WillowAK Pottery

Two weeks until the Open Studio event on Nov. 16-17.  Deadlines are a good thing to keep me moving toward a goal.  Had two dear friends spend the night with us recently, and one asked, "How many times do you handle a piece of pottery before it's completed?"    "Lots" was my response. Then I thought about the actual steps, most required and a few optional, depending on the piece: wedging the clay throwing the piece on the wheel drying it to leather-hard stage trimming stamping, carving, or otherwise creating design in the clay attaching parts -- handles, spouts, stems, sprigs, etc. slip painting drying until ready for first firing loading into kiln bisque firing unloading from kiln a couple days later washing to remove any clay dust adding glaze inlay or embellishing with underglaze or stains glazing loading into kiln again glaze firing unloading from kiln a couple days later sanding bottoms to be smooth pricing marketing -- blog, Facebook, g...

Yes, I'm getting ready for the Nov. 16-17 WillowAK Pottery Open House.  Unloaded a bisque kiln tonight and have about three kiln loads of glazing and glaze firing ahead. Last week a couple friends came by and we made some ornaments/jewelry. It was a fun afternoon helping these creative ladies play with clay for awhile. Their pieces will be glazed and fired again; here's how they are looking now:          The rains continue in Willow tonight. Imagine if all this rainfall had been snowfall instead! We'd have some happy plow service owners, snowmobile fans, skiers, and more.  But it's not snow.  It continues to fall from the sky, saturate the ground, and sit. I'm not hearing many praiseworthy comments about it except from those who are not yet ready for the cold of winter and have no plans to be heading Outside. Some have already left for the winter and others are busy preparing to do so. Our plan is to enjoy a beaut...

Hello and THANKS for checking to see what's going on at WillowAK Pottery! The good news is that I have a new display rack for completed work -- and the other good news is that I have it filled, have another kiln load of pieces ready to glaze, and am working on a second kiln load of work to bisque and glaze.  Yes, it's time to have a good supply of work on hand for the studio's second open house:    WillowAK Pottery Open House   Saturday, November 16, 10:00 - 5:00 and Sunday, November 17, 1:00 - 5:00 Directions: At Mile 70 of the Parks, take Willow Creek Parkway (2 miles), left on Crystal Lake Road (1.7 miles), left on Shirley Lake Dr. (.5 miles), right on Michigan (.2 miles), left on W. Southlake Drive (.1 mile) and we're the first driveway on the left. 25879 W. Southlake is the address.  Call 495-8272 if you have any questions.   Lots of new work will be available.  Hope many of you will swing by. A new display rack for c...

Open House at WillowAK Pottery on Nov. 16 and 17. Please mark your calendar if you're within driving distance and stay tuned for details closer to the time!  Gather your neighbors and friends and come see the pottery. Lots of soil, seed, rock, time and talent have been involved  With summer coming to an end, we're celebrating the green grass and rock pathways.  Quite a transformation, thanks to Keith's hard work, from how things looked a year ago.  He mentioned having 200 hours with his faithful friend this summer -- John Deere.  We had periods of too little water and those of too much water, so it's been a challenge.  Thank goodness the resident landscaper/groundskeeper cares, is dedicated, and in good health! The deck staining is completed, thank you Steve, and things are looking pretty finished around here!     So, fall officially begins tomorrow, but I think it actually came in the backdoor a little early. When it looks like f...

Thanks for your interest in pottery! Unloaded another glaze kiln and learned a lot, once again, from the results. Am good with the decision not to do a hold on the firing schedule and to leave the kiln undisturbed for 24 hours after the completion of the firing.   Here are photos of what was just fired: Nature in and on porcelain  A variety of forms and glazes -- many with designs incorporated into the glazing process. Keith's favorite...not surprisingly Two pennies in this photo, to help suggest size of pieces Some familiar color combinations and some new discoveries. Trees, leaves, buds, and flowers easily find their way into the design work, aiming to give each piece its unique personality.  If you see some of these pieces in person, turn them over.  You may find a pleasant surprise on the bottom side.   Reminiscent of Alaskan lakes, trees, and adventures in nature. Blue and black, blue and nutmeg, shore break and sage, shore b...

First the pottery news -- a glaze firing was unloaded yesterday and here's a glimpse of the work that came out of the kiln. Mugs More mugs       Thirty of these mugs are going to Sourdough Mercantile at the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage.  Will start a new batch of mugs soon for other people and places. Even more mugs  -- 35 in all  A variety of other forms were fired as well: Covered jar or tall vase, goblets, tumblers candlestick Tomorrow I'll continue glazing, with plans for another glaze firing this week.The remaining pieces include berry bowls, plates, and accessory pieces, but no more mugs, goblets, or yarn bowls until the next throwing cycle in September. A message to our nieces and nephews:  if I've not yet given a baby birth plate to you recognizing the birth of one of your children, please send me the pertinent information (child's name and date of birth) so I can create a plate for yo...