tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-107251452012-01-27T12:35:59.866+02:00potsblogDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.comBlogger13481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-16078667238724199522012-01-27T12:25:00.002+02:002012-01-27T12:35:59.875+02:00CrazyThe kiln required a delicate touch to unload, but there was [amazingly] next to no damage to pots- a squashed bowl or two. The shelves collapsed because the bottom shelf was standing on only two props [instead of the regulation three], the third having been knocked over as the shelf was put in place. Something to avoid next time.Marcus O'Mahoney told us [at the Symposium] that he thought salt andDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-48706114711614843872012-01-23T12:04:00.001+02:002012-01-23T12:04:42.645+02:00We UnloadIt could have been much worse; in fact this gentle subsidence has a certain delicate grace and poise to it.Remarkably few pots look welded together. We shall proceed.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-60005523652228216332012-01-21T19:47:00.002+02:002012-01-21T19:53:14.888+02:00What Awaits UsWe could see the middle stack of shelves gradually collapsing during the firing; it looks to have subsided gently and come to rest [on the back shelves],rather than crashing to the ground,as I feared. I foresee a tricky unloading on Monday [probably followed by a good massage].Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-32588720359410640242012-01-20T13:33:00.002+02:002012-01-20T14:14:20.114+02:00Waiting GameWhile waiting for the wood kiln to cool,I've started firing some crystal pots: Here's the first run at those red-slipped vases,with changes made to my current crystal glaze to allow for these slips' known dislike for titanium. Not bad for openers;now I have to decide which of 7-8 possible parameters to change for the next round...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-37052278122467531172012-01-18T22:40:00.001+02:002012-01-18T22:40:34.975+02:00Last Half Hour (or so)Mr. Bourry's Box in actionDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-53939939278916662682012-01-18T21:51:00.000+02:002012-01-18T22:38:34.836+02:00Light My Fire!Cone 8 down in front ( 1250 ish),throwing in a bit of salt...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-72951017944880129422012-01-18T19:41:00.001+02:002012-01-18T19:41:36.528+02:00C'mon BabyDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-16745249937029504992012-01-18T15:04:00.001+02:002012-01-18T15:04:45.827+02:00And Our Love Become a Funeral PyreAfter being stuck for a while,a flock of pyromaniac males arrived, we changed tactics and now appear to be on the rise...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-46871061671745646762012-01-18T12:16:00.000+02:002012-01-18T12:17:13.147+02:00Try Now We can Only LoseThis is more like it- flames being sucked into kiln- no blockage this timeDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-20469906668248654632012-01-18T10:54:00.000+02:002012-01-18T10:55:24.213+02:00No Time to Wallow in the Mire...Lake RosenstoneDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-14451581509450283502012-01-18T09:34:00.001+02:002012-01-18T09:35:22.805+02:00The Time to Hesitate is Through...Off this morning to have another go at the wood-fired kiln...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-32971117206864917222012-01-15T10:34:00.003+02:002012-01-15T10:44:54.129+02:00Crystal PeopleHere's a link to a recent session of the Crystalline Glaze Forum -a fine combination of esoteric information,friendship,craft lore,co-operation,support and good pictures. I lurk there often,and contribute infrequently.[Photo: Phil Hamling]Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-52639254660825140442012-01-11T00:21:00.000+02:002012-01-11T00:35:42.102+02:00WebTel Hai this morningDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-86148420084174610232012-01-11T00:14:00.000+02:002012-01-11T00:17:19.448+02:00That video isn't up yet- internet issues -stay tuned. Meanwhile, I arrived at Sydney's after Tel Hai to find the kiln unexpectedly in mid-fire: the blocked arch had been opened up,some other structural changes had been made,and a trial fire was in full swing to see if everything was now working. We kept going 'till 800 degrees,getting the Bourry box stoking system to work for the first time,then Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-10758628363293943142012-01-10T23:58:00.000+02:002012-01-11T00:25:00.763+02:00This morning @Tel HaiDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-83319939244031199352012-01-09T16:29:00.003+02:002012-01-11T17:52:46.462+02:00Throw and BlowI'm uploading a brief but possibly entertaining video of me throwing these bottle shapes to Youtube: it seems to be taking a long time [do megabytes travel slower in the rain?]