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Wood fired treasures

August 26, 2018Wood FiredDavid
A handmade ceramic vase with a wide mouth, featuring earthy tones of beige, brown, and hints of green glaze, set against a white background.
A handmade ceramic vase with a wide mouth, featuring earthy tones of beige, brown, and hints of green glaze, set against a white background.

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otterpottery

74 Johnson Avenue
Markerville, Alberta -
Phone 403-638-5177
Here are more of the mugs that came out of the lat Here are more of the mugs that came out of the latest kiln firing. What great results!! If you are interested in the pottery classes here in Sundre I have some starting July 1st. Book Early! #Sundre #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #potteryclasses
The year’s final 6-week #potteryclasses in #Sundre The year’s final 6-week #potteryclasses in #Sundre are starting up the week of November 5th. For information and to enroll go to http://www.otterpottery.com/pottery-classes/ . This teapot is out of last week’s wood firing. We reached 2228 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of the wood used burnt very hot but gave little of the desired ash deposits. A combination of woods will be used next time. Still a lovely pot. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #woodfiredpottery #lessons #arts #woodfired #teapot
This is a vase I made several years ago. It was in This is a vase I made several years ago. It was initially glazed with an ash glaze on a brown clay. You can see the brown rivulets stopping at the base. The whole vase looked that brown color, pretty boring. Comparing it to my recent work, I was getting embarrassed looking at it. I have liked the response of how the Nuka glaze has been working out, so I applied some glaze and re-fired the vase. It was worth it. The brown clay is highlighted by the bright whites and blue of the new glaze. Now you see the older brown glaze as an echo of the Nuka glaze. Join us for #potteryclasses in #Sundre starting the week of January 21st. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #ashglaze
Klohe is here at the #potteryclasses in Sundre. Sh Klohe is here at the #potteryclasses in Sundre. She has had a busy week and will be well rested for next weeks classes.
These are some pots made from the riverside clay I These are some pots made from the riverside clay I had to kayak to get. The clay had very few foreign particles in it. I plopped it on the wheel and I could throw it as is. It was easy to throw these vases. I had to pick out very few small rocks or twigs. Somethings I left in the clay to give it more character once fired. It was fun to throw with so many unknowns and the final results were great. Unfortunately, the #potteryclasses here in #Sundre does not use this type of clay for instruction. Pottery classes start next week. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #earthenware #terracotta #canadaday #lessons #art
Here is a student`s work from the classes that end Here is a student`s work from the classes that ended in December. With the vibrant, cranberry glaze highlights on this small serving plate, it stands out and sings. I have changed the date of the upcoming pottery classes to start the week of January 21st. To enroll, have a first, second and third choice of days that you are available. With only 5 students per class it helps if you can be flexible. Join us for #potteryclasses in #Sundre. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #January #mug #plates #trays
Some of the students work from #Sundre #potterycla Some of the students work from #Sundre #potteryclasses . Anyone interested in a Wednesday evening class? With a minimum of 3 people we can organize one for your group.
I have been a rafting guide for many years. A very I have been a rafting guide for many years. A very sharp contrast to working with clay and offering #potteryclasses in #Sundre. I had noticed a large terracotta deposit on the south side of the river that I wanted to investigate. I had to leave my truck on the north shore and a helper (Jaze) and I loaded up 3 inflatable kayaks. One had about 8 pails and a shovel, Jaze paddled one and finally myself in my own kayak. It was easy to get across the river with a rope towing the nearly empty kayak and we soon got to the clay deposit. We filled all the 5-gallon pails with this wet, sticky clay, about 1100 lbs. Loading the empty kayak and trying to head off to the other shore took a lot of pushing and pulling. It was heavy, but we made it and here is a pot fired from that clay. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #clay
When spraying glazes, the color graduations give t When spraying glazes, the color graduations give the plate a soft look. Also, some affects are caused by the layering of glazes. When green glaze is applied first and then a white glaze applied over top, you get the large green specks. Applying the reverse gives a different result. For the fall #potteryclasses here in #Sundre, you should book now. Pottery classes are available all summer. There is a one day, two day and a 6 week course available. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #lessons #art.
Working for most of the last 35 years as a white-w Working for most of the last 35 years as a white-water rafting guide, I enjoy trying to find different ways of representing water. This piece of sculpture was created with a wave in mind and by dividing it in two a river was formed. I fired the pieces separately using the naked raku style which gave it the appearance of the surface of ripples in water. #Sundre #potterycourses #Olds #Bowden #Didsbury #Innisfail #Pottery #Sculpture
