Category Archives: Pottery

There are no mistakes.

Art and Motivation, Glazes, News, Pottery, Studio Life, , , , , ,

When glazing, I often dip one glaze over another to get the results I want. Some turn out beautifully and become main studio glaze and others, not so good. I have had anything from swamp scum brown, to burn scar pink/yellow, to simply running off the pot and destroying shelves. Much like Christmas morning, you are never really sure of what you will get when combining glazes.

I had my last Tuesday night Clay Class a few weeks ago. It has been a busy time, and keep in mind I am so unorganized. I was running fairly fast for me. I had the trade show looming, pot orders to get out and working at the Post Office. When I set up the studio for glazing, grabbed the wrong bucket for the ladies to dip first and then second to get my Moonshadow glaze.

This is the glaze I thought I was setting up for.
This is the glaze I thought I was setting up for.

It’s a small studio, 600 square feet. I use  32 gallon garbage cans for glaze buckets and I had out six large buckets and three, 5 gallon pails for glazing. There are 7 ladies in the class all glazing at once. In the mix, I put the wrong bucket out. All the ladies used it thinking they were getting Moonshadow. The glazing class is fun and a little crazy.

We all love the way it breaks.
We all love the way it breaks.

 

 

 

It

 

 

 

It wasn’t until the next day, I discovered that we used the wrong bucket. All the ladies that wanted Moonshadow had glazed it wrong. I had no idea what the glaze would be. I had a good idea it would be in brown family, but what brown? Swamp scum brown, snot green? I was fairly sure it wouldn’t run off the pot, both glazes were the same base so they would work together, but to do what? I told the ladies it was wrong and asked if they wanted to come back, wash it all off and reglaze. In my mind I was saying ” no, no no” I had no time for another class. As it turned out, neither did they. They/ we decided to let it go and see what we would get…..what could happen…… What happened was beautiful. I am so happy to add “Sage Brush” to my line of glazes.

Sage Brush glaze in a sage brush.
Sage Brush glaze in a sage brush.

This is the first text I did. We took it out and put in a sage brush, just for fun. You can see where it got its name.

Then I applied it to more pots to get a better idea, and it is a keeper!

 

Mugs for hot and cold beverages.
Mugs for hot and cold beverages.
I like the way it breaks on the texture.
I like the way it breaks on the texture.
Inside and outside on a bowl.
Inside and outside on a bowl.

 

There are no mistakes. I thought I really goofed up and ruined everything. This is the result. It’s my new glaze, Sage Brush. It is the colour of the local sage brush.  I would like to say that have been working all this time to formulate a glaze that represents the area and our new home…..

I guess I could say that….. Yeah… that’s it…..The new glaze is the result of two years of study and represents where we live and the impact the local environment has on my work………Yeah…..

 

 

Give me a bit more time and I will work that into an artist statement. ……Maybe not.

 

Until next time.

Cindy

 

“A Change Is Gonna Come”

Coutts Days, Fun and Family, Life in a small town., News, Pottery, Summer Craft Show, , , , , , , , , , ,

Every third weekend in June, Coutts has their Coutts Days. The Coutts Grass Rodeo takes comes t town and a large home coming slow pitch baseball tournament takes place.

Hold on to more than your hat.
Hold on to more than your hat.
The pitch, the ballet. It is all in the technique.
The pitch, the ballet. It is all in the technique.
The line up for pancake breakfast. .
The line up for pancake breakfast.

The town has their parade and pancake breakfast. It’s a pretty big deal for this little town and has been for forty plus years without change.