-when it's up and running I'll link the title.......There! All better! My connection's back up to speed-click on title to watch video...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-85812176277523579222012-01-05T11:58:00.001+02:002012-01-05T11:58:16.664+02:00Is This Any Clearer?Created using Skitch by Evernote.Check out my blog:www.haaripottery.blogspot.comDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-87671437357283157782012-01-05T11:35:00.002+02:002012-01-05T11:39:36.239+02:00Meanwhile,Back in the Studio...The time has come to gird the loins for another run at the crystal glazes: this time I'm going to play with some coloured slips [instead of adding colouring oxides to the glaze]- especially the tricky encapsulated high-fire red stains: here's a bunch of them after bisc.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-23379910266255351442012-01-05T11:25:00.002+02:002012-01-05T11:33:06.000+02:00BlockedHere you can see the problem more clearly. We're looking from inside the firebox at the arch that leads through into the ware chamber of the kiln;the vertical prop you can see in the top half of the picture is supporting the arch,and behind is supposed to be a 17 cm gap for flame to get into the kiln; here you can see that there's a row of brick sealing off the arch instead- blocking heat from Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-13582429540734480092012-01-05T11:23:00.001+02:002012-01-05T11:25:15.202+02:00LeafThis just caught my eye on my evening walk a few days ago.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-66202449235831102792012-01-04T14:44:00.000+02:002012-01-04T14:47:19.737+02:00We Live. We Learn.That's the theory, anyway . This morning I drove to Yesod to have another go at our wood fired kiln with Sydney, Michael and Shir. The kiln seemed smoky and recalcitrant from the start- never a good sign; we like a kiln to reach 700/800 degrees without too much bother. After a few valiant skirmishes we decided to call it a day, and it was only then ,after we had stoked our last stoke and the fireDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-61729046527814509172011-12-30T12:53:00.002+02:002011-12-30T12:56:33.869+02:00It's OverThe last morning's work on its way up to our studio for. USC firing... I'm off home...Shabbat ShalomDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-14916189920126401182011-12-30T12:27:00.000+02:002011-12-30T12:35:18.483+02:00What's Going OnDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-29546134570454129032011-12-30T11:40:00.001+02:002011-12-30T11:40:25.510+02:00ThreesomeDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-84429385517230149472011-12-30T10:58:00.001+02:002011-12-30T10:58:58.513+02:00The CrewDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-61777294093553277252011-12-30T09:58:00.001+02:002011-12-30T09:58:42.397+02:00Stage RightThe quality of these shots isn't wonderful,but they're almost live...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-42183266939827967172011-12-30T09:47:00.000+02:002011-12-30T09:48:22.924+02:00Helping Mr. HigginsDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-30081112141430077812011-12-30T09:39:00.001+02:002011-12-30T09:39:51.473+02:00All Together NowLast morning of the Symposium at Tel Hai- our 3 guests on the stage togetherDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-4859408692328041572011-12-29T09:50:00.001+02:002011-12-29T09:50:52.320+02:00Mr. Higgins OnstageDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-74585663330616387182011-12-29T09:47:00.001+02:002011-12-29T09:47:19.944+02:00We SymposeDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-45835828053230122032011-12-29T09:45:00.001+02:002011-12-29T09:45:47.067+02:00Tel