Sunday, May 31, 2009

Johnston and Gentithes Art Pottery

There was a news article by Mary Anderson, in the Courier-Tribune this past week about our pottery neighbor, Carol Gentithes. She recently showed her work at the prestigious, Washington D.C., Smithsonian Craft Show in April. She makes wonderful and imaginative sculptures. I recently visited their gallery, Johnston and Gentithes Art Pottery, and here are a few pieces of Carol's sculptures.

Fred Johnston is her husband and partner in the business. He is a great potter and story teller. Their shop is located in downtown Seagrove. When visiting this weekend for our "Cousins in Clay": Bulldog Pottery and Michael Kline kiln opening make sure you swing by there!

Here is a post that we made last year. Bruce, Ed, Gloria and I visited his bird pitcher at the Center City Park in downtown Greensboro for my birthday present.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Seeing some Glaze Results

Bruce and I unloaded a kiln a couple of days ago and we will be unloading another one today.
Here are some of the glaze paintings that have fired successfully so far. There will be a few more out (fingers crossed) today. I hope they turn out as nice as these did.

Here is one of Bruce's agate cups. He wrote a short essay about his influences and interest in such surfaces on the Cousins in Clay blog.
Here is Bruce among his piles and stacks.
A variety of rings to choose from for the flowing glazes that go on vases.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Maxwell and his New Red Ball


Early last week Maxwell dropped his favorite red ball in the pond.  Bruce tried his best to rake it out, but it was gone.  I quickly bee lined it to the closest store, and bought him another, but no, even though it was the same color red, it was not like his beloved red ball.  He made do, but voiced his opposition and disappointment.   The ball just did not bounce right or have the appropriate weight.  It smelled funny.  I went online to look for a red ball just like the one we purchased in Richmond.  Yes! I found a place to purchase one just like the red ball he dropped in the pond.  We proceeded to buy two.  They came in the mail today.  Maxwell is very well pleased.  We even tested him by throwing the other ball, by sly substitution.  But when he caught up to and grabbed it, he dropped it in disgust, and came back for the real McCoy. 




Monday, May 25, 2009

Color Landscape

We are busily glazing in the studio.
These are a few pictures from my recent trip out into the garden. I wanted to take some close ups of the cannas we have growing there. In one of the folds I found this spider with her egg case.



Friday, May 22, 2009

Three Cheers to Carolina Arts Unleashed

The North Carolina Pottery Center recently published this book. Honestly I have not had the time to read it yet, but I love to flip through and look at the potters pictured in it. It is a beautiful book, and it is very exciting to have today's potters documented like this. I hope that this kind of documentation will continue for the future of North Carolina potters.

Why my title? Three Cheers for Carolina Arts-- Check out Tom Starland's blog -- Carolina Arts Unleashed, and you will see why.

I want to thank Tom for spreading the word about our upcoming kiln opening here at Bulldog Pottery. We have invited Michael Kline this year to join us in our first solo kiln opening called "Cousins in Clay".

Tom also has a great explanation of the upcoming-- Treasures from the Attic, and Living Traditions event on June 20th at the North Carolina Pottery Center in downtown Seagrove. Visit his blog for the details!

Once again, thank you Tom, for being such an avid supporter of the North Carolina Pottery Center, and of the community of potters here in Seagrove.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

On the Studio Table

Bruce is throwing a few more pieces. We always get to a point where we really need to switch gears and start glazing, but we are all warmed up at the wheel, and want to keep throwing and making more objects. Today is maybe his last day for throwing, and then trimming and handle work will need to be done. We are looking forward to the 6th and 7th when Michael Kline comes and joins us for our "Cousins in Clay" kiln opening.
Below are the vases drying that I finished off a couple of days ago, and some cups I have thrown to round off my throwing cycle.
I am also working on some mushroom jars that will have insects glazed on the lid.
I started to clean up my glazing space last night. I was amazed at how many glaze cycle messes there were on the table and floor. Bruce and I are pretty messy, and every once in awhile we wake up and clean a little. Our motto, "We clean something once a year whether it needs it or not."

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Catapillar and Ant

This is an ant on the flower head of our parsley. I love the colors. I find the insect world amazing and thrilling to observe. Now that the days are getting warmer and the garden is active with life, the insects are busy and abundant. These close ups will be inspiration for my next series of drawings. I will soon be working on glazing porcelain wall hangings for our upcoming pottery sale with Michael Kline, "Cousins in Clay", on June 6 and 7. Today Michael is on the road delivering his beautiful art pottery to his solo exhibition at the Ferrin Gallery.



The colors of these caterpillars are incredibly rich and vibrant, and the two of them were busily working away on the parsley as well. This caterpillar will become a Black Swallowtail Butterfly.

This is an adolescent caterpillar.
These guys can strip a plant in no time, and seem particularly fond of dill, and fennel, as well as parsley.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Vases and Insects


Samantha's vases in process

In between our excursions to Raleigh and Charlotte we have been making vases in the studio. The vases above are in the process of being trimmed and finished. We are busily getting ready for our Cousins in Clay kiln opening. We are excited about Michael Kline, of Bakersville, joining us with his lovely pottery on June 6th and 7th. Bruce and I will have a selection of our crystalline vases and wall hangings for this pottery sale.