The gym during the show. We had a great a turnout.
The gym during the show. We had a great a turnout.
The first year of vendors in tents.
The first year of vendors in tents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been working on putting together the Second Annual Coutts Days Art, Craft and Trade Show. Except for last year, there has never been summer craft show here in Coutts. Last year was our first year and it was a hit. Now this year, we are expanding the show  That’s where the rub is . This is a small town, 275 people small. There are people who have been here their entire lives and don’t handle change well. So when we come in, bring in new ideas and then doing something about them, it upsets some of the locals. I don’t know how many times I have been told that they never did that before, or  that’s not the way we always do it, why should we change now. I also hear that the new people, us, don’t understand what Coutts Days is all about. The idea behind Coutts Days is only about the rodeo, baseball and fun. Tell that to the vendors that are coming down, with their products, hotel rooms, travel costs, 3 days away from home. I have been working to get pots together to sell not just to show them locals. The vendors and I hope to make some money. Making money is a part of idea behind Coutts Days, it’s fun! Also the show gives those people in town something else to do. I am hoping and planning to have a good show.

This town is slowly getting smaller and smaller. Granted, 275 is already pretty small. What some people  need to understand is that, doing nothing is still change. People have been doing nothing since they changed  the border approach, and long but that’s another blog,and it has gradually gotten smaller  and smaller.  It has changed and still is, changing. This little town is teetering on the brink. We need all the help we can get, and a trade show that brings in people can’t hurt. Jim, my husband,  and I plan to make some changes in this town. If Coutts is teetering on the brink, we want to help push the town over to the productive and growing side.  We hope to make changes and change is good.

Until next time,

My signature

A day at the Post Office

Coutts Days, Fun and Family, Life in a small town., Post Office, Pottery, Studio Life, , , , , , , , ,

I have dropped the video and blogging ball. It has almost been a year. Life here in Coutts is busy and I am a little scattered and unorganized, but having fun. Last blog I posted said I was going to video blog, well……. But I am here again.

We have settled and enjoying this small town of only 277 people. The studio is doing well. I have ended the Tuesday night classes for the summer and I have as many clients as I want, four. I have taken part times jobs at the local Post Office, here in Coutts and Milk River, the town 18 kilometers north. The office here is small, meaning, that there is only one person in the office at a time. It is a great way to learn all  the jobs at the PO and get to know your neighbours. I was sorting mail yesterday, when I heard a voice from the other side of the boxes. “My names is Bud, what is my box number?” he hollered out. I hollered back, “Hi Bud,  you are 172 and you don’t have any mail today.”  Only in a small town.

Coutts Post Office
Coutts Post Office

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are working on our Second Annual Coutts Days Art, Craft and Trade Show. Everyone says , Bigger and Better, well we are. We have vendors coming from St. Albert, Calgary Lethbridge and all in between. We will have about 40 vendors. OOHHH I hope the people attend and the vendors do well.

Harvey Coulee Harvey Coulee Harvey Coulee

Today, I will walk the dog Harvey for a walk in his coulee. We live near this beautiful valley with water, birds, wild life and flowers. We are the only ones we know of that take advantage of the wonder 2 mile walk along the valley. We named the coulee Harvey Coulee because he simply loves it there. We may walk only a couple of miles, but he runs all over and does a whole lot more than that.  We try to walk him there every morning. What a great way to start your day. I have a bunch of pots to glaze and then load. I will work the lunch hour at the Post Office and tonight we have to mow the lawn. We have double lot and that is a lot …. well two lots…. of grass.

It will be a day.

Until next time,

Cindy

 

 

 

 

Video blogging is easier than writing a blog.

Glazes, New Video, News, Pottery, Studio Life, , , , ,

I try to write a blog. I see things that are funny or interesting and I want to share it here. However, as you  from the frequency of my entries, I’m not that good at finding the time, or making the time to talk about my day.  I have added a couple of video blogs. It’s fun and a lot easier to stand and talk than sit and type.

 

 

 

 

We will unload the kiln today and I will post the results here.

Until next time,

My signature

AKA Mrs. Clay

Old Blog

Out of the Fire Studio

How to Make Pottery

 

Time keeps on slipping into the future….and Coutts Days….

Coutts Days, Fun and Family, Life in a small town., News, Pottery, Studio Life

Two months have come and gone since I last blogged. We have been busy in the pottery  studio. I have made lots of pots, Coutts Days, have come and gone. We have had company, then company and then company again. The old kiln is getting more and more moody and picky. We have fixed, coaxed, cajoled  and babied the old boy along with refires and shut downs.  Our yard is 11,000 square feet of looking after. I blinked, and 2 months went by.

