Joy Tanner Pottery

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T11:57:00.004-05:00

I gave this bark basket I made to my mom for Christmas and she was so tickled that she immediately has displayed it on her dining room table! It's nice having my mom appreciate my pottery so much. She is, after all, responsible for initiating my appreciation for clay. While I was growing up, she took a few pottery classes at the local art center and we always had a few of her first pieces she made around the house. Little did she know how I would be influenced by this years later! It wasn't until late in college when I finally took my first pottery class and then, well we know what happened after.

I hope everyone has a warm and peaceful holiday! Merry Christmas!

Journey's End

2009-12-22T16:22:00.005-05:00

Honeycutt Swinging Bridge at end of my road

I've survived the snow! Today things are looking much different with persistent sunlight and blue skies contrasted against the bright snow. I've been hearing a lot of crashing and dripping sounds as things are starting to melt away from the roof.

As for the pottery, it's time to take a welcomed break for the year. Thank you everyone for following along in my journeys in and around the studio this year. You are my cheering squad and I thank you for all of the support and encouragement!

Serious snow

2009-12-19T08:40:00.003-05:00

Serious snow has come to WNC, well for me anyway. I know it's not the huge amounts that people get in other areas, but for a girl growing up in the south, snow still has a powerful affect on me!

This cold little calf was up the road on an evening walk last night in the blizzard. Today I'm hoping to get out for a walk down to the swinging bridge. The snow has stopped, so I might be able to capture better pictures. There's over 1 foot of snow here, so not much is going on around here today. Life stops in the south when it snows and it's excusable to just do nothing! The road hasn't even been plowed and I'm quite content staying in enjoying the huge snow drifts. The power went out yesterday and I've already lost some huge limbs on some trees from the weight of the snow on the limbs. For now the power is back, so hopefully it will stay on. The bird activity has seriously increased since the birds can't find their usual spots for seeds. So my bird feeders are the happening place for now.

I need to do some glazing, but snow walking and picture taking sound more appealing! There's nothing quite like snow. I love the peaceful quiet of snow, especially up here on my quiet road.

Morning

2009-12-17T11:34:00.008-05:00

A simple breakfast of oatmeal looked so comforting to me this bright and sunny morning. A few chopped nuts, some soy milk and a spoonful of brown sugar sets the tone for my day. I love how the milk inside the bowl takes on a clover leaf shape from the way the bowl is dimpled and lobed.

This morning Michael Kline reminded me of Catherine White's blog and I just read a portion from her Winter Solstice series about walking in the dark. Catherine has such a beautiful blog. I love the simplicity of it. A simple description of her day, written so fluidly and vividly. A beautiful image, and a thought provoking quote. I encourage you to spend some time browsing her site, you won't be disappointed.

Her partner, also a potter, Warren Frederick, also has a very interesting and detailed post about using natural light for photographing artwork. The images of his work are beautifully taken, it seems like a great approach to photographing your work. You can learn this technique here.

Swirling Skirts

2009-12-15T17:10:00.006-05:00

I finished up a few more candlesticks today. I like the view from the top. The form seems like they are swirling ruffled skirts in the middle of a dance. I think I'm most happy with the lobed forms, with the divided carved panels, or 'ruffles.'

I've got pots drying out near the wood stove, trying to get them dry for a bisque kiln load tomorrow. I'm going to fire the small soda kiln this week to get in a few things and some more test glazes. I hope to use that small test kiln often this winter to do a lot of glaze testing and other various things.

Just for fun

2009-12-14T18:54:00.006-05:00

Will and I have been collaborating on a few projects in the studio. The rules of the game are to try something new and different, new forms, new patterns, etc, but to come up with a form and design together. So candlesticks and small boxes are where we are right now. I'm all of a sudden very interested in making candlesticks. I've never made them before but I think there are so many possibilities!

So, below, are the first two lil' candlesticks, thrown by Will Baker, carved and finished by none other than myself. For the first two prototypes, I'm kinda happy with them!

Holiday Sale

2009-12-11T19:08:00.003-05:00

My last show of the year is here!! (drumroll and fan horn please!) Tomorrow I'll be at the Folk Art Center, off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, NC. It's the Holiday Sale, put on by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. I've brought a large selection of discounted work, some seconds, and some discontinued styles or pots that might not have turned out quite like I wanted them. But still, as they say, beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, and there might be a sweet little pot or two for you here in this collection. I don't usually have "seconds" sale, but with the big studio and showroom cleanup I've been doing, I'm really ready to clean up, and move them on out and get ready for the new year. The pots are priced to sell with great discounts you'll rarely see from me.

