Christmas is Almost Here

With the holidays fast approaching I have my last pre-Christmas kiln of special orders firing and hopefully everything will have been shipped out and safely tucked under trees by Christmas morning!

I can't believe how fast this year has flown by. I'm working on some exciting new products for 2012 and can't wait to share them with you over the next few months. I'm especially excited about a new olive serving bowl I'm working on as well as several new Christmas ornaments.

Davis Art Center Holiday Sale

I'll be at my favorite fair of the year this weekend. It's a charming fair at the Davis Art Center Friday through Sunday. They have a really wonderful selection of artists who show their work at the show - including yours truly- great soups for lunch and a kids shopping area to entertain the young set.

Please stop by if you're in the area. It will really put you in the holiday spirit!

Christmas Ornaments

I can't believe the Christmas season is upon us already. I still have my pumpkin from Halloween which is turning into a science experiment as it decomposes - maybe it's time for it to go! Anyway, I just got a beautiful batch of Christmas ornaments out of the kiln and ready to ship out. There are 30+ styles - I'll make a complete list and add it in the next post.The ornaments are $7.50 each plus shipping. Please contact me if you'd like to purchase some.

I started making these ornaments when my girls were little because I wanted them to be able to help decorate the tree without the worry of broken ornaments. While not indestructable, they are high fired stoneware and can take quite a bit of rough handling.

New Greeting Cards!

Introducing my newest product - greeting cards with photos of my work! Currently there are two sets: Animal Sculptures and Totem Poles. They come in boxed sets with 2 each of 4 designs on the Totem Poles and 2 each of 5 designs of Animals. They are in stock and ready for shipping. The Animal set is $15 and the Totem Pole set is $12 plus tax and $5.20 shipping. Call or e-mail to place your order.

Summer Fruit Recipe Contest

Here is a new entry to the Summer Fruit Recipe Contest on The Pot Shop's Facebook page. I baked mine with peaches and a few blueberries and it was delicious! I baked it for about 50 minutes and maybe could have left it another 5 as it was still very juicy. If you have a great recipe using fruit please post it on my Facebook or e-mail it to me at potshop@saber.net

Fruit Kuchen with Rosemary

½ cup butter or olive oil
2 eggs
1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder
5-6 cups fruit, such as sliced nectarines, peaches, prune plums, figs, apricots, or blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries. Or mix them up!
Juice of 1 lemon

Turbinado sugar (or other raw, course grain sugar)

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary.

Preheat oven to 350. · Grease 12” ceramic cake or pie pan with butter or olive oil, and coat with breadcrumbs or flour.

· Cream the butter / olive oil.

· Add sugar while mixer is running.

· Add eggs one at a time, beating until mixed.

· Mix baking powder into cup of flour and add that slowly to the batter while mixing, until just incorporated - don't over mix!

· Spread into pan. Pile on the fruit, or arrange in a spiral pattern. Try to avoid getting fruit right up to the edge. Press the fruit lightly into batter.

· Sprinkle first with juice of one juicy lemon, then turbinado sugar and then chopped rosemary. (Don't be shy with lemon and sugar.)

· Bake in oven until the middle is set and it takes on a nice golden brown color.

· Let it cool and serve out of the pan.

Mendocino Art Center Craft Fair

I finished this cake stand just in time for a friend's birthday this week!

Visit me this weekend at the Mendocino Art Center's Craft Fair and next weekend on Saturday only at the Mendocino Street Fair. Both fairs are 10 to 5 and will have lots of handcrafted items on display. Pottery is always my favorite but there will be beautiful jewelry, paintings, woodworking and lots more to see as well.

Here's a heads-up for Mendocino County's celebration of American Craft Week October 7 - 16 as well. I'm coordinating the event for the Arts Council of Mendocino County so I'll keep you updated on the special events that will be happening.

Pic of the Week

Here is my Pic of the Week. It is titled "Armored Vehicle" and is the most recent of my animal sculptures. The porcupine has over 350 handpainted quills! The overall dimensions are 22" x 22" x 21" . I'm very happy that it has already found a good home.

I saw a website recently that featured an 'art in action' section where people have sent in photos of that potter's pottery being used and I thought that was a great idea. So... any of you out there who want to send me a photo of how you are using one of my pieces please do. You can e-mail it to me or post it on my Facebook wall - The Pot Shop. It would love to see where my work goes when it leaves my studio and how it gets incorporated into people's lives.

