pot #45

and now...something different. Another piece from my daughter, Fiona. She made this at Brownies and I recieved it as a present...Mother's Day or Xmas...1997 or 98. I wish I could remember.

Anyhoooo...it is a pinch pot of red, air-dried clay with various seeds and acorny things pressed into it. It measures 3.75 x 2 x 3.25".

It is next to a picture of me when I was 4 and my red SOMA puzzle...on our broken gas fireplace in the 'TV room.

pot(s) #44

Another horrible piccy. I am getting lazy.

I used to get little things like this from my previously mentioned grandparents (Kerr) when I was little. I found these at a flea market or garage sale or somethng a few years ago, because they reminded me of that.

None of the pieces are over an inch tall...nor much over an inch wide. I am missing he sugar bowl lid and a teacup. They are made of a white earthenware and have wonderful handpainted floral designs on them...over a white Majolica glaze.

pot #43

This piece is a bowl made in Mexico, purchased by my Grandma and Grandad Kerr...Rose and Vergil. They used to vacation there alot and my grandad probably used it as an ashtray.

It is 7" from head to tail and about 5.5" from side to side. The height is 4.5". I believe it is made of earthenware with handpainted details in slip with a clear glaze on the inside. The outer surface is unglazed, but the bottom has the location of it's creation written on it...The School of Painting and Culture, Durango [Mexico].

post Saturday...well, Sunday

I had a stressful and wonderful day at the same time, yesterday. Melynda Steward, Jan Pickler, Paul Storms, Tery Cain and I just installed the 2nd KC Clay Guild Teabowl National.

With their tremendous efforts we have put up a beautiful show at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center (3700 Blue Parkway, KCMO).

It opens on June 1 and closes the 30th. There is an opening reception on Friday, June 10, 5-8pm...with awards and a short talk by the juror, Steven Hill. (BTW...Steven is presenting a demo workshop the next day at KCCG...Saturday, June 11, 9-5pm)(go to kcclayguild.org for details)

There are 90+ teabowls from all over the USA. There are teabowls from local and regional artists as well. All will be for sale *at* the opening reception and then afterwards, online.

pot #42

Fabulous pieces...maybe. For some reason I love this little cornball, campy 'Arabian' couple. I bought them at a garage sale in Overland Park, Kansas about 6 years ago for about $5.oo. My daughter hates them...one more thing for the 'estate' sale when I go toe-up. They occupy antique shelf in my paneled rec-room.
They are slipcast white-ware or porcelain and are stamped on the bottom, "handpainted' "Japan'. They are commercially glazed with lusters. Each piece is 10.5 x 3.25 x 2.25".

pot #41

Another Cindy Buehler! and another kinda bad picture. This lovely sgrafitto piece by Cindy is 3.25 x 3.25 x 1.75". As with the other sgrafitto piece, it was thrown, trimmed and then coated with black slip over ^5-6 porcelain while leatherhard...the slip is then carved away when the slip is dry enough.
This piece is glazed with a clear glaze on the inside and a purple glaze on the outside.
It sits on my stove...waiting for a spoon or fork to rest upon it.

pot #40

It's a Cinderelish jubilee! Another great piece by Cindy Buehler. This is a nice long tray made with a 'wiggle wire'. Basically, Cindy pulled one of those spiral wires through a block of clay and then 'threw' it horizontally against a table top to stretch the form. She bent up the sides and the ends for easy lifting.

It is 15" long by 6" wide and is about 1-1.5" tall at the ends. It is made of ^5-6 porcelain, oxidation fired and glazed with a commercial green glaze.

Love it! It is great for olives, berries, cheeses, small cup-cakes.

finally!!!

REVISION:
I have figured out the maker of a pot I own. Pot number #3, from March 29, 2011. The artist is Roberta Polfus (http://robertapolfusceramics.com)
Her other work is gorgeous, too! Go look!

pot #39

Cinderelish...Cindy Buehler made this. I keep vase/large tumbler on my counter with kitchen tools in it. I love the blue. I have a rather dull counter top and tiles and this pot jumps out...adds life to the surroundings.
I bought this at the Crafty Chicks holiday event in Liberty last year...where I also bought a wonderful bird pin made from tiny beads.
The vase is 7 x 4.5", made from ^5-6 porcelain from Bracker's. Cindy threw the piece, coated it with black slip and sgrafitto-ed the surface so that the white clay will show. She fired and then glazed it with this great blue glaze.
Lick-able and luscious.

pot #38

This is my daily salt shaker...loaded from the bottom through a cone shaped orifice. Theoretically the salt should only come out when the salter is shaken in an upward motion.

