Beautiful Fall Day

Here are some pictures my wife and I took around the house today. It was a spectacular fall day.
Yes, the sky was really that blue!

Maple

Camelias fading fast.

Last of the peppers from the garden drying in the sun.

Sycamore and blue sky.

Pines whispering in the breeze.

Two Kings Of Sparta

I started this jug with two faces sharing one eye. The one face looked sort of regal so I decided they would be two kings and would represent "dualities" (good and bad, love and hate, heaven and hell etc.) I loooked for instances of dual monarchies and came across the story of the two kings of Sparta. Sparta was unusual in that it had two kings simultaneously, coming from two separate lines. According to tradition, the two lines, the Agiads and Eurypontids, were respectively descended from the descendants of Heracles who supposedly conquered Sparta two generations after the Trojan War. Finding this information gave me a title and basis for the jug. I made a crown and thought It needed a stopper so I fashioned an owl from a thrown shape that I had lying around. The owl was a symbol of Athena.
Athena was the goddess defender of towns and cities, and the patron goddess of crafts such as weaving, pottery and sculpture. Her most important shrine was the Bronze House gracing the height of the Acropolis at Sparta. I glazed the crown and owl with a bronze glaze to go along with the story.

Better Than A ...........

"Poke In The Eye With A Sharp Stick".
Comment : I have heard that expression all my life . When something was just adequate (not wondetrful but still not bad) my Grandfather would say, "Well, it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick". I just wanted to see if that was true. I think this jug would agree that anything is better than that!
For sale on Ebay link

The Secret Ingredient Is.......

BEER!

Baked a loaf of artisan bread in the cast iron Dutch oven. It was terrific!

 Here's a youtube video  I followed to make the bread (not my video). I left out the vinegar this time and added a bit more beer.

Video Link

Don't Leave Your Chicken In The Sun

Don't Leave Your Chicken In The Sun. 

Unless......................................

.................you want delicious moist tender chicken!

Herb Chicken cooked in the solar oven. Delicious!

Mother Nature's Autumn Kiss # 100 Of The Final 1000 Jugs

# 100 Of The Final 1000 Jugs

"Mother Natures Autumn Kiss"

High Fired Stoneware.

This is another jug in my "seasonal" series. I'm trying to do four jugs each year that represent the seasons. Fall is in the air and leaves are blowing in the gusty wind. Mother nature is blowing her colorful kisses your way

Listed on ebay link

Feel Lucky Punk ?

Number 98 of the last 1000 jugs I will make.
For sale on Ebay click link to see listing.

Title: " Feel Lucky, Punk ?"

"Well, Do Ya ?"....." Go Ahead.....Make My Day".

This is the first portrait caricature I have ever tried. In case you can't tell, this is supposed to be Clint Eastwood. I just wanted to try some new face shapes and his long sour face with high cheek bones was fun to make.

The raku firing resulted in a rugged cracked and figured surface befitting old "Dirty Harry" himself.

THE UNWELCOME GUEST

Comment : These two are just opposite ends of the same attitude. The man thinks it is terribly rude of the bird to impose it's self on his person. The bird thinks the man has some nerve for intruding in his woods . I doubt that they will be able to solve their dilemma amicably.
He's listed on Ebay. click here to see listing.

The raku firing resulted in a rugged cracked and figured surface.

The Potters Cats.

   In perusing other potters blogs I can't help but notice the great number of potters who have studio cats. Cats and potters seem to be a perfect match. Most of our activities as potters are fairly quiet and centered around a wheel or a table. Cats can relax and just be with us for hours and just "hang out". They can help with the vermin too.

  Currently we have two cats. One is a studio cat (Princess) and one a house cat (Rascal). They are cool critters.

  Princess is my constant studio companion. I inherited her when my mother passed away. She is at least 10 years old and she believes she's my mother. If I go out in the rain or snow she scolds me. In recently walked to the mail box in a small thunderstorm,  Princess came out after me even though she is afraid of lightning. She scolded me all the way to the shop. If a stray dog or cat wander up she positions herself  between me and the intruder. She's a great cat that doesn't demand affection all the time. She is just content to observe all the activity from the workbench and offer her opinion from time to time. She likes visitors (especially men).

This piece was called "The Contagious Yawn" . Even Princess caught one.

"The Wolfman!. Run Princess, Run!!"

"He's ridiculous."

Princess gives her opinion of more cats in the studio.

"What the hell is that thing?"

"Time for a nap."

My wife, Cathy found Rascal under a bush when he was just a few days old. She bottle fed him and took care of him just like a mother cat would. Rascal is now 4 years old and 20 pounds He still thinks Cathy is his mother.

Rascal at 6 weeks.

Rascal now. He got into the habit of jumping on my shoulders and draping himself around my neck  and having me take him for a ride. He still does this but now weighs 20 pounds.

He won't touch meat but will mug you for a donut or a cookie.

He's a big "Teddy Bear" cat.