Demonstrating

Saturday Franklin hosted a festival and I was asked to demonstrate. I'd never done it, so I was a bit anxious to see how it would go. The red clay I use looks good, but takes in water quickly and isn't that great for throwing tall vases. So I bought some buff clay which is much better at that and it worked fine. It allowed me to chat as I made the forms without worrying if I would lose the pot. As it turns out, I didn't loose any - even while giving a short radio interview. Maybe the three people tuned in will come by the shop this week!

Since I wasn't keeping anything I let little kids destroy the pots afterward. That went over well with the boys.

We don't really have any pictures of the actual demonstrations. This is me warming up before the festival started. The two girls were participating in the festival as well.

Sabbath Poem 1979-X

Whatever is foreseen in joy
Must be lived out from day to day.
Vision held open in the dark
By our ten thousand days of work.
Harvest will fill the barn; for that
The hand must ache, the face must sweat.

And yet no leaf or grain is filled
By work of ours; the field is tilled
And left to grace. That we may reap,
Great work is done while we're asleep.

When we work well as Sabbath mood
Rests on our day, and finds it good.

From A Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems 1979-1997 - Wendell Berry

Afternoon Walk

Christy and I found a new place to walk right behind our house. There is a development that really never got off the ground, but it has a road all the way to the top of the mountain behind our house. It's a nice walk, going up about 500 feet. The view at the top is nice too:

Arboretum

John Sill, a local artist has a show at the NC Arboretum in Asheville, so Christy and I headed over today. The show was great and after checking it out we walked the grounds. I was most impressed with the metal work, particularly the gates:

 

Christy's recent work

Small Mention

 

Many fellow Western North Carolina artists are featured this month in WNC Magazine in an article about the economic impact of crafts on this region (hint: It's a lot).

As it happens they also did a short article on Franklin, and the last paragraph is dedicated to our shop. The online version can be found here:

http://www.wncmagazine.com/feature/road_trip/bright_prospect

New Arrival

Our new slab roller was delivered today. It wasn't that bad to assemble, except for the handle. I beat that thing for a half hour with a rubber mallet before taking the entire roller assembly off and slamming it handle down on the concrete to seat it fully. I think they need to machine that part with a little more tolerance. Are you listening Axner?