Cornwallville Pottery

Thank You For Your Patience.

2010-12-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

I have had numerous emails and comments regarding my lack of posting since May. I first want to apologize and let you know there are many reasons. Not to fear though if you have enjoyed The Cornwallville Pottery. There is a new light and I will be posting soon on all the details so please stay in touch and keep checking back.

It has been a truly changing year and I hope to get back into the ceramic swing sooner then late. Happy Holidays to all of you and it means so much to me that you have all kept in touch and your interest in my work and creativity still exists. Happy New Year and we will start a new then.

Todd

Sounds At The Studio, Early Spring

2010-05-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

I know I still have not posted in a while but have been a busy bee still in the gardens and not down in the studio as I should be!

Here is a quick posting of some new tunes I have been working to when I am in the studio.

There will be lots of new posts on the way.....Check back soon!

New Vernal Work

2010-04-14T21:45:00.001-07:00

I apologize for not posting lately. Spring is in full swing here in Cornwallville and all the gardens need to be weeded, edged and tended to.

If you didn't know, I am a garden designer and plant geek as well as a ceramic artist and have been working with and designing plants for about ten years now.

I have been toying with the idea of creating a garden blog to compliment this one as my passion for ceramics and plants are just as equal.

I will debut the Cornwallville Garden blog soon so keep posted.

For now please enjoy these images of some recent work with vernal colors that I glazed at my good friend and mentor Carla Horowitz's studio Indigo Earth in Livingston, New Jersey.

This work was created and glazed for the Pop-Up Garden Shop, that was held last month. I glazed my bowls, planters and garden stones in rich blues, mossy greens, pussy willow gray, and faux oribe.

I hope you can feel the birth of spring in these pots saturated in rich but soft colors. I'm sure that there will definitely be more to come!

Happy Spring to you All!

The Pop-Up Garden Shop Wrap Up

2010-03-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

It turned out to be a great weekend at the Kincaid road stand two weekends ago! The Pop-Up Garden Shop was a hit, and most people thought it would be a permanent fixture there. Sadly though it was one weekend.

It was the one weekend only and the weather was a bit brisk. The sun made it out on Saturday, and by Sunday it was overcast and you could see your breath in the air.

That didn't stop some of my friends, family, and passer by's from coming out and supporting the Historical Society of Boonton Township and myself.

It was so great to see everyone and see their response to my work. I can't thank you all enough for making the trip out to Oscar's home.

People really responded to the newer pieces such as my clay buckets, garden toadstools, stoneware planters, and of course the concrete leaves.

Less so of my new "garden stones" which I was so pleased with. So I guess it's back to the ole potters wheel to redesign that one.

All in all I sold almost everything that I brought which felt amazing.

It was a truly great experience for me as I have not had a solo show of my work in such a long time. It gave me a renewed confidence and new inspiration for the pottery in Cornwallville.

Ill keep you posted with new upcoming changes and improvements this year.

It was a bit bittersweet though at the end of the sale on Sunday afternoon. As I packed all my things and looked back at the little empty road stand, I had grown to love. I thought "what will be next?"
and then I recalled the title of the show The Pop-Up Garden Shop.

So keep a look out for the road stand for you'll never know when the next shop will "Pop-Up"

The Milk Glass Collection Connection

2010-03-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

Stephen just gave me this beautiful book on the history of milk glass, and it has re-sparked my love and inspiration that my collection has given me.
Before I ever even touched porcelain, I was collecting milk glass. Yes you have all seen this glassware strewn through your grandmother's house or piled on tables at garage sales, and that's where I first discovered it as well.

I remember one day in my early 20's rummaging through a dusty salvation army for vintage clothing, when I looked over at the large store front windows filled with milk glass with the sunlight passing through the pieces.
Their translucence amazed me and I was hooked.

I snatched up several pieces for no more that a dollar each, and the collection was born. I brought them home and used them often, filling them with flowers and my personal favorite, placing votives inside and watching them at night with their flickering glow illuminating the room.

Later on in my ceramic career I discovered porcelain, and though I heard of its translucent quality and saw images in books, I never experienced in person.

I was determined to make work that would really be translucent.
So I began working with the buttery clay body throwing it as thin as possible. Stretching my ability and the porcelain until, I thought it would be at that right thinness to let light pass through.

I wanted "milk glass porcelain", and I believe from my time working with the material, I have achieved it.

It has a warmer glow than milk glass, reminding me of pure bright sunshine. While milk glass looks to me of a overcast calm blue winter light.
They both cast beautiful light so well that it melts me every time I see it.

So If you never experienced the special translucence of either I suggest you pick up a piece of milk glass at a thrift store, or even better one of my pots and hold it in the light.

I am sure you will melt, just like I do.

Studio Shots: Early March

2010-03-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

Studio Shots is another new series in which I'll post some photos of what I have been working on in the studio. There typically won't be any story, just some quick shots of my new work.

I am hoping with this new series to spark interest, creativity and open up a dialogue.

In this case, the photos here are of new projects I have been working on for the Pop-Up Garden Shop. I hope you enjoy them and let me know what you think.

