Making Pottery in the Bulldog Studio

Bruce Attaching a Handle onto his Pitcher

We have been working steadily here at Bulldog Pottery. Many pots made, now to get them dry and load them into the kiln for the first firing stage, that we call bisque.  This stage of the process hardens the pottery which makes it more durable to apply the glazes.

It always amazes us whenever going through the cycle of making just how time consuming "making" is.  We rarely ever time ourselves. We just work until we can't work anymore, and we get as much done as we can in the time frame that we have.  We have a open shop for the public here at our place in Seagrove and we talk with people everyday day throughout the year about pottery and life.  It is really enjoyable, we meet lots of great people.  We often get asked,  "How long did it take to make that cup... or that jar or that vase"?  This is a good question and a hard one to answer, and also a question we ask ourselves as well.  We rarely time ourselves and when we do I usually say I am not going to do that again (mostly because we really don't want to know). We make our work through serial processes, and that series can have us going through the process for 1.5 months - 2 months, depending on studio and life scheduling. Our schedule is constantly changing to adapt to what is happening- in the shop, studio, community, and events coming up.  

Anyway, we usually answer this question by saying it is a process, we work in a serial fashion and it takes us 1.5 to 2 months to see a body of work through to completion. I still don't think that nails it because there are so many other things that go on in the life of a full-time studio potter.  Glaze preparation, clay preparation, clay reprocessing, equipment maintenance, ......, and then there is creative maintenance.  Glaze designing and testing, new forms, new images, new processes,....Egads!  We must be pottery geeks!

We are getting ready for "Cousins in Clay", it is around the corner and we have lots of glazing ahead of us. 

Please join us for our annual pottery weekend event. We are really excited to have David MacDonald, Jack Troy, and Michael Kline here, with their wonderful pottery. There will be music on both days, some nibbles, a Saturday demo by Bruce and Michael, Potters Potluck at noon on Sunday, and Jack Troy will read some of his poems on Sunday after lunch.

See you Soon!

"Cousins in Clay" - June 1-2, 2013 - at Bulldog Pottery, in Seagrove, North Carolina more details at Cousins in Clay Website.

Samantha's Altered Drinking Cups

Bruce Smoothing out a Handle on his Mug

Samantha Decorating a Vase with Insect Imagery

Bruce Throwing Porclain Mugs

Samantha's Covered Jars Awaiting Knobs

Samantha Designing the Knobs to the Covered Jars

I Know it is Here Somewhere

Bruce Gholson searching for a specific tool

Bruce has a wonderful assortment of tools that he has made and acquired through his forty years of pottery making. He has made ribs for just the right curve and cut-off sticks for the bottom of pots.  The black metal ribs always seem to hide themselves so he made these cool wood block holders for them.  We can become attached to a particular tool and I know that when I am looking for my rib that I really like to use and it has moved itself, throwing just isn't right until that tool is found. Bruce makes me tools too. I am very happy when he hands me over a new something. I have lost my tiny rib that I love, and I miss it dearly. I use it to make the lid's flange for my covered jars and it has been quite awhile since I have had it (hint hint).  

We are trying to get through a couple of different cycles this month. We will be loading and firing our gas kiln with our Moka glaze pottery and I will be working on a series of porcelain glaze paintings and Bruce will be decorating with his fossil fish image on red clay.

Bruce Gholson working on his pitcher's handle

Bruce Gholson throwing cups

Bruce attaching the handle to his pitcher

I fought the claw

Samantha making mugs, Seagrove, NC

.....and the claw won.  I bought this t-shirt when we went to Maine 4 years ago.  We had an awesome time and ate lots of lobsters for dinner and oyster stew for lunch. 

We are busy in the studio making functional pottery for the Moka glaze kiln and more pieces for our flowing glaze kiln too. I have a few more days to go for the Moka glaze, probably take me the rest of the week to finish up and decorate the thrown pieces with dotted patterns.  Cousins in Clay is the weekend of June 1 and 2 this year. We are really excited to meet David MacDonald and see his wonderfully patterned pottery and catch up with Jack Troy who will be returning with his luscious wood-fired work.

This weekend, May 3-5 is FireFest, a first time annual event in Star, NC., hosted by Starworks, celebrating Art made with fire!  I hope we can get a few chances to go down and check out all the neat things that will be happening just 5 miles down the road.  You can buy tickets ahead of time for a bit cheaper cost, or wait and buy them on the day for a few dollars more. There are demos during the day and talks and music Fri. and Sat. evening.  All of the details are on the STARworks website.

Samantha making mugs, Seagrove, NC

I really love to throw/turn pots. There is something so comforting about knowing a form, the amount of clay I need to make that form, and to be able to do it mostly without too much struggle. The tumblers below were like that this time.  Sometimes this form can take a me few to get the rhythm down, but a couple of nights ago they were friendly to make.  It is satisfying and pleasurable to feel the clay pull up almost on its own. 

Samantha's tumblers before trimming

Samantha covering pottery for the night, Seagrove, NC

Maine is a beautiful place. When we went it rained everyday, which actually made for a very relaxing vacation. We didn't feel like we had to hustle out of the house to go hiking and do something, so in the mornings we relaxed and read books and enjoyed the beauty around the house, and in the afternoon we ventured out in our raincoats to eat and take short hikes. The mosses were lush and the shoreline blissful.  The following are some images from that trip.

