Hi everyone! I've been in the studio and have some nice English Tea Pots, Hors D'oevres plates, and salad plates in the leather hard stage. I hope to bisque fire them this week. Here they are hope you like the shapes!! Also couldn't resist adding a wonderful sunrise!

Beautiful Sunrise at the Farm in Pittsboro, NC

Here are five of the six English Style Teapots!

Hors d'oeuvres plates 12"&14"and 8" Salad plates

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Well that's it for today! I'll be working on Chinese Style Tea Pots and Large Platters. Stay tuned!! Please let me know if there is something you want to see! Until then. Jerry

Wow- I can't believe I haven't been on my blogspot since Oct!! Lots of excitement in Nov. and Dec. 2013!! I spent most of November getting ready for the Chatham County Artists Studio Tour. I had lots of new pots and over 80 visitors to my studio on Dec. 7th and 8th.  I sold out of the Cosmic Piggies and nearly all of the Sonic Chicklet card holder key holders. I want to thank all of the visitors! I took some photos and will get those out next week. Today I would like to show some of the greenware pots I have been working on.

Here's a photo of some of the work in progress.

 Three styles of  two quart casseroles in the leather hard stage.

More in the leather hard stage but soon they will be ready for a little libation!

OOOPPSS  they are being camera shy!!

 

Well!! Finally got them turned around!

Time to say goodbye for now! Hope you enjoyed the photos. Thanks for viewing my blog!

 

 

 

 

 

Hi everyone- Just finished a firing in the hardbrick sprung arch kiln! Here are a few photos that you may enjoy!





Photo 1 Loaded kiln before the firing.

Photo 2 Start of the firing 

Photo 3. Flames during reduction









 

Photo 4 View of kiln at completion of firing







 

Photo 5-11 Examples of ware from the firing

 Thank you for viewing my Blog!! Jerry

Hi everyone!! I just finished an amazing 3 day Joyful Jewel Anniversary event! It was fantastic. Joyful Jewel only has reduced price sales once a year. I offered 20% off on some of my ceramics. I also raffled a Cosmic Piggie! Here's some of the signage I used.

Here is an example of the raffle ticket I made.

I'm now in the process of making more Cosmic Piggies. Here are two greenware examples and two Cosmic Piggie "Bodies" with their noses in the air!!

And here are a couple of Cosmic Piggies that have already found new Homes!!

Here is a photo of a Wall Hanging Planter in use. I showed the finished planter on my blog in the past. It is nice to see it  in "operation"!

And finally here is some bisqueware I am getting ready to glaze for a propane firing!

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for viewing my blog!!!  Let me know what you think.  Jerry

Hello Again! Just finished a cone 6 (>6) firing!  The following are some of the items from the kiln. Opening the kiln is always filled with optimism and wonder. The waiting for cool down is always filled with angst!! Will the ware or sculpture look like one expects or????? Here are some photos for you to judge.

This is Royalty! This sculpture is Royal Sonic King Chicken IV. The IV means he is part of the 4th Family of Royal Sonic Chickens made since the time of giving royalty a family grouping name. Height (H) 91/2 in Length (L) 14 in Width (W) 4 in Price $125.  Contact Jerry Fowler or go see him at the Joyful Jewell near the Court House in beautiful downtown Pittsboro NC.

More Royalty! This sculpture is Royal Sonic Queen Chicken IV. The IV means she is part of the 4th Family of Royal Sonic Chickens made since the time of giving royalty a family grouping name. Height (H) 9 in Length (L) 12 in Width (W) 4 in Price $125.  Contact Jerry Fowler or go see him at the Joyful Jewell near the Court House in beautiful downtown Pittsboro NC.

Here is the King and Queen pictured together! Note the Queen's purple lipstick!

More Royalty! The offspring of the Sonic King and Queen Chicken! Known as the Royal Chicklets!

These Royalty are just perfect to display your business cards! The approximate size of the Royal Chicklets is H 5 1/2in L 6 1/4in W 3 1/4in. Price $35 ea.  Contact Jerry Fowler or go see him at the Joyful Jewell near the Court House in beautiful downtown Pittsboro NC.

And finally the family portrait! Probably not as well known Kate and William! But close?

 

Hi to everyone!! Thanks for reading my blog. Today's post is about Glaze components. One of the glazes that I often use for the inside of bowls and other utilitarian ware is called White Satin Matte (WSM). I also use WSM mixed with Mason Stains to achieve colors that I like to use for painting on bisque ware. One of the components of this glaze is Talc. Over the years I have used a very white Talc called Nytal Talc. However, recently I was told that Nytal Talc is no longer available and that Pioneer Talc could be substituted.  To my surprise I found that the Pioneer Talc  is grey in color. The material data sheet on Pioneer Talc received from the supplier indicated Pioneer Talc is white when fired. Since I use a lot of WSM and I mix WSM with Mason Stains for painting projects I decided to test fire some of these stains and the WSM formulated with Pioneer Talc to determine if Pioneer Talc would impact the color of the mixtures. You can see the results of these tests in the photograph below. As you will note by the results - I was pleasantly surprised!

The two half cylinders shown were  treated identically.  Horizontal Row 1) was given a single brush stroke with WSM only; WSM+yellow Mason Stain 6433 ; WSM+orange Mason Stain 6028; WSM+red Mason Stain 6025; or crimson Mason Stain 6003. Horizontal Row 2) was given two brush strokes. Horizontal Row 3) was given three brush strokes and Horizontal Row 4 was given four brush strokes of the same composition as described above for Hrizontal Row 1.

Royal Chicklets as Card/Plant Holders

 I have completed the assembly of another part of the Royal Sonic Chicken Family! These are the Royal Chicklets! They are making themselves useful! They are excellent for business card holders or could even be used as small pots for growing your favorite plants. The three photos attached are different views of four of the Chicklets which have not been bisque or glaze fired. They are in the dry clay stage. Look carefully at the beak and you can tell which are going to "develop into" Royal Sonic Princesses or Princes.The Royal Chicklets will soon be bisque fired. Then they will be glazed and glaze fired. The finished Royal Chicklets will not be ready for new homes until approximately mid-July.

Front View

Rear View

Hope you like them! I would love to receive your comments!! Thanks Jerry