The Pop-Up Garden Shop

2010-03-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to announce the first of two events that I have created and that will be hosted at The Oscar Kincaid Home of History.

I came up with the Pop -Up Garden Shop and the Kincaid Fine Craft & Art Show during last fall when my mother and close friends where hosting the Pop The Cork. A wine tasting and benefit for the Historical Society of Boonton Township.

I helped out by cleaning and displaying the little roadstand that used to be a dairy and ice cream shop and later a farm stand.
As I was setting the mums and ferns around, I thought that it would make a great little garden shop, and so the idea was born.

The Pop-Up Garden Shop will take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 27th and 28th from 9a.m. to 4p.m.. At the Oscar Kincaid Home of History, on Powerville Rd., in Boonton Township, NJ.

I will have my pottery, planters, ceramic birds, garden soaps, and concrete leaves for sale.

There will also be a huge selection of cold hardy flowers, vegetables, potted bulbs and flowering branches.

In addition I will be giving garden consultations representing Mrs. Erb's fine gardens and there will be an amazing exhibit of botanical watercolor paintings by award winning artist Marge Varetoni.

A portion of all the proceeds will benefit restoring The Oscar Kincaid Home of History.

The Kincaid Fine Craft & Art Show will take place in mid September.

I'm holding a call for entries for that event, so If you are interested in participating please feel free to contact me.

Hope to see you there, rain or shine!

Our Fantastic Mr. Farmhouse

2010-02-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

Last week our home and the pottery was featured on the wonderful website Apartment Therapy.

Our good friend and neighbor Aubyn connected us with Geoff Bentz from A.T., who put out the great little article with a catchy title on their site.

Please feel free to check out the link below for a full tour inside our home and a peak at the outdoor elements.

I want to give a big thank you to Aubyn, Geoff, and everyone who left such beautiful and welcoming comments on the article.

It was such a great experience to share with all of you!

We are truly looking forward to more journeys like this in the future...

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tour-stephen-and-todds-fantastic-mr-farmhouse-108233

Inspiration: Vintage Illustrated Children's Books

2010-02-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

This is a new series in which I will share some of the things that inspire me from time to time. These inspirations can either be the light on a wall, a shrub in bloom, or in this case the duotone illustrations from children's books from the 1960's.

Some of the Inspiration will make it into a body of work or be expressed on a specific piece. Some might just be put on the back burner in my mind waiting for the day when it could come out in some way or form.

In this case I found these books on the street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn while taking and evening stroll. I crouched down closer to look at them and opened one up to find these beautiful drawings with amazing swaths of color.

I now have these books down in my studio, and have been looking at them often. I think the color is really inspiring me, since there is now a real lack of it outside at this time of year.

We'll just have to wait and see how these illustrations may or may not show up in some form in my work.

Sounds At The Studio, Mid Winter

2010-02-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

Now with the studio complete I have been getting back to work, creating sculptures and pottery for an upcoming show (the details to be announced soon) and playing some amazing music.

These are some of the tunes I have been listening to as the snow falls and my hands are molding clay. I know this mix sounds a bit dark, but that's the mood down in the basement studio in mid winter.

I hope you enjoy!

An Underground Studio

2010-01-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

For most ceramic artists and most likely any type of artist, the thought of setting up a workspace in a dark, dank basement would make them cringe.

Its one of those situations that typically occurs to artists as a last resort. This happens to be my case, although I have worked in basements in the past, the one in our home scared me.

It looked like it was straight out of the Silence of the Lambs. All it needed was a 15ft. deep pit and a poodle named Precious.

If your asking why wouldn't I set up a studio in the barn? The answer is there is no insulation, and the cost to insulate it would be a fortune.

Some day that will happen, but for now the basement I must go.

I started by raking up all the debris from the dirt floor and then began to shop vac all the walls, beams and any surface that was there.
As I was cleaning I started to fall in love with the fact that my studio would actually have stone walls.

I continued to clean for the rest of the day and even washed the walls to make sure there wasn't a speck of dust.
When I was complete I sat down on a chair and looked around and thought to myself " I could get used to this".

The next day I went down and started to hang inspirational images that I have collected over the years, to bring some warmth to the space.
I moved around shelving and tables till it was just felt right. This is the result.

I know its most likely not a dream studio or even close, but its suits my purpose.

So now it's time to get to work and create with clay again!

A Soapy Venture

2010-01-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

I have decided to share with all of you my new venture in soap making. I call it a venture because I don't quite know if the soap will appeal to people at the pottery or my soon to be up and running Etsy shop.
It all started several several years ago when Stephen and I decided to make soap for gifts one Christmas. We made naturally scented soaps such as orange clove, cedar, and lavender oatmeal.

They were a big hit with our friends and family, but the following holiday we never got around to making them again.

Last spring when I was working on plans for the pottery, making soap was on my long list. But with all the work that had to be done around the house, gardens and pottery, the soap making got nixed again.

It wasn't till this past holiday season that I got into the mood to make soap again. I pondered all sorts of scents to experiment with, and decided on two.

Cardamom Lime and Orange Clove would be suited, I thought for the season, and the extra cardamom soaps would be a perfect spring scent to sell at the pottery.

