Alan From Argyll Pottery

Clach Thoull.

2008-09-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

No it's not the name of a new rock band though it would be good I suppose, no it's a rock that I took the dogs to today. Murphy seemed to enjoy the walk anyway. Balain was as usual a wee bit slow to come (it's a Beagle thing).

The mighty Clach Thoull - you are supposed to go through the hole and make a wish while you walk (but don't tell anyone what you wish or it won't come true).

Murphy seemed to just wish the walk would never end.

It was very mild even though it was overcast and my wish not to get wet worked as it didn't rain. (I didn't tell anyone that was what I wished for until I got home.)

Balain just wished to sniff everything - not in this shot he's found something interesting to sniff. Should have wished he would stop sniffing so much.

The Oban Subway.

2008-09-12T17:19:00.001-07:00

OK so we were finishing off stuff and sorting out the showroom etc today which is not too interesting blog wise but Nicola was waxing lyrical about how nice Subways are (a kind of "healthy" junk food new to this area) so having got the bike back from the garage I thought we could try it out (and drop off some leaflets to the south of Oban too). Rather a nice evening don't you think? You can just see a Cal Mac ferry coming in towards Oban from the Sound of Mull in this photograph.

And the sub's were great too.

I really know how to treat a girl don't I. Evening meal for two under £6.50 all together!

Cutting in.

2008-09-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

The Forestry commission has just stopped working the top end of the Bonawe walks, they left some of the Larch so instead of the usual devastation they only cut in to the tree line leaving some habitat for the birds etc. (not sure if you can see but Murphy is smiling in this photo). I was finishing pots off, these are what we call Waistcoat Vases and just like the Tulip vases you have to know what you are doing as the section has to be very thin and even.

Here's some I made earlier - not quite finished.

I mark out first.

Then cut the basic shape at a slight angle.

Then trim the rim

Sponge off the pots

Then I fold in the wall on one side

Then it's riveting stuff.

The David Leach style fluting to finish of.

There they are, I see them as either a waistcoat vase or maybe a boot or with these clasp type buttons they have been compared with a Lady's Basque shape.

Here are some finished Granite glazed ones.

I suppose I like them as they are a bit like my personality straight laced, up tight and conforming but hopefully a bit odd, quirky or unusual at the same time.

Tulip Vases.

2008-09-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

I started to make the Tulip Vases about five years ago, I had made Crocus Vases when I was doing a project for my block release during my apprenticeship so they are not exactly new but I like them and so thankfully do our customers. I have to throw the pot very thin and evenly sectioned. Then mark out the three cut points.

After this I mark the wall of the pot with an old lid.

Making the cuts.

The edges angled.

Cut down the side to add to the shape.

I've started to angle the top out the way to make them look more natural.

These are some made without the angle out the way.

But you get the drift?

Ha! Ha! Ha!

2008-09-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

Well I suppose you have got to laugh or you'll cry, the weather has been fickle of late and I can't believe the difference between last weekend when I was camping and wanted to take my motorbike to a rock festival and this weekend when my bike is in the workshop being fixed and I'm at home finishing off pots. AARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!

Better than down south though.

Off The Wall.

2008-09-05T00:26:00.000-07:00

When Hugh has finished making these tall elegant Posy Pots he slaps them hard with a paddle.

When they are flat on two sides he's ready for the next step.

Believe it or not this is two handles.

Cut like so.

A little water on the shoulders.

Then stick the loops on.

Almost like a 1970's shoulder pads!

When they are dry enough he drills them out.

And they end up like this when fired, I love to mix other things like leather and wood with the pots.

A bit of boot lace works well here.

I know, I know! I went on and on about pulled handles the other week but to every rule there is usually an exception and this is one OK? I like a lot of Coffee in the morning and these hold about a pint so they need a good grip on the handles.

I start off with a coil and roll the butter pat over it then slam it down on the board a few times to make a relaxed shape to form over what in this case is an old film case.

A bit of water on the spot where the handle goes.

Then stick it on.

And we have some French Coffee cup and saucer sets.

There must be a pot of gold under the Pottery as there's a rainbow just on where it is behind the trees in this shot, you probably can't make it out but it's there I saw it just as I was coming back from a walk with the dogs. (This camera is rubbish).

Square but not too Conforming.

2008-09-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's nice to do squared pots, I like the pie dishes this way as they fit in the fridge or oven better. I use a piece of wood with some scrim wrapped around it to push the shape, I have cut out a D shape on both sides then pushed it shut before but I find this works just as well for me.

We like to put some Rutile slip (mixed with a wee bit of wood ash) on the rim then combed through when we have just thrown the pot (Before squaring the shape of cause).

I use a towel to sit the pot on before trimming.

And a surform blade for shaping it square.

Then sponge it off.

The pottery stamp.

Ready for waxing the rim for glazing.

And this is what it should end up like.

Great news on the Nx rams horn wedging saga!

She can do it now, (I could say she's gone from being pants to a smarty pants! Especially with these breeks on.)

Someone else likes the new step for wedging too, it makes a great head rest when Nicola's foot is placed just so. (No need for high heels either).

Beautifully consistent clay for throwing.

But she's still beating herself up over not getting things right first time!?!

I got her on to throwing the tall squared vases and as her first vase was 2mm shorter than my one she said it was no good - OK Nx now we are getting a wee bit too conformist.

See I can't really see anything wrong with it, which one is Nx?

I do think some people have too little to do in their jobs though, I got a statement from the credit card machine company and it had this written on the back which made its self not only wrong but the paper redundant because you can't use it for notes so easily

(But it's not blank it says something on it!!!!!!!)

Mud Pack.

2008-09-03T00:53:00.000-07:00

You may not be able to make out the coating of Connect festival mud on Nx car but believe me it has a full rally style roof and all job. But from the "glamorous" music festival mud we have to come back down to earth and sort out the more mundane (but less rotting vegetation smelling) mud of the granite glaze prep'.

It is nice to be back though.

Foot Wedging of Sorts.

2008-09-02T00:43:00.000-07:00

I thought we had some campers from the USA and the Russian steps as neighbours but it was just a SPA (No not an out post of the Scottish Potters Association a SPA - you know massage, incense and Lama Chanting going on, all that new age hippy stuff).

Went to see some of the great musicians at the Festival Connect held in (NOT) sunny Inveraray at the Castle, which in spite of the rain and huge amounts of mud was really great (had to camp though, not a nice experience in that amount of rain). Did get to see great stuff like Elbow,

The mud was rather bad, this shot below was before I got in to the venue it was really bad inside but I didn't get a photo as I was too busy trying (in vain sometimes) not to fall over! This foot wedging was a kind that Nx was definitely better at than me! She's a bit lighter than me so that might help and a more well balanced person too.

Though I was amazed that my motorbike boots stood up to the onslaught very well (still changed in to my wellies later just in case they were overwhelmed by the depth of mud).It's a great place to have it but a shame the weather stopped some from coming to it, not really a castle any more (the Victorians kind of spoiled it).Just a bit surreal.

Gold Frapp was radiant as ever. The Levellers, F' Ferdinand, Gossip, Duffy and lots more played over the weekend.

It did stop raining sort of for part of the time (I do mean sort of).

But it decided to be nice for the journey home, (and hasn't been bad since!?)

Oh well back to the reality making some pots and having a nice bed to sleep in.

Getting my Elbow in.

2008-09-02T00:21:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the bad camera work but just a wee taste of what Elbow were like - you really had to be there though. Maybe not as good as The Love Daddies (See Doug' Fitch's blog) but brilliant none the less.

Handling Big Jugs.

2008-08-29T00:47:00.001-07:00

This was done a few days ago and shows me pulling a handle for a Tall Jug, it also shows that Beagles like to be fed early (Bailey was making very funny noises).

In the Undergrowth.

2008-08-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

We have noticed a new wee friend who we've named Peter as he seems to be a rabbit of no fixed abode. I cleaned out my wheel box today, (first time for a while), Nicola said her tutors at Glasgow Art College told her that if you had an untidy wheel box you had an untidy mind - well my wheel was filthy so what that makes my mind I wouldn't like to say!!! Anyway here are some of my tools that I find useful, my wire isn't in this shot and I don't have my favorite turning tool on show either but everything else I use for throwing and turning is here, I don't buy many tools just make most. Don't have a shot gun for Peter Rabbit darn it! Maybe Poppy the cat will help with him.

I was cutting back branches so that folk can see the signs.

These are before.

These after

A bit better.

In Training or Cut Backs?

2008-08-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I was trying to tidy up and cut the trees back to let people see us from the road but unfortunately the long loppers have broken so I had to improvise a bit, I suppose on the other hand you could see it as training for the weekend when I'll be of at Connect one of the local music festivals down the road about forty miles at Inveraray Castle, (Around here if you go to a big concert held in a field you will usually expect to be wearing Wellington boots and then of cause you have to jump about quite a lot when dancing don't you).

