Cathie's Potters Life

Finally!!! My Etsy Store is Open for Business

2012-02-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

I've had an Etsy Storefront for I little over 2 years now but up to today I hadn't listed any items for sale. I guess I've been a little overwelmed, etsyphobic you could say, about some of the finer point of Etsy such as setting up my store policies. But anyway I had a break though today and finished writing up my store policies and listed my first items!!!!!
You can now purchase my work on Etsy here's a link to my store:
Cathie Cantara Pottery

Mystery - Looking for Info - Would Love Some Help :)

2012-01-31T06:19:00.000-08:00

This potter's wheel was purchased used in the mid 1970's. I've never seen another one quite like it. If anyone can give me any information about it's history, I would really appreciate it!!

Wheel in the foreground is the one in question

New Year New Work & Paper Work Uuuuugh

2012-01-28T05:29:00.000-08:00

Why is it that every December I think that once I get past the last of the year's shows and celebrate the holidays with family and friends that I'll have a couple of weeks come January to just be a kid and play in my studio.....Reality usually sets in fairly quickly the first week in January when I realize I have at least a half a dozen show applications that are due before the end of the month (paperwork my favorite thing uuuughhhhh ;( ) and I think to myself "you should really clean up your space a little before you go out and make a mess on top of a mess".

Anyway, I've cleaned a little, played a little and filled out more paperwork than I like. Here's something new for 2012 - Dream Keepers:

My dream......Peace

Sumi Brush

2011-12-17T04:54:00.000-08:00

Here's my first attempt at making a brush.........I'm kind of pleased with it and can't wait to see what sort of marks I'll be able to make on my pots with it.

Deer hair with a copper ferule, driftwood handle & leather hanger.

Engine's grand opening "In Nature" & Handmade on Main

2011-12-16T04:48:00.000-08:00

(L. to R.) Deborah Randall, Andy Rosen, and Stephen Burt

Engine's grand opening
In Nature : Deborah Randall, Andy Rosen, and Stephen Burt
Friday, December 16 • 5-8pm
265 Main Street, Biddeford, Maine

Engine is thrilled to open its Main Street gallery space with the exhibition In Nature, featuring the paintings, sculptures, and drawings of Deborah Randall, Andy Rosen and Stephen Burt.

The work of Randall, Rosen, and Burt—all Maine artists who teach at the University of New England-Biddeford—shares a common thread of nature, but not in a traditional representative style. Randall’s paintings predominantly feature abstracted human forms in natural environments, while Andy Rosen’s sculptural creatures blend the familiar with the fantastical, and Stephen Burt’s meticulous landscape drawings feel imbued with a previous centuries’ motifs, yet crisply modern at the same time.

Engine is proud to host these three talented Maine artists for its first "official" exhibition.

Handmade on Main
On opening night, Engine will also introduce Handmade on Main, a small retail shop within the gallery that will offer original work by local artisans. Friday night’s opening reception with feature four artists from Maine Craft Association: Cathie Cantara (pottery), Ann Thompson (metal), Karen Gola (glass), and Hope Murphy (glass).

Please remember to buy local this holiday season and support Maine artists and crafters!

The $50,000 Marble Block Challenge
Engine has accepted the generous gift of the former Renys building at 129 Main Street in Biddeford. Known as the Marble Block, the building was donated by the R.H. Reny family. Engine will immediately make necessary structural repairs, winterize the building, and host a collaborative community design session for input on the building’s future.

And then comes the challenge:

Engine is currently raising $50,000 to cover acquisition costs, legal fees, insurance, winterization, maintenance, and urgent structural repairs to the circa-1880s building. These funds will allow Engine to develop and execute a major redevelopment plan. Read more about our initial vision and how you can donate here.