So I got to work by starting with all my ingredients. I hand ground all the spices with my mortar and pestle, and then began to zest all the citrus, and placed them in my bowls.

I then melted the translucent soap base in my huge double boiler that I just use for soap making.
I then added the ingredients one by one, gave it a good stir and poured the boiling mixture into molds to set.

After a day of setting in the molds I cut them to size and placed them between layers of paper to cure.
It was so beautiful to see them laid out all together on the table, they looked like jeweled candies.

The following weekend I gathered up a bunch of my little porcelain bowls and dishes and placed the soaps in them and tied them up with ribbon. They were all ready for gift giving, and the response was the same from friends and family.

I hope when people stop this coming spring to the pottery they will want to get some homemade soap and make this, a not so soapy venture.

What do you think? Want some soap?

Sounds At The Studio, Christmas

2009-12-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas music is that genre that you can only listen to at this time of year. I have lots of favorites and always break them out after Thanksgiving and play them constantly till the new year.

Stephen and I have like, probably most people associate some non Christmas music with the holidays.

The following "sounds at the studio" play list is a combination of traditional and non traditional holiday tunes.

I hope you enjoy this compilation when you are trimming your tree, roasting your goose, or making some pots.

Happy holidays to all of you!

Calling Cards

2009-12-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Today I just wanted to share some images of the new calling cards Stephen made me for the pottery. He printed some 500 of them, so they should last quite a long while. They will live in a little bowl in the pottery and be carried in my back pocket.

Stephen also produced some double sided cards for our home, the M.H. Merchant Stone House. The one side is a historic image of the house when it was first built, and the other has the information.

Anyone who makes a purchase at the pottery will get each one of these little cards, stuffed in their bowl or bag or you could just stop by and grab a few.

The First "Concrete" Workshop

2009-11-06T09:21:00.000-08:00

One would think that since I'm a ceramic artist the first workshop to be held at the pottery would be clay related.
Close but no cigar; with the success of the concrete leaves, and my sweet mothers admiration of them. The first workshop was to be the construction and techniques of working with concrete.

My mother saw my leaves in photos and was entranced with their beauty. She wanted to see how I made them so at her home in New jersey, I purchased a couple of bags and made some concrete leaves and pots to show her.
Well that did it. That night she called her two best friends to tell them of the little demo; and all of them being extremely creative they decided they wanted to come up to Cornwallville and make their very own concrete treasures.
It was settled that they would come up in early October for a weekend of relaxation and learning.

They arrived early on a cold Saturday morning, full of energy and excitement. They barely even put their bags down before someone said " When are we going to make the leaves? ".

10 minutes later, the ladies were dressed in their " best " dirty clothes to play with concrete.
We all went down to the pottery and got to work. I sent them down to the pond to find leaves and anything else they wanted to experiment while I started to prep the area and mix the cement.

They returned with seedpods, grasses, bark and of coarse leaves.

I then showed them my techniques on how to prepare, place, and cover the leaves for their entombing in concrete. I learned all of this from trial and error of using several hundred pounds of the stuff as well as doing some online research.

Several hours later everyone made two large leaves and several pots and troughs that will be covered in a another post this coming spring. All of this making and creativity worked up a real appetite, so we went into the warm stone house for some roasted vegetable soup and savory muffins.

After lunch we relaxed by the fire and shared our experience of the day. We later went for a beautiful walk, saw some wildlife, and had an amazing dinner, before we tucked in for the night.

The next morning the crew was as anxious as I was when I first started making objects out of concrete. They said they couldn't really sleep, that they couldn't wait to see their creations. So not a second later we bundled up and headed out back and began to turn over the leaves and open up our pots and troughs.

The results were amazing, everyone had experimented in different ways with different materials giving each one of their pieces a unique touch of their own. I showed them how to clean their work and give it an aged look if they desired and then we packed up the leaves carefully in the car.
We headed back up to the house and picked them some flowers from the gardens so they could take another little piece of Cornwallville home with them.

Before we could even say our goodbye's, they all stated how much fun they had and how they couldn't wait till next time to come up to the house and create more!

This coming summer of 2010, I and the Cornwallville Pottery will be hosting various ceramic artists with different skill sets and offer various workshops covering different topics.
Camping will be permitted on the property as well as a few available rooms in the stone house. Please check back later in the spring for details! This is another great endeavor that we are taking to link the pottery and our home to the public.

Pack it up, pack it in, Let it begin.

2009-11-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

It's early November and this post begins in my studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I have been at that location for almost two years sharing it with three lovely and talented ceramic designers. It's a beautiful west facing studio with high ceilings and a view of the Williamsburg Bridge.

Since we moved upstate to Cornwallville, I have been completely absent at the Brooklyn studio.
As you know I have been busy setting up the pottery, and as winter comes and the barn doors close; it is time to set up the new studio in the stone house basement.

I went to the Brooklyn studio one morning in late October with an empty car, and the will to start again in Cornwallville. It took several trips up and down the service elevator to empty the contents of my space. Several hours later, and a deep sigh of sadness and optimism, I was ready to head north with my ceramic life.