Hugh's mug.

2008-08-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hugh throwing one of our wee Coffee mugs.

Throwing and Assembling a Goblet.

2008-08-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

I throw the bowl of my goblets separatelyThen throw the foot later and assemble them the next day. It is good to learn to tap on centre for this job. Thanks Nx for the great camera work.

Logo's and Stamps.

2008-08-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Among other things I was finishing off the jug handles today, putting thumb stops on and stamping them. When I make big or more individual pots I don't just use the pottery stamp but also my Signature stamp (from my Signet ring.)

Some I give a face as a nod to the green man and the great German salt glazed bottles of old.

This is a slightly smaller tall jug that is in the showroom.

This is a picture that won a competition run by the local School it's a Logo for the Barcaldine Community Association and I was asked as a local artist to make it, "more usable". I'm sorry but I keep thinking of Madonna lying down for some reason.

But after I had sort of censored it a bit, this is what I came up with as Barcaldine is the Gaelic for place between the mountains and the sea I thought of Tolkien and Rivendell with a wee bit of Clarisse Cliff at the front, it's got some work to do but they seemed quite happy with it so far.

A wee trip around the showroom.

2008-08-26T00:37:00.000-07:00

At about 4pm on Monday the sun decided to come out, this as usual ment that we were busy until four then not a one visitor so I thought I'd show you round (not very good camera work but here it is anyway).

Horses for Courses?

2008-08-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

I was doing my advertising bit this morning, I set this out for the Oban Times Review which comes out mid September, We haven't done any classes for a couple of years but as we now have Nicola here I think we can have another go without driving me crazy (my last classes before were too much, ten people and just one me!) Fingers crossed we will get a good response from the locals. In the afternoon I was turning lamps and the tall jugs then handled the jugs.

I will stamp them when they are dry enough.

Still to get their thumb stops which I think gives them a nicer shape as well as making them more usable.

The wee gas kiln was cool enough to unpack (It cools down much too fast for the granite glaze to crystallize properly.)

This evening I went down to the Ardfern turn off where there's a large standing stone about 35 miles south of here which would have been a nice run on the bike if I hadn't been sprayed with oil or hydraulic fluid by a passing lorry just before I got there, I was OK just couldn't see a thing out of my visor! Top speed back was about 40 mph, got frozen, not fun but I didn't see a crashed lorry going back so it couldn't have been break fluid.

Hugh's handling it fine.

2008-08-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

I said I would try to put a video of Hugh up this week and here it is, He is handling the tall mugs we call Handled Beakers which I failed to show you him making the other day.

Is there no peace?

2008-08-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

There I was on Sunday afternoon sitting down watching the formula one race in between checking the wee gas kiln and looking at Seth Cardew making a hash of his kiln firing on Ang's blog site, (we can all make mistakes.)

I was making seals too (Who says blokes can't multi task?)

This is what the seals should end up like when fired.

The common or harbor seals as they are called that we get around here a quite cute.

So is Murphy but we were both disturbed by the strange tapping sound from the fire place.

So I moved my old jug from in front of the multi fuel heater.

I haven't got a picture of the small rather dishevelled bird that had fallen down the chimney but I was trying to get it out of the room as quickly as possible rather than get soot all over the best furniture!

I just hope the poor wee thing is alright. He or she seemed to fly off OK anyway.

Trying Times!

2008-08-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to put a video blog on here for about an hour now! It was one I did of Hugh throwing a tall mug but the phone video I have actually works the other way round from Nx!??? one so having diligently filmed it what I thought was the right way round I found it was on it's side AAARGH! Then I got an e mail from Hannah telling me of a great bit of soft ware that would sort my problem of sideways videos (from the other day) but it seems to change it on my computer but it goes back the wrong way when put up on the blog????!!!!! So no Hugh today. The weather is a wee bit trying too as one minute its sunny the next it wants to be dull or rain. This is just above Glasdrum up the glen where the old pottery was.

The field next door this morning. Then the forest this afternoon.

And Nicola had a bit of a trying day as she had to sort through her candle sticks to find which she should keep, there were three out of fifteen that bit the dust (or slops bucket). I think she was totally right in her choice and she has a good eye for the shape now. (Still a bit rubbish at kneading rams horn style though.)

Six of the twelve that made it.

I also loaded the wee gas kiln for some honey pots of mine and wee fan vases that Nx made. We usually only use the gas kiln for tests but in the season we have to get the honey pots in somewhere that we make for sale full of wild flower honey from Colonsay a wee island off the coast from here. Fire it tomorrow, a potters work is never done( until that is the pots are fired).

I will try to do another video of Hugh next week. (Do think it's funny though - all these people craning their necks to one side to look at the first videos we did.) I got a comment from Paul about the fact that we potters share ideas and technical advice, I always had Joe Finch my old boss as an example of someone open and helpful with anything he could be but the other thing to think of is what John Glick a potter from the USA said once at a lecture I attended "If 0.1% of the world likes hand made pottery and 0.1% of them like my pots I will never run out of business". So if you can help someone out along the way and it's not going to do you any harm why not help?

Glazin' inside a bowl RAW!

2008-08-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Glazing inside a raw cut handled bowl.

Honpaintin' & Glazin'

2008-08-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hand painting the inside of a bowl with the leaf pattern. (O Brother!)

Lid for Lamp.

2008-08-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

Lamp Lid, PS, Paul no prize for guessing the Cure either but who's this? Need a wee clue? PPS,I'm not one to talk about other folk but have you heard about Hannah being in the Ceramic Review? good one Hannah.

Throwing a Tall Lamp.

2008-08-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

I hope we have it right this time, this one is quite long but they don't usually take any more than 5 minutes to throw. This pot is thrown with about 8 lbs of stone ware clay, the lid is thrown with 1 lb of clay (I have no idea what that is in kgs).

Putting video aside for now.

2008-08-20T00:23:00.000-07:00

After the technical pain in the neck of my videos I thought you'd like to see something upright. I finished the medium cut handled bowls by turning on a chuck, upright or upside down I mean! (Not on their side).

These don't look too promising do they but I like them when they are finished.

I have said before about using a lid or pot to stop soft pots being distorted by my hand as I hold the pot down on the pad, these bowls & lids can also be used to measure, handy for cups and saucers etc or just keeping it neat.

I use a wire turning tool for inside a foot ring.

Getting the edge.

I like to show the difference of the turned part of the pot as apposed to the thrown.

The lid is a lot shallower so I throw them small as the bowled base will shrink a lot more than the lid (about 5mm in it quarter of an inch).

Turning the lid. I turn most of my pots quite wet so that handles etc are not a problem.

A 4 oz lump for the handle.

I think I said before we don't cross hatch or slip our handles just a bit of water and shougle (rub, agitate) it about until it sticks.

Then press down a bit too.

Start to throw it.

It becomes almost a foot ring as you can use the lid as another bowl.

The finished lid.

I saw this shape in a book, it's a lidded rice bowl but my other name for it is The Cardew bowl, named in honer of the great Michael himself, he made and used one on his journey back though Africa in 1952 - 53 My shape isn't as nice as his but I like it anyway.

We can fit eight on a shelf in the kiln.

Went to drop off some more leaflets on the bike, looks dark and foreboding but it was quite warm and dry.

View from the Pier House Port Appin.

After we came back from the bike ride we tried (in vain) to sort out the video but you can see that below, no we hadn't had anything to drink! Well not until after trying to get it sorted anyway.

Please mind your neck TWO! (The Sequel).

2008-08-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is doing the cuts for the handles, we can accept no responsibility for sore necks (It's all Nx's fault anyway!) It just makes me giggle to think how many folk will be looking sideways at this. Maybe we should do some more the other way round so as to even up your necks. (We will try to do another video up the right way of some other throwing soon anyway.) Thanks Nicola you have done a grand job - just a wee bit skew whiff that's all.

Please Mind Your Neck!?

2008-08-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

Please Forgive the side view we are working on it but here goes for now, This is supposed to be throwing a cut handled bowl but Nx is being very arty with her video so it shows the portrait shot - forgot about editing it never mind it works for me just mind you don't put your neck out watching it.

Paul, Please note if you are just back from the pub - yes it is on it's side! not you, or maybe it looks right in which case GET UP!

It's Raining!

2008-08-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

When it rains here it knows how to rain! This afternoon it sure has. But the dogs still have to go out and it's very atmospheric with the mist on the hills. (We get more punters through the door too which is no bad thing - they seem to want to get indoors for some strange reason?) Turning, turning and some more turning. The trimmings make great slops clay when soaked down, unlike the new powder mixes which are very bad for throwing with for a few weeks (very short is the technical term for it) this older clay is nice plastic usable clay when it's been through the dough mixer and pug mill.

