Website Design Refresh!

 Oh, I've been sitting on this so hard, because we were waiting until it was ready for the big unveil! Milly Welsh of Zebralove Web Solutions has built a new, updated website for the Maine Pottery Tour. 

Important features: a pop-out page for each studio, with a little blurb about them and/or their pottery tour event, and a search function so if folks are looking for info about a particular studio. Behind the scenes, Milly has built in a function so potters can update their own listing, uploading the photos they want & writing the blurbs themselves. This is great for me, obviously, but also for the potters of the tour - they are in complete control of how they are presented to the world. Here's my page.

The tour is April 30th & May 1st - we usually schedule it the first full weekend in May but this year that's Mother's Day, & I'd lose half the studios if I chose that weekend. 54 studios this year! Hope to see you there. 

Ancient Clay

The 2,400-Year-Old Giant Clay Vase Discovered in Peru

Yeah, pretty sure that's not a vase. 
Also - not to doubt the archaeologists, I'm sure they thought of this - but a vessel this big, you'd build an ad-hoc kiln around it, which would be dismantled once the piece was fired; so the fact that there were no "remains of stoves" (LOL) doesn't seem conclusive, as to where it was fired. 

Anyway I thought it was an interesting story. 

The Thick of it: Maine Pottery Tour

When I went through my email this morning I had ten, count em, TEN, action items - & that was just Maine Pottery Tour related items. My brakes are making that ominous grinding sound. I still have some stuff to work out with the kiln. Nevermind basic housecleaning, that ain't happening. Not today, anyway, and tomorrow's not looking good either. 

I am working on an ad for the next issue of Downeast, & putting together the Maine Public sponsorship package. I am building the online map of the tour. I am unloading the kiln & making pots for spring orders! I am teaching classes, as always. 

I am starting to feel the squeeze. This is my song, these days:

 

Anyway! The Pottery Tour is only 7 weeks away now. You should visit! I'll post links to the map...but not today. Maybe that'll be on my action list for tomorrow. 

Burner, Blower, Damper

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After fumbling around a bit early in the firing- this is only the second time I’ve fired this kiln, due to some unexpected burner issues- I’ve found a sweet spot of good reduction & rapid climb. Just recording it here, for future reference.

It’s been a rough couple of months, which I’ll tell ya more about later, but something finally went right.

This load is about half my work & half student work. Unloading Wednesday!