I am truly going to miss the girls and all the inspiration, laughs, and beauty that we shared there.
It was a great time, and now it's time to open a new chapter of the book.

Thank you Lisa, Lorena and Sarah.

Concrete; The Clay Alternative

2009-10-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

I have always been attracted to working with other materials whether drawing on wood blocks, watercolor painting, or working with paper mache.
It is in this constant curiosity of discovering new materials that my new obsession was born.

It was late summer and the gardens were in full swing. The sunflowers were beaming like sunlight, the sedums were blushing rose, and the alocasia ( elephant ears) were in full glory down by the pond. It was these massive leaves that put me into a creative frenzy.

I wanted to make large ceramic leaf platters but with my studio and tools still in Brooklyn I had to take a different coarse. Then it popped into my head CONCRETE.
I have seen concrete leaves before in magazines and garden shops and had always wanted to make my own.
So I set out to the local hardware store and bought a 60lb. bag of concrete mix and rushed home. When I got back to the house I picked some of the largest leaves I could find, and gathered an old wheelbarrow, gloves, and the hose. I then went to the back of the turkey coup and started to mix and experiment.

I only got two leaves and one pot out of the one bag, but with new pieces still hardening up I knew then that I was hooked.
The next morning I ran out back to see the results. The first leaf I turned over, the left side crumbled in my hand.
I was too eager, so went back into the house and waited a couple of more hours before I would try again.
The second time was the charm with a beautiful perfect leaf bowl as the result.
As soon as I saw this new piece I went back to the hardware store and bought 3 more bags. When I returned I went into production mode and made a dozen leaves of all shapes and sizes.

They will cure for the upcoming winter in the barn and then they will be ready for the gardens and available for customers.

I am so excited to introduce these new garden ornaments to the pottery! They are beautiful as simple objects and useful as water catching basins for the birds that visit your properties. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed making them!

Revisiting Forced Age

2009-09-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

It has been 6 months to the day that I first set out to the misty March woods to lay my pots to rest.
It was one of my first posts; and I was quite excited for the little experiment.
To recall, I set some earthenware pots I made on the woodland floor and covered them with moss and mud to attempt to force age upon them. I would travel back there from time to time and take a peek, but not to truly investigate the results. I would wait for the 6 month time line I gave myself.

So into the now; late September woods I went.

I set the pots down in the woods near the spring creek; and a wild rose bush that's now covered in beautiful hips.

Back in March when I placed the pots, I created a stick structure over them to mark there whereabouts as well as protect them from falling debris or animals trampling them.

As I crept behind the rose bush, there was the wooden tee pee with my pots safe inside.

As you can see in the photo, some time during the summer I also put some commercial pots in the mix as well to see if the different clay body would react differently to the environment.

So i squatted down and took a closer look.

The pots seemed to happy here. They were moist with their pumpkin tones glowing. And yes moss was starting to take hold as well.

With this closer inspection I quickly realized that this type of moss; as content as it was here growing on the pots in the woods, it would not survive out of this environment.

I was looking for more of an algae looking moss that would truly bond to the surface of the pots; almost like green paint.

with this slight disappointment I started to pick up the pots one by one and give them a real examination.

A - Ha; Yes! I said to myself.

This is what I was looking for. This moss variety seemed to be the right one. As sparse and delicate as it was, over time it would colonize the earthenware surface of these little pots.

With this glimmer of success I put the the pots back down on the woodland floor; and headed back to check on my other attempt to force age by the turkey coup.

There I placed commercial pots around mid August beneath a down spout from the roof. There was large bed of moss and with this location I could check on the pots more easily and as often as I wished.

These pots took on age at an alarming pace. With their time being there for less than 2 months they were showing amazing color. That blush of green was present on all of them.

I have determined that I think my pots; when fired in the kiln were brought up to a temperature that might have been to high for the likeliness of moss to grow on them.
That high temperature sealed up the porous surface of the pots preventing the moss to truly grab hold and thrive.

This coming winter when I do make more planters I won't fire them in the kiln to such a temperature. This will hopefully make them more porous and appealing to the moss.

In addition next spring I will take half of the pots and put them back in their woodland home and the other half will be relocated to the moist ground of the turkey coups down spout.

The experiment will continue!

Sounds At The Studio, Autumn

2009-09-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

There has always been a connection for me between music and my art. I have music playing in the studio constantly; as it affects my mood, disposition, and what I am creating.

It is with this love of music and art that I have decided to post a new series titled "Sounds At The Studio". The series will give you a sampling of what I am listening to and show you some of the creative results.

This first compilation; I have been playing in the pottery while I have been creating objects out of cement. I am planning on doing a post soon on this new creative endeavor, so check back some time soon for my "concrete adventures".

For now please take a listen to this first installment of Sounds At The Studio, and let me know what your thoughts and feelings are after listening.

Please enjoy!

P.S. The first and third photos are taken of the pottery circa autumn 2008.

Rural Curb Appeal

2009-08-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

The structure of the barn looks rather stark to me at some points in time. I appreciate the architecture of my "squat tower" in the landscape, but it has always seemed plopped; as if it was dropped from the sky.