Plus I did a wee bit of combing.

One thing about production throwing is you can stack bowls (even in the kiln sometimes.)

It's a bit depressing though (I've been spoilt by too much nice weather, don't want to get wet taking the bike out, not even down the pub!) STOP PRESS - A new day, new weather its sunny again! (That will mean not so many customers, Och! well such is life.)

All Play and No Work Makes Jack a Poor Boy.

2008-08-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

It's great to show the nice side of making pots and I do love what I do and where I live but sometimes you have to just get on and work even if it is Sunday. Made sure the dogs were happy first.

Then got some making done.

Lots of turning pots upside down and cleaning bats.

Covered the big jugs with plastic bags to stop the tops getting too dry for handling.

I got an e mail from James of the USA asking what I use for freeing the bats when I have finished the throwing so here it is, I think it's from a shelving bracket but Hugh uses an old screw driver to leaver the bats off.

It's a bit worn out from use over the years but it still works.

Turning the Chain hangers.

I use a piece of metal banding wire for turning attached to a wooden handle.

The old faithful credit card to finish off, I always carve more from the centre of the base than the edge then the pot will not be a spinner after the firing.

Run your thumb around the edge to get rid of any sharp ragged bits.

The definition lines go where you stop turning on this piece.

The pottery stamp.

Then cutting the holes for the chains.

The finished pot. (I do love pots with very small bases but they are usually so impractical that it's not good to make them, these are to be hung up so there's no problem.)

What it will hopefully look like when it comes out of the firing. These pots are a sort of throw (please excuse the pun) back to the days when we could get macrame' hangers, I think the chain works quite well, you can get them from any garden centre as they are for hanging baskets.

The next thing is a chuck for cut handled bowls.

But you know how that goes (see previous blogs).

Leaflet Drop.

2008-08-16T16:35:00.001-07:00

I know it's not very pot orientated and it looks like these potters get paid far too much but it's just as important to keep the people coming in the door as to making the pots, I had the car serviced today and the nice people at Strathmore motors sent us a very flash new coupe/cabriolet as a courtesy car so as it was a pleasant morning we went to hand out some leaflets to most of the local businesses - with the top down. I think Nicola liked the car even though it was the evil spawn of that fiendish Dr Diesel. Her own car suffers from the same affliction, amazingly nippy these new diesels!

Outside the Glue Pot.

And the Creagan Inn, no it was not just a pub crawl! I just didn't want to bore you with pictures of lots of Hotels, Caravan parks, Marinas and Restaurants.

There was at least one person that was glad we came home for lunch.

Big Jugs.

2008-08-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

These are what we call the Tall Jug shape (OK they are tall but I mean as apposed to the Round bellied Jug shape) they are based on a medieval design which I've sort of taken up and changed (smoothed out) a bit. Did some Tall jugs and medium sized cut handled bowls today. (Nicola shot a wee video of me throwing a bowl so hopefully we might be able to post that after the weekend, she has to fetch her USB lead for her phone camera from home before we can down load it.)

First thing this morning I checked Nx height against the wedging bench and made a wide step for her to do her kneading the clay. See she's not that short, just three inches but that would make a difference so she had another go-.

See much more height.

But this was her reaction to me saying she was still pants! I mean not quite got the hang of it yet. (See knead to learn blog.)

Spectacular or What?

2008-08-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

The clouds are amazing just now, it doesn't seem to know quite whether it wants to be sunny or clouds, I thought this photo looked quite surreal like the head of a bull or Bison with very straight horns. I came back from the great metropolis of Oban to find the postie had left me a parcel, I recognized Hannah McAndrew's wee duck on the address label and what was inside! The nicest surprise I've had in ages, I really don't see quite why I deserve such a great gift? But all I can say is thank you Hannah, very much! It's even the one I loved most of all the ones she had showing on her blog. I will treasure it always.

Among other things I was throwing bowls we call chain hangers today. I always like to use an old credit card to finish off the belly.

I wonder if I had you fooled, no I didn't use this one and grip it so tight as to crush it! I just forgot it was in my back pocket when I put my jeans in the hot wash and it is useless now - Looks the part though a?

Went to Ballachulish & Onich for a mid season leaflet drop and a go on the bike, that's the Ballachulish bridge in the background (beware of loonies doing the eight some reel in the middle of it at new year! done that one and got beeped by a few cars, where would you be driving to straight after the bells?!?).

The view was as spectacular as ever, just wish I'd stopped to take a photograph when the sun spit the sky on the way back. We did catch a small shower near home but just enough to wet the visors.

Knead to learn.

2008-08-14T00:39:00.000-07:00

When you work with a very fine clay body like ours you have to learn how to knead the clay properly. I am not sure how many hours we have spent trying to get Nicola to do the style of wedging we use (she is used to bulldog wedging not rams horn shown here), I think she's finally getting the hang of it but it's one thing she's been absolute pants at (I mean not very good at) getting the hang of. I expect bulldog wedging would work just as well but Nx says she wants to get the hang of it so as Robbert the Bruce said - try try try again. (Stop Press - It seems that there is a height issue! the wedging bench is too high for Nx so we will try to fix that, maybe she could wear high heels? No, OK I'll try a step, not so interesting though.)

Went to the south of Oban last night, we were just out for a ride and saw the sign for live music, I turned around and we went down the tiny single track road to The Barn Bar, a great wee place, looks like nothing from the outside but when you get in its great. They said it was to start at nine but well - they were a bit late and so good we ended up being very late!

I love the way the sky can change so quickly around here from scenic to dramatic in a few minutes.

Got a bit chilly on the way home on the bike but it was great fun, Sorry I can't remember the name of the band.

Finishing off & Tidying up.

2008-08-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a day for finishing off. This is the glaze room which doubles up as a damp room when we are trying to make pots with handles etc that don't want to be dried off too quickly. A day or so after I've used the pad for throwing on (see Cut it Out blog) I can flatten it for turning.

Then trim it off.

If it's still a bit damp for turning I use some news paper to stop pots sticking too much.

I find a plastic lid handy to spread the weight when I'm turning softer pots so that my finger doesn't push through the bottom.

With these TV Dinner Bowls I weigh out the handle clay so that they are even, their a bit big to part pull so I sort of hand build them to shape until they are easier to pull.

We don't cross hatch or score and slip our handles, we just rub some water on to the pot and work the handle from side to side until it sticks, this is much quicker and we have no problem with cracking.

As I said before I use anything to hand to measure things like handles in this case I'm using my thumb.

Cutting off with a credit card.

Drilling out the hole.

Counter sinking the hole.

I finish off with a sponge and then run around it with my fingers. I like to think of a wee Wren or Robin's tail when I make these handles (sometimes reminds me of an old fashioned whistle).

This is a shot of the finished TV Dinner Bowl, I made the first ones for me when I had a flat as an apprentice and I found that they hold just as much as a dinner plate so you can slob out in front of the telly with some spaghetti or what ever in your lap without spilling it. The leather strap is for getting a grip on the pot without burning yourself, also handy for hanging them up.

I thought I'd show you my using the chuck for turning bowls with awkward rims. I get the shape with an old darning needle.

tapping on centre isn't so easy with this shape.

I put a definition line where I stop turning up the side of the pot.

After turning on the left before on the right.

Usually I make between six and twelve.

Murphy decided to help tidy up in the forest too, the rally car club had left an arrow sign behind after the weekend.

Watchin' Telly.

2008-08-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

When I'm not working on through the evening in the workshop or out on my motorbike, taking the dogs for a walk etc, I don't like to just sit down and do nothing (it's not in my nature) so when watching the TV I'm usually making something, Last night it was Mice.When they are fired I put leather tails on them (unlike clay tails they don't brake too easily) I push a small hole in where the tail is to go and glue them when they come out of the kiln.
These are based on the little Wood Mice we get hanging around the clematis by the pottery. (Please note - Wood mice are a type of mouse found in Britain. i,e, There is the field, house, door and wood mouse currently living in the UK, wood mice have large ears and a long tail and are particularly cute wee fellows).

Cut it Out!

2008-08-10T15:56:00.001-07:00

Though the weather has decided to turn rather dull and wet I am not saying it shouldn't rain, believe it or not the ground needs it (even if the dogs don't really like it). No when I say "cut it out", I'm referring to my cut handled bowls which I do along with two larger sizes and my cut handled platters that you can see in my older blog on the last firing.

I know it looks a little strange and it takes a bit of time to get used to throwing on a square bat but apart from the fact that they are just halved man made roof slates which makes them considerably less expensive than pottery wooden bats they make lining up the handles of these pots much easier. (One draw back is you have to learn not to hit the edges with your wrist when getting more water!)

You can make up a pad of clay by throwing it flat, then scraping the surface water off with a wooden tool then make a spiral in it to stop too much suction.

