Posts Categorized: News

Hollis was reading my mind as I wrote last…Doug Fitch often writes about his friend, Dave, who always seems to be coming over to build a shed. I haven’t built anything in years without the help of Michael Littlefield, MY great friend and builder extraordinaire. We finished the portico (sounds much more expensive than shed!)… Read more »

There has been a lot of good blogger info on photographing pots lately… I am still working out the kinks myself, and I hope by the time I take pictures of all the pots I like from firing # 8 that I will have figured it out. Still more glare than I’d like sometimes and… Read more »

You may recall that back in the winter when the snow lay knee deep or more I picked up a brush and made a little Michael Kline inspired pot. Here it is in all it’s toasty glory. The slip I used doesn’t hold it’s line like Michael’s wax resist does, but it has it’s own… Read more »

  Whenever I take a big trip I feel the need to rearrange a part of my house when I return. Whenever I fire the kiln, I feel the need to rearrange my workplace. Who knows what that says about me…? This is my “Doug Fitch Memorial Wood Shed” (Doug is alive and well, thank-you)…. Read more »

Just yesterday Ron Philbeck posted a photo on his blog of his pots in action in a customers home. This photo also arrived at my computer yesterday, taken down by the Rappahannock River by a customer that visited LibertyTown. She said she couldn’t decide on one pot, so bought four. I like that kind of… Read more »

This beauty (if I do say so myself) is one of my new favorites from  the firing. I’m using it as I work on my photography skills. It is 17″ tall and 10″ wide. The glass beads I put in the eyes created a raccoon-like effect that is pretty cool. I made this pot right… Read more »

The concert last evening was a real delight…great company…good food…and the lovely Iris Dement. With the exception of two songs, everything was new. Seems like a new album might be in the works. Iris suffers from performance anxiety and sometimes I wonder if she’s going to make it through! She did well last evening, only… Read more »

I’m still figuring out what I did to all those pots from last week’s firing…the review continues. In the meantime, I am going to the Birchmere tonight with John and Kathy, meeting Helen and Todd Cymrot when we get there. Iris Dement is one of my all-time favorite singers…check her out!It occurred to me years… Read more »

It’s been a hectic week…after unloading the kiln Wednesday I had to switch gears quickly for two receptions at LibertyTown in two nights for our Patron’s Show (more on that later this week) (and I had to squeeze in poker night between the two!). And just when I thought I could relax, Dave Breedin called… Read more »

My title here refers to firing # 8 and the election of my great friend Bea Paolucci who will soon be sworn in as our newest member of city council! Congratulations, Bea! and congratulations to me (if I am allowed), the firing was terrific! Far superior to the previous seven with great heat and color…. Read more »

The firing was as smooth as silk…24 hours from a wooden match to a raging inferno. I’m still worn out from the week’s labors and sleep deprivation, but very optimistic about the results. I got a peek last night and it looks very promising! Stay tuned…      Emily and Ellie did an excellent job… Read more »

Even with an extra day I’m pushing hard to get all of my final preparations crossed off the list. Today was a short day…only 12 hours!  I gently preheated the first chamber (to 120 degrees F.) while I started to clean up the site. My studio is complete chaos and there’s still the grass to… Read more »

    I’m not certain why I decided I could get this beast loaded in 3 1/2 days. I really need 5 and why is it that we don’t load our kilns and then take a couple of days off before firing? With the kind agreement of most of my firing team I am putting off… Read more »

I’ve been behind schedule from the very beginning…I enjoy loading kilns but I’m feeling a little stressed which is not ideal. Ideal is the right word for the weather…absolutely perfect spring days! Lighting up Friday night! Please consult your kiln gods for good karma. It’s almost been a year since my last firing…I hope that… Read more »

We had a full house at Mountain View High School this morning where I did a demo for almost 50 students under the direction of their awesome art teacher, Rachel Siegler. The kids were great and I really enjoyed my visit. If I weren’t pressed for time to get loading my kiln I would have… Read more »

The gift shop at Colonial Williamsburg has a big display of these mugs for sale. I was fascinated by them and creeped out by them at the same time. On principle I’m opposed to these white cylinders that many people pass off as a mug and yet, covered in all of these great salt glaze… Read more »

The weather has turned glorious…spring at it’s best…and I find it all distracting. With less than a week to make pots before I begin loading the kiln, I can’t decide whether I should be planting things and working on landscaping or throwing more last minute treasures…or hanging out at Laszlo’s Weenie World for the Virginia… Read more »

I’ve got just one more week of making before I begin loading the kiln for ol’ firing #8. This has not been my most productive week, but I’m certain that I have plenty of pots already made. I like to have many more than I need because it makes it easier to load if you… Read more »

We noticed the dogs acting odd around the post holes Ryan dug for me…I took a peek over the edge and, and it took a moment to process the fact that this very white critter was a skunk! The photo is foreshortened, as the poor guy is 3 feet deep. Luckily they won’t spray in… Read more »

I have been nominated and seconded for membership in The American Ceramic Circle, which is a non-profit educational organization committed to the study and appreciation  of post-medieval pottery and porcelain in Europe, Asian ceramics from all periods and anything ceramic in North America. The 400 strong membership is made up of museum curators, collectors, institutions… Read more »

The Food Show is our longest running competitive exhibition and continues to be a big hit with our visitors. The gallery show includes 45 entries and Ariel Freeman won first place for her fantastic watercolor full of apples. On opening night we also have a competition for the best artwork made from food which is… Read more »

Over the last few weeks I have been slowly revealing to the world that LibertyTown is for sale! I could write a million words about why, but for now I will just say that it is time for me to return to my studio full-time and time for me to figure out the best way… Read more »

I seldom make commissioned pots anymore, but ‘The Littlefield Project’ was impossible to refuse. While I was making it I was thinking of Edan Schwartz, a student of mine at Penland years ago, who made very expressive face mugs by pinching and folding thrown pot. Since taking this photo I’ve made a few changes…eliminating the… Read more »

A long time ago one of my art teachers suggested turning something I was working on upside down to look at it with fresh eyes. That lesson stuck and I often turn things this way and that to see if there is a new idea there. I attended a workshop with Paul Soldner way back… Read more »