At the recent NCECA 2013 convention, my daughter, Liz, and I noticed the amazing variety of COMFORTABLE potters’s shoes! They even had a booth for potters’ shoes!
Here are some examples of what we saw!
So it got me thinking….
What do your pottery shoes look like? Why did you choose them? Any comments or suggestions?
Send me your pics and comments and I’ll do another post regarding YOUR pottery shoes!
Rock on, potters!
When I worked at my studio in Texas, I was limited in space, expertise in mixing glazes, and only firing in an electric kiln. After attending Steven Hill’s Workshop on spraying glazes, I set about finding a source for ready-mixed Cone 6 glazes.
I found Coyote Clay online and ordered several glazes -WOW! They worked great! They were easy to use, mix and had consistent results. Even better, they looked great sprayed and when layered.
I was getting close to achieving the gas kiln “look” that I was craving!
Here is an example of what can be achieved:
Since moving to Australia, I now have a gas kiln and working with the Cone 6 glazes has not been on my “list of things to do”. However, after seeing their booth at NCECA 2013, I was no less impressed.
Martin Butt and his wife, Willie, were there and their booth was awesome! Made me remember why I loved their glazes!
So if you are in the need for Cone 6 glazes – look no further!
Give them a call – (Toll Free-866-344-2250) or check out their website at Coyote Clay.
Sorta makes me long for the simplicity of the electric kiln and Cone 6 glazes! Nahh……
If you have read my blog, you know that I’m sort of obsessed with achieving copper red glazes on stoneware in my fibre-lined gas kiln (see other blog posts on copper reds HERE).
So when I met Susan Filley at NCECA and saw her gorgeous copper red glazed pots, I was gobsmacked!!
Her pots were so gorgeous and the copper reds were outstanding!
I had to know how she did it! And she told me that achieving copper reds was EASY!!!! Good to know! But I have had trouble with consistency, reduction, spotty coppers-half and half. So I needed her secrets to make it EASY!!
Well, potters are amazing people! Susan gave up her secrets quite readily and seemed so “OK” with giving up what I figured was a guarded secret!
Here are her tips:
1. You must have a very tight box (kiln).
2. Bisque fire your pots that are going to be glazed for copper red to Cone 010. This will allow the clay to be more porous and the pot will therefore soak up more glaze.
3. Start reduction at Cone 010.
Easy. I’ve bought Cone 010 and will try this!
Her work is gorgeous! The glazes are luminous. And Susan Filley is a gracious and lovely woman!
For more information, check out her website: Susan Filley
Gotta PotterLove Susan Filley!!!
There is absolutely nothing better than touching, holding, fondling a wonderful cup or mug of a famous potter that you’ve admired from afar- either in print or online.
The Santa Fe La Mesa Exhibit in Houston at NCECA 2013 gave many of us that exact opportunity!
The exhibit was set up in table settings and was strung along two huge tables. All pottery was for sale and pieces were going quickly in this first day. The close proximity to the pottery and the access to the pottery was so exciting!
I’ve taken photos of many of the place settings and I will share them here! Hope you enjoy them and are as inspired as I was!!!
I had so much fun just dashing from booth to booth in the Exhibit Hall at NCECA 2013 gathering up materials on the latest and greatest tools, wheels, kilns, and accessories for doing pottery! Geez! It was so OVERWHELMING! In OZ, we just don’t get exposure to all this STUFF! So thought I’d give you a pictorial review of the Exhibits! Hang on to your hats!
Hope you enjoy the show!
There is nothing worse in my books than cleaning up kiln shelves! Unfortunately, during my last firing (which didn’t even reach temperature due to the barometer pressure), I had glaze jumping off pots! So now to do the dreaded clean up!
However, when going through the exhibits at NCECA, I happened upon the Euclid booth and found the most wonderful tool! Bought it and LOVED THE RESULTS! It really made cleaning the shelves so much easier! For more information on the kiln shelf cleaner, check out the Euclids Elements & Pottery Tools website! It’s like Santa’s workshop for potters!
There was a near-Elvis sighting at NCECA!!! I was shooting pics of potters shoes (yes, for an upcoming post! Really!) and noticed this big guy with GOLD COWBOY BOOTS!
I couldn’t believe it! So asked if I could take a photo of his boots and then of him in a full-length shot.
He said that the boots belonged to a “dead guy” and then he produced a card with a photo of himself in his Elvis impersonation gear!
Turns out I was speaking to Dennis Siporski, a famous potter, painter, college professor and best of all! an Elvis Impersonator!!!
He was at the Santa Fe Clay La Mesa exhibit and had a place setting on display.
Here it is! LOVE IT!
You never know when you going to run into someone famous!
These are just some of the things/pots I saw-I’ll post more soon!
Wow! I saw soooo many cool, amazing, gorgeous pots at NCECA 2013 in Houston and I was only there for a heartbeat…well, one evening and one day. So I went around like a crazy lady seeing everything that I possibly could during that time.
Please understand that these photos were taken “on the run” (literally!!) by me – so some aren’t as professional as I would have liked!
Here are some photos to give you a taste. I have credited the pottery where/when possible, but in some cases, I just didn’t get the potter’s name – sorry! Anyway, here we go!!!
There are a few of those persons amongst a profession that are the “ROCK STARS” and it is no less true with potters/ceramicists.
I was super excited to see some of my favourite “Potter Rock Stars” at NCECA 2013.
The first person I saw when I walked into the opening reception evening was none other than the famous and amazing Cynthia Bringle!
Then I happened upon Tom Coleman, King of the Copper Red Glaze, speaking to a group!
Ran right into Steven Hill, King of the Art of Spraying Glazes, and now the King of Cone 6 Glazes, and he was quite lovely to chat with!
For me, the King of Glazes is Greg Daly!!! and there he was with the Editor of Ceramics Art and Perception/Technical!
How good is that! Rock Stars Abound!!!
One of the first things I saw when I walked into the Exhibit Hall at NCECA 2013 was this wheel!
I think Ronnie may have to add a few of these to my wheel! It was fun to just imagine the possibilities!
Much more to report on NCECA!!! Stay tuned!
