Pocahontas State Park guest Artist

hand built ceramic workshop out in the rain, but under a tent.

December 1 &2 I was the guest artist at Pocahontas State Park.  The current CCC Museum was once a craft building built for the community to make arts and crafts in 1939. A wood kiln was built as well on the grounds to support pottery making.

Pulling up the sides of an earthenware cup

Each day I threw pottery and did a hand built workshop where the students made pinch pots and worked on different techniques such as rolling coils, attaching slabs, creating textures and making handles for cups.

The rangers did clay workshops with children and built a fire near the kiln. The made smores in the afternoon and talked to people walking or hiking by.

The weather was overcast, but being in the woods and making pottery outside was very cool.

I enjoyed all the volunteers that helped out and the park rangers who participated in making the event a success.

Making pinch pots and working on hand built techniques.
Teaching the volunteers how the wood kiln works, so they can pass it along to those that are interested.

Maybe, next time the weather will be nicer and there will be more people. Either way I would love to work there again. What a great time.

Goblin pottery has arrived

Goblin Mug $55.00

Yes, it seemed that only gnomes would enter the realm of little people seen on hardwickhandmade pottery, but the dark side has made an appearance. A small one granted, but an appearance none the less.

Two mugs have been designed with drunken goblins dancing about in a mushroom filled background with slipware highlights.

goblin detail

This series will draw from the slipware pottery (which are extremely difficult to pull off well) as well as from landscape painting traditions.

 

I hope you enjoy.

Next up is the lonely ogre walking in the forest…

Recent Firing

Hiker Dinner plate

I finished a load of pottery and fired over New Years which was alot of fun.  I had several items that I fired for a commission and then others that I was doing to figure out some design work.

Virginia Bird Series- Titmouse, Goldfinch & Chickadee

The whole kiln came out well. As discussed in the last post, I am working on a commission of eastern songbirds.  I’ve got to do plates and bowls which makes the layout a little more complex.

A group of gnomes were fired as well and I liked how they came out. Also, I did a group of drunken goblins dancing around which came out well.

Here are a few examples.

Wood Fired Pots

Bourbon/Sake/Tea Cup

Yes, the annual firing was done the week after Thanksgiving and I went and picked up my pottery last night.

I am so thankful for Mike and Alex firing my pots at Tree Hill Pottery, here in Richmond, VA. My work turned out great and I’m excited to show you the results.

I reformulated my clay body to create a red flashing clay body. Unfortunately, I failed again. I researched and studied flashing bodies in Graduate School and lost the recipes I created, so now I’m working to create a new body with less expensive and readily available ingredients.

Bourbon/Sake/Tea Cup
Bourbon/Sake/Tea Cup

I have 4 glazes that are really looking good in the firing. My favorites are the Tenmoku, Amber, Cobolt and Pumice. I have a great Oribe, but didn’t use it in this firing. My next glaze will be a white.

Bourbon/Sake/Tea Cup

I hope you like these as much as I do. They are an Asian aesthetic. The cups are small holding 5-6oz. The trays are 14-16in long.

🙂 Matt