Season of Mists

Choosing pumpkins is taken seriously here in Skagit Valley. Obvious characteristics include color, a roundedness of plump and pleasing proportion and segmentation. A stem stump not tapering off to several feet of dessicated vine, not too stumpy either. Ability to sit on the flat and maintain pumpkinness by not toppling over. Pacing the patch one sometimes lured to The One only to poke finger through rotting surface, or have the stem detach in hopeful grasp. Pumpkin Purists eschew carving for careful Zen Rock garden-like placements. Either in porch or centerpiece. Graduated stacking, using deeply segmented and pale coloured French varieties, topped with miniatures are pleasing to the eye. Then there
were the roguish louts who under cover of darkness rearranged some neighborhood pumpkins and posted several atop fire hydrants. Had the look of a self-conscious gallery installation.

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Local Color

choosing pumpkin, pumpkins, Skagit Valley

October 26, 2012

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Glaze Tests

Been busy working on some glaze tests. Here’s results with which I’m satisfied. Used Steven Hill’s formulas for glazes on the outside of Vashon White grogged body. Attended his very pleasing workshop in March before NCECA opened in Seattle. I fire at ^6 in an electric kiln and a slow cooling program is critical to the development of these glazes.

Studio ceramics

ceramics, chawan, electric kilns, glaze tests, Steven Hill, tea bowls, ^6 glazes

June 25, 2012

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Juneuary Pots Not at the Market

A struggle up here, once again, on the top left hand side. Wet. Damp. I even got skunked last Saturday morning at 5 ayem calling the forecast and emailed my market manager that I thought it was a lost cause. Who wants to empty out the water from the pots. Thank you very much. It’s been horrid the couple of times I’ve had to do it. Four hours at $65? Minus $15 to The Manager.  Go figure. Jesu, was I ever wrong. It all bucked up and by 12:45 blazing sun. I ask you. Sooo. Went out and bought a canopy which takes several strong people to erect once I’ve pulled out the legs and so on. What a palaver. I can cope with an ordinary sunny day with the current set up, but when it rains who on earth wants to stop by my booth and buy a pot. Hence new canopy. Thanks all to those who were concerned at my absence last Saturday. SIL; Sandi, BBQ Sauce Lady. Jamie who walks Stella and noticed car was still in drive way. I feel loved. Thanks. 

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June 14, 2012

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It’s Easy

New packaging and livery for farmers market. A bit posh but WTH.

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May 23, 2012

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Red on red

Happens to the best of us department. Marked up some ash glaze tests the other day. Used several different bodies and three versions of Dinah’s Adjusted Ash on each body. Marked each one carefully with red iron oxi

de.  Recorded entries in studio journal. Feeling mildly virtuous. Post firing WTF when I checked out the Vashon Red bowl which fires at ^6 to a deep iron red. By turning pot to oblique angle can just make out my red iron oxide test  numbering in red iron oxide body. Always something. Yeah. Good results.

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ceramics, glaze test, pottery, studio practice, ^6

May 23, 2012

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Is it March Already and Spring Forward Tonight as Well?

Well, galloping great gasps of surprise! Where has it all gone? One gray day after another up here on the top left hand side.  Looking forward to the NCECA roadshow at the Seattle Convention Center in a couple of weeks. All about clay,demos, and them wot teaches in centers of excellence…folks who sell kilns  and other equipment. Oh, and don’t forget those of us who make. Lots of us browsing around and having a real fine time.  I’m going to attend a couple of wonderful workshops: Posey Bacoupolous in Ferndale, and then Stephen Hill in Seattle. So many wonderful exhibitions in area too. Very pleased to have work with Cascade Clay Artists in the most stunning venue I’ve ever shown in: The new Schack Arts Center in Everett.

 Bit of a surprise the other day when ceramics shop which has just taken on some work turned down a slew of lidded boxes for a themed Put a Lid on It show this month. “Too vulnerable to stealing because they are so small… but ever so artistic” they fluted.  ( 2 3/4″ l x 2 “h) and at $105 each  with a 40/60 split they can’t afford  losses. Geishas is 6″ x 6″x6″. I geddit. Could have taken just the one and put it somewhere towards the front of the window display….Images above and below.

Well, one door closes and another one opens as the very next day Chris Skinner cold called me to ask if I’d contribute to a show which is running in tandem with the NCECA conference. She works at Museum of Northwest Art  in La Conner, and has long admired my work in the museum shop. Ever so pleased. Of course I will. Chris and Tom have started up Gallery in Edison a town which is HOT with galleries, and a wonderful go to place for foodies and real ale types, and you who can afford carbs from artisanal bakeries. Just a stone’s throw from the gorgeous Chuckanut Drive which takes one into Bellingham and past wonderful oyster bars.

So what’s your verdict? Knickable or saleable? What would you have done?

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March 10, 2012

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Updated Presence on Etsy

Couple of days ago I did a minor moan about having to take a couple of hours to update information and so forth to renew my shop with etsy.com. Well,  surprise, surprise it was easy peasey as old stuff was still in place and it was a matter of minutes to expunge it and start afresh. Hurrah!  I’ve changed the name of my shop to DinahSnipesSteveni. Ho ho. But updated in About Me or some other ego soothing area regarding how Dianthus Ceramics came into being. Historically interesting to old customers and chums from the Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom area,  and possibly new. You be the judge of that. I’m merely passing through. I’d like to invite you to have a peek at etsy on my behalf, and let me know if it is working. Noooooo need to purchase. It’s okay, the hens can survive without feed; the dog likes his worn out collar, honestly he does;  the cats are… reasonable ratters.LOL. So, this is what it’s come to —  think those of you who know me well. This ironic shtick to shame us into buying. Nah. You go ahead and buy in that case of muscadet from John Freeland’s wine shop in Stratford-upon-Avon to go with your Naked Chef or Nigel Slater experiments in cooking moulle mariniere. I quite understand. I’d do the same if I were in your shoes. But at the end of the day, just go along and look. Pathetically grateful, as David Hockney is to all of you who are trailing through the Royal Academy or trying to buy tickets for midnight sometime in March. Cheap shot, just so I can use the tags. Shameless. Wild laughter.

Studio ceramics, Uncategorized

ceramics, David Hockeny, etsy. Dinah Snipes Steveni, new work, studio

January 23, 2012

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