Pottery. Photography. And All Things Handmade.
Tying up loose ends before leaping into spring's busy season. It has been a seemingly long two weeks behind my new computer. I never realized how slow and clunky my old computer was until I was forced to buy a new one. Everything so new, pristine and fast! Books I've read over the winter include... Continue Reading →
I've been scurrying around cleaning out garden beds and prepping the yard and back porch for winter. Pottery wheel, kiln, clay and tools have been put away for the season. My pottery has been photographed and listed in my shop. Traded my clay covered hands for mud of a different kind. Our resident squirrel has... Continue Reading →
My blue glaze finally arrived after being on back order since August. I have been using this delightful blue glaze for over 15 years. My customers nor I have ever been disappointed. So . . . I opened my new jug of blue glaze with great anticipation of glazing a set of custom made bowls... Continue Reading →
Another humid week last week! I don't mind the heat but when the air is as thick as pea soup and there is no breeze I start to feel a wee bit uncomfortable and grouchy. Luckily, my attention has been on things I can do inside in air conditioning! As I mentioned in my previous... Continue Reading →
Did you hear about the big Pottery scandal? Everyone involved was fired. 😁 My latest batch of pottery pieces have completely air dried. At this stage, the dried clay is called greenware. This stage is also when the clay is most fragile. Over the weekend, I fired the greenware in the first of two firings.... Continue Reading →
As I wait for my newly thrown clay pieces to air dry, the back yard has been keeping me busy. Between the unusual cool wet weather and back yard critters (rabbits and squirrels) our garden isn't doing well. We have yet to pick a ripe tomato! Plants I rescued from the garden are doing well... Continue Reading →
It was horridly humid and buggy on my back porch over the past several weeks. I took refuge indoors and continued to work with clay. While indoors, I made shallow bowls/dishes from slabs of clay draped over a plaster mold. A clay slab is a portion of clay that has been flattened into a sheet.... Continue Reading →
My kiln is fixed (YEAH!!!) and hard at work on my back porch! Firing greenware (unfired air dried clay) as quickly as I can. Then glazing . . . and glazing some more. Because it has been so horridly humid and buggy this month, I have taken refuge indoors where I am hand-building bowls from... Continue Reading →
It does not feel like summer. 😟 It's has been cold, windy and humid. So cold that even my mugs are bundled up on my back porch studio! 🥶 The odd combination of cool temperatures, high humidity and 18 to 20 miles/hour wind has led to uneven drying for the mugs. The rims drying too... Continue Reading →
Firing my kiln and throwing mugs on my back porch today after two days of rain. My pottery wheel on the left and my Vulcan* kiln on the right loaded with 25 glazed pieces. I started the kiln at 7 a.m. this morning. Anticipating a 12 hour firing which means it will take that long... Continue Reading →
I have been asked by several people about making slow feeder bowls for their pets. I didn't know how to make them and felt a bit intimidated because there is not much information on how to make a slow feeder. But when my Grand-dog asked me to make one for him, I just couldn't say... Continue Reading →
Temperatures in the 70's this week! I am finally back behind the wheel after a very cold and wet spring! Grand-dog came by for a visit and curious as to what I was doing. Warming up my throwing muscles. Starting with 1/2 pound of clay. Making small bowls to sell as trinket or ring dishes,... Continue Reading →
As a potter, not everything I make comes out how I planned. 😱 Sometimes my pieces crack or warp. Other times, my pieces never make it off my pottery wheel . . . . . . or a cat decides to sit in or on one of my pieces. And those unfortunate pieces end up... Continue Reading →
What beautiful weather we had last week! Clear blue sunny sky. Flowers blooming. Birds, bees and kitties busy. Note the elevated Kitty water bowl: a TONKA Toy dump truck. This TONKA dump truck has been through two generations (children & grandchildren) and now serves as our back porch watering hole for cats, birds, squirrels,... Continue Reading →
2023 has presented me with challenges. Challenges that require my energy to be in many places other than my Back Porch Studio. In 2023 -2024 I will be selling only ready to ship items as my time allows. I plan to focus on pet dishes, mugs and wine cups May through October in preparation for the 2023 Holiday Season. If you are NOT in a hurry, please... Continue Reading →
Feeding birds through the winter has been a family activity for over 25 years. It started as a homeschool project where we could observe wildlife first-hand. We learned about bird identification, social behavior (pecking order on and around the feeder), and which physical characteristics of birds dictated food choices (sunflower seeds, thistle, millet, nuts, berries... Continue Reading →
When leaves fall as well as the temperature, it is time for me to call an end to my throwing season. Because my back porch is not enclosed, I throw things during the warmer months. The warmer months tend to be May through October around here. But much work remains despite putting my pottery wheel... Continue Reading →
Waiting for me in my splash pan this morning! Gray Tree Frog The frog wanna-be-potter was placed just off the back porch onto a nice cool shady rock. The frog climbed up onto a fern frond. The frog watched me for a seemingly very long time. I honestly thought it was contemplating whether or not... Continue Reading →
It has been a bit hot on my back porch this month. I have been firing loads of greenware (air dried unfired clay) in the kiln for a bisque firing. The bisque firing prepares the air dried clay (greenware) for glazing. Days are growing shorter. Kids are back in school. It is the end of... Continue Reading →
Mine Mine and Mine New items will be in my shop next month! Meanwhile, enjoy your summer. Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
The falling leaves gather around my pottery wheel. My throwing days have come to an end for the year. The temperatures have dropped quite dramatically this week making it a challenge to photograph my pottery on my back porch. "They" say it may snow this weekend! This month I have been busy with many behind... Continue Reading →
Would you look at that! It's mid-October. And here I am running around like a squirrel gathering nuts before the snow falls! Instead of gathering nuts . . . I'm glazing and firing. Glazing and firing. Repeat. Mugs, after their 1st firing, waiting to be glazed. Glazed mugs drying. When I'm not glazing and firing,... Continue Reading →
Back Porch Studio 