It looks like salt-fired porcelain. It was thrown and has pressed and rolled texture on the surface. The glaze may be a Shino...or is just the result of the salt/soda glazing.

The piece is 3" tall and 2.5 inches at it's widest point. No interesting stories...I have even forgotten the name of the artist...I liked it...I bought it (at the Plaza Art Fair...I use it.

pot #37

Wish the picture was better...
This piece is by Jamie Johnson. She used to live in KC and was a member of KC Clay Guild. She has mooved several times...and I think she is in Austin, Texas. Before she moved we traded artwork...she wanted a BoneGuy Teabpot and I wanted one of these>>>

This is a stoneware tree set on a ceramic base. It is all attached to a particle board base. There is a watercolor attached to the board behind the tree. I have placed a tiny, tiny vase by the same Jamie Johnson in the knot hole at the bottom of the tree. I have also placed bird eggs beneath the tree. It is one of my favorite pieces and it hangs in my home studio.

The board is 15/5' x 8" and the tree is 7.5" tall. The tree is glazed, the base is stained and apapears waxed. The tiny pot isabout 1" tall and is glazed in Turquoise Oribe and a Copper Red.

pot #36

Here is one of my favorites. I fell for this piece at the Pittsburg NCECA...the cup sale. I stalked it for several days...moving it around so no one would find it again. I got there late!, but somehow it was there for me. I cannot imagine why no one picked up this wonderful little cup and spoon.
It is made by a Danish artist. I have her name somewhere.
It is 3" tall at the handle. It is 3" wide and 2" front to back. The spoon, on it's own, is 4.5" long. It is extremely thin...less than 1/8". It is handbuilt of porcelain with a slightly uneven lip. It has a flat foot. The inside of the cup is covered in a clear glaze. The handle of the cup is made entirely of little handbuilt flowers...all with 5 petals. The spoon's handle is topped with a flower as well. There are no potter's marks or signitures.

pot #35...hi Bunny

I miss my 'Bunny'. Sorry...I miss my daughter...had to get that in, in case she reads my bloggy-wog.

This pot is by Bede Clark. (www.bedeclarkestudios.c0m)
He instructs at my alam mater, the University of Missouri @Columbia! (He was not there when I was matriculating. One of my instructors was Robert Bussabarger.) I met him during the Brookside Art Annual a few weeks ago. I walked in his booth and surprised him taking a drag off his pipe in the back of his booth. I have asked him to be the juror for the TEABOWL next year.

This 'diamond in the rough' vase was created from dark stoneware. (Help me!) I think it is wood fired. It is 4 x 2.5 x 2.5" and is square-ish. The texture on the bottom half reminds me of having been paddled with a ribbed board. Two corners have little lug handles. There is a stamp on one side and four dots in a square on the othere face.
The glaze is white-ish in teh photograph, but actually has a lavender tint where it is thick. The bottom half has what I think is a Shino. It is a lovely orange with some speckles where it is a little thinner and meets the top glaze.

pot #34

Just got back from driving my daughter to Albany, NY, where she will be an intern with Bimbo (pronounced Beem-bo) Bakeries. The Mexican bakery company is the largest in the world...just bought Sara Lee. Albany seems ok...just far away from my 'Bunny' now. Drove long...rainy, rainy days, but visited my piping friend Martha Robinson in Clarion, Pennsylvania and had a great time.

The pot...Fiona's favorite cocoa cup. I took it as a surprise to Albany for her. Thsi shot was taken on her window sill at her little studio apartment where the Bimbo Grupo is lodging her.

This fabulous cup was made by Rebecca Koop of Kansas City...owner of Back Door Pottery in the 'Northeast' section of KC. It holds a lot of cocoa...2 1/2 cups. It has a beautiful brown glaze...maybe a reduced Albany Slip with spirals of...maybe a glaze with some Rutile. I got this in the early 90's when I went with my mom to the KC Renaissance Fair in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Becky used to have a booth out there.

I had forgotten that Fiona had borrowed a favorite Michael Smith cup and had packed it as well. I do not have a picture of it, but will review Michael's work soon.

pot #33...double tre

Pot #33 is by my friend Bill Alexander. I think we have know each other about 10-12 years. He just celebrated 25 years with Gayle Martin (I guess I can say that!!). Gayle is also a ceramic artist and makes wonderul clay ornaments. Bill hasn't made pots for a while, but I love the ones I do have. This platter sits on a burner of my gas stove and hold my salt shaker, pepper mill and olive oil container (you'll see these a little later). The yellow is actually a waxy, buttery color...the blue is a bit brighter than the image.

