November 4

Winter arrived in Willow about a month ago -- cold temps froze the lake and we've now had about three weeks of clear, sunny, cold autumn that looks and feels like winter. Mt. McKinley's been in view each day. After the initial snowfall, there's been no more, so the John Deere garden tractor with snow blower is yet to be tested out, but we've seen skating, ice fishing, plane landing (on wheels), and snow machining on the lake this past week, so that says "winter" to me!

Tiles for testing glaze color, behavior, and layering

In the studio I've mixed eight glazes, three of which have already settled to a hard layer in the bottom of the bucket, so they were remixed with a drill today in anticipation of glazing tomorrow.  Will be starting with clear, white, blue ice, cadet blue, sage, merlot, nutmeg, and black glazes. Made 52 test tiles to see how these glazes will look alone and in layering -- but should have made at least 64 tiles. Guess my small pieces will serve as glaze tests, too.

A few necklaces are online with Willowbillies of Alaska and we expect to see other WillowAK Pottery work posted in their store's pottery section, soon.  Finally purchased a digital kitchen scale in order to provide shipping weight estimates; it should come in handy for a variety of purposes in the studio. Yes, every day I'm appreciative of the raw materials, tools, equipment, and other resources that were previously available to me as a UAA ceramic students in the Anchorage wheel-throwing studio.  What a great program UAA has for helping students learn the ins and outs of ceramic work -- instruction wise and otherwise.

Place semi-circular kiln shelves between the dowels

Came up with a quick and easy way to store kiln shelves.  We ran two rows of half-inch dowels through small openings in a large metal shelving unit, put foam on the bottom shelf, and placed the half shelves between the dowels, flat edge down.  Nothing is attached -- just set in place. The dowels rest on the floor and are stabilized by the shelving structure; the kiln shelves go in and out pretty easily, resting on foam to help prevent chipping or other damage.  Each half shelf resides in a slot and they take surprisingly little room. This photo may help convey the concept, although the kiln shelves themselves are in the kiln for a firing, so you don't see them in their slots.

Yes, another bisque is underway and the next firing will be a glaze firing -- the first for this kiln and the first electric firing for this potter.  Today was spent getting work ready -- rinsing pots, waxing pots, remixing glazes,  and getting ready to decorate, glaze and load the kiln -- after unloading the bisque ware that is currently cooling.

Rinsed -- ready for wax and glaze 

Admittedly, we are enjoying the addition of TV to our life in Willow and at least one of us will be watching carefully on election night. Hopefully there will be no more storms in the news for a looooooong time!

Love watching these grow!

We're also watching paper white bulbs grow before our eyes in the breakfast nook this week. Wow...they'll be blossoming soon! It's amazing what comes from those bulbs, with the help of water and sunshine! The ones put in soil have not popped through yet.  Guess environment has quite an influence on how plants (and people) grow! 

That's all for tonight.  Next time I write there should be new pots to show!  Then it will be time to give more serious thought to marketing.  Maybe an open house in the studio next month?