Regards,
Tammy Ackerman
Executive Director

FeedTheEngine.org
[207] 229 3560
Follow us on Twitter

Engine’s hours beginning December 16:
Tuesday-Friday : 12pm-6pm
Saturdays : 9am-12pm
and by special appointment

50 States Fire Up: American Clay Invitational

2011-11-10T13:28:00.001-08:00

This piece will be hitting the road tomorrow! It's off to the Margaret Harwell Art Museum in Poplar Bluff, MO where I've been asked to represent the state of Maine in a national exhibit. "50 States Fire Up: American Clay Invitational" opens December 3rd and runs through January 29th 2012.

Drats & Double Drats

2011-10-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

I think my electric kiln has become a "kiln of a certain age" . About a month and a half ago, it's thermocouple died (right before a couple of large shows had coming up - just when I needed it most) So I learned how to replace a thermocouple. (it was actually very easy)
Now the dam thing won't shut off.....from what I read in the trouble shooting sections of my kiln manual, it sounds like I have a stuck relay and will need to figure out which one it is and learn how to replace that :( (hopefully it's not any harder than replacing a thermocouple) Of course I have Holiday shows the first 3 weekends in November and I have my whole work table covered with greenware ready to be bisqued (#?X&& TIME !! Not an issue?!!)
Hopefully after this it will behave until the end of the year and I can lovingly learn how to replace it's old elements over the coming winter.

The Observatory is Now Open

2011-10-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

Until yesterday I had always assumed that the building pictured here had originally been a chicken coop. When we bought the house in the late 90's, one of my husband Dave's first projects was to take this building down to it's foundation and rebuild it as a studio for me. The only question we had was why was the original roof on the chicken coop on wheels? The answer came driving up our driveway yesterday. An elderly gentleman got out of his car and introduced himself. Frank Landon told me that prior to us,his family had owned this property for over a hundred years. The original house had burned down in the great fires that destroyed quite a vast area of Southern Maine back in 1947. Frank's father rebuilt the house on the original footprint of the old house.......... and this is where the chicken coop comes in.........as it turns out, Frank's father was a somewhat eccentric college professor and an astronomy enthusiast so when he rebuilt the house he also built himself an OBSERVATORY!!! He would go out at night - roll the roof open (that answers that question) and gaze at the stars through his telescope. I outgrew that building and moved my studio into a larger space a while ago and have been using it as a gallery to showcase my work.........it now officially has a name......The Observatory..........How cool is that :)

!!!!October Sale!!!!!

2011-10-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

Hi All..The Studio will be open Fridays Saturdays & Sundays - October 7th through the 30th. Stop by and receive 20% off your purchase!!

A Baker's Dozen

2011-07-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post - time to get back at it!
Anyway hope you'll join Dave and me this coming Friday July 29th from 5 to 7 at the opening of Baker’s Dozen
Invitational of 13 local artists & craftspeople at River Tree Art right here in Kennebunk. There will be live music, light fare and wine - sounds like fun!!!

CODA Exhibition

2011-06-06T05:22:00.000-07:00

Off to Portland this morning to drop off a piece that's in the Maine Craft Association Exhibit that is running in conjunction with the CODA Conference.

The Exhibition will be on display at the Eastland Park Hotel in downtown Portland, Maine from June 8th - June 12th. The opening reception is Friday June 10th from 5 to 7 and there will be a mini Art Walk of Congress Street galleries including the CODAchrome Exhibition
in the upstairs Gallery at Harmon & Barton's, Daunis Fine Jewelry and 9 Hands Gallery.

New Pit Fired Work

2011-05-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Lisa Adkins and Tracy Michaud Stutzman, Maine Crafts Association

2011-05-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

Lisa Adkins and Tracy Michaud Stutzman, Maine Crafts Association

THE MAINE MALL?!?!?