This platter is 10 x 6.5" and is about 1.25" high. It is made of stoneware and reduction fired in Bill's own kiln. It has a yummy surface that you can't really see in the image.

pot #32

One of my 2010 Cone Box purchases, this teapot is by Susan Beiner. www.susanbeinerceramics.com/home.html
Looking at it now, I should have taken a better picture...better background. I was in a hurry. I will try to load a less cluttered piccy soon.
This piece, with all the accompanying florals, is
5.5 x 4 x 1.5". It's a multimedia piece...made of porcelain with stains and glazes, metal rods, foam and thread. Along with my Yoshi Ikeda piece (and my daughter's pieces) it now one of my favorites and ceramic hero. Susan is also a painter. You gotta check out her website. Luscious!!!

puppies

I shot this today after I got home from Potter's Lunch*. I had to blog about the puppies.

This is Duncan and Angus. Duncan is IN the chair and Angus is ON the chair. I puppie-sit Angus a couple of days a week. Oooo! maybe I should do some dusting.

*We met at The Westside Local near 17th & Summit, KCMO. I had Tarragon Chicken Salad sandwich...all dark meat...ick. Shoulda had fries with that. I got my Cone Box pieces, too. Cindy Buehler brought them from Lawrence for me...very sweet. They will be featured soon.

pot #31...not a pot

It is a trinket I got from another potter...a momento.
I imagine it started as a porcelain clay disk (1 x 1 x .25"). Then a thumb print was pushed in...stain, then name, JENORE, applied...and fired.

What you see is what you get.

Still...pot #30

Kelly Mulloy's 'Pigdog' tail end.

I keep wondering what to *do* with mine.

It's mouth needs to hold something...

candy...Q-Tips...clay tools...jerky...cheez-curlz?

Time to take more pictures...I have no more.

pot # 30

Another 'Pigdog' from my cousin, Kelly Mulloy. This guy is bigger...7 x 7 x 3". The first Pigdog was lucky Pot #13.
The colors and patterns are obvious. P.D. is mad of white clay that has been stained or underglazed with a clear glaze over all. I orginally thought that it was lgazed with many different colors, but NOW I think it is as I described earlier in this post.
Kelly signed her first and last name on the belly along withthe year, 1993, in underglaze.
Fun piece.

pot #29...Happy Mother's Day to all

Changin' it up. the piccy is on the left today.

Woooohoooooo!

This is a little Mexican made bird. My grandma Kerr got them as gifts for her daughters in the 60's. Rose and Vergil used to 'winter' in Mexico and they would always bring back pressies for everyone. The Speck girls got Terra Cotta doll dishes and little rush seated painted chairs. My Grandma was divesting herself of things when she moved and I took several of these birds.

It is made of a white ware...low fire I'm sure. They might even plaster. There is an obvious hole in the underside...made after the firing. It's jagged. The makers name is also on the bottom...'Solis'. The bird is decorated with 'painted' on underglaze and then burnished.

pot # 28...the day of Tyrel...Tyrel Reed

This is a pot from a leftover pile. Taren Scott of Edwardsville, Kansas (a little west of KC) made it. I love the red-orange stoneware it is thrown from. Judging from the trim marks, it looks like a pretty groggy clay. Taren applied a yellow semi-opaque glaze on the inside and let it drip down the edge of the lip. The glaze might have Mason stain in it. I was in an Oxidation glaze study group with Taren for 7 years and this might be on of our glaze tests. Actually, it was her idea to get a group together to test glazes. On the front of the pot is a stamp of a Ginko leaf. The same yellow glaze has been applied and wiped off the stamp to let the image show up. On the back at the bottom is her potter's mark...a rounded square with a capital T S.

The pots stands 3" high and is about 3 1/8" wide.

***

I was the total nerd and went to Miege HS to get Tyrel Reed's (of KU b-ball fame) autograph. I also got Mario Little and Brady Morningstar's.

pot #27

I got this great teapot at a Plaza Art Fair...between 2003 and 2005. I had passed up buying one the year before (no money), so I saved and got one the next year.
Obviously, it has a hand made can handle. It is nearly 6" tall and a Little over 3" wide. From spout to back it measures 4.5" wide. It is made of light colorred stoneware and textured with a comb and one stamp on the left side. It is thrown...the lid is trhown as well. The foot has been pressed against a ribbed object...there are grooves in it. Love the glaze...wondering if it is wood fired as it is so simple.

pot # 28...my god I'm bored...

It's raining and I can't plant my plants or train for my walk. Grrrrr.

