WillowAK Pottery

Goblets in blues and green All those white, porcelain pieces you saw in the last posting are now glazed and fired again. For the most part, all went well, but one nutmeg yarn bowl, the last piece to go in the kiln before I fired her up, was a trouble maker.  Her glaze appeared to have jumped off, pooling on the kiln shelf and influencing a few nearby pieces, including a mug on the shelf below since some glaze dripped through the crack between the two half-shelves!  Weird!  When I say "pieces with personality" I mean good personalities.  Seems I had a "bad bowl" in this group; although she didn't do a lot of damage, she was certainly a negative influence. Admittedly, I probably did not prepare her properly for the firing. A lesson learned -- and one, hopefully, remembered.  Fired 74 pieces -- including a few refirings of earlier work.  Here are the new pieces: Bottom shelf before firing...three more added above Another serving bowl with fish ...

Yes, I did unload 79 items from the kiln; all were fine, and the new circular kiln shelf made it through its first firing just fine.  After having one crack in half on its first firing, and a second one damaged in shipping, I was relieved that the third time was the charm and the kiln now has a 26" full circle shelf. 79 new pieces with personality...now bisqued. Here are photos of the new bisqueware which will be rinsed, embellished, glazed, and fired a second time.  Next, the bottoms will be ground to be sure they are smooth.  Then, the pottery will be ready for adoption. With Mother's Day coming up next month, hopefully these pieces will find new homes easily.  Gift certificates are available for WillowAK Pottery.  If that's of interest, drop me an email note and we'll work out the details in a way that's convenient for you. So, let the glazing begin!  Think there is enough bisqueware on hand for two kilns of glaze firing Yarn bowls.  A n...

Have had a huge moose visiting lately.  See him? Gee, we've had St. Patrick's Day, some birthdays, a wine tasting party, Spring Break, Easter, and April Fools' Day since I last posted, as well as some significant snowfall and knee healing. April should be pretty quiet in comparison. The melting has begun and we've had nice sunny days that last well into the evening. Winter talk will soon give way to garden and landscaping talk, but as you can see, we're not quite there yet! Lots of snow fell the week before Easter.  Keith has about 125 hours on his tractor with the snow blower, so all's under control and looking great. Ice and snow awning over birdhouse. In the photo of the studio there's a birdhouse up under the eave, with a large overhang of ice and snow looking like a white awning.  The black-capped chickadees were interested in going in and out of the birdhouse today, but that was tricky with this big overhang.  When it does release from the ...

Time to get back on track in the studio.  Did some throwing last week -- wine goblets, yarn bowls, and mugs -- but I'd call that warm-up activity for what is to come. The knee seems to be doing well, although it sure stiffens up when I sit too long. Am still icing because it feels good to do so, and PT is on the schedule for the next several weeks. Right now it's feeling a lot like the other knee that had the same surgery a few years ago, although I'm expecting the end result to be better on this one.  Time will tell. Lots of fun during the week with family since it was Spring Break. Enjoyed one family early in the week and the other over the weekend.  Had a multi-lake tour on snow machine today, spotting the eagle's nest I knew was nearby but had never seen. Great weather for skiing and snowmobiling -- sunny, clear, and bright. Big temp swings, however -- 40 to 50 degrees on some days according to our thermometers.  Spring Break is over and the kids are now head...

Iditarod Restart in Willow today, and we hear planes in the sky, snow machines on the lake and nearby trails, and undoubtedly the dogs are howling with excitement over at the starting point on Willow Lake.  My knee surgery on Thursday went very well -- and I could probably be out on the trail watching the dog teams and mushers, but decided it's better to ice the knee this afternoon rather than risk navigating in the snow and ice with crowds of excited Iditarod fans. No pain pills needed, no crutches, and I'm anticipating a good result! Mt. McKinley is looking beautiful across the lake and this is a comfy spot to be today.  Jon's family and their friends are in the cabin this weekend and will bring back a live report from the scene of the Iditarod action, I'm sure. At the moment, the kids are enjoying driving their snow machine round and round in the driveway circle. Just ordered WillowAK Pottery cards and labels -- probably more than needed, but they're nice to h...

Coffee or tea anyone?  Mugs, mugs, and more mugs, each unique!  Time for a new one to welcome you in the morning for that first cup of brew? Lots of choices at the moment, so drop me a note if something strikes your fancy and you'd like more info.  I read someplace that "a mug you love for coffee or tea is a lot cheaper than drugs or therapy."  Hope the person who wrote that had a very special mug! The following sell for $25 each, plus shipping. I'll post images of the other items tomorrow, and also get details on the WillowAK Pottery Facebook page for those who are following updates there.  Think you'll see about 35 new non-mug items, including plates, bowls, pitchers, tumblers, and vases.  If you're going to be in Willow for the Iditarod restart on Sunday, March 3, be sure to stop at the Willow Creek Studio on the Parks Hwy; they will be open and have lots of bea...