I use a pointer to give me the height and diameter of the pots once I have the size of the first one.

If you put a nail in it you can stop any touching accidents. (The other end is just held in a lump of clay at the edge of the wheel box.)

This is the cut handled bowl shape before cutting. This can be done when the pot is just softer than leather hard.

I use things that come to hand for marking out, a credit card works for the size of the handles.

And an old bottle top for a nice round shape.

If you know someone with an inhaler you could ask for their old one.

That's the shapes impressed, just cutting and finishing to do.

Cutting out is best done boldly rather than being timid.

Confident and clear with the knife (best not to have too sharper knife).

Cutting the hand holds.

Rounding off the edges to make it look like a thrown rim here too.

Sponging off to make it cleaner looking.

You do have to be able to reclaim your clay easily (we have a dough mixer and pug mill and blend our own clay).

I don't mind there being a bit of variation in these as we don't often sell sets of six of cut handled bowls. (They cost £25 each).

And this is the finished product.

Great for a Chinese take away.

Went to a wee Ceilidh (Scottish music and Dance) just along the road in Benderloch on Saturday, the Band and the dancing was great. (Wasn't too sure about some of the have a go your self bit though, maybe I hadn't had enough to drink?)

Sort Out.

2008-08-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

I don't feel that I've done a lot today, we made the clay yesterday and I know I've sorted out roughly the list of making for the next firing but it was a bit of a work out what to do rather than actually DO day. (At least the weather is warmer). I did prepare some lumps for making tomorrow, Hugh and I also cut wood for the kiln & Nicola made some wee fan vases.
Nicola has a tattoo on the back of her shoulder and asked me if I knew the meaning of the characters she was assured by the tattoo artist that it meant power, from what I can figure out it doesn't say kick me or anything like that, the literal translation is a wee bit open but I think says "Small one of inner strength". Which is, if I know Nx at all quite true. Except she's not very small, quite tall actually for a girl. If anyone knows more about the characters please do tell us.

Went to Taynuilt on the bike but took Nx this time, it's amazing how different people see different things in the same place! Last time I went I almost totally ignored the end of the pier but Nicola went straight to it to photograph the old broken wood which looked spectacular in the late sun on the water.

She was quite right.

That's those posh art college graduates for you.

Amazing (My ugly mug didn't crack the lens!)

(Neither did Nx, of cause!)

I've noticed a bit too much going off on a tangent and not enough pots on this potters blog. - I'm going to fix that (sorry about my rambling on).

Time Passing.

2008-08-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Well I'm a bit confused - Hugh seems to be getting younger these days - NO wait a second that's Hugh's wee boy Ewan eating his Dad's piece!? (Piece - Scots word for Sandwich not the American for gun.)

Today there was a chill in the air, it was as if time stood still, the Dandy Lion clocks were not telling the time. Even the poor Bumble bee's were just shut down when I took the dogs.

But birds, the swallows in particular were making up for the lack of movement by everything else. (You can see that there are five babies not two or three as I thought the last time I looked.)

Went up to Glen Coe on the bike with Nicola this evening as she wanted to see where Glen Etive was. It turned out to be a bit late and a wee bit chilly by the time we got there so we didn't go the five miles down the glen, pretty as it is I am not too keen on riding down single track roads that I don't know that well at dusk, mainly because of other road users coming the other way, - must go earlier and in warmer weather next time. Sorry didn't get camera out to take pic's when we were there, spectacular though.

This shot was taken when Nx had her ciggy brake - (well nobodies perfect!) She was much more confident and therefor better and more comfortable on the bike this time and in spite of the cold she still says she loved it, now thinks she wants to learn to ride on her own (As I said in Tuesdays previous blog "what have I done?")

Saw the wild geese flying south as we came back (WOW! is time flying this summer?!?!!) Had a good sun set by the time we got back to Appin. Photo' doesn't do it anything like justice.

Well I am sort of ready for the music Festival "Connect" at the end of the month, my new Tent came today I love the way it works! You unzip the cover and Ta Dar' it's just there, (best not to get in the way when it shoots open and it's not quite such fun to put away but we managed and I hope it will do.) Got it from a link at The Gadget Show channel five (UK TV) Website for £21.95 !

Neat A? I still have a bit of an aversion to camping though, I always think of that very short poem, now how does it go "Tents, nervous, headache!"

I think I got a photograph of the bank with the two different wood ashes on it this time, (see other blog).

I said I'd try to show both sides of this Medium Tall vase of Hugh's with the copper blush on it so here it is,

Time really is passing much too quickly for me this year, it doesn't seem more than a month since the season started and now the Rowen berries are out! As well as the geese going south, I suppose it's true, I'm told it's a sign of getting older. I hate that kind of talk though don't you?

Just an other thought "Time flies when you're having fun"!

Some Photo's of pots from latest firing.

2008-08-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

I am sorry if you think these pictures are a bit small but I've sized them for my web site not this blog so you'll just have to squint or click on the wee magnifying glass sign in the bottom right hand side if you want to see better. I thought that the Lemon squeezers came out rather nicely. And the sugar shakers.

Wood ash was quite strong too.

Some of the tenmoku was a bit borderline stripy (Zebra salt pigs anyone?)

And the Rutile slip hand painting was a little dark (not golden as with some firings).

Nicola's rutile blue 1pt jug is rather special don't you think?

But then I can do jugs too (these are approx' 35cm tall).

Large size fan vases.

The Piggy bank has two kinds of wood ash on it, as it was placed in the middle at the top of the stack there was a blast from the front fire box and the back (which was a bit hotter) as well, this made for a subtly shiny orange ash on the hot side and a much more brown ash from the cooler side.

Cool side,
Hotter side, alright so maybe you can't see it very well here but that's because I'm a potter not a photographer OK! (Also my digital SLR camera with the macro lens has gone funny on me, won't focus properly - VERY annoying).

Wall platters (chargers) are usually popular.

I'm just a wee bit frustrated by my inability to capture the combing on this platter with the camera!

The cut handled platters (I love the look of them in the granite (like it already has a syrup sponge in a pastry casing before you've even cooked in it).

And the tenmoku cut platter is nice and golden (nearer the bottom of the kiln).

What have I Done?

2008-08-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

OK So I know I shouldn't take much notice of the weather forecast but as it seemed quite adamant that it is to be a complete wash out on Wednesday I thought I'd do the photo's then and just get on today with other stuff. I sort of went a wee bit Nessy with this seal, not sure it works? The clouds were amazing this morning, looks like we are hertaling though the sky at great speed (which I suppose we are really).

Got stuck in the big City of Oban at lunch time.

So I decided to go out on the bike this evening and Nicola decided to come too! I would like to apologise to Nx mum for making her officially a biker chick but she seemed to really enjoy it and (until tomorrow when she realises her madness) wants to come out on it again!
We went to Cuil bay in Duror where I have spent many a crazy hour as I grew up there from the age of about six to sixteen.

Well I think she looks OK in my Belstaffs don't you? And before anyone asks no Hugh would not be seen dead on the back of anyone's bike, He had a quite long biking history of his own until he had kids and went sensible (people Carrier and an estate car - poor Hugh!)

It's a Good u'n!

2008-08-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Well I'm not sure what happened last night but the blog page just wouldn't play ball? It seems to be working fine now so here goes. This is the front stack, nice and even. Back stack is possibly a wee bit too hot (one or two and I do mean just one or two over firing blots - that's a bubble in the clay for the non potters out there), I can see only one second because of this problem though at the moment so hardly a Major fault.

Here you can see the hanging bird feeders in front of the tall lamps and some one stick jugs (one stick of clay - about 8 lbs weight).

Nice tenmoku on this cut handled platter.

The Orton cones (we set them in a dragon or fish design so that we may sell them at the end of the firing) are fairly even apart from the back dragon which is kind of flat!

Large sized handled bowls with micro candle holders (tea lights).

This tall vase of Hugh's in the white dolomite glaze has suffered from a rosy red bottom (cheeky) as the copper red has leeched over to it during the firing.

Some wall mounted bird feeders that I made the other week.

This is a picture of Nicola's rutile blue 1pt jug, very nice.

But she didn't stir the tenmoku up very well ( easy mistake to make if you haven't raw glazed before as it looks OK much like a bisc glaze when you give it a wee stir and too thick when it's done right if you get my drift), I'm sure she will get it right next time.

Big salt pigs came out dingadong too!

Only got one of the banks in this firing (I always think my kiln is bigger than it really is, it's better to have too many pots to pack than not enough don't you think?)

Lemon squeezers with Penny stile candle sticks

I only put two of the smaller wall platters in this firing as our clay is very tight (no grog) so I have to be sure that large ware is totally dry. (You can' really see the combing in this picture but it's there I'll try some more photo's later).

The Tenmoku one is a real shiner though!

Over all a really good firing.