What is in the garden? Lets take a look at the clump of blooming chives in the middle left of the garden. A close observation reveals some important work is taking place here too.

Ants as pollinators


I think this is a -Phidippus audax- but definitely a jumping spider. I think he came by to see if he could find lunch.
Thank you to all of the great information on Wikipedia.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Rosedale: Art of Craft, Saturday, May 9 2009

Gloria with Bulldog's pottery at the Art of Craft in Charlotte. 
 Happy Mothers Day Weekend!

We had a beautiful weekend in Charlotte.  Showing our pottery in Charlotte is always a pleasure, and we like to return to Historic Rosedale to see their gardens and beautiful old trees. The volunteers focus their attentions at Rosedale to preserve green space, and the 1815 Federal Period Home.  The grand home is only a short distance from downtown Charlotte on North Tryon Street. 
We were invited to bring our work along with around 20 other artists and craftsman.

Samantha in the booth at Rosedale.  Bruce and Ed stayed home to hold down the fort.
We were serenaded by a minstrel in period attire during the day.
 Jeffrey Dean and Stephanie Martin, and Carol Gentithes of Art Pottery in Dean and Martin's booth
The Toymaker 
Dan and Hat Thompson in HAT's Booth
The front of Historic Rosedale
The Leather worker
This  is always a fun part for the children.  In the far front of the yard, pony rides were being offered
Beautiful weather, and once again another wonderful and successful event at the Historic Rosedale Plantation House in Charlotte NC.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

"Art of Craft" at Historic Rosedale in Charlotte North Carolina


Samantha and Gloria

All of these images are from last years Art of Craft at Historic Rosedale in Charlotte, NC.  This event is a fund raiser for the 8 acre Historic Rosedale Plantation.  The home and gardens are located three miles from downtown Charlotte at 3427 Tryon Street and is one of the last remaining 1800's architecture in the immediate Charlotte area.    If you are in the Charlotte area, this is a great time to visit and support the Historic Rosedale home and gardens.   

There will be pottery, craft, and jewelry for sale, craftsman in period costume demonstrating crafts from Colonial times, free pony rides, tours of the Historic Plantation, silent auction, and food and drink from on-site vendors.  Admission for adults is $10, children ages 5-18 $5 and a family pass for $25.

This one day event is on Saturday, May 9 from 10:00-4:00.

Some of the contemporary Artists participating are:
Jones Pottery, Jay Pfiel, Bulldog Pottery, Hat Thompson Pottery, Kings Pottery, Leftwich Art Pottery, Turtle Island Pottery, Andrew Linton, Johnston and Gentithes Art Pottery, Dean and Martin Pottery, JKL Jewelry......and more.  








Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Part II: Cedar Creek Gallery, Creedmoor, North Carolina

I am starting these images with the entrance to the Gallery.  I remember sitting in the front of the gallery with Bruce and Sid back when we delivered Bruce's solo show in 2001. If you have not checked out the images on Cedar Creek's Gallery pages, please do.  This is shino work that Bruce was well known for back in the 1980's into the early 1990's.  We frequently talk of bringing back some of this shino glazing into Bulldog Potteries repertoire.  So many wonderful clay, glaze, and fire alchemy to explore and so little time to get to them.  Ideas and imagination can run so far ahead of our capacity to act on them, but it is all so exciting and invigorating.   
Well back to delivering the shino 8 years ago I am not sure if we sat at the aqua table, but I know we sat at a table and talked for an hour or so.  Bruce and I were just getting started in our new studio and home.  It is interesting how memories can be so vivid, but happened some time ago.  There was purple shisho growing up all over and in between the cracks of the brick.  Sid said it was his favorite plant.

I have lots of images below for you to see, but this only touches the surface of what you will find at Cedar Creek Gallery.  Take a visit there when you are in the area and if you have a bit more time, a visit to the Butterfly Glass House in Durham at the Museum of Life and Science, is a must.  They also have other great insects and critters there to see and learn about.

This is the main show room at Cedar Creek Gallery.

The entrance to Sid's museum collection starts off with a memorial to Sid Oakley. He was a wonderful painter, potter, mentor, and supporter of craft artists.

This is an overview of the pottery museum that Sid and Pat put together for Cedar Creek Gallery.

I spotted a piece of Bruce's on one of the shelves. This is one of Bruce's shino dome jars from the 1980's.

Here is the exhibition room. There is a Vase exhibition that is on display until May 16th. This is where the Art of the State will be exhibited.

Here are three vases by Ronan Peterson. Ronan is a potter from Durham. He now has a show on display with Gillian Parke in Atlanta, at Mudfire.  Bruce and I have been invited to participate in Decal and Drawn at Mudfire during the month of July.

This is an overview of the exhibition space with a permanent display of pottery and information about Cedar Creek History.
Cedar Creek Gallery is more than a place to buy pottery. It is a place that you can go to enjoy the beautiful outside gardens. The visitor has a chance to sit, relax, and talk in a serene environment.  There are, I think, two open houses a year at Cedar Creek, where you can see clay and enjoy glass blowing demonstrations, music, plants, and more.  Sid's daughter Lisa is a talented glass blower with her glass studio nearby.

I like the gift wrapping feature too.