WillowAK Pottery

 The Tour flyer with additional information providing directions and garden descriptions is available on the Willow Garden Club Blog . Photos of some of the pottery in the studio are shown in previous WillowAK Pottery Blog postings. Take a look to see if a stop here to say hello and check out the pottery is a good idea for you. This note is simply to say SAVE the DATE of Saturday, July 20, 2024, for touring gardens and art. It is a self-guided tour. Visit the locations in whatever order you'd like. Consider it a day for appreciating the beauty of gardening and art as you learn and socialize along the way. Hope to see you at WillowAK Pottery. Birch, official greeter. Carol and Keith 25879 W Southlake Dr in Willow

Hope Mother's Day was a good day for you, whatever your circumstances. A little bit of everything here weatherwise:  sunshine, heavy rain, sleet; light showers, sun again!     Part I...Things don't always work out as we expect they will when it comes to pottery: 1.  I refired mugs made for Don after adding LOTS of white snow on the spruce boughs. He wants "very wintery" looking mugs like his favorite one made several years ago. Well, apparently the white glaze doesn't have quite the punch it once had, and the blue has changed, too. Below is Don's favorite mug, followed by those I recently fired with an extra snow load...but they will not likely measure up to the "very wintery" look desired. It may be time to start over with new mugs and some different white glaze. Sorry, Don.  I'll get closer, eventually, but come take a look at how these look now. You may like the coloration change that happened in the refire. Thanks for your patience. Less wint...

Hello! Yesterday a full load of bisqueware was unloaded from the kiln and washed. Today the plan is to wax the bottoms of pieces in preparation for glazing. It's an eclectic collection of work, for sure.  Hoping to have it glazed and fired a second time, ready to leave the studio prior to Mother's Day! Here's a peek at some pieces: Pieces with text; this has a quotation from John Muir. For floral arrangements...or as someone else suggested, a mosquito coil burner, which we're likely to need soon. A large, wood-grained serving platter.  Creations of different shapes, textures,  sizes, purposes, and soon-to-be colors. Some pieces have lids, others not. All pieces are safe for food, microwave, dishwasher, and oven. None are safe for stove top or for extreme and sudden temperature change. There's a story here . . . yet to be told. Come back in a week or two to see if these bisqued pieces have transformed into glazed pieces, ready to leave the studio.  Thanks for looking...

The yard is full of snow. Today the colored lights on the front porch will come down, as will those in the loft. We've had Christmas, my birthday, New Year, and Keith's birthday.  We've appreciated special visits with family and friends in recent weeks and are so very grateful to be looking forward to longer days, more sunshine, and decent health -- for you and for us.  This week, the clay mixer in the studio is due to have a new controller installed, and soon we hope Keith's John Deere snowblower will again be performing as it should.  Still more research to do on that. Then...we're ready to move forward! Willow could not be more beautiful than it has been recently. Pure white snow, still woods, blue skies, spectacular sunrises and sunsets. We've had moose visiting our neighborhood and property; good to know they are still with us. The grandsons who live in Alaska have all had fine vacations at home and have now returned to their studies elsewhere. The grandson...

  This image was from a "free" art site. Wish I knew who to credit  with such a stunning piece. Love the subject matter, simplicity, color, lines, and more.  It captures the beauty of Christmas! May peace and joy refurbish weary bodies and minds on Christmas,  with love filling hearts around the world.  Keith and Carol

Beautiful Boys in their WillowAK hats I do love seeing my pottery and knitting put to good use.  With permission, I'm sharing a photo of two beautiful boys in Vancouver, BC, sporting their WillowAK hats with porcelain bear and fish buttons. Thanks for the photo, Christina.  It inspired me to make a few more hats similar to these.  The following images are a sampling of work from the most recent kiln firing, plus a few knit items.  Also, fiber artist Joan Edwards will be at WillowAK Pottery on November 18 with some of her beautiful fiber work; it's a treat to have her back visiting in Willow with some totes, bowls, table runners and more available for purchase.  For those new to Willow, this is a self-guided tour.  You learn the location of the three open studios and get yourselves there any time between 10:00 and 5:00 on Saturday, November 18. Check out the many wonderful and unique gifts available in our local studios: Stephanie Richey Art, Scott and Joan'...