August Firing.

2008-08-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

Here we see a picture of Hugh having a smoke. Heavy reduction from around 1000'C until maturity at 1300'C.
I usually Start the firing about 6:30am then Hugh takes over at about 3:30 - 4:00pm for the reduction stage. It brakes up the day and I get to take the dogs out which I'd not be able to do otherwise.

With this photo you would hardly believe it had been chucking it down with rain on and off most of the day.
Very heavy reduction near top temp'.

I threw and altered this skull shape some time ago, It sits on the corner of the kiln as a deterrent to folk. I say it was the last person to come around to the kiln shed uninvited while I was firing it and ask me stupid questions. I guess I'm not keen on being disturbed while I'm concentrating, I let Nicola have quite a long go at stoking as we slowed for the soak period at 900'C, she was very good and only drifted over the guide temperature a wee bit (if the pots come out ruined we will have someone else to blame now, Ha! Ha!.)

We finished about 10pm and I'm starting to want to see how the pots look already. (Off to bed though just now, it's after midnight).

Go get Packed.

2008-07-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

We are I think ready to pack the kiln now. Lots of finishing including more than a wee bit of hand painting, I made a brush rest for my set some time ago and was asked for one almost straight away so now I make them for the showroom as well.

Hand painting a fish pattern on a bowl.

first we band it.

Then the bodies,

Fins,

Scratching the definition and putting the dots on the fish's backs.

We paint the cobalt on the clay of the pot before we glaze in the Dolomite white.

But the granite and Tenmoku we paint over the top of the glaze.

Saw Mrs, Toad in the path this evening.

Hope to fire Saturday.

Quick Change.

2008-07-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

The Glue Pot's (the pub's) view is still quite clear (ish). But just down the road it's kind of coming in tonight (the rain).

Did you know that there isn't room for two dogs and five of their soft toys in one of the two beds they have in the workshop? (Stupid dogs).

The fish have forgiven me for wrecking their underwater garden now though.

Are We Sitting Comfortably? Then I'll Begin.

2008-07-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

Our resident frog (just a small fellow) seems to be comfy sitting in his rearranged home and the pond is starting to get a little clearer. Most rules have to have some lea way and raw glazing has quite a few rules. I picked this wee tip up from a lecture by John Maltby years ago, If you have a pot that is bone dry but you have forgotten to either slip or glaze inside, if you get a nice clean, wet sponge and wipe it all around the outside of the dry pot you can usually get away with glazing / slipping it inside, you have to wipe it again after you've glazed / slipped it and it drys out very quickly so you slip ware folk would have to get your fingers out if you wanted to wet decorate inside. It shouldn't work but 999 times out of 1000 it does! (I haven't forgotten to glaze these pie dishes I just like the thickness that I get with this glaze if I do the insides when they are dry, that's how certain I am of this technique).

I had to show you my new comfy chair! It was made by Nicola's Mum Rosemary Lindsay and it's just great, I didn't think much of Nx seat cover when she first came to work here but I had to sit at her wheel to show her a shape and when I'd sat down on it I just had to have one!!! It is made of a special memory foam (space shuttle technology) and boy does it work, it's more comfy than my motorbike seat!?

I got Hugh one too, so now we are all sitting comfortably!

P,S, No I don't think I'm getting soft in my old age, If you spend the hours we do one these things it's kind of important.

When it's not all Black & White.

2008-07-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

It's quite easy to see where the four leaved clover is in this photograph but if you think about where this picture was taken, then it's not so clear. Hugh and Nicola say they have never found one growing but they both walk over this patch of grass at least ten times a week, I suppose I do the same thing with other more important stuff all the time. This is The Black Castle or it's sometimes known as Barcaldine Castle, funny really as it is neither Black nor in Barcaldine (it's in Benderloch just down the road) but then it's not really a Castle either but a Tower House, such is life in the West Highlands.

It's for sale if you are rich enough to afford it?

I decided to sort out the water lilies this morning as they were looking a bit sorry for themselves, and to say it was rather warm today would be understating it just a bit. I got roasted by a combination of the sun and reflection from the water.

Hugh gave me a hand with the extra roots, three wheel barrow loads!

I don't expect any flowers this year but then they were not going to be very good anyway, this is one of seven pots we put back in re potted, ( I was doing potting of some sort so it's not skiving really).

The poor fish won't know what's hit them, I haven't done this for about five or six years but then the lilies needed it they were getting too tall for themselves.

Just a bit cloudy this water, unlike a short while before.

I saw this shadow at lunch time when I took the dogs and thought of Hannah's pictures (unlike her wonderful artistic shadow pictures though this one looks like I've become a toilet sign on a field of lavender! It's just grass though.)

And I was just wearing a silly straw hat to keep off the worst of the sun.

Went up to the start of Glen Coe this evening, a beautiful run on the bike, I went ostensibly to take a picture of "The Chancellor ", a formation of rocks that when viewed from the right angle makes up what looks like the face of a judge with his wig and gown.

That's the way to the hidden glen (Where the McDonald clan allegedly used to hide stolen cattle). Hay! do you think that might be when they started selling all those beef burgers?

This is the mountain where the Chancellor is but I should have taken my proper camera not just the rubbish phone one. (No zoom).

I think you might just be able to make him out in profile looking right from the left side of this photo, what? no you can't Oh dear I guess I will just have to take another trip up there some other time then. (See any excuse, previous blog.)

By the time I got back from my trip by way of the Creagan Inn (Haven't shown you the view from there yet) it was getting towards sun set.

So when I went in to the Pottery showroom the light was pitching in straight at this Tenmoku (or as we call it) Black glazed lamp. Wow! it was anything but black and you could really see why I love this finish quite so much OK the picture doesn't do it justice but you might be able to get my drift?

PS, We did do quite a lot of finishing work, mainly glazing but it's not very interesting to show you so that's all folks (for now.)

Lucky?

2008-07-27T01:09:00.000-07:00

The frog is supposed to be a sign of good luck in Japan and the ones I make for the showroom sell well whether they are attached to a vase, lamp or water feature as in this shot or just on their own. Here I took a picture of the rain that I managed to miss when taking the dogs in the morning a bit lucky there then.

And here we have some evidence of very noisy neighbours, but I am not to complain as they are supposed to bring you good luck!

Brilliant hand builders aren't they, come to think of it that should be beak builders shouldn't it.

I'm not sure if there are 2 or 3 in here but they are the second clutch of Swallows in this nest this year, they get up at about 4am at the moment and the nest is about 5 ft from my bed! (Just the other side of the wall, very lucky aren't I.)

In this photo you can't see that it is hooching with wood ants they are moving too fast for the camera but they reminded me of when I was told on Saturday how lucky I was to have the pottery set up how and where it is, I always think when someone says that of what Richard Branson said when he was interviewed one time, "Yes I suppose I am lucky but I've always found that the harder I work the luckier I become".

Never mind waxing lyrical about philosophy Alan get back to the pots, here's some waxing bases.

Using a dry chuck here Paul.

Took the dogs for a cool dip in the evening and it was really great, there I am lucky see.

Retyring

2008-07-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

No I am not going to stop potting nor have I stopped using the spell check, I just got some new boots for the bike and I'm fascinated by the beautiful patterns they put on motorbike tyres these days. (This one seems to be saying Al, all around it so as it's short for Alan, I think it's meant for me). I still have the funny wee hairy bits on them where the molding has left points of rubber, I did ask Nx if I could borrow her Epilator (for plucking the hairs off your legs) but she'd have none of it. I wonder if Hugh would let me use his clippers? Perhaps not. Oh well I'll just have to go out on my bike again to scrub them off. (The back one looks like it's saying la, la, so either it's singing as we go along or it should have an Ooh! at the start.)

When it's as hot & humid as it was on Friday you have to think of a nice cool place to go for a walk, Sutherland's Grove. Big trees and water falls, I love the textures of the different bark from the trees up there.

Potent isn't it!

When I say waterfalls I had forgotten we haven't had much rain of late, it's a bit dry just now.

Aye I know it doesn't look very high and believe me I'm not frightened of shear drops it's just my brain seems to want to drag me over them so even though Nicola was fine, I was hanging on for grim death.

Back to some flat ground.

More textures, I feel a Jim Robison (from Holmfirth) moment coming on.

If you make Lemon Squeezers you must also do Sugar Shakers to complement them. (For pancakes,what do you mean? you don't know what I mean, Sugar & Lemon is best not Maple syrup, that's for our cousins across the ocean, besides how do you make a maple syrup bottle that would be practical from pottery?)

Beautiful day, just got stormy in the evening.

