Pottery Communion Pieces

I field more questions about communion pieces than any other pottery. I like it that way! And most churches and wedding parties require only the simplest of communion forms. But, some,

request pieces that are more unusual, more challenging and, if possible, even more fun. So, for those of you who have asked for, and would like pictures of, ciboriums, I have photographed a couple. Along with other communion pieces. The lava bowl is over 12" across and the ciboriums are 9" and 10" tall for reference.

God's Beautiful Creation, Farm Style

Mother called a few days ago to thank me for her veggie delivery

and, I must admit I was a little disappointed. She said, "Wow, you must have grown a different beet...we had some nice sized ones this time." Hmph. I grow my beets for the tops. Generally, I choose Big Top seeds and enjoy the greens with very little beet. Well, the last were pulled this morning (see picture) as well as the last of one patch of spinach (in my favorite baking bowl in the same picture). And, I intend to enjoy those beet greens steamed in a little cider vinegar. along with the beets that did seem to grow a little larger this year. But, I can deal with that.

I love farm life! Strawberries have been frozen this morning, and dill is nearly dry - having been dehydrated in my oven and having filled my house this morning with the most wonderful odor! (Want to try that - fine herbs dry quickly in your oven when set to the convection setting at 150-175...just open the door every 15 minutes or so until you have no moisture left! Time depends on the herb. This is also the way I dehydrate my tomotoes.) Lavender will by drying by day's end and the fridge is full of salad stuff, snow peas, carrots and the like. This time of year I visit the grocery store very rarely! PTL!

I love that the Song of Solomon refers to My Beloved as He with cheeks of balsam - banks of sweet-scented herbs. With lips of lilies, dripping with liquid Myrrh. He knew all of us couldn't relate to the gold and ivory that describe Him so often. But, here, on the farm, I can relish in this creation He shares with me and thank Him that He is like the best of His beautiful creation!

Sorry, the lilies are in bud, but not bloom...but the roses - now that's another story! Ahh, farm life!

Okay, the sun is high. Off to feed the chickens the scraps from the morning (they love the garden, too), and hit the pottery studio! More work to be done....

The End of May, and My Favorite Pottery Communion Set

May brought joys to the farm that were stifled all winter long. Green things and baby animals have brightened the month beyond belief. There wasn't a table that lacked eggs, greens, herbs, asparagus, onions, snow peas and the like. The last of the carrots and beets will be pulled this week, but we won't mourn them - cucumbers, tomatoes and squashes will ripen before the week is over! Spring things will be set aside as summer rushes in!

This month included a visit to my sister in Atlanta...to greet the newest member of her family and love on the family that already lives within the walls of her home. We enjoyed several mountain visits and time with Nana and Grandpa and our children as we visited them and they visited the farm.

This month also included studio time that included testing several new shapes and two new glazes...to be revealed after more use. My favorite pottery this month would be a communion set, glazed in the soft white glaze that I used on my everyday coffee mug. I tested this glaze on my favorite mug shape nearly a year ago, and in the hustle and bustle of the last year...I forgot I had gallons of this mix sitting in the studio! I love it daily, and throw it in the dishwasher and go to the studio to work, rarely thinking about it again. So, now, this set is available in my etsy shop, see it here: www.etsy.com/listing/48277014

May, is also the birth month of my baby girl. Today to be exact...May 31st. She's 20 today. No longer the parent of a teenager, both of my children are 20 something. And, I can't wish her a happy birthday until next weekend...she's in summer school in the wilderness, in an unreachable area. Hope she's enjoying the experience and the day!

Pottery Wine Goblet Exhibition

I am pleased to have been chosen by The Bascom, of Highlands, NC, to exhibit wine goblets at their center for visual arts from May 15th until June 6th.

To check out The Bascom - click here:

http://www.thebascom.org/

The goblets will be part of a display that coincides with the Collective Spirits Wine Festival held on the grounds May 21st and 22nd and will help benefit the visual arts center's fund drive.

For information about the wine festival - click here:

http://www.colectivespirits.com/

A gorgeous place to visit, a great center for art study and a wonderful wine festival...thanks for the honor!

Wedding Pottery, Stoneware Chalice & Paten with Unity Candles

Wedding season is here, and along with it comes orders for custom pottery to enhance the service. This set is off to Sara and her fiance in Nebraska. Additional sets will be posted on etsy in a matter of days (my kiln is fired up as I type!).

A Work in Progress

Life seems to be a work in progress of late. Good news from accountant, bad news corporate attorney, items stolen from property, lessons learned in settling and managing estates, bank procedures and general government craziness! God seems to find strange ways to make us stretch and grow, and we're just trying to keep a sense of humor and honor Jo.

My studio stands fairly still, definitely a work in progress...no, those walls won't remain peach. They've been plastered a pattern and a deep chestnut glaze will turn it all a dark burnt orange. And the cabinet fronts (and shelves, and flooring) are missing. Nothing worked on here since summer.