The gym with tables waiting for the show.

The gym with tables waiting for the show.

The gym during the show. We had a great a turnout.
The gym during the show. We had a great a turnout.

We put together the first trade show to be held in conjunction with Coutts Days, and Coutts Days Art, Craft and Trade show was born. Coutts Days is when our little village comes alive.

The third weekend of June, we have , our local fair, slow pitch tournament and rodeo. Along with the baseball and rodeo, we have a parade, pancake breakfast, kid games, and fireworks. We thought it would be great to have a trade show in the mix as well. How hard could it be? As potters, we have attended many retail and wholesale trade shows, but it was our first time on the organizers side of the fence.

It was a great weekend.

The line up for pancake breakfast. .
The line up for pancake breakfast. .

What we learned was that it was a great weekend, but none of the groups worked together, that we could see. The slow pitch people did their thing, the rodeo people were independent, and there was little communication from the town to anyone else. Coutts Days just kinda happened. We plan to change that. We, with the help of others, will get a Coutts Day Committee and get everyone talking, sharing, working and promoting together. Next year will be different.

Hold on to more than your hat.

The slow pitch was fun to watch and I enjoyed the ballet method of pitching.

The wind up
the wind up
The pitch, the ballet. It is all in the technique.
The pitch, the ballet. It is all in the technique.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The parade was small this year, but here it is.

That was Coutts Days and some of what we have been up to in the last 2 months.

Until next time.

Cindy

 

 

 

AKA Mrs. Clay

Old Blog

Out of the Fire Studio

 

 

 

 

Been a long time since I rock and rolled…. or blogged.

Aging, Coutts Days, Life in a small town., New Video, News, Pottery, Studio Life, Throwing

My last blog I talked about aging. This blog I start off by making reference to a Led Zeppelin song that came out in 1971, back when I was a girl, 44 years ago. So that’s how it happens. You get busy, take a moment to look up and over 40 years have gone by. Scary stuff.

It takes me so long to write a blog. I’m not sure why. I guess because I am a potter and not a writer. I have been blogging on YouTube,

It’s easier to stand there a just talk about what I have been doing and to find, take, make the time to sit down and write about. There is also the easily distracted side of me that once I am on the PC, I have to check my email,  Facebook, then have a game of candy crush …….. There goes the computer time window.

I have been spending some time organizing the first craft show here in Coutts to run in conjunction with Coutts Days. In June, Coutts has a town fair with Pancake Breakfast, Parade, Rodeo, Slo Pitch and now the First Annual Art, Craft and Trade Show.  Life is sure change. When we living in Edmonton and doing retail shows, I would have never done a little craft fair with Tupper Ware and home made Barbie Clothes. Now, not only am I doing a craft fair juried by cheque, I am organizing it. All proceeds from the show go to CRAS, Coutts, Recreational and Arts Society. The old school needs some work. We hope to raise enough money to have all the chinking done. The mortar is coming lose from the bricks. I have donated a place setting for 4 for a raffle. We have 2,000 tickets printed at $2 per ticket or 3 for $5. We have room for 35 tables at $25 per table. Chinking is about $6500. If we sell all the tickets, all the tables, have a donation jar, and remain pathologically optimistic, we will get there. CRAS isn’t depending on the show for the mortar, it would just be nice to be able to do itl We have a grant to replace the roof. With a new roof and the a new skin, the old girl will stand there for another 80 years!

Here is the dinner set.

Place setting for 4 in Prairies Glaze. First prize in draw for a donation of $2.

Place setting for 4 in Prairies Glaze. First prize in draw for a donation of $2.

The draw is June 20, 2015. Buy a ticket and you too could win. For the price shipping, you could have the dinner set. It’s only 2 dollar donation and a great cause.

Until next time.