2011-05-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

Dave & I drove to Bar Harbor on Sunday to drop off work at the Bar Harbor Blues Cafe. It looks like they are going to have quite a summer.....yummy food......live music....and selected works of Maine artisans......And today I'm off to the Maine Mall in South Portland.......THE MAINE MALL?!?!?! For those of you who don't know me - I am no Mall Rat - no FASHIONISTA and haven't been to the mall (not even to do Christmas shopping) in over two years. But today I'm packing up a bunch of my pots and delivering them to the mall (to sell at the mall....I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that one). The Maine Craft Association is opening a "POP UP" shop there for the summer months. It is going to be called Creative Common and will feature the work of Maine artists. It will also feature installations from the Maine College of Art and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance....and....have live musical performances and demonstrations throughout the summer. They are having a kick off party tomorrow night.....I'll be there (did I really say that????)

Back From Haystack

2011-05-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

Arrived home late yesterday from an amazing 4 day workshop at Haystack Mountain School of Craft. The school is located on the beautiful island of Deer Isle Maine.

The only thing more spectacular than the view was what was happening at the school. There was a vibe - everybody was so engaging - beyond class time there was an ongoing creative dialogue that crossed over the various workshops (all of which you were free to visit to see what other people were doing)spilled into mealtimes and late into the evenings. Maine Craft Association sponsors this annual workshop for it's members with tuition on a sliding scale - making it affordable for artists like me (thank you so much!!!).. ....But anyway.......I didn't take a Pottery Workshop (go figure) I took Native American Basket Making and it was beyond wonderful! Our teacher, Paula Thorne - a traditional arts master, was incredible! Her mastery of her craft and generosity of spirit blew me away! As she shared her knowledge with us, she regaled us with Penobscot folk tales of Gluskab.

Anyway.....I'm home now and it's time to get back into my studio. Below is a photo of the brown ash and sweet grass baskets I made (I will have to finish my sea urchin basket)and my newest prized possession - an Aaron Sober teabowl (he taught the Pottery Workshop that I didn't take :( - oh well can't do everything) Time to get to work!!!

Openings, Farmers Market, Bar Harbor

2011-05-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Phew.....busy weekend.....an opening Friday night of the York Art Association's spring show......Saturday morning off to the Biddeford Indoor Farmers Market with a bunch of my pots - there wasn't much traffic there and I spent more time shopping than selling....bought spring greens, parsnips, bread stuffed with Italian cold cuts & cheeses, goose eggs & manchego goats cheese...yummmmm.........Sunday Dave & I headed upta Bar Harbor with pots in tow to meet with Ed and Shelia at the Bar Harbor Blues Cafe. I really enjoyed meeting the both of them and am looking forward to having my work in their venue........and it was such a beautiful spring day ..... I was a little worn out this morning - I did drag my whimpy butt out to the studio and once I got going it wasn't too bad for a Monday. :)

Knob Obssesion Update

2011-04-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

New pieces using a couple of the driftwood knobs I made.

Kansas City Teabowl National

2011-04-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Juror Stephen Hill Has selected one of my teabowls to be included in the 2011 Kansas City Teabowl National. The exhibit runs June 1st through the 25th and is sponsored by the KC Clay Guild

Pictured below is my work.

My latest Obsession

2011-04-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

My latest obsession.....I'm having so much fun combing the beach for driftwood and creating these tiny sculptures. These knobs are destined to adorn the lids of some future horsehair raku pieces.

The Bowl As Art - At the Guilford Art Center

2011-03-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Went to on Guilford Art Center Saturday to check out the Bowl Show - here are some pics from it

Me & my bowl below

Empty Bowls

2011-03-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Oh my......I can't believe how lazy I've been with this blog. November was my last post and here it is already almost the end of March...But anyway This coming Friday March 25th there will be a Empty Bowls Night at York Art Association. This is part of the Southern Maine Clay Guild's 3rd annual winter show there. The Empty Bowls mission is to raise money to help fight hunger. The SMCG's artists are collaborating with York High School students and many wonderful local restaurants are donating soup. With the purchase of a beautiful handmade bowl you'll be able to sample delicious soups and breads. We hope that the bowl you take home with you will help us all remember that out there - everyday - there is someone who's bowl is empty. All proceeds are being donated to the York Food Pantry.

