Sand in the Clay: pottery

Showing posts with label pottery. Show all posts

July 12, 2011

Summer 2011 Video Preview: First Impressions

Upon our first glimpse into the kiln after the new wood-fired glaze kiln took its maiden voyage, we were stunned, perplexed, and pleased all at the same time. Some of the glazes were a complete flop and needed a new firing technique, some showed a glimmer of hope and promise, and others looked fantastic (and those surfaces and textures, we subsequently realized, were difficult to replicate). The pieces shown in the following video and still shots are a result of diligence, some serious sweat equity, and a tiny ounce of insanity.

Almost There…

The kiln fired beautifully. Everyone put in their all, and we finished on time without a hitch.

Firing a kiln must be similar to sailing a ship: if the captain is not certain of the destination and the means to get there, all will be lost. Thankfully, that didn’t happen and Joseph was the ultimate leader.

We unloaded last weekend and the pots are G...O…R…G…E…O…U…S... gorgeous. Because we cannot wait to share them with you, we are including a bit of a teaser in this blog.

Stay tuned next week for a video preview, up close and personal, of the pots. At this opening, we will also have available some holiday ornaments, ranging in shape from snowmen to stars to little dogs. ALSO…As a special gift, the first six customers in line will receive a mug, the number on the mug corresponding with their place in line. Hope to see you on Dec 4th and 5th!

May 12, 2010

That much closer

Joseph has just finished the decoration on the kiln! He finished the firebox in the morning, laying brick and castable, with the remainder of the afternoon spent decorating the kiln in vibrant colors.

All that is left to complete now is the flashing around the chimney and a little kiln wash.

He will be making pots starting monday for our first kiln opening event. Our tentative date is August 21st and 22nd, with the special pre-sale for Buy A Brick customers on friday the 20th. You can still buy a brick and join us at the presale through May 31st at: http://www.jsspottery.com/buy.html

We're off to Art on the Vine this weekend in Mebane. Come check us out and say hi!

Using portland cement, black concrete stain, red iron oxide and local clay as pigments, the kiln is painted in true Joseph style!

Looking closely, the surface design of the kiln is reminiscent of a decoration Joseph uses on his pottery.

The firebox was completed using cartops and a high temperature castable. Joseph is going to add some brick on both sides to be able to stack pots in the firebox, as well.

Finito!

May 6, 2010

The kiln takes form...

Hey everyone! Welcome, welcome! We have finally arrived at a point where we have a free moment to sit down and share with you all that is happening here at Joseph Sand Pottery! It's quite exciting. Joseph has been working hard and long to get this place up and running, and wow, is it gorgeous. It has been incredibly difficult to get him to take a day off; he is just having so much fun.

For those of you that know Joseph, he is a determined and driven person, working on all cylinders and giving a project his full attention and focus. He builds a pottery just like he throws pottery: fast, efficient, and beautiful. We can't wait to share our journey with you.

The post holes are dug. You can see one of Joseph's helpers as well as the rooftop of our house in the background.

Joseph hard at work, as always. This was early January, right when we were having a cold snap. The cold didn't slow him down one bit. With some help from Joseph's father, the kiln shed took shape within a matter of three weeks or so.

Look at all that red clay! Joseph began the base of the kiln.

A view from the fire box of the kiln. Joseph laid every single brick by himself. A serious accomplishment!

After the straight walls of the kiln were laid, an arch form was created so that it could provide a guide to lay brick upon for the top portion of the kiln.

Now it's starting to look like a kiln! The stoke holes take shape. Hard to believe that the bricks support themselves in an arch form. The supports are removed (by chainsaw, no less!) and the arch stands on its own.

The kiln's interior is almost complete except for the firebox. Isn't it beautiful?

Next, insulation is layered on like lasagna, with tinfoil between to provide some heat-holding capacity.

Last sunday, we held a work party to apply the final coating on the kiln. It was a hard day of work, making many batches of this concrete mixture. Thanks to all those that helped!

This is after the kiln coating has dried. Joseph is planning on painting the kiln with a unique design. Even I have no idea what it is going to look like.

Just finishing the chimney, thinking about all the pots to be made...

A quick view of the inside of the workshop. You can see the ware racks in the background as well as Joseph's wheel off to the left. This building already existed on the property; Joseph only added the ceiling and it was ready for making pots!

This is the view from front of the workshop. Joseph has already made his clay and everything. In the background is the back side of our gallery: an 1840's farmhouse, which was the original home on the farmstead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for all your continued support as we embark on this journey. You play an enormous role in this, as customers, supporters, and friends. We invite you to stay in touch, either through this blog or by email. Additionally, you can find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Joseph-Sand-Pottery/230073816797

Signing off with the most beautiful honeysuckle and blackberries...

March 11, 2009

New Jewelry Available

We were lucky enough to sneak in an extra kiln firing this cycle, using the new ash-glaze Noborigama wood-fired kiln this time. It created incredible colors, especially with the glass we used. You will find dynamic blues, greens, and whites displayed brilliantly on warm brown tones. Unfortunately, we only fired pendants this round. But, only another month until we fire the kiln again.

Prices on these pendants range from $6 to $10 each. In addition, we can put them on a leather necklace for you for an additional $3. Shipping is separate, but very inexpensive. All sizes given below are in inches. Please read them from left to right, and top to bottom (as I couldn't fit more than two pieces per line).

Enjoy!