November 2009 - Random Thoughts
11/30/09 - Worked all afternoon on the next coil pot. It is ready for the top to be thrown and attached tomorrow. The big basket is together and was ready to attach the handle when the handle broke in half - a little too dry. That was enough for today. Hopefully tomorrow will be more successful with handles. On to December 2009.
11/29/09 - one more coil pot started and the pieces for another big basket setting up. It will get put together today. Dumped one of the baskets from yesterday into the slop bucket - cracking problem where the handle was attached. Might be able to fire the bisque load on Tuesday.
11/28/09 - 2 more baskets done and drying. Sent a photo of the big one to Vince Pitelka. He suggested that the top flange is too thin. Think he is right. The 2 newest ones have thicker flanges and they look better. They also have pulled handles with just a few of the small coils. Also another big coil pot finished. It is a little wonky, but not bad in the scheme of things. Think I will start another big basket today and another coil pot. The bisque kiln is almost full.
11/24/09 - Really big basket finished today - 17" high at the top of the handle. Handle is pulled and then attached. This was a battle as the slabs are so big - almost 12" at the top. Had to put all kinds of things along the side to hold them up while I was attaching them. Also broke one of the other baskets this morning while cleaning up the edge. Back into the slop bucket to live again as another vessel.
11/23/09 - 4 baskets done and drying. Had one handle fall off and found a better way to attach them by accident. Have a very large basket in the works - waiting for the slabs to set up before I can put it together - would be nice to have an extra hand or two to help with this one.
11/21/09 - Finished 2 baskets yesterday. Want to do 2 more today - different dimensions - taller and narrower.
11/20/09 - Baskets to do today - larger than the ones that I did before. The 2 big coil pots are drying. After the baskets, I will do another big coil pot. It is just too fun.
11/19/09 - Figured out how to do the photo gallery in Adobe Bridge this morning. Initially frustrating, but it came together. Now I need more photos to put in it. I started out doing the gallery in Photoshop, but didn't like the way it looked. Have half a bisque kiln loaded. Maybe I can fill it up with with some baskets. Probably need to take a break from the coil pots and let the skin on my hands recover.
11/18/09 - The second coil pot is under construction. I got interrupted yesterday with a power outage that lasted 2 hours so I went to Carson City to do some shopping. Added several inches to the height of the pot when I got back. Hope to finish it today. I also want to do some more baskets for the 2010 show.
11/18/09 Coil pot #2 finished today - about 22 inches high.
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11/17/09 - Working on re-doing my website that has not been updated in many moons. Need to take the time to do new photos. There is never enough time to get it all done.
Have been offered a show at the SMACenter in Virginia City next May and June. This has me energized. I am starting some big coil pots. One is done and the second is under way. There is some sort of great meditative process that occurs from rolling coils, adding them to the form and then smoothing them out. The bottom of the form is all coil and the top is thrown on the wheel and joined to the top. The top will get some Barnard slip for contrast. It is about 22" tall.