2010-11-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

It’s with a sigh of relief that I bid farewell to my 2010 show season. It was a very good year but I am really looking forward to hunkering down in my studio for the winter and exploring new ideas. Many thanks to my loyal customers for making the year a success. My Christmas Prelude Open Studio will my last open studio for the year. I’ll be doing one more firing before this event soooooooooooo there will be new stuff hot out of the kiln for you holiday shoppers. If you can’t make it, you can of course call and set up a time to visit the studio. Hope I see you there!!!

Cat

Homeport Pottery Studio

Christmas Prelude Open Studio

Saturday & Sunday from 10 – 4 December 4^th & 5^th 2010

Buy Handmade – Give Handmade
Please join us & celebrate the season

Refreshments Handcrafted Ceramics for Sale!

131 Beachwood Ave. * Kennebunkport

www.homeportpotterystudio.com * (207)967-0301

Come Help Celebrate American Craft Week at Our Open Studio!

2010-09-28T04:12:00.000-07:00

Join Us in Celebrating American Craft Week at our open studio October 2nd & 3rd!

There will be pottery making demos, refreshments & fine handcrafted pottery for sale.

For more information & direction to the studio, visit our website www.homeportpotterystudio.com .

American Craft Week, coming this October 1-10, is a coast-to-coast celebration featuring more than 200 events where the public can meet artisans for whom crafting is a business.

The festivities promise artful and fun answers to the question, “What is still made in

America?” Watch a glassblower or a cabinetmaker at work. Tour pottery studios or fine

craft galleries. Art strolls, exhibitions, open houses, talks, craft demonstrations, trunk

shows and festivals are scheduled in more than 40 states. The celebration will culminate

with a national symposium, “Crafting a Nation,” at the Smithsonian American Art

Museum in Washington, D.C. “Now, more than ever, people are recognizing the enduring value of handmade craft,” says Diane Sulg, co-chair of American Craft Week. “Consider also the economic

benefits of employing Americans to create and sell these beautiful, cherished items, and

we can all support and celebrate American craft.”

A state-by-state list of American Craft Week activities and participating galleries

can be found online at www.AmericanCraftWeek.com. Appealing to residents and

tourists alike, these events feature contemporary and folk crafts in many mediums -- and

many of the events are free.

American Craft Week is a project of the Craft Retailers and Artists for Tomorrow

(CRAFT) and Craft in America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of

craft and the celebration of its impact on our nation’s cultural heritage. The national cochairs

are gallery owners: Ms. Sulg, of Charlotte, N.C.; Ann Pifer, of St. Paul, Minn.; and

Carol Sauvion, of Los Angeles, who is also the director of Craft in America. CRAFT’s

president is Karen Hohler, of Boston.

Major sponsors of American Craft Week include the American Craft Council,

AmericanStyle magazine, Americans for the Arts, ArtfulHome.com, Silver Dollar City,

Ornament magazine, New York International Gift Fair, Society of North American

Goldsmiths/Metalsmith magazine, National Association of Independent Artists,

Sugarloaf Mountain Works and WholesaleCrafts.com. Additional sponsors are: Artisan

Point of Sale Software for Windows, The Furniture Society, Glass Eye Studios,

Packaging Specialties, Paradise City Arts Festival, NextDayFlyers.com, World Crafts

Council, the Craft and Folk Art Museum, Craft Organization Development Association

and CERF+.

“Crafting a Nation” is presented by the Smithsonian American Art Museum,

Americans for the Arts and Craft in America. Sponsors include Cynthia Lovelace Sears,

Frank Buxton, Cathleen Collins, Mary Ann Hruska, Chris Rifkin, Stolaroff Foundation

and Barbara Tober.

Getting Ready for Common Ground & Other Shows this September

2010-09-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's School Around Us Craft Show on the Green in Kennebunkport was wonderful. Good crowd & a beautiful day.....some people thought it was a little too cool but after an unusually warm & humid summer (for Maine anyway)...I say bring it on!!! I'm ready for fall.

