How to tell your potter is from Maine...and possibly a redneck...

I think the title of this post will be self-explanatory by the first photo.  As I made pretty floral vases...I came to the conclusion that not everyone wanted flowered containers to put their flowers in, and not everyone had flowers to put in a flower vase.  So, where pray tell do I put these welding rods?  Or my pile of Spruce gum for safe keeping?   I was a bit irritated the first day I made these.... and, apparently wanted to shoot something, because the bullet vases were a result of that deep meditation at the potter's wheel.  And...they are here to stay.  I have had a wonderful response, primarily by men, but many women too...even those who don't wear camo underwear!  I'm also adding to the line a liquid soap dispenser, or if you prefer, a fast orange shop hand cleaner dispenser.  Naturally, I am also adding to the line a bullet hummingbird feeder!    

After constructing the bullets, I moved on to a folky-native Mainer version of the black bear. 

 Below is the top view...a parade of prints encompassing the rim of the vase.

One of my favorite flowers, the Lady Slipper.  Each year I anxiously await their bloom and wish it lasted much longer. They are such a delight to see in the woods, it is the sure sign of summer.

 Mother black bear and her cubs under the majestic mountains.

 Keeping with the wilderness theme....an animal tracks wax warmer...a compliment to any rustic cabin, lodge or homestead.  

 Deep red, pierced, floral wax warmer

The Maine coast is notorious for it's Puffins.

 This abstract small jug or vase is one of my favorite pieces. The clay is naturally a deep brown, almost black.  I carve deeply into the thick thrown clay body to create wells for the red glaze to pool in, then fire.  This is the result and I am so pleased with the color combination.

When I finished decorating the raw brown clay with the white slip into these wildflowers (lupine & others), I loved the contrast and old world quality so much, that I left the exterior natural with just a satin clear coat over and finished off the interior of the pot with a deep firebrick glaze.

Equine Pottery...has been a rare thing this year.  Not that I haven't made some...I'll explain in a bit.  When these tumbler's came out of the kiln I was very pleased with the vibrant contrast between the white stoneware and the dark blue glaze, they almost look black. 

And, her is part of the explanation for the lack of equine pottery this year.  This extremely large bowl would have been glazed and fired had it not cracked in the initial firing.  The crack is on the bottom, but not a typical S crack or split.  It is actually on only one side of the base and just enough to ruin the piece for sales purposes.  I still intend to glaze it, but upside down, leaving the rim natural clay rather than the bottom.  I think it will be pretty and I really could use a new huge bowl.

And last, but not least, Moose Track mugs, bowls, double-handle casserole baker and gravy boat. I have had some fabulous results with this glaze on white stoneware, but on the earth tone clay, it changes color and is much richer, more dramatic.  This reminds me of the beautiful, and dramatic, Katahdin region. 

I hope you enjoyed some, if not all, of the pottery here today....if not the bullets, at least appreciate the workmanship.  Have a wonderful week enjoying the summer in all its splendor, thunder storms and all...because it won't be long when we'll be complaining about shoveling snow!

Maine Lobster Buoy Pottery

Maine Lobster Buoy Pottery is here!!!  The one, the only, the original designs of Peasley Pottery...time to haul some pots and eat lobster...or feed hummingbirds and salt your water for boiling those crustaceans!

Maine Lobster Buoy Hummingbird Feeder

and

Maine Sea Salt Buoys

The Maine Lobster Buoy Hummingbird Feeder's and Maine Sea Salt Buoy's are both available in custom colors to match any lobster fishermen's buoy color or home decor.  The Maine Sea Salt Buoy's are my spin off of the salt pig.  I wanted a salt pig in my kitchen, but to be honest, the name isn't that appealing to me and I didn't find one that fit my Downeast Maine roots.  My family originates from the coastal town of Jonesport, Maine...there's even a Peasley Corner!  My ancestor's were sea captains, fishermen and ole salts, and I am a former lobsterwoman, so I wanted something that brought my fond memories of the sea into my home.  When I think of salt, I think of the sea.... and lobster buoys!  And lobster!!  Everything is better with lobster on it!  Keep the pig, salt the buoy!  And there you have the birth of the Maine Sea Salt Buoy.

The Maine Lobster Buoy Hummingbird Feeder, once again, was born out of my love of the sea ...and feeding hummingbirds.  It's only natural in Downeast Maine to have a buoy hanging off the shed roof...so it is wicked awesome that it also feeds the hummingbirds! 

Another sea worthy pot....Gulf of Maine Whale's - sculpture/luminary...now you can go whale watching, day or night, without leaving home.....

North Atlantic Right Whale

Finback Whale

Humpback Whale

I may have to post another entry or two this month to show you all more pots and to let you know what is happening at Peasley Pottery.  Hopefully, it will make up for the two month gap of silence....who else is asking "why the silence" besides me?  Louise is...and I thank her for it! My mud buddy Lynn passed on that wake up call and thank God, because otherwise, we may have gone into a third month..maybe even a fourth...   I think I was in the midst of potter's fog and it was as thick as pea soup! That's my excuse.... :)  

                                                                                                             

Happy Mother's Day!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!  

