Orange is the new black



No, this post is not about the Netflix hit show highlighting lesbian sex in prison. It is about shino taking the place of temmoku as the potter’s glazes that for me have been a hard sell. Hey Lucifer get off my back.
For decades I have glazed pots in temmoku since it is such a rich potterly glaze. I swear I could take my best temmoku pot stand out on the road, flag someone down and offer it to them for free. I would get the bird, some profanity and they would squeal their tires in an effort to flee the scene.
I unloaded the boxes of pots I got returned from a gallery. Yep, they are mostly all Ron Meyer’s shino with brushwork. I even used tin which I think makes the glaze so buttery and beautiful. I’m scratching my --- and wondering WTF. When I picked up the pots I took a quick look at the gallery and I didn’t see any lidded vessels or teapots that would actually pour tea.  Lots of glass pumpkins( for Halloween of course).
I went off to Sheridan to do a three hour demo in what many considered
 the Alamo of Ceramics in Canada. My two day Monday and Tuesday throwing class that I taught for 15 years has been shrunk to 3 hours a week. So today I’m glad I don’t own a dog. It is best I be alone.
Here is a temmoku teapot from the last wood firing of a week ago. The temmoku goes amber in the wood kiln. I did these teapots thinking of my seeing my buddy Dan Finnegan in Rochester next week. Temmoku over crackle slip.

I need some time with people that make and care about pots – Dick Aerni, Dan Finnegan and Bob Briscoe to get the list started. Yep, looking forward to seeing the pots of Mathew Metz, Kenyon Hansen, Jane Schellenbarger,  Julie Crosby, Forest Lesch Middleton and the rest of the incredible line up. If you love pots you should go to Rochester to the Flower City Potter's Invitational!!!!!!

Comments

Peter said…
I finally sold a lovely saturated iron red cup today that has been sitting in my studio gallery for about the last 2 years. It was a little honey of a thing and even had a slight lustre to it... sadly most people just saw it as "brown" and wanted something the colour of bubble gum, or those trashy plastic toys that used to come in packets of breakfast cereal! I'm happy to say that the person that did buy the iron red cup was lovely too, so I'm pleased it is going to a good home. I am so sorry to read about you having boxes of work back from a gallery, it is crazy as you make magic on your potter's wheel and it is sad to read that people pass it by. Hope you to have a wonderful time with like minds and souls soon and some happy customers come through the door.

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