Next weekend we're in Wells for a 2 day show at the Elementary School. I love shows that are close to home ........ just have to roll out of bed & down the road.....and since we're not unpacking yesterdays show, we're all set for the next one. Yeah!

At the end month we'll be in Unity Maine at the Common Ground Country Fair. This is my first time doing this show and I'm really excited about it........it should be a good time! For those of you who are planning on making the trek, there's a link below to the weekend's schedule. Homeport Pottery Studio will be in the big tent......so.......stop by and say hey to Dave & me while your there!
Cat :)

Common Ground Country Fair 2010: Schedule for Friday September 24 @ Unity, Maine

Clary Illian - Life in Clay - from the dailymotion

2010-08-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Life in Clay: Clary Illian extended sequences
Uploaded by atomburke. - Independent web videos.

Strange wake up call

2010-08-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

It is not unusual to wake to the sounds of the birds where I live. The birds consistently start chatting with each other around 4 in the morning – but yesterday was not the norm – there was definitely something going on with the crows in the front yard – man were they noisy!!!! And just when you thought it couldn’t get any louder, a pack of coy-dogs joined in howling out in the woods behind our house. I’ve heard the wild dogs howling at night – that’s not uncommon around here – but I’ve never heard be so vocal during the day! What a haunting way to start the day…….I wonder what was up?

SUMMER SHOWS

2010-06-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

The New Castle Arts & Crafts Fair in New Hampshire last Saturday was wonderful. What a beautiful water front community! This coming Saturday I'll be on the green in Kennebunkport, ME for the School Around Us Annual Summer Show and then the next weekend I'll be in Wells, ME for a 2 day show. phew! After that I have about a month to regroup before the next shows begin.

Board of Directors Show - York Art Association

2010-06-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

I just put 3 of my newest horsehair raku pieces in the Board of Directors Show that will be opening this Friday, June 4th and running through June 24th.

Talented Photographer's Blog "perspective"

2010-05-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

OK .....I am her Mom......but still some of the best photographs of my work were taken by her. Kristen just received her BFA earlier this month from LIU CW Post and will be pursuing her masters degree in the fall.
Check it out - I think her work is awesome! Her new blog is "perspective" - I think you'll enjoy it!

BEATRICE WOOD - I think she was amazing!!!!

2010-05-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Southen Maine Clay Guild at Biddeford Art Walk

2010-04-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

Southern Maine Clay Guild will be having a booth at the Art Walk at the North Dam Mill in Biddeford this Friday - April 30th. I've been a part of the guild since it's inception in 2005 - its a wonderful group of supportive & creatively talented individuals. Stop by & say hi - hope to see you there!

Time to get glazing

2010-04-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

One more bisque load and then it will be time to get glazing. I plan on mixing up a couple of new glazes first - an oribe and a tomato red. I would love to have a recipe for a cone 9/10 matte yellow - does anybody have a good recipe they'd be willing to share?

I'm So Glad It's Spring

2010-03-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Even though it's raining (pouring actually), it is so nice to have spring finally here. It smell like spring....really earthy....and the crocus are blooming. This is my favorite time of year. Next to the kitchen window the Tamarac Pine tree's new needles are beginning to show giving the tree a very graceful soft green ferny quality. I love that tree!
But now it's time to put my rain slicker back on and get back to the studio. I have a bunch of slab plates I'm working on at the moment and I'm anxious to play with their surfaces once they're bisqued and ready to glaze.

Art review: Annual winter clay show and sale runs through March 14 | SeacoastOnline.com

2010-03-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Art review: Annual winter clay show and sale runs through March 14 | SeacoastOnline.com

New Year

2010-01-06T05:57:00.000-08:00

Finished up last years paperwork yesterday and gave the studio a good cleaning. My first bisque firing of the year came out of the kiln on Monday and I'm looking forward to a month and a half of being able to work non stop until my next show in mid February.
I'm still working on my Etsy Store - I'm not quite there but my youngest daughter is home from college (a photography major) and she has promised to help me with some additional photos of my work for the site and some of the shows I'm preparing to apply to.
I have been a master of procrastination for most of my life - soooo - in an effort to turn that around Focus is my mantra for this year.
Cheers!