We have just about finished making for the next firing but there's a lot of waxing, glazing, hand painting and general fiddling about to do before we start packing so you might not hear much from me for a few days, see ya. P,S, We just sold the last really big jug so it looks like I will be on to them soon, watch this space in a few weeks time. (Firing comes first). P,P,S, I started this entry in the wee small hours so some how manged to hit the wrong button when I was reducing the size of my photo's, I have edited it now so the writing sort of nearly makes some sense now but I cannot do anything about the size or quality of these pictures. Many apology's - note to self go to sleep at night and do blogs when you wake up! ( I was also listening to some great stuff from T in the park through the BBC i player so may have been a bit distracted by the Chemical Brothers on my wee screen in the corner of my computer, I love the graphics show they do as well as their music, they are soooo! good).

Back to my pad.

2008-07-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

This is how we normally turn pots (trim them off) just on a leather hard clay pad it is so much easier to turn lots of different sizes this way, the chuck is only needed for especial awkward pots with small rims or no rim at all. I was trying to work out how to make the fuchsia flower in to a hand painting pattern as I was not so pleased with the version I'd done before when Nicola showed me her photo's of when she was in Ireland and she has a beautiful pattern that she's done herself (good these art students aren't they!)

I feel like Rolf Harris ( TV art guru in UK) because I want to say, "Can you guess what it is yet"?

OK, this is still part of the same thing.

Flat on their backs.

Now we are getting somewhere.

These are our wall mounted bird feeders, I know they are small but they really work and I'm not so sure I should let you guys see the design as they are one of out best sellers! But here goes anyway. (Plastic lids are for cutting out the holes in the bottom pot.

This is a picture of one of our string hanging ones (the first one I came up with) it was a cross between a roman gladiators helmet (the fish one) and an ancient British round house.

This is a photograph I took too late in the day to show the birds feeding! as they had had the lot by then. We normally put wild bird seed chitted (soaked in water) over night in the post feeders and just crushed peanuts in the small feeders.

Went for a wee walk with Nicola and the dogs in the evening to clear the pipes, lovely warm, breezy weather. I don't know exactly what has happened but the contrast on my phone camera seems to have gone wrong? I'm working on it.

Unfortunately not much of a sun set as there was a bank of cloud just at the wrong moment. Such is life. My cold seems to be abating but Nx says she's caught it back off me?! Well I knew it would end up being my fault, it usually is.

A Closer Look.

2008-07-24T01:07:00.000-07:00

This is the quarry where we get the granite dust for our really great granite glaze, I know I said it was just an excuse to go out on the bike but I did get a nice shot or two of the pier at Taynuilt, it's a lovely old one, shame the ends a bit run down.

But it does have a few grand features like this set of steps, don't you just love the lichen and the design, I bet one or two people have cracked their heads on that edge one the way up though.

Piggy Bank Managers (or should that be Pigagers?) are all but done (I hate lettering).

I seem to have gained an orchid!? The Iris are over but I like the happy accidents of gardens don't you?

This is by the pond in case you were wondering. (Our tea is not that weak!)

Animal Cruelty.

2008-07-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

This scene sort of tickled me. Not sure it should have as it shows that even when the dogs are not terrorising their toys, Pam is finding some new hideous form of torture for them! (Do you think maybe my dogs are a wee bit spoiled?) P,S, I officially have come down with what I can only describe as "man flu", it can't be just the cold that Nicola has as it feels far worse than she's had to work though. The really bad thing is not being able to breath easily at night and therefore not being able to sleep, OK I know it's just a summer cold and I was only kidding about it being worse than Nx cold but as she's worked though it that means I'll have to too!!! I hate all that diligent work ethics thing don't you? I know, I know, I WILL just keep going though, sniff, sniff.

Chuck it.

2008-07-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

OK this is for Paul as he was befuddled by my last chuck (which admittedly might have had more to do with him having just come back from the pub than my blogging) here is how we make a turning chuck, use an old seconds flower pot (this one is about 25 years old) tapped on centre and stuck to the wheel head with three or four bits of clay. Then add some slightly stiffer clay to the rim.

Cut rim to shape with a wire or I use a strong needle.

Then I put some torn news paper around the rim so that the pots don't stick, it also drys out the clay a little over about half an hour.

I only use a chuck for difficult shapes, (you can't put these pots on a pad of clay upside down for turning.)

Place the pot in the chuck for turning and tap on centre (If you don't know about tapping on centre you'll just have to wait until I can figure out how to do video on this thing).

trim off untidy excess clay from base.

Then stamp the pot.

Bet you can't guess what it is yet.

My take on an old coin bank (we do piggy banks as well but here we have the piggy bank manager at his desk with computer to hand).

I will tidy him up tomorrow.

I need a better mobile phone! Well not the phone bit as I hate telephones but I need a better camera that will fit in my jeans and can be used at the blink of an eye as my phones camera can, if I only had a zoom on this thing I'd have a cracking picture of this Buck Roe Deer but as it is all we can see is a wee brown splodge lying down in the grass in the middle of the clearing! Annoying init?

P,S, Web site is back good as new.

24 seven

2008-07-22T00:54:00.001-07:00

The sky and mist are making a load of subtle shades of blue steel greys this morning. I took a photo from the clay store roof deck 24 hours ago (see previous blog), then I realised that you wouldn't have a clue how I'd taken it. I decided to make a roof deck when we built the clay store as it is handy for drying pots (when it's not raining) it also makes a good vantage point.

The steps are getting a bit over grown, must sort it out (on my list of things to do) ---(Along with painting the clay store hand rails).

One other thing I noticed this morning I don't seem to have a website?!??? I know that my web hosting company Warp 9 are usually very good and keep it going 24 - 7 but they have to do maintenance every now and then, on the other hand I got my subs bill the other week and sent off the cheque ASAP, I just hope it got there and this gets sorted out very soon. Just what I don't need at this time of year! (Update, I have been on to Warp 9 and am assured it will be up and running within the hour! Written at 9:34am ) .

All in one Day.

2008-07-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

Seven this morning.

This morning it was absolutely stunning with blue sky and hardly a cloud.
But at this stage of the making cycle we try to put as many pots in the roof of the workshop as we can, it drys them off much better than anywhere else as heat rises and moves the moist air away from the clay also when space is at a premium we can store loads more up there than anywhere else.

It's a good thing this technique works as by this evening it was chucking it down with smeary, dreech, misty rain with the added bonus of a cloud of Midges. It's supposed to be better by the morning though.

Seven this evening, raining with no hills or definition to the land scape at all.

Turning round.

2008-07-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

A bit more combing for my slip ware loving friends.

Having thrown and carved the lemon squeezers we then turn and stamp them. The pottery stamp is supposed to be two Scots pines it is derived from the old Appin pottery stamp which was a pair of pine trees sprouting from a rock. The old pottery was up the glen at a little place called Fasnachoich which means growth from a rock. There is a dirty great big Scots pine doing just that just up the hill from there it must be hundreds of years old and when we moved down the road I thought it would be nice to carry on the stamp, well evolve it a wee bit but keep it going if you get my drift.

It might look odd but a good chuck is very handy for turning awkward shapes. The paper is to dry out the chuck and to stop the pots from sticking to it while it's still a bit damp.

Why?

2008-07-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

Why, the second favorite question that these two clowns ask, after when we going out?

Why am I here? Well it's good to get people interested.

Then there is the Great outdoors.

Nice scene, (No not Nicola's bum, the beach you ninny).

You can be in a different world in a few minutes

Castle AAARRRRGH again! See previous blog.

There's my pride and joy! (I know she's a pug ugly motorbike but she's mine and she goes like stink when you want her to, she's also very comfortable when you just want to sit and watch the world go by.)

The wood kiln and friends.

No near by Neighbors to complain about smokey days.

Or clay making dusty days come to that!

I was reading Ron Philbeck's comments about my photos of around here and I must admit it had never occurred to me not to put them in to my blog as the scenery is such a big part of my life. As a local lady I was talking to just the other day said, "People ask if you ever get used to it but you don't, it just keeps changing and if you love it why would you dream of living anywhere else?" I know that I can be in any one of five or six cities within a couple of hours if and when the urge takes me and there are one or two things that happen here too you know. I do appreciate that we would not be able to fire the kiln with wood if we lived nearer civilisation and we are blessed with a very busy tourist route without which we wouldn't be here either but I think the main things that make me say, "Yes we are". When someone comes in the door and asks "Oh are you still here then!?" Are the place and the people that live here. I am very lucky and I do appreciate the fact. OK sometimes it gets a bit cabin feverish when in the winter it's been raining for four weeks solid but that's just character building and it's not so bad when you think if it were like the south of France all the time you wouldn't be able to move for property developers. But the main reason for writing this is I really wish I could see more of where you people live! be it country side or city it's all interesting. Yes Ron I would love to see more of your place too.

Squeezing Lemons.

2008-07-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

I have not done Lemon Squeezers for a while so here is how we do them.