Appetizer Recipe Contest

The Pot Shop is sponsoring an easy contest to share great recipes. For each round of the contest one lucky person will win a piece of pottery from The Pot Shop. The first round is the appetizer round so bring out your best appetizer recipes for a chance to win a Leaf Serving Dish with Spoon made by yours truly.

Everyone is eligible to enter and win. (Shipped free within the US)

First Round Prize: A handmade ceramic Leaf Dish with Wood Spoon. (Shipped anywhere in the US)

Entry Rules: Go to Facebook and post a favorite appetizer recipe on The Pot Shop wall. Have your friends “Like” The Pot Shop and then “Like” your recipe.

Finalists will be the recipes earning the most “Like” votes. The winner will be chosen from the finalists.

By entering the contest you agree to give The Pot Shop permission to reprint your recipe for promotional purposes. Since this is the trial run round of the contest some revision of how the game works may happen – gotta love the learning curve!

Enjoy, thanks for entering and Bon Appetite!

You can also purchase a Leaf Dish with spoon and have it sent to you anywhere in the US by sending a check for $45 along with your shipping address to:

The Pot Shop

P.O. Box 216

Philo, CA 95466

You can also enter by posting your recipe as a comment here. All recipes will be archived in the comment section below for easy reference. Check out the entries so far - yum!

Feats of Clay XXIV

I just got back from the openings of the California Clay Competition at The Artery Gallery in Davis, CA and Feats of Clay at Gladding McBean Clay Factory in Lincoln, CA. I am so honored to be included in both shows.

The gala opening for Feats of Clay was especially fun. A clay factory is a marvelous place to hold a huge party! The factory produces clay pipe and terra cotta tiles and sculptures for architectural uses. The building houses a group of beehive kilns, one of which has been converted into a gallery and houses half of the show. The other half of the show is upstairs in a work area. They have a 100 year old elevator that takes patrons up to see the show.

There is a tour of both the factory and the show that runs through the month of May. It is really interesting to see the molds and work areas that produce the facades of buildings all over the country. You need a reservation for the tour www.lincolnarts.org or 916 645-9713

Platters and Totems Show Opens

The show, Totems and Platters, opens this Saturday April 16th from 5 to 7pm at the Blue Line Gallery in Roseville, CA. I've seen the show and it is fantastic! It runs through May. A 'must see' if you are in the area. My piece "Flamingo in Paradise" is there along with over 100 others. The opening is open to everyone so come join us if you can.

California Clay Competition

More exciting news! I have also had a piece accepted into the California Clay Competition in Davis, CA. The show opens on April 29th at the Artery Gallery in Davis, CA. The show runs for the month of April. Please stop by and see it if you're in the area.

Feats of Clay

Exciting news! I have had a piece accepted into the national juried exhibition, "Feats of Clay", in Lincoln, CA. The show opens April 23, 2011 and runs through May. The show is held every year at the Gladding McBean factory. It is a wonderful opportunity to see some fabulous ceramic artwork from across the country. For tour information contact www.lincolnarts.org

I am also participating in a show called Platters and Totems at the Blue Line Gallery in Roseville, CA. I will have several totem poles in this show. The juror is Tony Natsoulous and I can't wait to see what else he has selected to be in the show! The show runs April 7th to May 14th. For more information contact rosevillearts.org

Art in the Cellars

It is time once again for Art in the Cellars at the beautiful Handley Cellars winery in Anderson Valley, CA. It is amazing to see the cellar transformed from a barrel room into a gallery with paintings suspended from the barrel racks and sculptures displayed on barrel pedestals. A visual treat for sure. If you are in the area this weekend, February 3 - 5, 2011, be sure to stop by. I'll have 3 pieces on display including my newest giant blue frog fresh out of the kiln.

Ready For Her Close-Up

Katie sure was surprised this Christmas by a totem pole with a custom sculpture of herself topping it off! It is a special challenge to try and capture a likeness in clay - especially when your model is always on the move.

Most of my pieces come out of my imagination and are only loosely based on real animals I have seen. Katie is a small dog so her portrait is just about life size. The totem pole stands about 3 feet tall.

If you have a special friend who you want to memorialize in clay send me a photo and we'll talk about what we can do. E-mail me at potshop@saber.net.