Tonight at the studio seemed like a “mixed bag of tricks.”
My HGTV knobs are being fired in a cone 10 kiln downstairs.
I loaded my greenware into another kiln to be bisqued tomorrow upstairs.
And I made cone packs for next week’s cone 10 glaze firing with Karen Patinkin.
Seems like I have a lot of “something” going on all over the studio!!!

Well, today was my day in front of the camera. Who knew?…
that my little “addiction” to kiln filler & textures might get me on HGTV?!
That making little textured rattles might get me noticed?! Crazy, huh?!

Let me back up a bit…

A little over a week ago, I was contacted by the Producer of an HGTV show.
You know, one of those shows where they go in and transform an average couple’s
home with cool design. Showing the creative choices, installation, design choices…
all leading up to the “Big Reveal” where the couple sees their new room for the very
first time. Well, this is one of “those” design shows!!! And here’s the host…

Yep… that’s Meg Caswell. Winner of HGTV Design Star season six.
One of those Reality TV shows where they compete in design challenges weekly
and get voted off one by one. Until the last one is standing… and she gets a TV Show!!!

The initial contact came through the Producer who did a search and found my work
on the Internet. Good thing I’ve been keeping my blog up-to-date, huh?! She contacted
me and asked if I would be interested in creating some custom ceramic knobs & door pulls
for the kitchen they are renovating. So of course I was intrigued… and FULL of questions.
We did some e-mailing back & forth, including some samples & “mood boards” being
shared. She also stopped by my studio to check it out, meet with me… which I now realize
was probably also my “audition.” Once we had worked out the details, I was in…
and now facing a production deadline to get all of the knobs & pulls done in time
for the “Big Reveal” taping.

Luckily, we came upon a creative solution… where I would make the knobs in a very
similar style to the textured Relic Rattles I’ve been making for about a year. Handbuilt
stoneware, textured, stained and fired to cone 10… minus the rattles! The plan gave us
different shapes, different textures and different stain colors to play with. I gave the
Producer a few samples that she shared with Meg. Her choice was to go with two shapes,
each with their own texture, and one stain color for continuity.

So I’ve already made the knobs… “squares” for the cabinet knobs, and “horns” for the
drawer pulls. They’ve already been bisqued in my last kiln… look closely, they were the
“still too wet” pieces sprinkled around the kiln… masquerading as simple “kiln filler.”

Today was my day in front of the camera!
Complete with Meg, a full crew, professional lighting, wireless microphones, makeup,
craft services, the whole “shebang”! I guess I never quite expected the full production?!
But there I was, suddenly in front of the camera, with Meg… cameras rolling!

The plan was that we were going to do a little banter, discuss the project, look at a few
rattles I’ve made as samples, do some interactive demos where she plays with clay,
and so on. Everything went really well… despite the fact that it was SO hot in the studios!
No one expected 80-degree days in mid-March… so no one planned on air conditioning.
I’m sure we’re both going to be glistening with sweat. Even though the makeup guy did a
couple touch-ups along the way.

Hopefully they got some good shots of my work and my studio while they were there.
And the witty repartee and banter with Meg will come off well on-screen. Even though
I’m pretty confident that my hours & hours of “brilliant, Emmy-award worthy” footage
will be edited down to a mere 20 seconds or so!

We finished the initial filming – the interactive studio work with Meg… “the Talent.”
Then they left for a short time to do some prep-interviews that will be spliced into the show.
While they were gone, I set up two more demo areas so that they film some B-roll film
that they might intersperse – montage shots of me working on the actual knobs!
Complete with a change of wardrobe to make it “appear” as though time has passed
and the process is well on its way making the actual hardware the homeowners will see
in the “Big Reveal.”

So… that’s the story so far.
I’ve kept it to myself for the most part. It was kind of in the category of “too good to be true.”
I didn’t want to hype the project until I was sure it was going forward. I was afraid that the
plug might be pulled at any time… apparently, not to worry. It was a very professional
production. All of the people were great to work with. And I wouldn’t mind doing it again!