When I said I pulled all my handles I was not kidding, these are a good example of loops that would possible be seen as ripe for extruding but I like the thought that no two are the same, these pots below are wall vases by the way. PS, It is "%*$ing it down with rain today or as they say around here, "It's a wee bit dreech."

Any Excuse.

2008-07-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Bonawe quarry where we get the granite dust for our lovely granite glaze. The photo is from Airds Bay and the quarry is just above my helmet to the left. OK! OK! I admit it was a very poor excuse to go out on my bike but here it is none the less and it might rain tomorrow so I wouldn't get out for a ride then.

The View from the pub shows a Mackerel sky, I think we might be in for some rain.

Here we have a photo of some Hippie Cow calf's that I saw on my way home from the pub (Highland Cows) are Hippies because of the long hair of cause! Cute init.

What's in the make here just now?

2008-07-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

I was making Flan Dishes amoung other stuff. (Handles etc)...See Pulled.

Nicola is making Penny Candle Sticks, they have nothing to do with costing a penny but are named after Penny the potter who invented them, they hold a candle obviously but you can also put flowers in the reservoir around the candle too. N'x also made some very nice Posy pots earlier, in spite of her cold getting her down quite a bit. (She's a very brave wee soldier, and if she reads this she will probably hit me for being a patronizing bampot.)

Hugh is making Wall Posy's and has just finished the Flower pots. He didn't like this photo much, said it made him look a wee bit bald. (Hugh I'm sorry old friend but probably because you've been pulling some out over the years what with all those kids of yours and the new house you've built recently, I must to tell you something about your hair.....)

Pulled.

2008-07-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

To pull or not to pull? That is the question, whether 'ti's nobler in the mind to suffer the torment and anguish of learning this stronger more organic way of handling. or just bung on some grotty extruded band of lifelessness - OK I think you get my drift as to where my loyalties are on this one. Unlike most lazy s*"- whoops I mean some potters these days, here at Argyll Pottery we like to pull our handles even ones that you could easily (and I'm sorry to have to use this sweary word again) extrude, I know it's a bit puritanical of me but as far as I can see, what is the point of going to all the bother of throwing a nice pot and then putting some limp dead fish of a thing from a machine on the side? When you obviously have hands to make a beautiful handle yourself! Let the factories make the bash it out stuff and lets keep the nice real pots for ourselves. (Rant over.)

A Mugs Game?

2008-07-15T16:03:00.001-07:00

We use a pointer to give us the height and diameter of any domestic pots we make, Round mugs are three & a half x three & a half inches and weigh ten ounces, they hold approximately half a pint when fired, (I know, we haven't gone metric and my wheel box is a mess- so?)

I was making mugs and GIO (that's Glazed inside Only) bowls today, Hugh and I cut wood for the kiln as well and a certain other person is back from T in the Park nearly in one piece, She's coming down with a lovely cold which I'm sure we will all get in the fullness of time, it's possible that Nicola caught the cold before she left from one of our visitors but I will try to keep her feeling guilty about it for as long as I can as she had such a good time there.

I think the mugs are probably the pots I make most of for any one firing, 46 will go in on one side of the kiln so 46 is what I usually make. In the past I made loads of bowls etc at a time but I have found that it's better for body and soul to not become a machine.

One other thing I would like to mention as a word of caution to would be blogger's out there, When I got back from Stirling yesterday (two sold but I had to collect the three pots that didn't from The Smiths Gallery) I popped in to the Doctors surgery for Pam's repeat prescription, Irene and Rebbecca two of our near neighbours were in there waiting by the desk, as I walked past Rebbecca said hello and giggled, I know I'm no oil painting but I don't usually get laughs for just being there so I did the usual and checked my flies, no that was OK and I don't remember saying anything particularly funny at the last pottery demo I did for the school, then she did it again and my only thought apart from her being a giggly teenager (which I didn't think she was) is that she might have read my "Grumpy" blog, I didn't know we had a younger audience but Hi there if we do! I might just have to take a wee bit more care in exactly what I say from now on though. (God forbid, I might say something rude, un' P,C, or embarrassing but then again knowing me I'll just go and do it anyway.)

A good Days Rest.

2008-07-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

Went for a walk up the forest today, found some mushrooms but I'm not sure that they are False Chanterelle or not? It's been such a long time since I had any, Bailey and Murphy seemed to be very interested though.

OK, normal service will resume as soon as possible - sorry for the rambling on yesterday but a good day doing nothing (well sorting out some stuff but not much) has made me feel a lot better and I will probably keep Mr Keeney's head as a reminder of how I should not let life drag me down if nothing else. It's rather good in its own way and besides it also reminds me of Fiona & Brian from White Hills who took it up to their home and cared enough to fire it brilliantly and of cause it reminds me of all the other great friends I meet up at the SPA AGM in Kindrogan Field centre every year. Enigmatic is the word for his expression I think and it does fit in here again, now that I've sorted everything out. A place for everything and everything in its place. (PS, the photo is not how I've left it - looked a bit wrong with these pieces some how).

I Can Handle it.

2008-07-12T17:51:00.001-07:00

In between being driven slightly bonkers by "some" of our visitors, I did manage to do some handled bowls and a bit of turning today. Also enjoyed many conversations with very interesting customers and made some wee piggies, something I can do behind the counter. There are two sizes of bowl here, there are seven 9 inch and two 12 inch top right hand side. It's just what will fit in the kiln pack this time (I do a kiln list for each firing so that we know roughly what going to fit, what with orders and such).

Grumpy Old Sod?

2008-07-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

I did get to take the dogs for a nice walk around Dalrannoch (Gaelic word for Blunt Point) which has made me feel a lot less grotty but I still would like Christy's head to go to someone that will appreciate it more than me.

I think it's a combination of many things that have drawn me to the conclusion that I am becoming that which I most dread, a "grumpy old sod". The fact that Nicola (our summer student) is off at T in the Park (a music festival) this weekend so not only am I more than a bit jealous having seen some of the TV coverage but also unlike every other Saturday for a while I have had to look after the weekend crowd on my own without the help of that bright, keen, vivacious young woman that knows just how to smile sweetly at the difficult customer (She's worked in a pub a few times before coming here) may have something to do with it, I know that when Hugh (my full time assistant) is on, he hardly ever lets me look after customers because when the odd tourist has left his or her brain out of gear for the holidays I tend not to be terribly diplomatic. Don't get me wrong I know that 99.9% of people that come through our door are really great and appreciate the pots and I am eternally grateful for their support. We would not have survived for 20 years without them but it just takes the odd one or two to come in and they are the ones that you remember. Today (Saturday) was just one of those days when eight or nine decided to pay us a visit all at once. I know that I should not be too jaded so early in the season (we are open all year round) but when you've been asked for the third time "What's happened to all the water?" When the tide has gone out so the loch looks a bit empty (they really do think that there's been a drought, conversely that there has been a deluge when the tide is in!) and "Why is the terracotta faded on one side?" when you have a beautiful blush of wood ash on the other side of a stoneware wood fired pot, also there was the lady that asked if you could use the garlic pots for salt, to which I had to reply "Yes you could if they did not have holes all around and in the bottom of them", then there's the person that (and you know who you are) had to turn the big vase full of flowers (and therefor water) upside down and then exclaimed "Oh I didn't think there would be any water in it!" Looking at me accusingly as if I had somehow tricked her, I could go on but I must focus.

If you have read some of my previous blogs you will know that I lost my old computer and as I bought a new one I decided to get a wireless hub, this means I have moved things around in the room (where said hub is) the idea being that I will not fry my brains with radio waves while at my desk. This has caused quite a lot of upheaval but the main reason for my rambling on is I was fortunate enough to win a raffle prize at the A,G,M of the Scottish Potters Association in 2006 it was a Christy Keeney original and the only place I have been able to give it space is in this room. The problem is I do remember having quite a long conversation with Christy in the bar the previous year when he demonstrated and I remember his slide show where he said he drank away most of his time at The Royal College of Art. I also remember his exact words to me when at the end of the meeting I went to thank him for is teachings and my over all impression of him was and still is to this day that he is "A Grumpy Old Sod" so I am not too keen to have his head any more as it reminds me of what I do not want to become and was wondering if there might be anyone out there that might have something to swap with me? Like maybe a David Leach Cup and Saucer? or a Mick Casson Jug? A Michael Cardew Egg Cup? anything, even money might tempt me. I know I have not sold the idea too well but there must be quite a few C K fans out there or he would not make a living. My apology's Christy if I have offended you but I am sure that as you said yourself we should all speak our minds you will forgive me (or maybe not, he can be a bit grumpy you know).

Moody, Sunny, Windy Spectacular day.

2008-07-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Went for a ride on the bike this evening, a bit breezy to say the least but very invigorating. That's Stalker Castle in the background in between the trees, though I don't think it's too clear, (Better known as Castle AAARGH! in Monty Python and the Holy Grail). Loved the sky though, it looks SO big some how on days like these.