Oh !

2009-12-25T13:35:00.001-08:00

I almost forgot to wish everybody a Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!! My husband and our cat, Mew.

New Year's Resolution

2009-12-25T13:31:00.000-08:00

To start an Etsy store.....................you can see I've already added a link to the currently empty store - I hope to have it filled shortly after January 1st......Check in and keep me honest ;)

Unexpected Beauty

2009-12-14T15:24:00.001-08:00

Really Large frost crystals that formed all over the hood of my car last night. My husband Dave came in from the cold this morning to point them out to me..........mmmmm pretty :)

Something Old Something New

2009-12-06T13:34:00.001-08:00

It's with mixed feelings that I welcomed my new Brent wheel into my studio. I've been using the same wonky old wheel that my parents bought used for me as a Christmas present my senior year of high school. I know that's weird to be attached to my wheel......but we've been together for a long time. The Brent is quiet....very quiet......Ol' Wonky is definitely not quiet, she kind of sounds and feels like riding on an old roller coaster at the fair. Brent goes slow fast and everything in between. Ol' Wonky only goes fast and faster. Oh well such is progress I suppose........I think I'll let them live side by side for awhile.

Distressed Leather

2009-11-20T03:54:00.000-08:00

This is the finale results of the pots that I used the slip with sodium silicate and iron oxide. hmmm.......interesting.....I think I'll have to explore this further.

I Love this Poem

2009-11-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

When the Clay Calls

By Nora Naranjo-Morse

From her book - Mud Woman: Poems from the Clay (University of Arizona Press, 1992.).

This clay starts calling to me only days after I've sworn it off
wishing to leave tired hands to rest,
wanting to release myself from the browns and reds
that bend easily into gentle curves,
instantly becoming a child's face
a woman's skirt, or her husband's smile.
Resting from lines I review,
have reviewed,
and will review again.
Dusting off the sanded earth
as coarse surfaces level into fluid forms
I had not yet discovered,
so smooth and yet richly textured with life of its own.
I am in awe of this clay that fills me with passion
and wonder.
This earth
I have become a part of,
that also I have grown out of.

Work, Work, Work, Work, Work

2009-11-02T05:23:00.000-08:00

OK ........ I really love being a potter. My favorite thing is probably working on the wheel. I can loose myself in the motion of the wheel and the clay.....and I love the feel of the wet clay in my hands. I love hand building.....I love firing my kilns especially my large gas kiln and my raku kiln (yup....I like to play with fire) It takes about 5 bisque loads from my Skutt to fill the gas kiln. That's alot of pots! Confession.....I don't like glazing .....it's the only part of the whole process the feels like work to me. Since I spray alot of my glazes I have to wear my Darth Vader respirator which fogs my glasses and makes me feel totally claustrophobic! Oh well....I've got a show this weekend so I guess it's off to work I go.

New Horsehair Raku

2009-10-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

After having so many of the pots I've pulled out of my kiln at 1500 degrees crack, I started experimenting to see what would be the lowest temp I could pull the pots out and get good results with horsehair raku. These pots are my latest. Fired to 950 degrees I started applying some of the horsehair while the pots were still in the kiln. This left very bold dark lines. I then pulled the pots and applied more horsehair to some of them which left a much softer line.

Southern Maine Artisans Showcase at Saco Train Station

2009-10-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Maine Craft Association recently installed a Museum Case at the new Saco Transportation Center. The venue is going to be used to showcase Southern Maine Artisans. I feel very flattered to be invited to participate in the inaugural showcase.
The station building opened in 2009 and is the first "Green" train station in the U.S. It features a wind turbine for electricity, geothermal heating and cooling systems, and a roof made from recycled soda bottles.

