Terry Parker: Pottery Shards

My new favorite glaze!

lomaprietapottery — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:59:25 +0000

Actually not a new glaze – it is one that has been used by others for a long time – but I just started using it and it is rapidly becoming a favorite! I especially like how it contrasts with the glazed filled carved and textured areas on these pots.

Yellow Salt Textured Teapot, Stoneware

Yellow Salt Wine Chiller, Stoneware

Yellow Salt Bud Vase, Stoneware

And I also like how it looks in combination with a turquoise glaze that is also new for me.

Yellow Salt / Turquoise Berry Bowl, Stoneware

First Firing

lomaprietapottery — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:41:28 +0000

Here is a quick post of the new kiln before and after the first firing.

And the hot air balloon going over the house at sunrise!

New arrival!

lomaprietapottery — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:09:52 +0000

I’m still pinching myself to make sure I am not dreaming but look what is now sitting outside my studio door!

Marjon’s expertly and quickly installed the 12 cu. ft Geil kiln and vent system.

Foxx plumbing came out this morning to connect the gas. Now all that remains is to fill this work of art with my works of art so I can do the required break-in bisque firing.

If I wait any longer, it will be old news…

lomaprietapottery — Sat, 28 May 2011 20:32:42 +0000

The studio is complete! It has actually been complete for a few weeks now but I’ve been busy getting moved in and am just now getting around to posting a few pictures. Last weekend I held a little open studio celebration so that the neighbors could see what we’ve been up to and a number of my pottery friends came by as well to see what I’d been talking about for so many months! It was a good excuse to meet some of our neighbors as we just celebrated our first full year in the house. And I enjoyed showing the studio to and visiting with the friends I met while taking pottery classes (Northwest Clay Center, Tuscon Museum of Art ) and going to local shows. And now to share the studio with you!

Drum roll please! Presenting the finished studio from the outside:

From the inside:

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Thanks to Eric Lara ( Lara Custom Home Builders ) for the quality of the construction. And thanks to Tom Kirschener of Envision Corporation for the very workable design. Between the two of them the studio fits right in with the existing house and exceeds all of my expectations. Next step, the gas kiln but in the meantime, I’m ready to start throwing pots!

I leave you with a view from the Sweetwater trail of the Catalina Mts.

Fast Forward

lomaprietapottery — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:25:58 +0000

Last we left the studio, the framing had just started. There has been rapid progress since then – windows and doors, electrical and plumbing, prep. exterior for stucco, drywall, and first coat of stucco. Here are the pictures – starting from the most recent to where I left off.

All in a day’s work (or three)

lomaprietapottery — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:48:47 +0000

Last we left the studio project, we were waiting for the rain and snow to pass so that the pad could be poured. So after a one day delay to Tuesday of last week, the pad got poured and was left to cure so that framing for the new studio could begin as planned this week on Monday.

It was exciting to see the first wall go up and even more exciting to see the progress made in just one day.

And by Monday afternoon it was beginning to look like a building!

By late Tuesday, the framing was done.

And I could get a feeling for what it will be like from the inside looking out!

Today the sheathing is going up – just ran outside to snap this picture!

Moving right along!

lomaprietapottery — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:53:29 +0000

Plans are to pour the pad on Monday — that is if we don’t get too much rain tonight. I usually don’t try to wish the rain away, but it is supposed to turn to snow overnight so I am hoping that happens quickly as a little snow will not create as many problems as rain will.

On Wednesday morning the studio was a flat spot with a deep trench going from it to the utilities at the house.

By Wednesday afternoon, the form for the pad was taking shape and the trench was filled in so we could drive in and out of the garage again.

By Friday the site was ready for its first inspection which it passed with flying colors, of course. And on Monday, if all goes well with the weather, the pad will be poured — but with the prediction of rain for the weekend, my ever vigilant contractor, Eric Lara had his crew cover it with heavy duty plastic before I could take a picture of it.

I did get a quick picture of the hot air balloon as it passed by early Friday morning as we were leaving an outing with our grandson to see the Tucson Rodeo Parade.

Breaking Ground!

lomaprietapottery — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:01:16 +0000

We had a bit of rain over the weekend, but this morning the sun appeared right on schedule. And with the sun, came the tractor and the beginnings of my new studio. I’m looking forward to being able to walk across the courtyard and out the gate to throw pots soon.

Getting into a rhythm

lomaprietapottery — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:45:04 +0000

One of the things that creating pottery has taught me is patience. That lesson is being relearned as I now create pots in two places for only a few hours at a time. This is my second week of pottery classes. I threw a few pots the first week in Jada’s class and followed up with a few more during open studio hours. So this week I was able to trim and finish what I threw last week.

Freshly thrown mugs and oil lamps

Carved greenware oil lamp

Forgot to take the camera with me to Janet’s class last week and again on Monday when I spent a couple more hours during open studios practicing a new way to neck in a bottle form. Will take some pics tonight. In the meantime, I have been meaning to post this picture of the hot air balloon that surprised us very early the other morning when it floated by the house!

New home – new blog post!

lomaprietapottery — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:03:40 +0000

View from my office as I write this entry

If someone had told me that when we moved last May that it would be September before posted to this blog, I don’t think I would have believed them. Now you would think that with no pottery studio to go to, I would have lots of time on my hands. But new location translates to new things to do (hiking, watching the bats drink water out of the pool at sundown), new things to get going (pottery studio) and new weather to get used to. I knew it would be hot in Tucson, but someone forgot to tell me that in the summer months it is also humid.

In any event, I hope to get this blog going again. Part of the problem is that with no pottery studio, there is nothing to post about happenings in the studio. That is about to change. Plans for the new studio are underway so I hope to have progress pictures to post very soon. And in the meantime, I have signed up to take two ceramics classes.

One class is being given at the Pima County Parks and Recreation’s Northwest Art Center. I’m taking one of Jada Ahern’s clay classes working with cone 10 stoneware. Met Jada and toured the very spacious and well-set up center yesterday. Class is next Tuesday afternoon so it is time to unpack the pottery tools!

I am also signed up to take the Advanced Ceramics class taught by Janet Burner at the Tucson Museum of Art’s Romero House. The first class is September 30th which will be here before I know it. The Arizona Daily Star profiled Janet in an article this summer.

And finally, the plans for the new studio are being finalized and bid on. So between new classes and new studio construction, I should have more to post soon!