When I throw my Fan vases I sometimes glimpse people looking at me and my work as if I've gone slightly nuts. They see me make a perfectly good vase and then bash it in on two sides for no apparent reason what so ever? But if they have seen the fired version out in the show room it sometimes twigs in their heads. The idea was from Bob who owned a big country house hotel a little way north of here where all of the old mantle pieces are quite narrow but he wanted to do nice big flower arrangements, hence the Fan Vase as it splays the flowers in to the shape of a fan and there's a good reservoir at the bottom of the pot which keeps it stable too.

Salt Pigs, Small Teapots ETC.

2008-07-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

The glaze room doubles up as our damp room at this stage of the making cycle, it feels remarkably colder in here than anywhere else because of the humidity but it really helps to stop any cracked handles or other nasty things happening. Note the bottom pots are sitting on the glaze bins, Teapots & some of Hugh's Oil/Vin's are on one of the clay storage bins, (old freezers that don't work any more but keep the clay damp beautifully).

Cutting and joining the salt pigs, we do them a bit differently to the traditional method, it's a shape my old boss Joe did and I like it simple, modern and old fashioned all at the same time.

I was kind of driving myself crazy with fiddly wee bits today, handling one & a half pint teapots, cutting and joining large salt pigs, turning and handling six pint casseroles, among other things.

Finishing off the spouts with an old Surform blade.

Constructive Criticism?

2008-07-10T16:38:00.000-07:00

1pt Jugs after glazing on the inside, they are ready to start drying out now. (As we raw glaze we do the insides when they are leather hard and the outsides when they are bone dry).

I have always found it hard to try to give pointers to people about their work as I see so many faults with my own pieces but it is important to help with growing talent so today I had to choose which of Nicola's 1pt jugs that she had made over the last two weeks were in my eyes good enough to fire. (She had done many other jobs in that time but this was her throwing project for now.) I had made two jugs so that she would have something to aim for and to show the different stages of throwing turning (yes we turn our jugs) and handling. My ones are on the right of this photograph, the ones I chose are the four in the middle and the far left ones are the ones that went back in to the slops bin. (Just writing this is making me cringe again to see all that hard work ruined but it was great to see the improvement in her work).

Big Platters.

2008-07-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

This platter will hopefully be about 15 inches across when fired, raw glazed in the Rutile half and half.

Instead of all the hand painting we usually do I thought some combing would make a change. Must be looking at all these lovely slip ware pots on other potters blog spots. Some cobalt slip, some iron so we can do them in the Rutile and Tenmoku glazes.

I thought as it seems people want the domestic ware more this year that I would have a go at some big platters or chargers as they are sometimes called.

I did some cut handled platters for this firing (I actually cut the rim leaving the handles for you to be able to lift the plate out of the oven easier, great for apple pies etc). Finished turning and decorating these in the morning then went to the big town (Oban) for a meeting with David, my accountant who told me to stop buying new cars and things, which I have promised him faithfully that I will try hard not to do for at least a few years, (My car is only two this month so that's not too difficult but I didn't get round to telling him about my new computer just yet) then I went for a hair cut and home for dog walks, food and tea pot throwing (on the wheel not out of the window, well not yet anyway we will see what they look like when finished). Then went on my motorbike to The Glue Pot (the pub) for a pint. (Yes officer it was just the one, I'm not completely daft you know).

Sun Set.

2008-07-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

As the sun sets on another pretty amazing day I am dead chuffed to be able to say I have found my photography soft ware! Looks like we might be back in business. (Picture is a shot from the house across the bay towards the Morvern hills).

New Laptop, Good, Bad, or just (OK I guess?)

2008-07-05T01:11:00.000-07:00

I am just getting the hang of this new computer, it is lovely to use but I don't know where half of it is and cannot find some of my soft ware (camera down loads etc), so I hope you will be tolerant if the blogs slow for a while. Top Photo is of Bailey the Beagle doing his "I rule the world" bit (it's a Beagle thing) on our way to pick up the laptop in Glasgow.
I decided to do a cone fish for our Orton cones last firing as well as our usual Cone Dragons. (We like to make a profit out of our Orton Cones rather than just sticking them in to a lump of clay then throwing them away).

Hugh and I did a small collaboration last firing as the local mountain bike club wanted some prizes for their annual races. Hugh made the tall mugs and I decorated them with a biker theme.

The Posy Pots that Nicola made for the last firing have been selling well (I'm not sure why but she seemed to be a wee bit surprised by this? I think they are great.) Sorry about the quality of the photo's but it's the phone camera so they are not too good. (Only soft ware I could find to work just now).

Death of a Computer?

2008-07-03T16:52:00.001-07:00

I was sad and a wee bit shocked when my little laptop refused to do anything on Monday I think I killed it with putting too much stuff on it as for months now it's been saying it was reducing old files to make room but it's not all bad news, just a bit frustrating. I was going to buy a new computer at the end of this summer anyway but as it is I will have to find out where everything is on this new one and exactly how vista works (I liked my old XP). So I hope you will be patient with me as until I can work the photograph side of things (which I suspect will be fairly easy) my blogs will be a bit thin. I hope to get the old on fixed eventually and as all of my e mail addresses are on it I hope no one minds if I don't get back to them as from before Monday but we are very busy right now so it will have to take a back seat for the moment.

Glen Coe

2008-06-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

The Bog Cotton is out all over the Glen and I don't know why but I kept thinking as it waved in the breeze that it looked like a tiny army with their wee white banners standing defiantly in the wind. (Must be reading too many Disc World books, I'm expecting to see Wee Pictsies around the next corner.- - - For info on what on earth I'm talking about see Carpe Jugulum or The Wee Free Men etc by Terry Pratchett).

Some brave souls were canoeing at one point, I know it's nearly July but it was only 10'C up there today and there's still snow on the top of some of the hills!

It has been quite dry for a while really as you can see this waterfall called The Grey Mare's Tail is usually quite big but it's not even half full just now.

Went for a drive up through Glen Coe on Sunday. It's where they have filmed lots of stuff, Harry Potter, Highlander , Rob Roy etc. Sun shine with showers is the way I would describe the weather but that just made it more dramatic. You might just see the dogs sitting in the back of the car wondering when we were going to go for a walk?

The Showroom.

2008-06-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

The Granite glaze looks good with the wood ash on these Cut handled Bowls and the Tall Jug above.

I still can't quite get my head round this set up yet, it sort of works if you start from the bottom of this bit but as is, it's like I was walking backwards round the showroom if you know what I mean?!

The pictures don't really show the Cobalt glaze off very well but I think it does complement the wood ash very nicely when you see it up close.

I have finally decided that my hand painted fish pattern beneath will be facing left so there should be no more confusion when all of the right facing pieces have sold (note wine jug).

The TV Dinner bowls with the leather thongs are designed so that you don't burn your hand when eating your food on your lap, you may also need a towel for your knees. (The things you come up with when you've cooked for yourself). And yes the pottery pipes do work if you were wondering. Here in photograph below are some Tulip Vases mainly in the Rutile Blue glaze.

Yes the flowers are real, out of the garden ( well you've got to know that the vases work haven't you).

Big jugs came out nice.

I am told that the Tenmoku (black glaze) is well and truly back in fashion now which is great because I love it.

We have just managed to get the showroom sorted out after the latest firing, Pam came over to help out which is great (She has a really good eye for displaying) so I thought I'd take some photo's.

Clay Bats?

2008-06-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

As one firing is over we must think of the next as is the way with potting, Nicola (who is working with us this summer) and I started making the clay for this months pots this morning but after a few mixes we noticed a large and rather handsome frog walking or should I say jumping by on his way to the pond, as Nicola was watching him she pointed at what looked to me very much like a bunch of leaves and said, "Isn't that a bat?" I stopped the dough mixer and pulled one of the large bins back to get a better look and sure enough it was a very frightened bat with long ears! I am not positive but I think it's what they call a lesser horse shoe bat and it was not very happy where it was so I got a clean towel and gathered it up carefully placing it on the top of one of the stacks of clay bags, some 10 ft off the ground and far enough away from the noise we where making so as not to be too disturbed from its sleep, I had a look at 11pm and it had gone so hopefully it is none the worse for its fall from either the roof or one of the clay bins.

Unpacked kiln.

2008-06-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

It's a good one! Nice and hot temperature top and bottom, and even the Tenmoku came out nice this time (it's been a bit too metallic recently). Photo's are of front and back stacks, good wood ash where it is more open to the flame.

Fire Box 1

2008-06-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

June Firing.

2008-06-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

Well we fired the wood kiln on Friday and I am just itching to get at the pots now! I have had a wee look inside through the spy holes but there is nothing like the anticipation of a months work you can't see!