Sunday, December 9, 2012

Opened the kiln today

We're preparing here for our annual holiday open house/open studio/kiln-opening creative extravaganza. It happens Saturday, Dec. 15 and Sunday, Dec. 16. I'll fire another load of pots Friday and open it Saturday morning at 11 to what has become quite a crowd of spectators.
Kimberly Sheerin Medeiros (of The Barn Pottery in Pocasset) and I shared the kiln I fired yesterday and we'll do the same next Friday. She's appearing here for the first time with the regular group of exhibiting makers. Kim was also responsible for connecting us to Cape Cod View magazine a few months ago, resulting in a lead story about our holiday show, in the current issue. We certainly owe her thanks for that, and it will be great to have her pots here with the other clay, glass, beads, paper and coffee on sale.
Yesterday's firing had all the giveaway eggnog cups in it. I like to have them on hand here for the first 25 people to choose when they arrive before the kiln-opening. Kim offered to do half the cups and I happily agreed. True to her style, she's made lovely, colorful and highly-decorated work and I suspect people will fall all over each other trying to get to her cups.
I'll attach a few photos of the pots that came out of the kiln today. Lots of overlapped Shinos and ash glazes, fat round jars with stone wedged into the clay, many nog cups. And there should be some good things in Friday's firing. Please join us if you can get to Cape Cod, or if you're already on Cape Cod.
The photos: Top, the eggnog cups for the first 25 visitors this weekend, Kim Medeiros's work in the foreground; three fat little Shino and ash vases; two Shino mugs, two amber ash over crackle slip; big Shino jar.








7 comments:

Barry said...

We're looking forward to it!

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Oh, boy do I wish I could be there!!! The kiln opening event sounds like so much fun!

cookingwithgas said...

The choices would be so hard oon those wee cups! Best of luck with your show.

Quietly Otaku said...

Love those stout mugs, great decoration! I'm not sure I could do a kiln opening with all those folks watching!

Hollis Engley said...

We've done the kiln-opening thing for eight or nine years now. The potential for embarrassment is fairly high, but it's never been a disaster. Not yet, anyway. And only half the pots in this load will be mine, so they'll all be awed by Kim's pots and overlook any flawed ones of mine. Those cups are the giveaways, Meredith. There are some nice shiny things in there for the visitors.

Kimberly Medeiros said...

Hollis, don't sell yourself short.Your work is inspiring and gorgeous.I am looking forward to a great weekend after all this hard work:)!!!

Hollis Engley said...

Same here, Kim. It should be fun.