Hai SymposiumIn full swing this morningDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-53538390634438890832011-12-22T18:22:00.001+02:002011-12-22T18:22:29.719+02:00Seven bendingDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-81789058625684101662011-12-22T18:19:00.001+02:002011-12-22T18:19:20.306+02:00Firing a difficult kiln @ Tel HaiGunn Marit says every year's the same- the first few gas firings are full of bowls the students make for the Symposium next week,so no higher shelves to help circulation- plus a new,less experienced crop of students loading and firing. We appear to be stuck (or soaking,optimistically ) at 1220 degrees, with cone seven just going. If we get that to drop, we should be ok .Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-85427542879110301302011-12-21T15:18:00.000+02:002011-12-21T15:20:27.991+02:00Chillin' by the KinneretDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-35244057608421544772011-12-21T11:59:00.003+02:002011-12-21T12:03:04.832+02:00Almost WinterIn our courtyard,Winter starts when the last leaf has fallen from the vine. We're getting there,as you can see...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-42201580045567072582011-12-18T10:50:00.002+02:002011-12-18T10:58:28.755+02:00Lemon TreeOur lemon tree,planted in memory of my father z"l some 23 years ago,is just coming into full stream,so most things we consume for the next month or so will be lemon-flavoured...The tree [which took a good few years to get started] is surrounded,as you can see,with my first attempt at drystone wall building. In the background: the new wood-stack,with this year's load of eucalyptus and olive for Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-74218027116771825832011-12-15T15:25:00.003+02:002011-12-15T15:45:31.715+02:00Grayson Perry...who drove his teddybear to Germany on this striking Harley,displayed at the entrance to his show at the British Museum: open 'til February,and thoroughly recommended,should you find yourself in London [as I did last week],especially since you're not going to get into the reportedly-fabulous Da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery,which seems to be sold out,with scalpers asking close to Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-28922759795017398502011-12-15T15:08:00.002+02:002011-12-15T15:25:10.905+02:00The Beauty of the Broken......and of the rough and unfinished: top shot of a couple of Meir's crustier teapots- a thick coating of ash from the anagama,but not enough heat at the critical time to melt it; below- someone in the studio grabbed a dry unfired bowl by the rim before I could warn them [it happens occasionally,much to the embarrassment of the party concerned]. The teapots are heading for a refire in Sunday's Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-23616758895550871242011-12-15T15:06:00.001+02:002011-12-15T15:08:23.690+02:00PunchI remember this joke from Punch magazine from my youth- found it again thanks to the wonders of the internet.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-1658507142042650872011-11-17T14:33:00.001+02:002011-11-17T14:34:52.495+02:00Apres le Deluge, TsfatDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-61588329246461750882011-11-04T14:55:00.002+02:002011-11-04T15:01:10.192+02:00Back to the BowIt's been a while since I shot- someone liberated my target from a field in Amirei HaGalil,and it took a while to find a replacement [including a spell shooting with the good folk at Betlehem HaGlilit]. I've been practicing archery since the age of 14,with quite a few lengthy pauses over the years,so it doesn't bother me when I stop for a while- but it's good to get back into the routine.