Looking Forward (To A Brave New World)

Apparently I am the world's worst blogger. I make a New Year's promise to at least post once a week (we will see how far that goes).

Yes we have moved the Gatlinburg shop. For seven years we were at 813 Glades Road, about a mile and a half into the craft loop. Now we are at 1360 East Parkway in the group of shops that Jane Buie Hancock built in 2007. We are now at the start of the loop (we were #78 on the map, now we are #3), we front the four lane, the main road on the east side of town, and are visible to about ten times the passing traffic than we were. The gallery has quadrupled, the storage (which used to be a closet) is a large upstairs area, we have our own bathroom and running water (Alison's favorite part). January sales are promising, especially considering the god-awful weather we have been having. If you need to contact the shop, the new number is 865-277-7759.

I will try and post some pictures of the interior soon and also an image of a pretty cantenary arch that just got put up in the last few weeks.

..And The Times They Are A'Changin'

What a difference a month can make.

In an effort to revive our shop from the common dispair that is being foist upon us, we are moving. We have been at 813 Glades Road for seven years, but are moving to 1360 Esat Parkway. I realize the addresses do not mean much to non Sevier Countians, but it means instead of being a mile and a half from the main road on the Glades trail, we are on the main road at the start of the Crafts Community. To explain it further, we are currently #73 on the map, now we will be #3. Brilliant you say? Time will tell. The move won't come cheap, and desperate times require desperate measures. Hope to be semi-open in two weeks, and fully open after the Christmas Show downtown. More on that show later.

Wood kiln rebuild is coming along. Rebuilt fire box, main floor, and side walls. Arch form built and in place. Thank God for Shane's bricksaw.

Time to paint the new shop walls!

Time Flies....

The fall days are full from start to end when you live the potter's life. Got until Christmas to salt to winter's monies away.

Alison will be taking her kettle and soaps to the Museum of Appalachia for their annual Homecoming. Starts Wednesday and goes through Sunday. If you are a local and never been to the Museum, it is worth one trip and Homecoming is full of things to see (especially if you love or don't know the old ways). Music is nonstop, food, farm activities, antique tractors, you get the picture, and the weather is supposed to be great. Cale will be working with her over the weekend, so stop by.

Two firings last week mean the shop looks better. Will be running the shop while Alison is gone. Cale and I have the front chamber off the wood kiln, and with Shane Mickey's brick saw, hope to get it up again by the middle of the month.

Coming Attractions

Well Alison keeps changing her show line-up, so it will be a day or so before the fall schedule is set. God knows I hope it pays off, because business is slow, very slow, around here.

People seem to want to know these kinds of things, so here is an image of the house and studio.

We live out in the country surrounded by old stone fences from the settlement days. The house was here, but needed some finish work, I built the studio, and the wood kiln is barely visible under the tin roof behind my truck.

The studio in 480 sq. ft. with a 12'x 12' gallery on the road end. Alison has a work/storage area in the back, and there is a 35 cu. ft. gas kiln under roof.

I have a two chamber, cantenary wood kiln, all soft brick front with hardbrick back that I lightly salt. This is an image from the first time it was loaded and buttoned up. Currently doing some maintenance and a redesign of the front. Basically going to enlarge the firebox, although it always reached temperature and fired even, and lower it some. It was 78" high inside and I am lowering it to 60", closer to the back which is 58". Hoping to produce more ash which was light past front rank.

OK, next time maybe a schedule and some images from inside the studio.

Next: "Behind the Red Door"

Coming Attractions

Just a few quick notes.

First, I have been misspelling Josh Copas name as "Coppas". Don't know how I picked that up, I knew better, so sorry Josh.

Secondly, I will put together a list for those who follow our shop and shows. Mostly Alison at this point, some all sopas, some soaps and pots, but we appreciate your support in all matters.

Third, had a question or two about my stamps and what I refer to as roulettes, so pictures being worth a thousand words, I will take some images of them and my trimming wheel.

Ok,back to the studio. If I just had another 200 pieces made I could take the afternoon off. The start of the fall grind is here.

Next: "Loose Ends"

To be Thick as a Brick

I started doing this pattern work with roulettes and stamps a few years ago when I made some tool caddies to fire at Shane Mickeys. Kept working it around to vase type forms. Started with a triangular vase, then on to more of a brick shape.

There are variations of shape and scale, but since I was pressed for time, I stayed with the same template. Happy with the way they turned out, only lost one to cracking and it had the worst surface anyway, so win-win.

Let Brad pick one for his house, wrapped them up for home. Ended up with what I feel is some nice work, and I can't thank the Ohio crew enough for inviting me and taking care of my work for me.

OK, so back to the studio. Firing a lot of Cone 10 reduction for the shop. Going to save back a couple of the wood pieces to build a body of work to pitch to galleries. First thing is to finish rebuild on the front arch of the wood kiln. Weather has started to cool, and a fall firing seems to be in order.

Going to post a calender of event for the next months showing where we are going to be this fall.

Next: "Coming Attractions"

Bricks & Plates

Wow, two posts in two days. I'm a regular Mike Kline.

I took four large plates. They are 25 lbs at the start and thrown about 28" in diameter. Two got in the cantenary I was firing and the others are waiting their time. I thought they turned out well.

Also took eight patterned flower bricks I have been working on the past year, and a few jugs for kicks. Hope to shoot images of the bricks tonight and will post as soon as I have them.

Next: "To be Thick as a Brick"