The Dragonflys of August

2009-10-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

The last of the dragonflys are almost gone. Just a few stragglers remain a sign that there won't be many more warm days to come for a while. The dragonflys usually start appearing late in July and stay through the month of August. Every evening they show up in swarms numbering in the hundreds. It's quite an impressive site - like have a legion of small helicopters hovering over our backyard. Our dog, Imazadi, is usually so overwhelmed that she retreats into her dog house until they leave for the night.

Sanford Art Association Hosts Southern Maine Clay Guild

2009-10-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some pics from the Clay Guild's August 09 show at the Sanford Art Association's Gallery. The women in the photo with the sheep is my friend Mia Auger and her sheep is named Gertie. Mia created Gertie with over 5,000 individual pieces of clay "wool" (5,050 to be exact) which were assembled on a welded frame. Absolutely awesome!!!!

Fall

2009-10-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the summer is over and we are already into October. I've been very neglectful with my posts and I am going to try and be more diligent.
I don't have any shows this month so I've been enjoying getting up every morning and going out to the studio to work. I've been playing around with a new technique where you apply a slip that contains sodium silicate to the surface of a wet pot, draw onto the surface (I've been using a wooden chop stick) and then use a heat gun to dry the outside of the pot. You then go back and expand the form from the inside. The result is a distortion of the drawings and a very cool crackling on the surface from the sodium silicate. I added iron oxide to my slip and the pots almost look like distressed leather. The pots are in the electric kiln being bisque fired and I am anxious to see what they will look like after they are glazed and fired again.

New Castle Arts & Craft Fair - York Art Association

2009-06-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

The fair in New Castle yesterday, although small went very well. The day started out foggy with a threat of thunderstorms in the afternoon but the fog cleared and the thunderstorms never materialized. I had never been to New Castle before. It's a very quaint and pretty island off the coast of Portsmouth, NH. ..... All & all it was a wonderful crowd and a beautiful summer day!

Today is a different story......the rain is back. Oh well. I have stuff to unpack - hopefully I have some time to experiment with putting decals on some of my small bud vases - and then later this afternoon head down to York Art Association's gallery to drop off a couple of pieces for their annual summer show.

Kiln Opening

2009-06-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

I'm very pleased with alot of the pots coming out of the kiln from that last firing! I'm going to have to set up my ezcube and photograph the work that we'll be taking to the show on Saturday. And then between now and then paperwork & packing up for the show.
After Saturday I'll have a couple of weeks before the next show in Alton Bay, NH. I'm going to be rethinking and reorganizing my studio space. Currently I have my wheel setup in a chicken coop my husband Dave converted into studio space. Although it's small it has been functional for the past several years and because Dave added alot of windows, it's never seemed claustrophobic. My Kilns and Show Room are in another out building. In order to save on heating costs this winter (it gets pretty cold in Maine) , we're going to switch the Show Room to the chicken coop and bring my wheel into the other out building. Hopefully the result will be alot more cost efficeint and funtion more effectively. I'll be posting photos as everything evolves.

Firing the Downdraft Kiln

2009-06-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

I'm firing my downdraft kiln today and things seem to be going very well. This is my last chance to add new pieces to my inventory before my first show of the Summer this coming Saturday. So....hopefully when I open the kiln on Wednesday I'll be pleasantly surprised! This is going to be a very busy week. Photographing new pieces.....pricing and labeling my work and packing everything up by Friday.

New Castle Arts & Crafts Fair
Juried Fine Arts & Crafts
Sat., June 24, 9:00 - 3:00 PM
Route 1B, New Castle, NH

Maybe I'll see you there :)

About Homeport Pottery Studio

2009-06-08T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hi....I'm Cathie - the owner of Homeport Pottery Studio.....a full time pottery studio located in Kennebunkport, Maine. This blog is going to be about the day to day life of a studio potter.