Pottery. Photography. And All Things Handmade.
I had every intention of blogging and sharing photos from our recent trip to North Carolina. Instead, I'm sharing this photo: leaves in our back yard in full autumn mode during the last week of October before our trip. As luck would have it, my photo editing software updated prior to our road trip. And,... Continue Reading →
While busy with all things winter and jury duty this week, I dusted off this post from years ago. No matter what yesterday was like, birds always start the day with a song. Enjoy & have a blessed weekend! It's winter and that means it is time to feed the birds. A Dark-eyed Junco was... Continue Reading →
My family elders have all passed away leaving me with boxes and boxes and boxes of old photographs, letters and memorabilia. I'm left piecing our family history together from boxes, something my elders said they would do one day. Photographs tell a story, unlock memories, and reveal connections to people, places and time. While sorting... Continue Reading →
The first day of the Winter Solstice ~ the shortest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere. Chilly but no snow today. A sigh of relief and joy as parcels and packages have reached their destinations! I've made my lists and I'm checking them twice, three times and more! The house is quiet.... Continue Reading →
A steady stream of orders since Thanksgiving. Each piece of my handmade pottery securely wrapped and boxed. Shipping labels printed. Boxes secured. Tracking numbers noted and sent to each customer. Then off to the post office. Unboxing and unpacking Christmas decorations. A sense of nostalgia of Christmases past. Trying to remember where Christmas gifts are... Continue Reading →
Much has been going❗️ I have yet had the time to blog. I have been glazing, firing, photographing, listing*, glazing, firing, photographing, listing, aaaannnnnd glazing, firing, photographing. (*Listing: writing descriptions and pricing of my new handmade pottery for my BackPorchStudio shop on Etsy.) In the meantime, enjoy our neighborhood hawk who frequently stops by! 😍... 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 →
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 →
Dusted off and updated from an August 2019 post It starts with a lump of clay... A lump of clay is centered onto the pottery wheel then shaped into a simple cylinder and shaped some more. After shaping, the mug is ready to be taken off the pottery wheel and set aside to air dry.... 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 →
Traveling. A window seat is a must. The view never fails to take my breath away. “How sweet to be a cloud. Floating in the blue!” - A. A. Milne
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 →
December's photo challenge: (top left) technology, (top center) candle, (top right) Santa, (center left) all wrapped up, (center) 7 pm, (center right) colorful and Christmas song, (bottom) tradition
Up early this morning. Firing my last kiln load of the season. These two are up to something. I'm not even going to ask. Wedding bells for our son soon! Much deep cleaning, baking and merriment ahead. But first, coffee ☕️
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 →
One of our many visitors this summer! One of the reasons I love throwing on our back porch! I had my hands in clay. Grabbed my camera and took a shot! My camera is a little muddy .
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
I need extra hours in the day and extra energy to complete all that needs done. Planting Mowing and weeding Weeding and mowing Soccer Baseball Each and every day, I wake up, thank goodness, and seize the day clay! Oh yeah . . . ...and laundry!
Back Porch Studio 