NCECA demo-Korean Potter & a kimchi pot

So, after learning that one of our members is very interested in the fermentation process, I went back into my picture files to locate the photos that I took during NCECA 2009. This demo was done each day of the conference, each time, the potter making several of these large kimchi pots, some with lids, other without. It was truly amazing and inspiring to watch this potter take a bag of clay, get down on his knees and literally starting tossing the clay from side to side, each time stretching the clay into what would become a very long coil. Then he would take lengths of this coil, throw it over his shoulder, sit down at a very crude wheel and start forming a pot or lid. At the end of the last day, a kimchi pot was placed back on the wheel for all who had attended to sign. Enjoy!

Meet an OPA Member: Justin "Skye" Walker

3 things about Skye that have nothing to do with clay.

1. Born in Oklahoma. But has spent most of his life in Oregon
2. Writes poetry and likes to perform it in front of crowds. I've seen this and it's remarkable.
3. Interested in fermentation, such as Kombucha, Kimchi and Beet Kvass.

slip test success

Finally, after months of experimenting with different formulations on this Cassius Basalt slip - SUCCESS! No bloating, no bumps, no lumps. I was throwing this clay body, bisque firing really slow and everything looked good out of the bisque but once it came out of the glaze firing, a bad case of the mumps is and understatment. At the New member gathering at the Nelson's we all discussed this and talked about the possibilities of using a slip over my porcelain thrown piece. And voila, success. Now it is time to produce more, as this piece sold at the Corvallis Fall Festival.

Champoeg State Park

It's that time of year again for the OPA annual picnic. This years location is Champoeg State Park, Oregon's birth place. Everyone is invited to join us at Noon on September 26 for a pot luck and great conversation in the Day Use are. We hope to see you there.

Pictured here are some beautiful views of Champoeg and James DeRosso visiting the park last year.

food, food, glorious food

What a feast! Last night the Showcase Steering Committee meeting took place at my house and everyone brought delicious dishes to enjoy. With this much talent in the kitchen - the Showcase cookbook will be a major success! hmmmm...."the dishes we make" - I think Brenda was onto something when she mentioned it last night - could be a great play on words for the title of the cookbook - a dish we cook in a dish we make. I forgot to take more pictures of the food but here is what I made - hummus with fresh chickpeas from the farm! And the bowls were made by my good friend, Tim McMullen, owner of Silica Studios in Palm Springs, California.

Potters Stoked about Wedding

On Sunday September 13, 2009 Sarah Chenoweth, OPA Board Secretary and Visa Sales Chair, was wed to Brian Davis on Fairacres Farm in Damascus. Brenda Scott, Ceramic Showcase Chair and last years board secretary, was her Maid of Honor. Sarah made beautiful tumblers for all her guests to take home along with bottles of Wedding Bliss Ale homebrew made by the groom. It was a beautiful day and Sarah was gorgeous. Congratulations Sarah and best of luck.

Here are a couple pictures of Sarah and Brenda fooling around in Brenda's kiln barn.

Linkin Up - 2009

After a stormy Saturday & Sunday, the skies cleared and the children showed up to help create more links for the OPA's Linkin' Up with the OPA project. I lost count of just how many children came to the booth to play in clay but for most of the day we had kids waiting for an empty seat at the table. And at the end of the day - 297 links were made! They are all in my studio drying and will be fired mid-October. Thanks to all the children and parents and to the OPA members that came out and helped make the day so successful. Dawn Panttaja worked all day, for the 2nd year, Jamie Anderson & Mark Chapman worked the morning shift, Jeff Gunn drove up from Corvallis to help out for a few hours, James DeRosso helped for several hours and taught the kids all about making monsters! And Jenny Lakeman worked the afternoon shift. What a team. A huge thank you to Art in the Pearl and the Contemporary Craft Museum and KINK FM for sponsoring our day. More updates as the links get closer to being fired.

An August Afternoon

After meeting with the various artists guilds in the Portland area and having a lovely lunch Kris Paul and I stopped by Start Street Studios. We found Michael Grubar glazing pots and Carol Lebreton unloading a kiln. It looked like she had a successful firing. Charlie Piatt was also moving around the studio and took a minute to chat with us. So many wonderful works of art being made there and the gallery is always full of wonderful things.
-Brenda Scott

“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” ~Julia Cameron

Remembering Tom Rohr

Oregon potter, teacher, and friend of Studio Potter died suddenly on July 8 at his home outside Eugene. Tom was a vivid, generous, life-embracing potter and friend, and his loss will be deeply felt by the students, wood-firing crews, and fellow-potters whose lives he touched – as well as by his family. His wife, potter Kathryn Finnerty, has asked that people who want to remember Tom’s life in clay do so with a donation to Studio Potter. We are more touched than we can say by the generosity of this gesture, and by being included in the ceramic community honoring Tom. Our heartfelt thanks and condolences to Kathryn and to Tom’s friends and family.http://www.studiopotter.org/tomrohr/

Meetings, meetings, meetings

The July General Meeting is tonight at the Multnomah Arts Center. Potluck starts at 6pm and the meeting will get under way at 6:30pm. Brian will be coordinating the Group Buy effort for the members and rumor has it, our President Elect, Margaret, will be running the meeting tonight.

And then there's the "Visions" meeting for Showcase tomorrow afternoon at our Showcase Chair's home/farm. Potluck lunch starts at noon and the meeting will get underway at 1pm. This should be a terrifc meeting with a lot of ideas being exchanged for Showcase 2010.

Hope to see you all at either or both of these meetings.