I have been going back in forth, in my head whether to plant gardens in front or not since last summer when we bought the house. One voice says to me,"the structure is beautiful on it's own, minimal is better". While the other voice says, "You're a garden designer, every structure needs a foundation planting, plus you can never have too many gardens".

So guess which voice won? Of course gardens.

I also thought this would be a good opportunity to share with you, the foundations and steps of creating a garden.

When I decided to go ahead and design the new pottery gardens, I went back to my initial design I completed over the past winter.
I would create two curved stone walls flanking the entrance of the barn and they would arch around the sides to the back.
The planting would all be shade tolerant, as the only direct sunlight that comes through the trees is for only an hour during mid-morning.

Then when I was about to execute this plan, another idea came to me.
Maybe a better option would be to have two small beds with perfectly square footprints, with lower rock walls as edging.
After sitting out in front of the pottery for an hour contemplating these designs, I consulted with Stephen. He liked both propositions, but favored the "square gardens". He mentioned the fact that around the grounds of the M.H. Merchant House, we had already had several perennial borders with sweeping curves. The square lines of the new pottery gardens would fit the architecture and create a different feeling down at the pottery.

It was settled, square it is!

I set down to the barn with the wheel barrow, two shovels, rake, and a tape measure. I measured out from the corners to 6ft. and then placed a small marker stone. With a flat spade I edged a complete square, which would be the footprint of the garden.

Then with the same spade , I scraped off a layer of roots, moss, and weeds, to a depth of 2 inches.
Now the beds were starting to take shape.

The next debate I had was, whether or not to build a stone wall to retain the new beds. The prospect of working with stone would normally be great, but the past week I just completed a new stone patio off our kitchen and I was still a little sore.
I new the walls would look great; they would give a real sharp shape to the gardens as well as adding another texture. So I just bit my lip and went into the woods and began gathering stones. Several hours later and I thought there was enough stone to start.

I start with the largest stones first with the straightest edge always facing out. I place them in a single layer and work the perimeter. Then come additional stones and so on, stone on stone, layer after layer until the desired height is complete.

When the walls were complete, I set out the next day to amend and till the new beds. I dumped 8 bags of topsoil and 1 large bale of peat moss in each bed.

Then comes the fun part, rototilling! I powered the little baby up and got to tilling, until all the different soils were incorporated.

I quickly dug up some perennials from my other shade garden and added some rocks that I found the other day in the woodland that would hold water, both for the birds and to please the eye.

The next stage was to plan in my head how the gardens should look. I sat down in front of the pottery and the new beds and began to think of all the different plants to choose from.
I new I was dealing with a deep shade type of environment, but there are so many great botanical choices out there.
After the concept was finished in my thoughts, I jotted down on a note card my "recipe list" of plant material.

The list is basically a wish list, for when I often go to garden centers to execute my plans, I always deviate and select different plants for other reasons.
The bones of the concept though tend to stay true to my initial design.

With note in hand I headed to my favorite local nursery and dropped a small fortune. It was more than I wanted to spend, but I wanted a full look, and most of the plants were on sale.
I loaded my little Subaru hatchback up with plants until some of them were hanging out of the windows.

I chose to go with a quite color pallet of burgundy, plums, hints of white and different shades of green.

The plants were selected for both their foliage color and there bloom time; so there will be something showy from spring until late in the fall.
I planted two red twig dogwoods, a few canna, and lots of hucheras, ferns, and other shade loving perennials.

With the new gardens completed they really helped the pottery become more of a destination from the road.
It just seems a bit more inviting and I think has a more comfortable feel.

In fact that day we had several visitors and even more sales.

I guess a little curb appeal can go a long way.

Night Light

2009-08-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

Stephen took these beautiful pictures of the pottery at dusk a few weeks ago on a humid August evening.

I love the way the light bounces of the beams of the barn, and how the inside of the structure shines like a beacon from the road.

Even as night falls over Cornwallville, you can still read the white pottery sign from the giant maples at the roadside. As one gets closer walking up to the entrance, the porcelain pots blur and glow with the saturated light from inside.

One of my favorite new works that I have done this past year, is this hanging porcelain pendant lamp. I made five of these rather long thrown cylinders with holes in the bottom for cords. I threw them as thin as I could on the wheel, for porcelain becomes translucent the thinner it is.

Unfortunately this piece was the only one of the five that was tall enough to fit both the lamp fixture and bulb.
I will be making more of these this coming fall, playing with the shape, and texture of the lamps to cast off different types of light.

I just imagine a dozen of these luminaries strung in the woodland at night. It would give either a haunting or magical feeling to the viewer, depending on the mood.

I have always loved this feed trough built into the one corner of the barn. I suspended a light up inside before the opening of the pottery and I love the way the light shines through. I am still thinking of how to display work inside the lit wooden slats, as I believe it would be a great space to showcase.

Finally these are a couple of shots of the north side of our home, The M.H. Merchant Stone House. Stephen installed the up lights on the stone almost a year ago.