Here they are: two tiny pinch pots from a show at the Indianapolis NCECA. They were made my students at a community center. I thought they were great.

The largest one is about 3 x 4 x 3"...the smaller one is 2 x 3 x 2". They are pinched, glazed and raku fired. Theey still had a bit of raku residue on them when I purchased them. They were a dollar a piece and I paid for them on the honor system.

POT # 27...TWO IN ONE DAY

I had lunch with this potter two days in a row this week...Tuesday and yesterday. She is my friend, Mary Kay Porter. (http://www.moonflypottery.com/) She also has work at STUFF in Brookside.

We went to Cafe' Verona (off the square in Indpendence, MO) with potters from the new '323 Clay' studio ...more about that later. Yesterday we went to Avenues Bistro in Brookside shopping district during our long walk I am training to walk 95 miles in 6 days in Scotland this summer).

THE POT...sorry for the blurry pix. I *did* like the 'star' reflection through the plastic covering my ware shelves. Back to the Pot. It is a little vase or bowl about 4" tall x 5.5" wide and 4.25" in depth. It was thrown of ^5-6 porcelain from Flint Hills (Bracker's Good Earth Clays), fired in oxidation with glazes she has made. (We were in an oxidation firing study group for 7 years). I think I recieved this at a potter gift exhange within this study group.

LUNCHES...Cafe Verona good salad and coffee and BREAD ...yummy
Avenues Bistro...had a wonderful and filling quiche with chirizo, tomatoes and onions and a nice little salad.

323 CLAY...at 323 Maple in Indpendence, MO. a new studio with residents Steven Hill, Tara Dawley, DAvid Lee, Carolyn Summers, Cindy Buehler, George Chrisman, Maria Morales Kim Walsh and one fellow I don't know. Nice space...cool people.

THE WALK...the West Highland Way sometime soon.

pot #26

A tiny little house sculpture by Mary Fischer. Following is the one of the url's where I could find her work.

(www.mudfire.com/mary-fischer.htm)

I bought this at the Plaza Art Fair...maybe 2007. I had been wanting a piece of hers for years.

This piece is 3.25" tall at the chimney and a little over 1.25 square. It is made of porcelain with stains. I am not sure about a glaze over all...probably not...this is just vitrified porcelain.

pot #25

Michael Corney.
I bought this at the Santa Fe Clay's 'La Mesa' exhibit at Baltimore NCECA. Was that in 2006? I went with Todd Scholtz and Elly Biggerstaff. Elly and I walked into the La Mesa exhibit, late, and most everything was sold already. We walked over to the little table and saw all the Michael Corney cups. We both bought one. Elly's was a tad obscene on the back. I was already making BoneGuy cups, so I had to have this guy's work.

This piece is 4.25 x 3 x 3" and what you see is what you get. I am guessing it is thrown from porcelain, but I see no throwing rings...it is very smooth. It is pressed in where you see the drawn stain (or underglaze) eyes, nose and mouth. The outside surface is matt, but the inside is glazed. The lip is marked with cobalt of a blue stain. The foot is concave and glazed a vibrant yellow. There is no potter's mark or signature.

Fun cup! You can find his work at www.michael corney.com

pot #24

Nee how (phonetic Chinese),

Yxing teapot...bought at a antique/junk store...I think near Lone Jack, Missouri. It is a typical Yxing teapot, made with red clay, unglazed (inside and out). The flange on the lid, is a good 3/4 of an inch tall. No falling off there!

The pot itself is 2.75 x 5.25 x 4". The lid is about 1.75" tall. I also has a hole right through the center (and the knob) for release of hot air. I never noticed until I now that the body of the pot is slightly larger towards the front...slanted towards the back.

There is a chop mark on the bottom. Needless to say that I can't read that.

pot #23

This tiny cup is from Nancy Gardner...on the ill fated trip to the Plaza Art Fair with the boy friend who had a panic attack.

I digress...

This sweet thing is made of red-ware with commercial glaze or underglaze. It is 2.5 x 2 x 2.5 (with the handle). The opposite side has the same motif, but without the curly vines on each side of the stems.

Brookside Art Annual

*whew*...it's over and I am exhausted. Taking the day off of all things clay (except the BLOG)... (and reading some clay mags)
It was a nice show for me...not fantastic...but nice. The weather was kooky...nice on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday!...wintery.

Thanks to all friends and customers who purchased and stopped by...including students from Longview...Billy, Danielle, Tracy and Jackie...you made my day! A special HI to Jeanine Akins. We were in graduate school together and is the only one of 22 I run into...ever. She teaches Art at Lee's Summit North HS. She is also the Art Dept Chair.