Posts By: Dan Finnegan

The summer is flying by and the best I can say about the weather is…it’s not as bad as it could be! I famously despise the heat (what would you expect from a boy from Buffalo, NY?) and I continue to imagine myself picking plums in England. Still, I am getting out to the studio… Read more »

My studio is in the far corner of a 65 acre country property and blackberries might just be the biggest crop that we harvest every year. They have become my favorites of all the berries (including Chuck and Halle).  Bright pink smoothies and blackberry crumble or blackberry jam with bay leaf – m-m-m-! And corn… Read more »

I will be putting many of the newest birds on sale this Friday at Libertytown. If any of you readers out there are interested you should let me know…last time I sold them all in 24 hours! Beth designed this new extra large banner for the show…we’ll use it to announce each firings arrival. My… Read more »

Marie N. has been a steady supporter of this here blog for some time….all the way from Texas! It being pie season, I’ve ben promising to show her a selection. here are my 3 favorites from the last firing, my dear. The first is a little warmer of a color than appears in the photo…. Read more »

Clear glaze over black slip over white slip. Cone 6 firing. Dee Dee joined us for the big workshop this spring and, using the leftover slips, she is finding her own way with the slip trailer, inspired by the magic that Hannah showed us with hers. Very exciting!   Racoon Family out for a stroll… Read more »

Faithful readers will recall that the pots that these birds sat on had ‘issues’ so I had one of my better ideas and asked Frank to put his considerable wood turning skills to work. He did a superb job and we are both excited to see if we can push this collaboration further. He used… Read more »

3 Lonely Lids I had a slip problem on the bases of these three lids but I plan to ask a wood turner friend to make new ones….might be even cooler than clay? They only stand about 4 ” high.This firing was the ‘cleanest’ to date…fewest seconds ever and the fewest needing refiring. If it… Read more »

With the first day of 95 degree temperatures upon us I am hiding in the A/C and numbing my brain with too much photography/computer time. Here are some of the smaller pieces from the firing. There are still mediums and larges to come! Of course, you should click on the images to enlarge them. It’s… Read more »

 Last evening was the lottery drawing for our annual “Patron Show”fundraiser at Libertytown. 53 pieces were donated and 53 tickets were sold at the start of the month. With the help of all our staff and a couple of very young assistants we drew ticket stubs from a pot. That ticket holder then chose any… Read more »

detail I’m moving on to my photo studio now to record these babies but I always hope that a camera could catch the richness of glazes out in the sunlight. I have close to 40 bird pieces altogether so stay tuned. Ivan –  detail

First Chamber…10 lbs. salt So many things could have been taken as omens these past few days…the license plate I showed you last or the Chinese fortune cookie that lacked a fortune of any kind. It might have been the huge turkey vultures that roosted atop the chimney while I mowed the grass below. It… Read more »

Firing # 10 is complete, but who will be my 200th follower?  The firing was as smooth as it could be and all we can hope for is that the time will pass quickly ’til Sundays’ unloading. I was following this car on the way to the firing. Always looking for favorable signs of good… Read more »

We finished bricking up the doors about 6pm this evening. I have been promising myself that I would not begin this firing already worn out and by moving everything back a day I think I’ve done it! I will light the fire 24 hours from now and I hope to be at my best.  Jason… Read more »

Jason here is demonstrating the newest food fad around these parts…tired of cold, day old pizza? Suffer no more, just break out the weed burner and let ‘er rip! Another handy lesson learned from the Slipware Kids… Safety Tip: tuck in those trouser legs!

First Chamber I normally enjoy the 3 dimensional puzzle that loading a kiln presents, but ol’ # 10 is wearing me out. I have close to 50 birds of various sizes and shapes and they fit together a lot differently than my functional work. They are also a lot bigger so I’m ignoring some of… Read more »

Our beautiful springtime weather continues, a perfect time to be turning one’s mind to packing a kiln and the river of fire that is soon to come.  I added a few extra days to my loading schedule to account for bird decorating/glazing…just not nearly enough. I’ve been waxing, slipping, waxing, glazing and often waxing and… Read more »

I’m still struggling to find my focus since the wave of visitors and events that have filled the last month. It finally caught up to me yesterday and I didn’t quite make it through to the end of our reception in the gallery last night. I then went home and slept for 11 hours! None… Read more »

Regular readers here at DFSP know about my week long visit with the British Invaders. Since their departure it seems that some strange sort of levee has burst and visitors are pouring through! The next future Finnegan potter?     My great and oldest friend Henry (from high school days) and his daughter Corey came next for a… Read more »

Although completely unrelated, you must click on the photo below and read and enjoy!  Riverby Books is a fantastic used bookstore here in the ‘Burg and Paul Cymrot writes the best things I get to read. His ‘whiteboard’ comments are legendary.   Tomorrow morning at least a dozen LibertyTown artists will be selling everything from… Read more »

It’s hard to believe that a week has gone by since H & D finished up their workshop at LibertyTown. We packed so much into one week that it’s hard to digest. I’m sure that their heads must be ready to explode!     I met the gang (Ang included) in Cape Cod as their first… Read more »

I just returned from a misty-eyed parting with our dear friends from across the big pond. Kevin Crowe kindly provided a wonderful meeting place and warm hospitality for the hand-off. The ol’ slipware couple and Ang are in the capable hands of Ron Philbeck now, making their way to the heart of North Carolina clay… Read more »

I apologize for the lack of updates , but we’ve been keeping very busy and have often been far from the land of the internet…a poor excuse for four bloggers, but there you are. I’ll do some catching up next week.  The weather has been glorious and the company delightful. Now, on to the workshop!

In case you just crawled out from under a rock you should know that these two charming British potters will be in residence at LibertyTown Arts Workshop in Fredericksburg, Virginia next weekend. Fredericksburg is just one hour south of washington, DC and we still have space available. The weekend package cost $150.00 which includes a… Read more »

Life has been overfull lately, what with gallery openings, beekeeping, and workshop preparations, but I’m still squeezing out a few pots when I can. I’m feeling a little desperate to get enough made for a May firing. I’ve been thinking of candlesticks for a while. Here’s my first try.

We took this first hive apart right to the last ‘super’ where we found the queen! For most of the past 35 years or so I would often quip that I had no hobbies…making pots is what I would choose to do most days even if I didn’t make my living by it.  Then I… Read more »