Tomororow, 10-4 pm, at the Folk Art Center....here's a link for you for more details.

Feeling good

2009-12-10T18:15:00.005-05:00

Just got back from a brisk walk up my road with the dog. It's a VERY cold day out there, but now I'm enjoying a cup of hot tea with the warm wood stove crackling in the background.

Back in the studio today, it felt good to be back in the clay and I'm still enjoying my new view. This fall was so busy with shows and things that I've have had limited pot-making time. But now since things are winding down for the year, I can get back in and work on some things without huge deadlines hovering over my shoulders. I started out throwing a round of some medium sized bowls that I'm planning on carving.

As for the trimming today, it was a good trimming day. (For those non-potters reading out there, trimming refers to the foot ring that I have cut onto the bottom of the bowl.) I have always loved trimming. I'm not sure what exactly it is that makes it so enjoyable but it is. For me, the base of a pot is just as important as the top. It's all in the details from top to bottom.

Studio Tour this weekend!

2009-12-04T09:17:00.004-05:00

Don't miss the Toe River Arts Council Studio Tour this weekend. Today it is 12-4 pm with an opening reception at the TRAC Gallery in Spruce Pine, NC fro 5-8 pm. This self guided tour continues Saturday and Sunday December 5 and 6th from 10-5 pm.

I will be exhibiting my pottery at John Britt's Pottery Studio, studio #47 off of Sparks Road near Penland, along with Will Baker (pottery), Susan Feagin (pottery), and Rodney Hopkins (wood).

Over 200 artists are in this tour surrounding Mitchell and Yancey counties in western North Carolina. It's your chance to tour the artists' studios and see behind the scenes of where they make their art.

For more info: www.toeriverarts.org

Tea Break

2009-12-02T16:49:00.003-05:00

On such a blustery cold rainy day as this, a constant supply of hot tea is necessary! I love the tea that gives you bits of quotes and wisdom on the tea bag. Today's quote, from Good Earth's Sweet and Spicy tea is one I've found before, but nice to remember again:

"I make the most of all that comes, and the least of all that goes." Sara Teasdale

This mug of mine was a keeper from a firing a year ago or so. Sometimes I keep my favorite pots out of each kiln load just for myself. This way I can enjoy it and learn from it and see what inspirations it can bring about.

End of the year

2009-11-30T18:14:00.007-05:00

Hello!

These shots are from the opening at Pottery 101 Gallery in Salisbury a couple of weekends ago. The opening was fun and it's such a beautiful gallery to display work in. Annie and I had a great time and were glad to have this show together.

Since then I've been busy having a nice visit with my family visiting me here in the mountains. This week I'm gathering and sorting pots to take down the road for the next show, right here in town. It's the Toe River Arts Council Studio Tour, only you won't be touring my studio this year. I'm exhibiting at John Britt's pottery studio, in Bakersville, near Penland. There will be a group of 5 of us with demos and refreshments. John makes a great chocolate truffle, so you shouldn't miss this motley crew of artists. The dates are December 4-6.

For more info and a map, visit www.toeriverarts.org

My last show of the season is going to be back in Asheville, NC, at the Folk Art Center, for the Southern Highland Craft Guild Seconds Sale. One day only, December 12, this is a great chance to buy seconds, and discontinued pieces. I'm going to be bringing a good collection of pots with low prices for this sale as it's time to clean up and clear out to make room for making MORE pots. So please come help me and my pottery problem by helping me clear out my shelves! I promise good deals!

And as always, my Etsy shop will continue to have work in it through the holidays.

Above the clouds

2009-11-24T19:39:00.008-05:00

Just when you think it's a normal day around here, things can get interesting with the weather. All morning the usual fog lingered around the valley, not burning off until later in the day. Then, later in the afternoon when I was at a friends house about to drive home, I noticed the clouds were getting even more interesting. So I turned the car a different direction and drove up to my favorite stomping ground, Roan Mountain, only a hop, skip and a jump away. Sure enough, the blanket of clouds were spread like a glacier over our Bakersville valley. Looming in the distance is not the Himalayas, but Mount Mitchell. It seems much larger than it appears when the clouds aren't filling in the valley floor. The clouds were moving slowly like a glacier, inching their way east towards the setting sun, while the ridges in the west were spilling over with seeping patches of clouds.