Cousins in Clay - Seagrove June 1 & 2

"Cousins in Clay" - Postcard Front 

"Cousins in Clay" 2013

Contemporary Pottery Show and Sale
June 1-2, 2013

Meet the Potters 

 David MacDonald

Jack Troy

Michael Kline

Samantha Henneke

 Bruce Gholson

at Bulldog Pottery - Seagrove, NC 27341

3306 US Hwy 220 Alt.

5 miles south of Seagrove traffic light - Look for the Blue Watertower 

336-302-3469

June 1 - Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm

music by Chronis Pou Vasilou during the day

at 3:00pm demo by Michael Kline and Bruce Gholson

June 2 - Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm

Potters Potluck at noon - All are welcome

music by Will McCanless 

at 1:30pm Jack Troy presents selections of his poetry

"Cousins in Clay" - Postcard Back 

Samantha Henneke Yunomis - AKAR Gallery Annual Yunomi Show

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC, Leaf Yunomi

For this year's annual Yunomi show Samantha sent a set of Moka glaze leaf cups. 

       The AKAR Yunomi invitational has developed quite a following over the years. One time a handful of years back Bruce sent one of his first skull cups.  After sending it I began to feel remorse and wanted that cup back.  Ed (my dad) and I decided that we were going to buy it back. We signed up for an account ahead of time, sat at the computer at the time of the opening and proceeded to go to Bruce's page. We had slow internet service and it took awhile for the images to load up at that time. Well when we went to Bruce's page the cup had sold. I wonder who bought the piece? Whoever did they have a winner.
I hope I have not discouraged you from trying to purchase these Yunomis or any other potters' Yunomis from the AKAR online, I only want to express that it would wise to get an account now, and be ready when the clock turns to.... well I am not sure when it starts, I  think I remember in the past that it was late morning. You can sign up for AKAR's email list and they will send you information about the time that the show will open.  They also have an AKAR Art facebook page where they have been sharing some of the Yunomis that will be for sale and everyday from here until the 18th they are having a you name the Yunomi contest. 

And yes I do have a picture of the skull cup that Ed and I wanted to buy back, would you like to see it? I get to gaze on it through my computer screen. I am glad I have a picture of it.

AKAR Yunomi Online Show opens on Friday, April 19, 2013. 

There are 200 potters invited to send 5 Yunomis each to AKAR Gallery's annual Yunomi exhibition.   If you are thinking you may want to purchase a Yunomi or two from one of the 200 potters featured, it is a good idea to sign up and get an account now.  This show is an online sale only, and when the exhibit opens Friday morning many of the Yunomis sell out in the first hour.

Yunomi is a casual drinking vessel that is taller than it is wide.

AKAR and the potters donate some of the proceeds of this Yunomi sale to the Studio Potter. The Studio Potter is a bi-yearly magazine that promotes discussion of technology, criticism, aesthetics, and history within the ceramics community. To find out more about the Studio Potter Magazine visit their website.

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC, Leaf Yunomi

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC, Leaf Yunomi

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC,  Leaf Yunomi

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC,  Leaf Yunomi

Samantha Henneke, Seagrove, NC, Leaf Yunomi

Bruce Gholson Yunomis - AKAR Gallery Annual Yunomi Show

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

  

 AKAR Yunomi Online Show opens on Friday, April 19, 2013. 

There are 200 potters invited to send 5 Yunomis each to AKAR Gallery's annual Yunomi exhibition.   If you are thinking you may want to purchase a Yunomi or two from one of the 200 potters featured, it is a good idea to sign up and get an account now.  This show is an online sale only, and when the exhibit opens Friday morning many of the Yunomis sell out in the first hour.

Yunomi is a casual drinking vessel that is taller than wide.

These are the 5 Yunomis that Bruce sent this year.

AKAR and the potters donate some of the proceeds of this Yunomi sale to the Studio Potter. The Studio Potter is a bi-yearly magazine that promotes discussion of technology, criticism, aesthetics, and history within the ceramics community. To find out more about the Studio Potter Magazine visit their website.

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi

Bruce Gholson, Seagrove, NC, Shino Fish Yunomi, Set of five

Vases

 Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase Detail

Here are some of the vases that we have glazed fired during the past two weeks.

Hopefully we will have nice weather so we can show our vases outside tomorrow and Saturday. The glazed surfaces look good in the outside light. The forcast is calling for rain on Saturday, though it has been changing all week long.  I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon photographing the vases.  I will post more images this evening and over the next few days.

Did you know that you can sign up to receive our blog posts via your e-mail? On the right hand side of the screen there is a form called "Receive Bulldog Pottery's Blog Posts by Email" you can fill out.

We sent out our e-newsletter yesterday. You can view the Bulldog Pottery newsletter here. There also is a place you can sign up for our newsletters, which we send out before our pottery events, on the right hand side of this blog post.

Daffie Days - Hello Spring - Celebrating the Vase

March 22 - 23, 2013

Friday and Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm

At Bulldog Pottery

3306 U.S. Hwy 220 Alt.

Seagrove, NC 27341

5 miles south of the town of Seagrove's stoplight

light refreshments will be served

336-302-3469 or 910-428-9728

 Samantha Henneke, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase

Bruce Gholson, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase

 Samantha Henneke, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase

 Bruce Gholson, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase

 Samantha Henneke, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase

Bruce Gholson, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase

Bruce Gholson, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase detail

Bruce Gholson, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase

Bruce Gholson, Bulldog Pottery, Seagrove, NC, Vase detail