Then there's the pottery, well, it's a work in progress too. If you prepaid for a special order, your work is on this counter. It's been bisque fired, cleaned up, signed, (stained if needed)washed and waxed. Glazing begins in a few minutes and the kiln should be loaded, fired and unloaded by Monday. If you just have a "special request" placed with me, like the January wedding and Mel's parents gift, you're probably in here too. Lanterns didn't make it this kiln load, sorry...but there is still a possibility of some before Christmas. It will be close, but I hope to fire one more time for family pieces.

Ah, family. Now that's a work in progress! But, worth all the challenges it brings. The larger our family circle grows, the harder the work and the greater the reward! Praying we all have time to slow down and enjoy that this season, our family and yours. Just be sure to keep up the good work!

GG's Holiday Open House

GG's of Statesville is hosting their annual Holiday Open House this Sunday, November 5th from 1:00 until 5:00.
Meet and greet with many artists, shop holiday gifts like Christopher Radko and Carolers collections, enjoy music and munchies. Start your holiday season off right!

http://ggsartframesgifts.com/index.html

New Gallery Display at the Sanctuary of Davidson

Just a quick note before I head to Charlotte for estate business.
A new gallery has opened in downtown Davidson, NC, with a bent toward Christian charities and, of course, beautiful art. The website is not fully developed, but you can click on the link and check them out.
I delivered a few pieces when Jo was sick, and am dropping off a few more on my way through today. I can't wait to have studio time to create some pieces especially for their clientele!

http://www.sanctuaryofdavidson.com/

Pottery At Statesville Art Crawl Friday Night

This Friday night is the second Art Crawl of the season for the Iredell County Arts Council and the Downtown Statesville Development Corporation, held from 5:30 until 8:30 . The pieces above will be available at GG's Gallery and Gifts on Broad Street, along with many others. And I hope to be there as well to meet local art collectors and avid downtown supporters in Statesville.

This is the closest art gallery to my home, I display in it and I love to support and assist in its growth. Many state conventions have been held lately in this area deciding the fate of this beautiful downtown. It's not enough that major motion pictures featuring George Clooney and Rene Zellweger have been filmed here. Or that the United States once ended here (Third Creek) in our beautiful county - yes, on the maps it ended here. History moves on. But, this gorgeous downtown remains a hub to those of us who love it, and its history. We can see the past and the possibility - in one glance.

We can't support art crawls each month like so many of the downtown areas I display in...but, you better believe, the heart behind this evening - if only held twice per year - is strong and more than willing to work through any adversity this community may be faced with. The possibilities here are endless! We truly are the crossroads of America (okay...the east coast).

Join us in celebration of all the talented artists and avid gallery owners, collectors and donors (and even bored citizens looking for a Friday night thrill) that look back at our historical past and forward to our prosperous future and gather to celebrate the now.

Oh, and while you're at it, check out this website: http://www.downtownstatesvillenc.org/events.aspx to get information about the downtown historical tours in October (okay...it's a "ghost tour" - but with historical significance, trust me.)

See you Friday night!

Stoneware Communion Set

I just finished unloading the kiln. Almost completely special orders, so nothing fun for me. But, this 9 piece set for the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware, to be used at Camp Arrowhead, is my favorite from this kiln load!

The campground is covered in sassafras trees, according to the director. So, we designed a set of carafes (1 litre each), a set of chalices for intinction (1 1/2 cups each), a set of chalices for communion by mouth ( 1 3/4- 2 cups each) and I impressed and applied leaves from one of my sassafras trees onto each. Then I carved the camp logo into a set of patens and created a lava bowl to match. The chalices are all 8 inches tall and the patens and lava bowl are all 9 1/2 inches in diameter. (Click on the picture above to enlarge it if you would like to see them more clearly.)

I must say, I love this set - it came out of the kiln just gorgeous. I hope they are pleased and it serves them well for many years to come! It is such a blessing to be able to share in communion with people I will never meet (not in this world, anyway)!

Pottery Grape Leaf Series...

I haven't posted in a long while, things have been very hectic here. Between illnesses and the backlog of orders once we returned from vacation, we haven't had much time. So, this is the only new design that has made its way through the whole production process since we've been back. The grape vines and vineyards in Germany and France really made me appreciate what we have here so much more. And so, I've plucked leaves from our grapes and begun a new series and this is my prototype. I don't think I rubbed enough of the glaze back off the vine/handles to get the look I was going for. But, I like the matte black against the natural leaf. And, just one more kiln load to get the rest of the orders finished and then I can fire some of the matching wall pockets and hand built pieces that I've worked up for this series. All are oversized...this first piece is over 16 inches tall, and other vase forms are larger. I think I'm going to like this group!

Wheel Thrown Pottery

Unloading the kiln is so much fun...I love this glaze combination! A pale icy green and deep brown mixing to create all sorts of fun shades! As a matter of fact, I'm going to have a hard time sending this platter to the gallery it was intended for...GG's in Statesville.

The wine goblets are the only pieces not going to Gloria and they will be available this evening at The Smart Gallery in West Jefferson. Join us there for the monthly Gallery Crawl from 5 until 8.