I never tire of staring each night at the amazing craftsmanship and simple beauty of our home.

The Perfect Combination

2009-07-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

I have been passionate about pottery since I started working in a ceramic studio some years after high school. It was there that I learned and absorbed all there was to know about the process of making and firing clay.

I was taught the philosophy that being a potter and or a ceramic artist, starts with skill. Where you take that "skill" with what creativity you have will be your own journey.

Gardening for me though comes from a deeper place. I feel that my love for plants and creating gardens is truly in my blood.

My great-grandfather was a champion dahlia grower. He tended to his tubers, and pinched buds off his specimen plants for years as my mother grew up watching him.
I believe that green thumb talent passed on to her.

When I was a child I think back to all the colorful snapdragon's and bachelor button's bursting out of the borders and the snow peas dangling from the trellises in the vegetable bed.
I loved being outside working and digging with my mom.
It was there in her gardens at a young age that I feel my little thumb began to blush green.

So for the years growing up as a child I always seemed to have an appreciation for the beauty of plants, and the way they made me feel.
It wasn't till I moved into my own apartment, during some time when I was working at the pottery studio that I started to learn about plants and their requirements.

I had this huge south facing picture window, that I began filling with houseplants. I bought books and started to absorb all that i could to help my new leafy friends thrive.

My plant path continues to this day with all sorts of botanical adventures, some mind blowing and others great failures.

As I know it is the exact same way one feels as being a ceramic artist. There is so much that one needs to learn and process, and then to take that information and make something uniquely beautiful, even if that beauty is all for you is a humbling and amazing feeling.

So, it is in this perfect combination that the two loves of mine have finally met.

If you were to go back to a my post in March of this year under "Forcing Age", you will read how I came to make a good amount of small terra-cotta pots, some of which I am attempting to "force age" upon. Those pots are still in the marshy woods, and soon will be checked on.

The remainder of the pots I recently planted up with, some amazing succulents, specimen lavenders, and scented geraniums.
Under the plants I mulched them small crushed stone with some special pebbles, and placed a metal plant identification tag in each pot.
I placed them out back of the pottery, facing due west.

I set them on some rustic benches and they seemed to glow with life.
Both the plants and the pots were transformed.

I am really pleased how these creations turned out, and even more so, that people have been taking these little guys home as well.

I'm already planning on making even more planters of different sizes, textures and glazes this coming winter.
I can't wait to see what comes of this plant inspired body of work!

Country Advertising

2009-07-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

It has been several weeks since the official opening of the Cornwallville Pottery, besides during the open house we held at the end of June, not one person has stopped by. No one, not even a car slowing down to look.

My impatient self got to thinking that I should do some country advertising. In the simplest terms, I needed to make signs, and lots of them. Our road, Strong Rd. is snuggled between two major thoroughfares that go deep into the Catskills, Rt. 23 and Rt. 145. I knew I had to make a bunch of them for all the twists and turns of the country roads.

It took some thinking about which roads and directions that the signs would be pointing. I drew myself a little map and the number of signs needed and in which direction they should point.

I cut up some plywood from the old cabinets that were in our kitchen before we renovated, and cut posts as well. I screwed them together, and slapped on some white paint.

After they were finally coated, I penciled on them either pottery, or Cornwallville pottery with arrows going in different directions. When they were completed I rested them on the potting shed to dry.

The morning after I could not really sleep in. It was that feeling of having a yard sale or something of the sort. I wanted to put out the signs and see who would show up.
I woke Stephen up around 7:30 in the morning and we hit all the corners of our country roads with the homemade signage.

I would run out of the car to the trunk , whip out a sign and sledgehammer, and post. Jump back in and to the next corner we would go.

Some spots were more difficult than others, due to rocky terrain, but I got those signs in. I was determined to have my little billboards.

When we did our roundabout and got home, I put the final sign up. It was the one right out front of the pottery, a double faced sign that read, pottery.

It looked great on our country road. Simple, sweet, and to the point.

That same morning we retreated to the house to have a late breakfast of poached eggs, and Montreal bagels. As we were about to sit down we got a shocking...HELLO.......GOOD MORNING! It was the first customers.

They were a friendly couple from a nearby hamlet on a bike ride, and spotted the signs. It felt good to have strangers come view the pottery.

Later during the day, Stephen and I viewed several cars basically crawling past the pottery as well as five more visitors of neighbors and passersby.

A long day and several sales later, the country advertising was definitely worth it!

Independence Day

2009-07-05T15:24:00.002-07:00

Greetings from Cornwallville on this Independence Day!

Officially

2009-07-05T15:24:00.001-07:00

The pottery has been finally christened with it's new sign that Stephen made for our little roadside shop. When the sign went up on the barn excitement filled my body. The following photos document those few moments after the sign was hung in place.

It's Been A Long Time Coming

2009-07-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time since I have last written, but spring really came in like a lion here in Cornwallville. May was an absolutely gorgeous month - sunny skies, bulbs blooming, and all the birds returned in full force.

