Fun With Clandestino

Saturday night I got to experience my first dinner with Chef Efrain of Clandestino www.chefrain.com . This supper club took over a west loop loft and served Trout (below), squash soup, pork raviolis (above), among many other things. This was my third dinner where my plates and dishes make a showing with gourmet food.

The dinner guests were communally seated at tables of ten. I got to visit with two different tables that night. The attendees were of diverse occupational back grounds but shared a common interest in food. Some guests traveled just walking distance from their homes to attend the dinner, others flew in from the east coast. The pork ravioli's were plated on my brand spankin' new 8 by 8" dishes. This is a picture of the serving line up. All pictures of the plating's meant that I was IN THE WAY. At least all of the severs cut me a bit of a break when I said "please let me shoot this".

The night ended with lots of happy people looking for the next party. My dishes next scheduled appearance will be at the Faith's Farm dinner on October 18th with City Provisions info@cityprovisions.com .

Farm dinner

I think as a potter you always hope that the work that you make leaves you and has an active useful purpose in the new owners life. I love to go to friends homes and see if the mug has become a favorite or that the big bowl is setting out on the table holding that weeks produce. The Supper Club events I have started doing in the last few months with City Provisions http://www.cityprovisions.com/ is the pottery equivalent of a child's ballet recytle. Here we go, will the weeks of preperation pay off? Will it hit all the right marks?

Here is my plate featuring Faith's Farm pork chop with mash potatoes with guere cheese. It made you want to lick that lovely plate.

This was a lovely event. The next Faith's Farm dinner will be on October 18, 2008 http://www.cityprovisions.com/ is taking reservations and the plates and dishes will be there ready for their next performance.

Summer Dinner

The studio has been operating at full tilt these days preparing for my first all pottery service dinner. I have been making plates, platters, pitchers and bowls. All of which I am planning to get fired in the next two weeks. It has been a long time since I produced at this volume, but after my wrists recovered there lost muscle, I have been rolling along just fine. It is really better than fine, it feels good. Right now I am truely thankful for my neighbors new pool which is keeping my kids busy and then tired.

small potted plants

I thought I was really tired of gardening, but I am really happy to have a little manageable garden for my counter top. As usual the best made plans were actually derailed by the inventory of the local garden store. This was to be a Christmas display, kind of a mini spruce forest in snowy white cups. The store had a run on all the little spruce trees so I had to go tropical. The nice thing is these little plants are really inexpensive.

I have been making lots of these little pots for arranging on a these trays I have been making. I am going to throw the saucers as well. These are meant to be Christmas presents, I hope I get it done.

I am challenging myself to have a one week turn around. These were bisque fired yesterday. Glaze pictures soon!

Making Trays

I have been playing with some antique wall paper rolls that I picked up at flea market. At the suggestion of my friend Jessie I started making trays and I am having a great time. These are the first out of the kiln and I am really pleased at home they turned out. My tea pots are looking great on them as well.

This is a tray with a feather print that I painted some designs over. Here is another treatment of the feather.

I took a few to the DIY Trunk show last weekend and the response was really positive. I can't wait to make another round and improve on the designed.

I think this one found a new home. I will be putting a lot of this stuff out at my Esty site. I have not add to that site in quite a while.

I am still loving my tea pots and cups, even though I didn't sell any last weekend. I think I will be throwing a tea party soon.

Tea Pots

I decided to make tea pots this month. I didn't realize until I started the tea pots that I had not actually made a tea pot since college. I can even really explain why. I went through lots of experimental phases in my post college work and did lots of work that required combining multiple thrown forms. Never a tea pot. So strange.

I unloaded the kiln today wondering what would turn out. I was nervous. It turned out so well. I am in love with these pots and little matching cups. I don't know why I haven't been making them all along. Today I could see making tea pots with cups and trays and saucers and little necessities that all tea pots need and deserve. I was surprised at this reaction in myself.

I sense a new direction!

Collecting Pottery

I wish I could say I have purchased other peoples work, but it feels so good to start filling up shelves with work I have completed. I made so little work over the summer I was ashamed to mention to anyone I was a potter. Now with the shelves filling up, I feel that proof exists. I am a potter see....look.....right there.....lots of pots!

Greenware small dishes.

Handle-less mugs. Don't those handles just get in the way sometimes?

Due to more poor inventory skills and lack of organization, I recently discovered I have lots of sets of bowls. I just keep putting them in boxes and forgetting about them. Look at my full shelves. More proof I am working. (note to self to analyze why I need poof, who am I proving what to, why am I proving)

This photos is called "Bowl-o-rama". I am so excited to have my camera back. I want to just publish tons photos.