I just hope I don’t look too stupid on screen.
Or too sweaty…

When I find out the air date, I will definitely keep you posted.
I will also do a blog entry about the step-by-step process of the actual pieces I’m making.
Until then… you’ll need to wait for the “Big Reveal” also!!!

Tonight I unloaded my “still-too-warm” bisque kiln… with gloves!
And proceeded to wax the bottoms of everything while I was trying to find
a place to store them until I find a chance to start glazing! Tough to find a
space shelf… things are piling up! Which I guess is a good thing, right?

I love waxing.

Tonight I loaded another kiln full of greenware!
Okay, I must admit that some of it was a little “wetter” than I would like.
Seriously, some of the pieces I made earlier today, with them in front of the fan!
I just hope they “dry” in the kiln before the explode!!!

Layer #1 – ovals, mugs and a lot of kiln filler… you know how I LOVE kiln filler!!!

Layer #2 – berry bowls & plates, soap dispensers and more kiln filler.

Layer #3 – stamped platters & plates, spoon rests, filler… and Nadine’s bug mug.

Layer #4 – stamped bowls, an oval, mugs, spoon rests and a lot of kiln filler!

Layer #5 – spoon rests, small dishes, Karen Patinkin bowls and more kiln filler!
As you can see, some of the filler is a little wetter than it should be! Still dark. Still wet.

Don’t forget that you can always follow along on Facebook!
Just click on the link to get to my pottery page… and then click LIKE.
www.facebook.com/firewhenreadypottery

You’ll get posts from my studio, updates, photos, process shots and an occasional
biking sunrise photo along the way. Never junk mail. Never stupid jokes.
It’s immediate pottery fun on your Facebook News Feed. But remember that
my blog always has more information, more stories, more photos, more fun!
So don’t stop coming to my blog… but LIKE me on Facebook too!

Trying to keep busy… replenishing the inventory on some of the “basics”!

Well, tonight was the last night of our Winter session at Lillstreet Art Center.
The students are busily finishing up their class projects… and sharing some potluck
fun during the class. So while we were all hanging out, I noticed Nadine busily
carving away on a few of her pieces. She’s been in my class for a few sessions and
has recently become quite prolific. She’s a full-time lawyer looking for some fun
creative escape.  I think she would love to  make a change… and with her latest
carving & decorating adventures, I think she might be well on her way!

I especially love these sculpted pieces. Instead of carving patterns & textures, Nadine
decided to add some sculptural pieces on these cups. The frog mug is wonderful with
an amphibian on each side. I’m so excited to see these beautifully carved frogs on her pots…
instead of the mold-pressed, detail-free, same-old, same-old frogs that have been on some
other pots around Lillstreet for far too many years! At some point, I would have expected
those mold-pressed frogs to evolve into something better. Apparently not. But I am
SO EXCITED that Nadine is on a much better track already with her wonderful frogs!

I LOVE how that one frog is hanging on to the top rim of the mug!
And I can’t wait to see how she decides to glaze them! Hop to it Nadine!!!

More clay. More throwing. More pots. More fun in the studio.
Stamped and waiting to be trimmed! I love when you can throw ’em and dry ’em
enough to stamp them all in one day!

By now you should know that I love making ovals… so here’s the latest batch!
First as simple bottomless cylinders… then shaped, bottomed & decorated.

I’ve often thought that there had to be a better way to put holes in my berry bowls.
It finally dawned on me to bring in my power drill to do the holes. Yeah, it took me
long enough to figure that one out, right?!

With a little planning and some simple marks for spacing, the power drill was so much
quicker & a whole lot cleaner!!! When I used to push the hole punch tube through the
leatherhard clay I would always get these crazy burs and rough clay edges.
With the drill… not so much. I can’t believe it took me so long…