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-48125218204683831252011-11-04T14:47:00.003+02:002011-11-04T14:55:16.509+02:00I Remember I Remember......the house where I was born [Thomas Hood- a poem lots of us learned by heart at school]; this isn't it,but it's the house my parents had built in Welwyn Garden City,some 40 km. north of London. We moved there when I was 2, and lived there until I went to university [Sussex] in 1969,when my parents sold it and bought a hurva[ruined property] in Hampstead. Thank you Google Maps for this wave of Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-72018587271248766472011-10-27T12:36:00.003+02:002011-10-27T12:55:04.903+02:00Maud Friedland z"lAfter many years- an exhibition of Maud's wonderful lustre pots at Bet Binyamini [R. Ha'Amal, S.Tel Aviv]. Photographs really don't do them justice- go and have a look while they're on show. I also have a few pots on display ,and may be doing a short porcelain workshop there in the near future.I have just agreed to have advertisements on this blog and on some of my Youtube videos- I do hope this Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-46629379279691035792011-10-27T12:25:00.003+02:002011-10-27T12:46:28.725+02:00Thermocouple ReincarnationSpent a rather invigorating day rummaging through dusty boxes of shattered thermocouple parts, slicing,fixing and recombining elements, ending up gratifyingly with five restored and functioning thermocouples [only 4 in picture- 5th was a K type,being tested in small bisc kiln firing]. Note use of thin copper sheet to stuff/jam porcelain tubes into housings. Two are for Tel Hai,saving the Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-33500670304312443712011-10-27T12:11:00.003+02:002011-10-27T12:45:10.791+02:00Here We Are Again.... after a brief pause in blogging,with a rather Cubist panorama of the studio. The year's wine is made,bottled and partly drunk- a bumper crop this year, close to 40 bottles, twice what the vine has been giving for the last couple of years.Not a lot has happened in the studio [hence lack of blog] since the last salt firing at Tel Hai,but now I see a few gaps in the formerly-overstuffed Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-9037771796067161822011-09-12T10:35:00.002+03:002011-09-12T10:38:32.260+03:00Spongeware DemoFrom the Emma Bridgewater factory,Stoke....Click title and go look for some sponge....By the way- Bridgewater? Wedgewood? are they related?Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-57904514102323461022011-09-03T21:28:00.002+03:002011-09-03T21:42:18.448+03:00On Show
The brand-new Beit Benyamini Ceramics Center has a shelf of my recent saltglaze pots on display for the next few weeks; it's a great facility,and well worth a visit,especially to see the long-awaited exhibition of the late Maud Freidland's pots. A click on the title should get you to the site- the center is in south Tel Aviv between Florentin and Yaffo. This is the text I wrote to accompanyDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-52305085253297382822011-09-02T10:20:00.004+03:002011-09-02T11:53:36.494+03:00Season of Fermentation
This year's wine fermenting vigorously after I transferred it to it's glass home for the next few weeks: I suspect I've posted similar videos in past years- every year I'm amazed by its energy! Click title for short effervescent video...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-1623565075026954362011-08-26T13:25:00.002+03:002011-08-26T13:33:29.076+03:00Smooth Canoes?
What is this? Helen though it was advertising cake for the ultra-orthodox,which would be strange enough,but what exactly is a glatt kayak? The women sit in the back? Non-kosher fish are taken out of the river? The boats are carefully checked to make sure their sinews are removed? Maybe [and I hope] the business is just run by the Glatt family...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-79011773273358631312011-08-26T13:23:00.001+03:002011-08-26T13:25:27.589+03:00Cabbage
This is what happened to a red cabbage in our fridge. Helen thought you might like to see it.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-34212605084310414972011-08-26T12:51:00.002+03:002011-08-26T13:23:45.556+03:00Time to Make Wine
The vine looks healthier this year, growing in places where it hasn't grown for years,recovered from the red-spot leaf disease it's had recently,and with more bunches of good-looking grapes: I have no idea what caused this improvement- maybe a couple of years' good pruning,maybe the visit of the vine doctor earlier this year [he didn't do anything,but maybe his presence was sufficient]. These Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-39258879784405931522011-08-24T10:12:00.002+03:002011-08-24T10:20:28.923+03:00Porcelain
Here's my Naaman porcelain after a couple of days' drying on towels- just about ready to wedge.