This month also meant major gardening. Aside from planning the pottery during the winter, I also was plotting major perennial borders around the grounds at the M.H. Merchant stone house. As much as I wanted to power wash the barn in preparations for the pottery, my focus was on digging and planting five good sized beds. It was truly an undertaking I wasn't prepared for. The gardens took Stephen and I the whole month. For every shovel full of soil there were three of rock and debris. By month's end the beds were finished and planted with perennials, summer bulbs, seeds and some of my favorite annuals.

Soon after completing the new gardens, within the next week, the weeds began to show their ugly little heads. It was a sight I was not ready for! Mulch was not in my budget this year and I knew I was going to have to weed, but I had no idea what I was in for. The next couple of weekends were spent weeding, and at that point I had little hope the pottery would be open in time for our open house at the end of June.

Then came June, wet June, soggy June, muddy June, one of the wettest June's on record. It rained 22 of the 30 days here in Cornwallville. All the rain was too much for some of the plants in the gardens. I lost about 10 percent due to root rot. The rainy weeks were so poor for the perennial borders but it was the perfect time to wash the inside of the barn.

So one dreary weekend I set out to the barn with the power washer. I emptied the contents of the barn out in front and began to blast the inside of the barn with jet powered water. I do have to tell you that power washing is dirty work, you get covered in what ever you are washing and soaking wet, but it is so much fun.

It took about the whole day between washing and raking out the debris, but when it was done it looked like a new barn.

The following weekend, I built some tables and shelves from the old doors and pieces of wood that I found here around the grounds, and set up the clamp lights afterwards. I decided that we should put a pea gravel floor in, but that could wait.

I set out some pottery that I had in some of my displays using rusted tin cans and found objects. When I was finished it actually looked and felt like just how I imagined it would be. It resembles something of a cross between a Catskill barn, an industrial goods antique shop, and a Japanese tea house.

I was so happy and satisfied that this dream of mine was complete. I could have never have done it with out the love and support I get from Stephen. It really has been an amazing time here in Cornwallville and I can not wait for the years to come.

Faux Woodblocks

2009-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately nothing happened at the pottery this weekend. A matter of fact, nothing outside took place. It was cold here in Cornwallville. The temperature was in the low forties with a biting wind that was carrying snow flurries.
We spent the weekend inside ''spring cleaning'', finishing floors, dusting, scrubbing, an all out deep clean. As night fell, the temperature dropped into the thirties. It felt like winter again, so I started the wood burning stove in the library, late in the afternoon to keep us warm through the night.
After a comforting supper of baked chicken and smashed potatoes, I sat down in my chair by the fire and got back into my favorite winter night activity; drawing on wood blocks.

I started these landscape line drawings several years ago on one hot summer day. It was one of those humid afternoons that you didn't feel like even moving.
I came a across a piece of wood on the ground, grabbed some markers and began sketching out a fantasy garden in the comfort of the shade. Several hours later, and a pitcher of lemonade; and my little drawing was complete.
There was a great response to the piece from family and friends. People would walk up to it at first, not sure how it was created. Many thought that the lines were carved into the wood, when I told them I drew it with markers most were amazed.

So, this past winter I gathered some old wood blocks from inside the turkey coop and got to work. I would sit by the fire; usually after some sort of hearty meal, and begin drawing. I completed several pieces over the course of the long cold season, and would typically finish one drawing in the span of a weekend. There are now about ten of these little landscapes scattered about the house.

It was a great way to pass time during the frigid nights. It helped to remind me of the coming spring, as I sat there drawing leafed out trees and flower covered meadows. When the beating heat of summer does comes, I predict that the drawings will commence on the cool confines of the veranda.

These pieces will be moved down to the pottery as soon as it opens. I think they will complement my ceramic work; and I hope that people will like to bring a little faux woodblock into their home as well.

Forcing Age

2009-03-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the warmest day yet of this year. It felt like early summer here in Cornwallville. Bulbs were emerging, and the pond was alive again with sounds of frogs.
Stephen began painting the house, as I was cutting out new perennial beds. I wanted to get down to the barn and begin the power-washing task, but it was just to nice out to be indoors anywhere, even if it meant working on the pottery.

Today was a completely different story; rain moved in last night, and by morning, clouds were covering the sky and fog was lingering around the grounds. We knew that this cooler, wet weather was coming and had planned on a day of work inside; but I still had to get outside to do something constructive for the pottery.

With coffee in hand, I walked down to the barn and slid open the door slowly. I looked around at the pots and dusty timbers looking for a small little project, to no avail. As I was about to close the door and head back inside. I noticed in the corner, a box of my old earthenware (terra cotta) pots, piled high.

I made them a year ago when I ran out of porcelain and had nothing left but a box of old moldy red clay. I made the planters over several days, dreaming of little seedlings and succulents growing inside them. After the bisque firing, I shoved them in a box and under a shelf and forgot about them.
A year later, here they were in Cornwallville, piled high in the corner. I crouched down quickly for a closer examination. Looking at a few I was struck by how bland their surface was to me. I enjoyed my throw lines; and loved the red hue, but something was missing.