I haven't blogged in a few weeks....it has been crazy busy getting orders ready for galleries and shops for the summer season.  Below are a few photo's of pots in different stages in the studio.  

I was so sad to see this piece come out of the kiln with a crack!!  It is the largest vessel and has three trout on it.  This was "the show piece" of the season...now, it is not.  It has a very thin crack, but a crack nevertheless, in the base.  A crack is unacceptable and the piece has now gone onto the reinvention table.  I'm thinking of drilling out the bottom, mounting it to a stone or wood base and making a fabulous lamp out of it.   I'm even thinking of doing a stained glass lampshade....or better yet, see if my stained glass artist friend, Lynn, will take on the project???  Poor Lynn is reading this right now in horror! There is literally no one on earth with a plate more full than her. 

I am still so upset over the crack, I didn't photograph it again after the bisque firing.  I won't photograph it until one day it becomes something fabulous.  I spent more time carving this pot than any other to date....and it cracked!  

Moving on.....

 I really like this piece and plan to do many more in a variety of color and lack of color...it is very tactile due to the depth of the crevices.  This piece is waiting for a clear glaze firing.

I'm still working at painting glaze onto this pot.  Atlantic Salmon.  

I think this piece will be spectacular if the glaze remains true after the firing.  It feels so realistic and has great movement.  

Ravens on a decorative jug....I have no idea why, or what it will end up looking like, but I think it is pretty interesting and can't wait to see the final results!

My East Coast Collection consists of Lobster Buoy Hummingbird Feeders to Blue Crab mugs (which are popular from Maryland to Maine due to their whimsical nature)......

Blue Crab Mug

Lobster Buoy Hummingbird Feeder (a Peasley Pottery original)....and yes, custom orders for buoy colors are available. And the same holds true for any of the lobster buoy products.

 

Sea Salt Buoy (Peasley Pottery original)

Puffin Mug

Breakwater Berry Bowl

Native Fish

Lupine Fields

That is just a taste of what has been happening in the pottery studio.  I hope to be back here next Sunday with a horse tale or two!  Have a Happy Mother's Day and blessed week! 

Gone Fishin' & Muddin' and Didn't Leave Home!

Finally, Spring has sprung, flowers are blooming, grass is turning green and the sun is shining!  And, I've gone fishin' in the studio....I've never caught so many nice fish in one place before, but I did this week in the mud!  

These are Atlantic Salmon carved into white stoneware.  It was a very delicate process and I held my breath while I carved out the tail of the fish.  It sets on the drying rack and once dried, in the kiln it shall go for the bisque fire.  After that, it won't be so delicate.  Right now it scares the daylights out of me to even breath in the direction of that pot!

This carving is of three Brook Trout on brown stoneware.  I have never used this stoneware to carved before.  This particular stoneware speckles once fired, so it should be a great effect to the fish.  

The rest of the week has been spent working on a variety of projects and pieces, from mugs, cups and bowls to more sculptural and carved pieces.  Some experimental, some purposeful. Here is a sample of a few of the pieces I've been working on.

This is an interesting piece.  Deep carved and abstract in nature.  It was nonetheless challenging and time consuming in it's own way.  Trying to get every crumb of clay out of the crevices while leaving it fairly smooth proved to be tedious work.  When I began this piece, I was clear on how I wanted to surface decorate it and although I was tempted to stray from the original plan, I did not. The picture to follow will horrify you.  But, don't despair...this is not the final piece...

I want the piece to be black with bright red in the crevices, but to achieve that, I had to saturate the entire piece in red to cover all the walls of the crevices.  I'm letting it set up and then will go over the piece in black underglaze leaving the crevices red.  Once it has gone through the bisque fire, I will then clear glaze it, as I will the black and white pieces above.  

I hope you are enjoying Spring, wherever you may be.  It has been an on again, off again relationship with Maine.  Below normal temperatures with frost one day, the next a lot of rain.  Today was beautiful sunshine and the rest of the week will be more rain.  Yet, we are fortunate, because we are not under water, as are parts of the mid-west.  Life is good in Maine, hope it is where you are!  Have a blessed week!

Mud Season

It's said that Maine has two season's, winter and mud.  This year that is proving to be true. Personally, I like my mud in the studio, making beautiful pots.  And I prefer outside the ground to be dry under a sunny sky!  One out of two isn't bad.....

This week I spent throwing as much mud as possible.  Here are a few photo's from the week....

White bowls on the drying rack that will eventually be decorated with lobsters and crabs or other Maine creatures.

A lobster buoy sea salt pot!

A seal lounging on the lid for a large pot. 

Stamp decorated butter dish with handle...slab built.

And last, but not least, a large pot to be carved into......???????????????????????????????
You'll have to check back next week to see, maybe I will too, because I have no idea what it is going to be!

I hope wherever you live it is sunny and warm, here in the Northeast we haven't been so fortunate yet.  One day it rains and the yard is a sea of mud, then the next day it is snowing! The horses don't care, they love the snow or the mud, they even fall asleep in the mud.  Nothing stops nap time!