This was a
great week to test out the new barrel stove and hunker down in the studio. The week started out with bowls. Small condiment bowls, salad bowls, and then small serving bowls. My new apprentice, Jake, worked on some small bowls that we will put some glass in the bottom. Jake is working hard and building up his throwing skills. He is just 18 and fresh out of high school. These small bowls are a great throwing exercise for him. After the bowls were trimmed and glazed I worked on some small sugar jars and creamers. The jars are a great little kiln filler and fun to make. I always love to make the creamers and any pot with a spout for that matter. Jake and I were able to make around a 100 pots this week.
Since my last post, which was ages ago, I have bought a house down in Rutherford County just 9 miles east of Lake Lure on hwy 64/74. This has turned out to be a great location due to the ability to put pots out in my yard and sell to passers by. This eliminates some of the need to rely on craftshows.
It took most of the end of December and some of January to winterize the studio and it's a good thing I did! Now that I'm settled into the new space and routine, I will try to post a blog at least once a week and post some more videos on youtube.