Pottery Place Settings

I've been trying to decide on place setting pieces and color combinations. Both to sell, and for myself. I've narrowed it down to two choices for myself and that I will be producing for sale. One other color combination may be available before the holidays, but for now these two will suffice. So, I will be throwing the five standard pieces shown and mugs in these patterns that can fill in bare spots in the kiln during custom and gallery orders. And hopefully, by Thanksgiving I will decide which set suits my kitchen best and commit to one myself!

Pottery Wedding Communion Sets

Courtney & Michael, your woodland wedding communion set is ready for post and will ship out tomorrow morning!

Just thought I would show everyone else what your chalices look like, as well as new sets for other weddings in Virginia and Kentucky. I hope each wedding is beautiful and blessed!

Blue Pottery Bowls

Wedding season is in full swing! Much of the season, I've been throwing communion sets engraved for the bride and groom, or carved with designs for the wedding. It's an honor to have my work be a small part of weddings all over the country, and a blessing to be able to take part in the communion service of so many.

But, for this local wedding...it's bowls! Bowls to be filled with local goodies and placed in hotel rooms as a favor. A great idea for any occasion, and a fun project for the potter. Thanks Kati, and mom, Mary!

Watercolor Painting on Pottery Platter

Okay, I had to try it. Ever since I saw the pottery watercolor sets in a catalog I have been dying to give it a shot! So, this morning's kiln presented me with my first watercolor (bravely painted on a 14" platter).

The colors were darker after firing, a bit of a surprise...I would have thought they would burn out and fade a bit. I covered the amaco stoneware watercolors with a clear glaze to make it food safe, and give it a glossy finish. What fun!

Now I have to throw some plates and platters just to play with so I can do some detailed painings! A new direction to explore....

Weekend Gallery Crawl, West Jefferson

What a fun place West Jefferson has become!

We spent a lovely evening this past Friday at the West Jefferson Gallery Crawl, enjoying artists and art collectors, wine and food, free music and great friends...new and old.

Then we went back to the mountain house for the weekend to paint and get things ready to put it on the market. Hmph! Sitting on the front porch swing when the fog rolls in makes us really think twice about selling out!

We bought the place when Sarah was in diapers, she's a rising Sophomore in college. It was Baxter's first experience helping us build a house, he's finished his BS and Masters and is currently working toward his PhD...married with a house of his own that he happily gets to remodel.

The kids grew up on the mountain, spending every spare weekend there and many summers. They built waterfalls in the stream, damned it to form pools, put in a nature trail to hike cleanly down the side of the mountain, canoed, kayaked, hiked, biked and galavanted all over the county.

The new property is in the same county. Just not West Jefferson. Which seems to be the new artsy "hot spot" in the hills. Boone has been taken over by the college kids. Todd (where the new homesite is) is being taken over by the college overflow...and losing a good bit of it's river water to Boone since they've decided to pipe it from the edge of Ashe County back up to Boone to supply their never ending building boon (isn't is smart to keep giving out building permits when you have no water left?).

Anyway, I'm rambling. The new property will be a great place to build a "downsized" empty-nester kind of home. Not so much land, not as much house, smarter use of space and wiser understanding of lifestyle. And, it is within driving distance of West Jefferson, it just doesn't have all of the sentimental baggage we'll miss from the other "hill". And if we build this one right, maybe we can sell the farm down the road and condense everything into one house! Maybe.

Tough job letting go.

Pottery Display and Gallery Crawl

I joined with a new gallery last weekend in West Jefferson, North Carolina. The display is underway and will hopefully be complete in time for the Ashe Arts first Gallery Crawl of the summer arts season! Join us at the Smart Gallery for a fun evening of arts and fellowship. The gallery features photographer - Rex Miller, watercolor artist - Robert Flowers, a fantastic jeweler, wood turner, stained glass artist, potter - Tena Wenta, and much more! It is a beautiful, soothing gallery in West Jefferson's historic downtown, and the place to be June 12th!

New Pottery Display at Smart Gallery

Just picked up a new gallery location in historic downtown West Jefferson:

The Smart Gallery

109 North Jefferson Avenue

New pieces are headed that way in the morning, and I have an exciting plan for a display that will hopefully be ready before the first Art Crawl of the season, June 12th!

Pottery Wine Glasses and Their Kiln Buddies

Most of the requests I get these days are for wine glasses or communion chalices...my favorite shape and form! I love those requests, otherwise I'd be throwing and building pieces that would take over my studio and home...I just can't seem to stop myself! I love exploring the shape, balance and overall feel of each goblet!

Now and again, kiln

buddies find their way

out of the clay, only to be

matched up with goblets

that need partners and

glazed accordingly.

Goblets have become

that much of an addiction!

These are some of the latest pieces to find their way out of the kiln (at least those not special ordered ahead of time). I missed photographing the larger portion of the goblets, they left home and can be found now at GG's Gallery & Gifts in Statesville, NC, and Buck Shoals Vineyard in Hamptonville. Click on the pictures above for a larger version and let me know what you think!