I am so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place as this. But I feel even more fortunate that I notice these moments and can take the time to notice the beauty that is always all around me. Such a nice way to end the day...

"It's All in the Details", Pottery Exhibit

2009-11-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

Tonight is the opening reception for my shared pottery exhibit, "It's All in the Details", at Pottery 101 Gallery in Salisbury, NC. The other featured potter is Annie Singletary, from Black Mountain, NC. Below are the pieces I selected to display for the show, which feels like a nice sampling of my work. Come check out the exhibit, the opening is tonight from 6-9 pm.

Buttercup Cups

2009-11-20T08:03:00.000-05:00

These new butter cups were in the soda firing I did this week in the small kiln. I actually refired them because the glaze was immature and dry from the last firing. This is a new glaze I've been testing. Now that they are refired they are much better. Does buttercup cups sound funny? I'm still working on titles for my pots, and that one popped in my mind. These will be in the Salisbury show. I like this new form with minimal texture and all glaze. It's kind of different for me.

Where the soda hits the glaze, it sure gets nice!

This pair of contrasted lobed mugs are another idea I'm playing around with, trying different glazes in different places on the pot. Again, it's very different for me to glaze the entire pot without leaving bare slipped clay for the soda to react on. I just thought it would be fun to change things around a little bit with my mugs to see where it would lead me.

A new view

2009-11-19T19:13:00.005-05:00

I have a new view in my studio. The past few weeks I've been slowing rearranging and cleaning both my studio rooms. One room still has a looooong way to go. But my main room that I throw and make everything in is finished. It's a new view! I moved my wheel, shelves and table around. The work flow seems much better now and more efficient. It actually seems bigger in there now. And now while I throw, I can look out the window into the woods and at the birds...nice, isn't it? It feels very refreshing to have a new view, a physical new view, but mentally and emotionally I feel recharged and at a good place right now. The year is wrapping up with a few more shows, but the major push (and worry) is over and now I can get ready for 'hunkering down' for the winter, as they say 'round here. I'm excited to work on some winter projects I have in mind, like some new forms, and some harder forms that I don't practice enough, like large bowls.

I fired the baby soda kiln this week to get out a round of new mugs, this time a lot of them were fully glazed! It was a nice firing; I'll show some details of them tomorrow. For now, I have to get ready to go out of town for my next exhibit that opens tomorrow night in Salisbury, NC.

Asheville Art Museum

2009-11-18T14:32:00.002-05:00

If you're in the Asheville area, don't miss this holiday market going on this week at the art museum. I dropped off a nice selection of carved mugs, bowls and tumblers for this sale!

Holiday Shopping Extravaganza

NOVEMBER 17 - 22 - Tuesday - Sunday, Museum Hours

Pack Place Community Gallery

Buy unique gifts by local artists for everyone on your holiday shopping list!

20% off for Museum Members on Friday, November 20, 2009.

Light

2009-11-15T10:24:00.003-05:00

I found the light this morning inching its' way up this burning bush. The fog is thick around here in the morning and with each sunrise, the sun fights its' way through. It looks like it's going to be another beautiful day.

Even though I am always trying to be observant, I get caught up in my busy day to day life. But it really does help me to slow down and appreciate those little moments in life. The sun rises every single morning but half the time we are all rushing around doing things. This morning it was refreshing to wake up to it and notice the beauty in the details. Now as I write this, the sun is strong in the sky and the light has taken on a different feeling. I'm glad I caught that moment and slowed down.

Live Online Holiday Pottery Sale Today!

2009-11-14T09:42:00.003-05:00

I just listed 75 new soda fired pots, the largest selection I've ever shown online. Hope to 'see' you there!

Holiday Sale Tomorrow!

2009-11-13T15:00:00.005-05:00

small pitcher detail (this piece will be in the sale)

I've been busy getting all of the pots photographed and the images ready for listing for the big sale tomorrow at my Etsy shop. I'm going to be listing about 75 new pieces, so that's been a lot of prep work getting all of the details squared away with all of the images and the listing details. I like to explain each piece a bit so people can have an idea what the piece is like in reality!

Don't forget to stop in to my shop after 10 am Saturday morning. Lots of new pots!

Save the date! Online Pottery Sale

2009-11-10T18:20:00.004-05:00

This Saturday, November 14, 2009 at my Online Etsy Pottery Shop, I will be having an online sale at 10:00 am EST. I am busy photographing images of a large selection of new pots that I will post online for the sale. Come visit my shop Saturday morning with your coffee in hand! There will be a lot of new items including mugs, tumblers, cups, pitchers, reed jars, baskets, vases, wall tiles, and more!