Yesterday's salt firing went well- started glazing and loading at 9 a.m.,started firing at 12 and finished- including 30 mins. oxidising fire at the end and a quarter of an hour crash cooling- by 8:30,with 6 1/2 kilos of coarse salt,cone 10 curiously bent and cone 11 on its way. Opening this afternoonDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-77603325505316017362011-08-22T17:17:00.006+03:002011-08-22T17:50:10.814+03:00The Sounds of Clay
You'll need a quiet space and loud speakers to hear this- a binful of dried-out Naaman porcelain lumps slaking away thirstily in water. It happened late at night in my studio in Tsfat, where the noise was quite dramatic. Click on title for Youtube video.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-66109477153988476822011-08-19T16:58:00.002+03:002011-08-22T17:35:33.210+03:00Porcelain
I'm preparing a batch of our Naaman porcelain; here's a bin-full of the raw dry stuff,ready to be wetted down...beautiful in its own right,I think.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-52534026768333285252011-08-19T16:52:00.002+03:002011-08-19T16:57:57.098+03:00Natlot for the Salt Kiln
Inspired by the last salt firing, I'm planning another one next week- some more slabbed mugs [using a slightly different technique],some slabbed bowls [first time I've tried them] and,at the last moment,some larger two-handled slabbed washing cups,shown here with freshly-attached handles,awaiting thumb-stops [not strictly necessary on washing cups,but they add that finishing touch] and slip. A Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-4066596279291899792011-08-16T19:34:00.003+03:002011-08-16T19:36:18.020+03:00I Knew You'd AskMan Ray- Cadeau
Cribbage board
Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-41745078151666929192011-08-16T18:37:00.003+03:002011-08-16T19:34:09.804+03:00Chanukiot?
You're right- the timing is a bit strange: I don't know who arranges these matters- it is a little early in the year to be thinking of Chanukiot,but this is a shape/design I have had in my head for a good few years,and apparently it was time for it to emerge. The top plate is built like a box-lid,with the bottom part a container for olive oil [I haven't made Chanukiot specifically for burning Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-1444441589654104802011-08-14T11:40:00.002+03:002011-08-14T12:29:58.020+03:00Slab-built Mugs for the Salt Kiln - Video!
Click on the title for a rather long [but explicit] Youtube video- these things take time!Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-81690652041108330522011-08-12T13:28:00.002+03:002011-08-12T13:30:59.529+03:00Get Ready
Building the stage above our house for next week's annual Klezmer festival,an activity always done at night, amid great banging and clanking of pipes and much raucous shouting.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-5502415043147704812011-08-07T15:50:00.002+03:002011-08-07T15:58:32.736+03:00Grape CheckWith about a month to go before wine-making time, I went up on the roof today to check progress [and do battle with a couple of persistent and aggressive caper bushes]. There seems to be a good quantity of grapes this year,with less of the red-speckled leaf problem than in past years. The grapes taste good,although as you can see they still have some ripening to do. Last year's yield was around Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-50829087910866966662011-08-07T12:01:00.004+03:002011-08-07T12:08:41.152+03:00Why is the U.N. hostile to Israel?I rarely bother you with political stuff, but,if you're curious about why we in Israel get such a bad press, I recommend that you click on the title & watch this [thanks,Jackie].Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-52478598754066157212011-08-04T13:40:00.002+03:002011-08-04T15:06:29.779+03:00Pots from the Salt FiringThis was one of the more successful salt firings that I've done: we arrived at Tel Hai at 9 o'clock Tuesday morning with 50-odd bisced but unglazed [inside] pots and had everything glazed,wadded and loaded into the kiln ready to fire by 12. Cone 8 [1250º] was dropping by 6 in the afternoon and by around 9 we were done and on our way back to Tsfat,with 6 1/2 kilos of salt in the kiln,6 rings Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-42579659819814617122011-08-04T13:19:00.002+03:002011-08-04T13:31:03.059+03:00More New WorkThe last batch of Tsfat shot cups has recently sold out,so I put some more in the lustre kiln,decorated with gold lustre on the unglazed porcelain; the other picture is some small copper-red porcelain dishes- my red glaze had been causing me problems over the last few kilns,but seems to have sorted itself out now. I suspect that the firing is the main factor,but I'm not altogether sure what Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-49986068481019538472011-08-03T15:14:00.002+03:002011-08-03T15:31:28.065+03:003 KilnsA sample from the Summer firings- three gas kilns,including some rather successful refirings from the wood kiln,and a small lustre firing,with maybe some more pots from yesterday's salt firing to come...