Our first road trip of 2023, to Grand Lake and Temescal, in Oakland, CA.

         Geri and I will bring our Pottery to the Grand Lake Farmers' Market on April 15, and to the Temescal Farmers' Market April 16. Click Here for times and directions on my market schedule. We fired a couple of kiln loads in January for shipping Christmas orders, and then the drought ended with 2 months of the craziest weather I can remember since around 2011. 

         During that time I threw a few hundred pieces, which I am now finishing in a series of rapid-fire kiln loads. This time around, I am getting terrific results with a wide variety of mugs, pasta bowls, ramen bowls, my first serving bowls in this little kiln, sake cups, and a few ornate utensil holders. 

        For a new project, I have been developing a new clay body from some clay excavated in the Bay Area. My friend Joan has family in Redwood City, who are preparing to build a swimming pool, and they have unearthed a large quantity of rich, almost black clay. I have been mixing various blends, and throwing, glazing, and firing experimental pieces. The challenge is to create a strong throwing clay body, which fires properly in my kiln, and interacts well with my tried-and-true glazes. There are photos of this evolving process, and a few fired pieces in the slideshow below, "Joan's Mud". I will bring a dozen or so fired "Mud Pearls" (glaze tests) to Oakland on April 15 &16.

        The slide show right below shows highlights from Kilnloads 2, 3, and 4, which I fired in the last week or so. Kilnload 5 is firing now. See you tomorrow morning at the Grand Lake Farmers' Market.

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