Until then, you can poke around at my Etsy shop, here, where I have been cleaning up my shop and have discounted some more items in the SALE Category.

shining rocks

2009-11-09T18:30:00.009-05:00

I'm home from the potter's show that went by in a zip. It was a one day show, set up the booth in the morning and took it all back down in the afternoon. The show was okay for me, and I'm glad I tried out a new one I hadn't been to before. I would definitely like to go back next year because it brought a huge crowd of pottery appreciators. I got to meet Richard Aerni, a great potter from Rochester, New York who was also in the show. We've corresponded through the blog and our etsy shops and I've always wanted to meet him. It's fun meeting potters after you might get a feeling of their personality through their pottery and their writings. Richard definitely seems like a kindred spirit and I was glad to finally meet him and talk pots, life and other such tidbits.

After the show, on the way back home, Will and I were able to take off into the Shining Rock Wilderness Area for a nice 10 mile dayhike. Sunday was such an amazing, warm day for November. It's great when I can do a show and on the way home, take an extra day off and enjoy a hike! The picture below is a detail of the white quartz with some interesting lichen growing on it. This remote and untouched wilderness area gets its name from this huge outcrop of 'shining rocks'.

"The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within; strength, courage, and dignity." ~Ruby Dee

WNC Pottery Festival

2009-11-05T14:37:00.004-05:00

This Saturday I'm headed out for another pottery show, in Dillsboro, NC. It's the WNC Pottery Festival, a popular all-pottery show in the area. With 65 potters of all shapes and flavors, there are also pottery demonstrations as well as wood, raku, and soda firings. Here is a map to get you there. It's located an hour southwest of Asheville, NC, right near the Great Smoky Mountains. The weather predicted is supposed to be beautiful and fall is definitely lingering in the air!

Hope to see you there!

Inspirations

2009-11-03T18:19:00.002-05:00

I love to collect seed pods on my walks with my dog. This time of year you can easily find Honesty Plant, or (Lunaria annua) growing nearby. This is also called money plant due to its' pods resembling silver coins. You can find more about this interesting plant, here. Just another one to put in my collection bowls.

My Assistant

2009-10-31T12:05:00.006-04:00

Always one to appear when there are boxes to hide in and packing peanuts to bat around, my cat Ziggy has been watching over me to make sure I ship the right pots out. It's nice to have help!

I've been slowly cleaning up and rearranging the studio, just one corner at a time. I'm trying to change things to help the work flow and to use every space more efficiently. When I'm in the middle of a big kiln load, I always run out of room to put pots and bisqueware. Sometimes things pile up in corners that don't need to be there, so I'm trying to create more space for myself. I think I'm going to build a new shelf and a new wedging table, so I'm trying to figure out the space it's going in and what dimensions they need to be. I'm excited to get it all fresh and clean and ready for working again. I haven't really deep cleaned and reorganized in the three years I've been in this studio so it was definitely time!

Decisions

2009-10-28T13:18:00.006-04:00

I'm getting ready to send out this group of my best pots to Baltimore Clayworks for their Winterfest 2009 Exhibition in Baltimore, Maryland. After the last two kiln firings, I held back a large grouping of my best pots for the show at Baltimore, as well as another collection of pots for my next gallery exhibit, 'All in the details' at Pottery 101 in Salisbury, NC. That exhibit is a duo show of pottery put together by myself and from my friend and potter Annie Singletary from Black Mountain. A few years ago, Annie and I were both resident artists at the same time at the Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts in Asheville, NC. Since we moved on into different journeys of our life, we have continued to remain friends in mind and in clay. I have always felt we have similar roots in our passions for clay but interestingly branch off into our own interpretations of those inspirations. Annie has a new website and blog that you can visit here.

So for now, I'm deciding which pots go where. I need to send about 12 pots to Baltimore, of which I'll probably include a teapot, pitcher, vase, basket, ewer, reed jar, bowls, tumblers, mugs, cups and a small pitcher. So it's packing tape and bubble wrap for me as I prepare all of these pots to be shipped!

Then it's deciding which pots and how many I need for the Salisbury exhibit. Annie and I are sharing the entire gallery floor, which means that's a lot of pots! I was so lucky that I fired so many pots in the last couple of firings to get through all of the big October retail craft shows and still have enough show pots for the gallery exhibits.