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-50576412677111666782011-07-22T17:28:00.002+03:002011-07-22T17:41:15.762+03:00Strudel Time!Every now and then I get the urge to make an apple strudel. Much of what is sold in cake-shops is not,in my opinion,worthy of the name,being concocted of filo pastry and other such inappropriate ingredients. Proper strudel is made from a sheet of pastry dough stretched so thin,my grandmother's cook used to say,that you can read your love-letters through it. There are a few holes in my sheet,as Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-33355388755485111862011-07-19T19:36:00.001+03:002011-07-19T19:41:59.619+03:00More OfDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-52973948425857019362011-07-19T19:33:00.000+03:002011-07-19T19:36:27.428+03:00Tel Hai- Third Year Students' ShowDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-77921594229148798592011-07-15T14:24:00.002+03:002011-07-15T15:15:41.831+03:00Not to be MissedYou are hereby formally and informally invited to come and see what our students have been up to; the show opened yesterday amid the customary rampant emotions. Next Tuesday we're back giving critique [to me a somewhat questionable activity,since none of us is capable of being even remotely objective about our students' work]- I'll try to take some pictures then [ok,Oded?] but the work has to be Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-65231982529316677932011-06-29T20:55:00.002+03:002011-06-29T21:12:35.257+03:00Fat Lady/Piano ScenarioMy pots from the first wood-fireA couple of Sydney's cups with nice flashing and ash runsWhat we saw when we unbricked the doorAfter another exhausting day's critique at Tel Hai- 16 students,7 hours- I helped Sydney unload the wood kiln; as often happens when you think your firing was not so successful,the pots told a different story. It looks like we reached cone 7 in quite a few parts of the Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-73259247436783198392011-06-28T13:40:00.003+03:002011-06-28T13:46:50.692+03:00Tsfat SpaceI.AmitaiHis GalleryAnother great Tsfat space is being restored- it used to be Isaac Amitai's gallery.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-37800781341804128802011-06-27T14:08:00.001+03:002011-06-27T14:11:55.910+03:00UpdateDylan put it so well- there's no success like failure...Shir [one of the valiant stokers] says that cone 8 was starting to move when they called it a day...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-50097386333893344122011-06-27T12:40:00.003+03:002011-06-27T13:17:03.435+03:00Quite Close,Definitely No CigarLooks promising,no?Current apprentice Darya stoking through hole in front doorBut lots of smoke.I have long felt that the best way to learn about a new kiln is to have a few difficult firings to start with,and yesterday's first firing of our wood kiln was a classic proof. After warming up to 350º overnight with a gas burner,we started burning wood at 11 a.m. and were making steady progress until Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-10012967261750446072011-06-24T10:20:00.002+03:002011-06-24T10:38:45.300+03:00Ready for Lift-OffEnlarged airholes in lidBatt-wash on floor,protective shelf over mouse-hole gridBricking up the doorStoke-door plugsA busy,hard and sweaty day's work with Sydney yesterday; we cut and stacked a pile of wood,cleaned up bricks and built the side/loading door,sliced soft-brick and constructed sealing plugs for the smaller stoking doors,enlarged the primary air-holes in the firebox lid and coated theDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-73722277914943264322011-06-24T10:18:00.001+03:002011-06-24T10:20:27.502+03:00Site-Specific InstallationArtists' Quarter,TsfatDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-60308666291801226112011-06-19T10:38:00.002+03:002011-06-19T10:45:29.653+03:00Degrees262º 920º 1250º 1320ºI just discovered how to do the "degree" symbol after years of writing it out in full. I was sure it was there somewhere! This morning I was looking for a keyboard shortcut to open the camera [to take a picture of a glaze recipe on a scrap of paper] when I came upon it [together with a host of wonderful signs]- alt and 0. It even makes sense,so I mighty even Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-507909261713671712011-06-17T16:14:00.002+03:002011-06-17T16:19:29.860+03:00TodayQuite a few visitors in the studio today,and quite a few sales, I'm happy to report- so I didn't get too much work done; I pulled some handles for yesterday's small mugs,stuck them on and tidied them up,and now I have an hour or so to throw before packing up for Shabbat.