Then the thought came to me; may be I can prematurely age them?
I have done it before on commercial terra cotta pots by simply rubbing them with soil and stacking them with moss in between, then placing them in the shade with amazing results. Another easy method that has worked for me is to take a lime/water mixture; equal parts and brush or sponge the solution on the pots for a beautiful white washed patina.
I have never had any luck using yogurt or buttermilk washes. Some gardeners swear by it, so I think I might still have to give that process one more try later in the spring.

Would these processes work on my pots? I thought I'd give it a go. So, I gathered a dozen of my little pots in a wooden crate and headed into the misty spring woods. Where they would live for several months to a year.

I knew that our small spring creek was there with a good amount of moss growing about. I gazed around to find a suitable home for the premature aging process to begin, and found a great little spot between some fallen branches and a wild rose bush.

Next was to prepare the planters. I brought the pots down to the creek and dipped them in to the cool water to give them a good soaking. This would help the soil and moss better adhere to their surface.

After several minutes of soaking, I took them one by one and rubbed the clay soil from the creek bank all over the inside and outside of the planters. I stacked them back in the crate, and headed back to what would be their home for several months.

The final step was to take some moss from the forest floor and begin to rub it all over the pots. When that was complete, I placed the pots in all directions on the moss bed to keep the patterns random. I thought the pots at even this stage, had more character than before.

I then took branches from the surrounding area and began making a crude teepee over them, for as I know when summer comes the ferns and undergrowth will completely cover their location. I thought this would be an easy, natural way to find them later in the season, to check on their condition.

This was a quick little project, and I have no clue as to what the results will be. The feeling reminds me of loading a glaze kiln and waiting for the opening. Some of the pots will blow your mind and others will be a big disappointment. Time will only tell in this case if I will have gems or coal.
I urge anyone with a little outdoor space to try one of these methods on their pots. All you need is some terra cotta pots, moss, soil and a shady moist place. Its fun, easy and the element of surprise will please you.
I will go back to the little moss patch in several months, and let you know how they are turning out. Hopefully there will be moss or some sort of aging beginning to take hold. If nothing at all, I would be more than pleased with just a little blush of green.

Spring Barn Cleaning

2009-03-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, the end of winter was glorious here in Cornwallville. Beaming sunshine, warm winds, and temperatures in the high 50's. If you know me, you would assume that I would be out in the gardens - pruning, raking, and planning new perennial beds. Gardening was certainly on my agenda, but not last weekend.
Instead, I was about to venture into the dark, dusty warm cavern that was our barn.

When we bought the stone house last spring, we had no initial intentions for the barn. It's an unusual structure in that it is tall for it's small width, resembling a squat tower. Built in 1992 by the former owner for her draft horses, it is incredibly sturdy. In fact the house inspector who came to our property during the closing, said "People who love horses will build barns that will last longer than the homes they live in."

Mid-summer last year it came to me; let's turn the barn into a small pottery / showroom. We are here every weekend, the barn is some 50 feet from the road, and it would be a great way to meet people. Stephen was on board and the idea grew from there.
We would not only sell my pottery but, an assortment of all things handmade and grown here at our home, the M.H. Merchant stone house.
We spent the fall and winter working on restoring the house. I knew we wouldn't get to the barn till the spring, but it gave me time to plot our attack.

The first step was the most daunting. Just cleaning the barn would be an undertaking. The hayloft was filled with loose hay, leaves and squirrel dreys. The ground level was littered with old manure and abandoned birds nests, and inside the entire structure were these cobweb like, dust ball dreadlocks hanging from all the rafters and on the walls.

I dove right in with a rake, broom, shovel, and wheelbarrow. I put on a dust mask and climbed into the hayloft. I opened the loft door and and started raking the hay into the wheelbarrow below. I would climb down and empty the wheelbarrow spreading the hay in the woods nearby. I continued this schedule for about an hour before I just started to spread the hay on the drive-way in front of the barn to save time.

When all the hay was out, I swept the hayloft clean, but by no way was it spotless.

I climbed back down to the ground level and began raking all the debris and manure into piles. I then shoveled them into the wheelbarrow and began dumping.
A couple hours later I was finished. I was as dirty as the barn once was. I was covered in hay, dust and manure. Tired and filthy; I felt so gratified that the first step in setting up the pottery was completed.

The next day I woke up to an even more beautiful day, I rushed down to the barn to see what it looked like in the morning light.
It was empty, but I became excited with all the prospects. I rushed around the grounds and into the house to find anything to use as tables or shelves. I found an old crate door in the basement that I thought would make a great table top. As I brought it out into the light I was shocked to find it belonged to M.H. Merchant, our home's original builder. It was a great historic find, I made a quick phone call to Stephen to give him the news and then down to the barn. I was on a mission.

I brought down an old potting bench, some barn wood, and a few tree stumps to use as well. I put some of my old pottery, rusty tins, and found objects on the make shift furniture and the barn had its first quick simple displays.

I know it still looks like a dusty barn with some pots, but there will be a much more to do.
Nothing is permanent, as I know that the next warm day the barn will once again be emptied of its contents and the power-washing and scrubbing will commence. The list will go on. The Cornwallville Pottery has been born.

The Beginning

2009-03-20T12:27:00.000-07:00