Cindy

 

Bowls, kilns and Groundhog Day.

Life in a small town., New Video, News, Pottery, Studio Life, Throwing, , , , , , , , , ,

IateHim

 

 

 

 

 

Today was cloudy here in Coutts, sooo… winter is over… right….What are the chances of having 6 more weeks of winter the end of February in Canada?

We shot Episode 13 yesterday at the studio. Today we didn’t shot a blog. Jim was in Lethbridge and I made some plates.

 

Until next time.

Cindy

 

 

 

AKA Mrs. Clay

Old Blog

Out of the Fire Studio

The Clay Teacher

Cindy-Lou, Cindy-Lee and more videos.

Art and Motivation, Fun and Family, Life in a small town., New Video, News, Pottery, Studio Life, Throwing, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Coutts AB is a village of about 250 people. Last week a customer wanted to mail me a cheque to pay for a bowl and she asked for my address. I sent her the address, but what I didn’t tell her was that she could just send it to ” Pottery Cindy, Coutts AB” and I would get it. There are only two Cindy’s living in Coutts. I am Cindy-Lee and the other is Cindy-Lou. We are both friends with the lady in the Post Office and Tracey, the post office lady,  would know which one is Pottery Cindy.  If for some reason Cindy-Lou got mail for Cindy-Lee, she would walk over to my house and give it me. There are only about 15 streets and avenues in total in Coutts, so walking all the way across town to deliver a letter is not a problem. Being new town, everyone knows where the new people live.

We have been busy in the studio making pots and making videos. Here are the next two episodes in the saga of Studio Life in Coutts.

 

 

 

Winter has returned. Last week we were out walking in our shirtsleeves and this morning I woke to -18C with a nasty wind. Dang….. I am looking forward to spring. I am hoping for a cloudy start to the day tomorrow and that little smelly groundhog does not see his shadow. Fingers crossed! No more winter.

Until next time.

My signature

 

 

 

 

AKA Mrs. Clay

Old Blog

Out of the Fire Studio

The Clay Teacher

Casseroles, wine coolers, fast cars and big city.

Art and Motivation, Life in a small town., New Video, News, Pottery, Studio Life, Throwing, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The video blog is so much easier and quicker than writing a blog. When I write the blog, I will write, and then go back and read, change a few things, and then think about it a bit more and maybe do a rewrite.  It can take me long time to get to the point where I hit “Publish”. The video blog is completely off the cuff. After I am done, I often forget what I have said. It is fun, fast and then finished.

Here is Episode 9.

Yesterday we were in Lethbridge selling raffle tickets for a shiny red Corvette. It is a local fund raiser organized by the Milk River Kinsmen Club. Towns that participate get a portion of the money the car raises. Coutts will use their share for community events. We like to do our part.

For more videos, please check out The Clay Teacher on YouTube.

Until next time.

My signature

 

 

 

AKA Mrs. Clay

Old Blog

Out of the Fire Studio

The Clay Teacher

Sunrise in Coutts, blue and pink.

Pots, Ponytails and Popeye.

Art and Motivation, Fun and Family, Life in a small town., New Video, News, Pottery, Studio Life, Throwing, , , , , , , , , ,

Today  was a beautiful day. The sunrise has moved along the horizon so can see it again from my living-room window. This morning I watched the sun come up on a day that warmed up to fourteen glorious degrees Celsius, or about 60 Fahrenheit.  We live in Coutts, as far south in Alberta as you can get ad still be in Alberta. However it is  Alberta and it is January,  and temps in the teens is wonderful gift.  I left the studio early this afternoon so Jim and could go for a walk. A walk without cold, wind, ice, coats, hat or a scarf. Just a lovely walk in the warm sun in our shirtsleeves. It felt good to be out and about.

This morning we shot the next in our blog series, Episode Nine, and how to throw a casserole. Yesterday we shot Episode Eight.

Until next time.

My signature

 

 

 

 

AKA Mrs. Clay

Old Blog

Out of the Fire Studio

The Clay Teacher