Before we get too far into the story-telling… let me introduce you to Amy Higgason.
She’s an incredible potter that I met many years ago at Lillstreet Art Center when I was
just starting out in my Beginning Wheelthrowing Classes! Since that time, Amy has
moved on in her pottery career, took a residency position in the Northwoods and has
never looked back. She’s been living up in the Northwoods now for over seven years.
Her studio is just a stone’s throw from her house – right there on Pigeon Road.
Hence the name… Pigeon Road Pottery.

Amy’s work has always been quite intricate, textural & detailed. I’ve always liked her style.
I think it may come from the fact that we were both trained as graphic designers before we
started in pottery. So we have a similar background, and a similar aesthetic.

Once I was there, we did the usual chit-chatting, settling-in and giggling… then we
set off to unload her latest kiln. Done just in time for the Northwoods Art Tour.

As we were unpacking the kiln, I was once again awestruck by her work…
the carving, the sgraffito, the textures, the sprigs, the imagery. All of it.
So of course I was also doing some mental shopping of my own!
Which of these beauties was going to come home with me?!

So here’s a quick photo tour of Amy’s studio and her amazing work!

Also, for those of you who may have done the Art Tour in previous seasons, Amy also
has decorated her studio with some of the projects that were created during the Tour.
A couple years ago, Amy had all of the guests make a textured tile. They have all now
been glazed & fired, and mounted onto two panels that decorate the exterior of her studio.

This past summer, she had people make little clay heads. All of the heads
have now been fired and now “reside” in a commemorative platter in Amy’s studio!
Too funny… and a great idea I may need to “borrow” sometime in the future!

Welcome to Pigeon Road Pottery… and the beautiful view down Amy’s road.
A beautiful fall weekend full of beautiful fall colors. And lots of beautiful pots
just down Pigeon Road up in the Wisconsin Northwoods!!!

After my fun weekend up in the Wisconsin Northwoods… spending a lot of quality time
with my friend & wonderful potter Amy Higgason – I came home with some great
new pots to add to my collection! A beautiful carved bowl and a large platter. Each more
stunning than the next. The amount of time & effort she puts into each piece is amazing!

When someone asked how our ceramic works compares to each other…
one happy customer (thank you Pat) summed it up quite eloquently as
“Amy’s work is more feathery, Gary’s work is more footprinty.”
Oddly accurate if you really take time to think about it.

Another long night at the studio. But I’m right on schedule… all feet now attached.
And although I feel I’m on schedule, reality is just sinking in that I have a LOT
of underglazing tomorrow to add some color! That’s a LOT of painting…
not to mention the glazing that needs to follow that…

After a day at the art fairs, I spent the night in the studio doing some more detailing!
Getting one step closer…. and still hoping to make my deadline… and get them done
in time for next weekend’s “Art In The Barn.” If all goes well, they’ll all be in the kiln
on Wednesday, cooled on Thursday, out on Friday – at the fair on Saturday & Sunday!!!

And while I’m at it… I’ve decided to make some quick skulls for the kids!
I’m hoping to crank out some Halloween pendants for the kids to “buy” at
Art In The Barn… I’m thinking a dollar for kids under 8, and ten bucks for
everyone over eight?!!! How does that sound? Little kids need art too…

Okay, so the terra cotta “detailing” has begin… more festive fun!

Okay… so my next art fair is just over a week way. And I of course, once again,
am trying to crank out some last minute pieces. Now I don’t have time for both high-fire
bisque and glaze firings… so I’m going with a once-fired terra cotta approach! Not that I
need more work after last week’s glaze firing. But I tend to always put this sort of last-minute
pressure on myself for some reason?! Not sure why???… and not quite sure what these
little cylinders will turn into. I have a festive holiday plan… three different shapes,
three different ideas! So we’ll see what happens…

After a weekend away at my parent’s house celebrating my Dad’s birthday with a lot
of gardening & work around the house… then birthday dinner & cake… and then a
wonderful day pedaling in Wisconsin for the Harmon Hundred… it was back to the
studio tonight to finally unload the kiln now that it is quite cool. And I was quite
pleased with the results – including a new selection of stamped & glazed bowls!

Another night of glazing. Tonight I glazed more work in the studio
including these ovals. I lined them with temoku and inlaid the stamps. After
drying overnight, I will dip the exteriors in an accent color… and hope for the best.
That being some great glaze interaction & stamp accentuation! Fingers crossed…

So camp is over, but my studio work never ends…
especially with Art In The Barn just a couple weeks away!… 9/25 & 9/26.
So tonight I worked in the studio trying to pack away the “madness” of my stash
of summer camp supplies – to make room to get some work done! I’m scheduled
to share a cone 10 reduction kiln with studio-mate Karen Patinkin next week so I’ve
got some glazing to do! I want to be all done before she gets back from her weekend away!

I started by waxing the bottoms of my latest bisque pots to help keep the glaze off
the bottoms. Much easier to clean them up if they’re waxed ahead of time. I recently
bought a bottle of wax resist from Aftosa and it is a nice shade of green. The color
and the wax will disappear during the firing, but for now – it make it a bit easier
to see what you’re waxing as you’re doing it!

Then I spent some time inlaying glaze into the stamping to help accentuate them.
I find that frequently the cone 10 glaze tend to obliterate & cover-up the stamping
if I don’t inlay glaze and dip in more transparent colors. So tonight I inlaid temoku glaze
and I’m letting them dry. Hopefully I’ll get back into the studio over the weekend to dip
the top coat of glaze. Well before Karen’s return… I think we’re loading on Wednesday?!