Train at the Bray

8 or 9 days ago I posted about seeing the darkside of wood firing. I think I said something about having to be able to bounce back otherwise you just wont survive.. Not a half a day after writing that did I get an email from Kenyon telling me we had one week to crank work and fire so he could make some deadlines for NCECA in Florida. There really isn't anything better then seeing a serious artist put their head down, focus, and do what they have to do. Personal motivation is essential when it comes to making pots. If you can't make yourself sit down and work when you have to.. you're dead in the water before you start. Nobody, not even your mom is going to make you do anything. A week of cranking pots has left little time for him to sleep and it's been interesting watching him move through this process.



Speaking of watching... it sort of dawned on me awhile ago..but has really started to sink in lately, that I'm learning at an incredible speed out here. I feel extremly fortunate to be involved with a community like this... there's a handful of some super talented wood fire people within a stones throw that want me to fire with them.



Here are a couple of Dave's crucibles with two of my glazed bowls inside.




And of course we had the muscle in our corner again. Here's Matt, Caleb and good ole Scott bringing in a huge amount of wood for us while Dave, Kenyon and I loaded the kiln. Thanks guys.


Dave Peters, who's just had his first article posted in Ceramics Monthly about local clay, is here again from Bozeman. I caught Dave his last semester at Utah State University when I first started school back in 2007. He and I have been through a lot since then and we've become good friends. Not only is he a serious and talented ceramic artist..but he's funny as all hell.



What in the world would we do without friends? So i'm off soon, my shift starts at 2 am.. we'll be firing into the evening tonight..and probably by Tuesday we'll be unloaded.

Wish us luck!