Sprung!! I mean Spring!!

To start off here is the usual current studio shot. Trust me, its way more of a mess than this photo does justice.  I am sitting here and my lazy side is saying "see its not that dirty". Studio is approaching the messy "pit" status.Also that large pot under the table is in fact not mine, or pottery. Its a nasty plastic pot I bought for glazing larger bowls, FYI.

Studio Shot April 20 2010:

So I think for most of us in North America spring is sprung with a bang. We have had a few days in the in the 80's here already, which for Vermont is just insane. After the hurricane Irene in late summer into the most mild "winter" in recorded history weather is fitting in with most of the crazy world right now. In case its 110 degrees this summer I am going to do my best to enjoy this warm weather in spring. And lets not talk about the dear tics this year....man. We still have a huge clean up in the planning from hurricane Irene on our property (few hundred tires and probably a literal ton of debris) so the good weather is welcome.

So pottery. I really wanted to get some spring colors for this year. Light, airy, with a lush fruit look. I have used so many classic pottery glazes in the past, and will continue to do so, but I needed a change. I am trying to put together some what of a "collection" or "set" (I am doing huge air quotes here).

I'll post a couple pics then start the ramble.

Sorry for the candid shots. My "awesome" still photo set up (see that post to see how "awesome" (air quotes again) was broken down so I could use the space to dry some wares.

So here is the spring "collection". Don't know if I will ever have a total full on set but I will try to always have the elements in the studio and or gallery's so it can be put together piece by piece. If a customer wants an entire set I will price it out with a discount and commission it out  all at once. Right now there are a few different bowls, pitchers, vases, teapots, sugar bowls, salad/soup bowls, nesting bowls serving bowls (some lidded), mugs and tumblers. Hopefully soon I will add dinner charger plates, dessert plates. Some of these elements are in only one of the to colors, others are the combined like above.

I have a few loose commissions going as well. If a customer has a request for something I don't have in stock and have not made quite like the request often I will make a small production run of the item to sell in my studio. If the customer likes them they get first dibs. One is a classic mug shape I don't often make, the other is for plates. I have also been working on large salad/pasta bowls and playing with teapot designs as usual. 

Sadly, I, like other potters, do not make plates often enough. I decided this would change I  hope once I get a rhythm with the production of them to have sets of plates on hand. They can be a head ache. The actual plate themselves I have down well. A nice 10" classic charger with an upturned rim. Its the space the suckers take up that is the challenge studio and kiln wise. I just need to make the are aI dry wares more efficient, and I need to get some plate sitters for my kiln so I can better fire larger numbers of them.

That is this week. I am ALMOST going to make a promise here to now start posting once a week minimum and hopefully much more than that. I know with blogs that being consistent is super important and a huge challenge for some of us.  Also, I am, for the time being, full time in the studio, so there is a lot to share and talk about. I also want to start blogging about ceramics, art, and life in general a bit more like when I started it way way back. I tend to get a little to tech heavy  in here.

Anyway enjoy your time in the sun before global warming has us all living in bio spheres.

Later ~TPS~

*meow*