Craig Martell porcelain jar

Finally got around to getting all the extension cords so I could test my new photo setup. Here's an exquisite Craig Martell porcelain jar that I photographed this morning.

It's a gorgeous day - sunny, mild and only the slightest breeze. It would be a good day for some garden work, but I think I'll head to the studio for an hour or so and see if there's anything I can do in there. Throwing is painful and I'm afraid, delaying healing. Yesterday I threw just one 4 lb shallow bowl and dried more of the wet reclaim; but that bowl was all my body would let me throw. Today I'll see if I can just throw a couple of very small kiln fillers and see if that will make my chest happier.

Our Friday night porch sitting has been pushed off to Saturday, so we're going back to the Tapas restaurant tonight to pick up a case of wine, which they are selling us just 10% above their wholesale cost (a nice thing they do for their customers). So we'll have a few of their Tapas selections and do some pick up grocery shopping on the way back.

Craig Martell jar

Here's another jar from my collection. It's a lovely porcelain jar with temmoku glaze on the rim and sprayed oxide washes over glaze - lovely piece.

Yesterday was a busy day with the 3 man crew doing the knock down work. They finished yesterday! Yeah! It has to dry now and on Monday the painter will be here to paint that bathroom and do a few other touch ups. I guess they'll start laying the wood floor afterward.or maybe hang the doors.

I think Rick finished polyurethaning the doors yesterday - I hope so! The smell in the studio was still over whelming; and because of it I quit early and came in and started on dinner - beans and corn bread. That bean recipe is really wonderful - not bland like some cooked beans I've had. These are cooked with fresh tomatoes, bacon, serrano chiles, garlic, onion and cilantro. I got the recipe from one of my vegetarian cook books. It was good but missing something. So I added 3 pieces of bacon that I pre-fried and that gave the dish that extra flavor boost.

Before I quit for the day I managed to complete the finishing work and marking on the test tiles and got some handles on a few mugs. Hopefully the smell will be gone this morning and I can slip and decorate the mugs and other pots.

Two of the regular construction crew were missing yesterday - one due to the current flu bug going around and the other had to go to S. Carolilna to help a sister move. Hopefully we'll have more than one worker here today. It would be nice to have them get those doors hung or start laying the wood floor. This construction needs to be done by March 10th, when our daughter and husband arrive for their visit!


Till later,
June