This is the last of 3 plaques inspired by the work This is the last of 3 plaques inspired by the work of Tom Thomson, one of the Group of Seven. The final plaque has the tribute to Thomson's trees in the foreground. The hill in the back ground resembles (in a small way) the Sleeping Giant. It is a peninsula near Thunder Bay jutting into Lake Superior. From some vantage points the profile looks like a sleeping giant. There is much lore associated with this. Most of Thomson work was done far away in the Georgian Bay area. Often my plaques are a mish mash of memorable places grouped together. I hope there are still places in the world that look like these.
Reposting due to poor picture quality. Learning to Reposting due to poor picture quality. Learning to combine glazes takes time. Not too much and not too little. Join us for the #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of March 25th. We have space available for every evening 7 to 10 pm if you would like to come and have some fun creating. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics #potteryglazes
We are concerned about the loss of the planets wil We are concerned about the loss of the planets wildlife. Have you noticed that there are very few crushed bugs on the windshield of your car after a road trip? The rate of change of the loss of our fellow inhabitants of this planet his speeded up. The pair of buffalo on the lid of this pot reference these losses. In all but a few places, buffalo are no longer roaming free. These great herds have disappeared fairly recently timewise. But the start of human caused extinctions began about 11,000 years ago. Although, sometimes we might not think it, the Neanderthals vanished earlier due to a variety of reasons. Two reasons are the competition with humans for resources and absorption into the human species.
Another view of this bowl. Learning to combine gla Another view of this bowl. Learning to combine glazes takes time. Not too much and not too little. Join us for the #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of March 25th. We have space available for every evening 7 to 10 pm if you would like to come and have some fun creating. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics #potteryglazes
We had some good weather and got a raku firing don We had some good weather and got a raku firing done. It is always exciting to get a very quickly finish pot. Instant gratification. Be ready for unexpected surfaces, colors and of course – lots of fire! For the #potteryclasses in #Sundre I don’t teach raku. You can’t predict the amount of wind here. We have #giftcertificates available for the Pottery classes after #Xmas Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #Christmas #raku
Just like white over black gives a speckled patter Just like white over black gives a speckled pattern, white over green gives a similar pattern. On a closer look the pattern of dots is fewer, irregular and less defined. This Butter Dome will be at the #Bergen #christmasmarket, 10 kms south of #Sundre on November 24th. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #arts #butterdish
Learning to combine glazes takes time. This time w Learning to combine glazes takes time. This time with a sponge. Not too much and not too little. Join us for the #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of March 25th. We have space available for every evening 7 to 10 pm if you would like to come and have some fun creating. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics #potteryglazes
In the last posting, did you notice the wave shape In the last posting, did you notice the wave shaped shadow cast by the sculpture. Therefore, both of these pieces were also wave shaped. A little something to hang back about and not point out right away. These pieces of wall art are about textures. The leather frames the work. It looks and feels so different from the craggy canyons and hills of the landscapes of these pieces. This is a raku type of clay, but I wanted to fire it in a low temperature barrel fire. They both were placed in a barrel full of wood chips, bark, saw dust, pine cones and roots. The wood was lit to burned in the barrel all night. These two pieces were discovered hidden amongst the ashes and incombustibles.
The #potteryclasses are really going well in Sundr The #potteryclasses are really going well in Sundre. I enjoy teaching people about clay. There are so many steps to every stage and only with time and practice do you get something that is like your original vision. I do my best to help everyone, and along with my helper Klohe, we make sure that good work is being produced. She will even leave paw prints in your work if you encourage her – and many people do.
I have 2 mugs left over from a recent commission. I have 2 mugs left over from a recent commission. Wanting travelling mugs, I attached short high handles. These are a pleasure to hold and so comfortable. They can fit in your car’s cup holders too. Join us for #Sundre #potteryclasses starting the week of March 25th. I already have people enrolled for Wednesday evening 7 to 10 pm if you would like to come and have some fun creating. Other days are available. Visit http://www.potteryclasses.page for details. #Olds #Didsbury #Carstairs #Innisfail #Bowden #Reddeer #Calgary #pottery #handmade #art #wheelthrowing #ceramics
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