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-27786775219078426382011-06-17T11:28:00.002+03:002011-06-17T13:07:37.849+03:00A Boon for the Studio PotterFurther development of the self-throwing clay I showed you a while ago; I wonder if there's such a thing as self-trimming clay? Must have a look for some...Click title for video...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-87222923224840515462011-06-07T16:11:00.002+03:002011-06-07T16:21:44.320+03:00Keren HayesodMy twilight constitutional takes me along the street where fallen mulberries and pomegranate buds catch the last rays of the sun. The mulberries were one of Roschild's bright ideas- Tsfat silk?- that didn't catch on: I have studiously avoided making ceramic pomegranates,but am assured by my son Eliav [who works up the road in a collection of galleries called "Sarah's Tent",mention my name and Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-17533034615501084002011-06-02T13:04:00.001+03:002011-06-02T13:04:36.066+03:00Testinga new way to post from iPhoneDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-34005023993030128182011-06-02T12:50:00.002+03:002011-06-02T12:57:25.061+03:00Kiln ProgressThe hobs built up;wood sits across the white bricks on each side of fire-box,flame roars under arch into kiln,embers drop to ash-pit below...Back shelf,exit flue to chimney,side-stoking door...First shelf & bag wall...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-20445381187972098942011-06-02T12:43:00.002+03:002011-06-02T12:50:33.107+03:00Fly WingBeautifully irridescent,caught in a web in the firebox...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-90502475769295164732011-06-02T12:39:00.003+03:002011-06-17T13:14:13.192+03:00ToplessThe roof of the gas kiln at Tel Hai got blown up [don't ask...]- luckily,not much damage to students,pots [or kiln]-Roof carefully stripped,ready to replace/rebuild the arch...Another view of the collapsed arch-surprisingly little damage to pots...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-24503714382381594172011-06-02T12:37:00.000+03:002011-06-02T12:39:12.546+03:00A Nice Leaf from Pardes HannaDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-29842824395417061892011-05-29T16:47:00.003+03:002011-05-29T17:54:04.370+03:00Butterfly BeerTo celebrate our wood-sourcing success,Sydney and I took a tour of the recently-opened and adjacent Dalton Brewery,sampled the local brew,and left with an assortment of 6-packs. The brewery has taken Belgian beer as its model,and good luck to them- it's good to drink something other than the lagers with which we are surrounded here,but my years of drinking Adnams in various Suffolk pubs has left Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-13029502829949801512011-05-29T16:29:00.002+03:002011-05-29T16:47:41.535+03:00Make me a Pallet...Sydney and I drove to nearby Dalton this morning following up a lead from Yigal,my Tsfat barber [always a valuable source of local information] that a pallet factory there might be the answer to our wood needs for the new kiln. The boss,Ami [nice haircut,Ami] told us we can come and take a few stacks of what looks to us like ideal wood for a reasonable price. it's all what's called white wood,Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-44702244434678819022011-05-29T16:26:00.001+03:002011-05-29T16:29:06.976+03:00Pots from Meir's AnagamaDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-16101690021839389952011-05-23T17:10:00.003+03:002011-05-23T17:47:53.836+03:00Glove OfferingA rare video [click title] of the end of a firing at Meir's anagama. Meir,Noam,Avigail and I side-stoked valiantly through the night,an activity requiring constant vigilance,perpetual motion,frequent bending and a surgeon's delicate touch while slowly being roasted and experiencing dismay at diminishing wood supplies and strength as the back part of the kiln slowly and fitfully crawls up to its Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-91312592447570428292011-05-20T15:18:00.002+03:002011-05-20T15:25:59.244+03:00You Are Herereadership of this blog [thank you,Sitemeter]:Hi to my devoted and unexpected followers in the Dominican Republic. To those of you residing in "unknown" [which is apparently most of you]- is that some kind of tax haven,or is it a more existential state of being?Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-77855285841462997692011-05-20T13:30:00.002+03:002011-05-20T13:44:56.986+03:00The Morning AfterWorking the night shift at Meir's with Shir,Liron and Goldie [in one way or another,all former students of mine] was a great pleasure- we all worked hard hauling and stoking wood, we got into the rhythm of the kiln and kept it moving upwards,and we were constantly amazed by the power and beauty of the fire. Also,I think we were earlier than most with our Lag Ba'Omer blaze...Click on title for a Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-24492565423586753882011-05-18T12:32:00.002+03:002011-05-18T13:03:14.176+03:00testing,testingI'll remove this once/if the feed starts workingDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-28790527608983508622011-05-18T11:50:00.005+03:002011-05-18T12:28:25.617+03:00Facebook [Finally]Plunging fearlessly into the unknown, I have signed up for fb [as it seems to be called]; I'm trying to set it up so I can continue blogging here and have entries appear as if by magic over there,so bear with me while I get it worked out...You might be able to travel to my fb page by clicking the title above,but frankly I don't see why you would bother...still trying [with something called Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-30183064536668846612011-05-17T19:42:00.003+03:002011-05-17T19:46:25.179+03:00Mind the GapHappened to be driving by as this hole was happening this evening on my way back from Tel Hai- but do you know where in Tsfat it is? [This is for ex- or once-Tsfat folk,specifically my children in California].Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-84203320805219681852011-05-14T21:20:00.002+03:002011-05-14T21:26:08.814+03:00I.Y.S.Interesting Yet Silly- one of my early attempts to complicate an already complicated undertaking. In case it's not obvious- the inner three "cups" form the lid,the outer three arms are joined and hollow. It worked surprisingly well.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-34194520487736591952011-05-14T21:14:00.003+03:002011-05-14T21:31:09.416+03:00S.Y.P.Simple Yet Perfect- originally a Wedgewood design,I think,but copied by others.The tea is brewed with the teapot reclining on its back legs and the tea-leaves on a perforated shelf in the lid:when you stand it upright,the leaves remain in the lid. I came across it years ago and,obviously,wanted to have a go at making a few,but never got around to it,making various other complicated teapot forms Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-2177826327016456982011-05-14T21:06:00.003+03:002011-05-14T21:31:50.310+03:00PinkOn Friday we were blessed with a torrential downpour, quite unusual for so late in Spring, which led to a stream of soaked,screaming Alsheich schoolgirls rushing down my alley...Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-45872538921855618162011-05-14T20:40:00.002+03:002011-05-14T21:06:04.422+03:00LoadedBack to Meir's last Thursday to help finish loading the kiln (the greenish vase in the bottom picture is one of mine- left over from last year's firing,it spent the winter in the undergrowth]. It takes considerable wrestling to get Meir's huge,unbisced pots up onto those top shelves,the curve of the anagama's roof adding to the challenge. In the top picture you can see the last step loaded, with Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-1542519117490231872011-05-10T13:39:00.000+03:002011-05-10T13:39:52.016+03:00This Year's Grapes They've grown considerably in the last week or so.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-64539033649256009592011-05-06T14:06:00.003+03:002011-05-06T14:17:54.966+03:00Pots from the Tel Hai AnagamaThe big pot at the top is a refusenik from 2008- it's been sitting on a shelf in Tel Hai waiting patiently for a space in an anagama since then.Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-41560338007560982332011-05-06T12:17:00.003+03:002011-05-06T13:01:57.363+03:00Wood-Fire Season in the GalileeWe're back in Pardes Hanna for Meir's annual anagama firing: On Thursday we started loading pots into the kiln,will continue next week and fire the week after. Meanwhile Sydney and I have been fine-tuning our new kiln,which needs a couple of days' work before we can load. At Tel Hai the students opened and unloaded the successful anagama kiln fired last week,and,using classic combina techniques [Daniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10725145.post-84925433028569257102011-05-04T16:20:00.002+03:002011-05-04T16:26:33.634+03:00Tsfat Wall with NastertiumsDaniel the Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04713062805929425082noreply@blogger.com0