Hi Clubbers!
My ekiln has been acting up and I need help figuring out how to proceed. I basically only use it to bisque and it's a 4 year old Amaco (I'm the only owner). I fire to cone 08 on 'slow'. It has been firing to about 1400 degrees and then shutting off with the error message E1. I just called Amaco and they said it is either a burnt out element, or broken relay. How to I figure out which? Help!
-Courtney
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Studio Mate NEEDED
come share a 700 sq ft studio space in historic Marshall High Studios, Marshall, NC. Beginning August. 30 minutes NW of Asheville. Electric kiln and gas kiln on premises. Email Emily: reasonpots@gmail.com
Friday, May 25, 2012
Rhododendron calendulaceum
Nice orange azaleas on the Parkway!
Rhododendron calendulaceum
But sometimes the nicest little flowers are in the parking lot snuggled in with the clover!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wrens Fledged
They flew to the ground and then couldn't get back up to the nest so were in the kiln yard for a while (one day). I saw them huddled in a mass by the chimney. (must be American Immigrants)
Anyway, my concern was the neighbors 20 cats that run free and that they would get eaten like last year (in the glove of the sand blaster).
Hayne Bayless – Happiness is: A Warm Extruder & A Sassy Slab
Come spend five days honing your hand-building skills at Cullowhee Mountain Arts in Franklin, NC.
http://www.cullowheemountainarts.org/week-2-june-24-29/hayne-bayless-ceramics
June 24—29, 2012
Medium: ceramics
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
In this workshop students will explore extrusion and slab techniques in the process of making functional stoneware. The approach will be to let the process show in the work, keeping in mind that by keeping out of clay’s way, the material will reveal its true nature and the results will remain fresh and lively. Topics that will be covered are: cutting stencils from Tyvek; colored slip inlay and stretched slabs; liquid latex resist and deer-tail brushes; fashioning tools out of common materials and modifying existing ones to suit specific needs; and how to make custom extruder dies. This workshop will also interest throwers looking to expand their horizons beyond the wheel.
“We will work with unconventional forming methods and unusual approaches to surface decoration. Myths will be busted and secrets revealed.”
“We will work with unconventional forming methods and unusual approaches to surface decoration. Myths will be busted and secrets revealed.”
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Frit P-25 is going out of production Ferro 3269 sub
This is from the Highwater Clay Website:
The Fall of Frit P25 and the Rise of 3269
Once again an important ceramic material, frit P25, is going by the wayside. It seems as though this has been happening a lot lately! P25 is made by Pemco and they are getting out of the frit business. In anticipation of P25 being unavailable, Highwater Clays will stock Ferro frit 3269 as a replacement.
P25 3269
Unlike feldspar and silica, frits are a manufactured material. Commonly used by industrial ceramics, glass producers and potters alike, frits are comprised of raw materials such as alumina, sodium, silica, potassium, calcium and boron. The raw materials are melted together until vitreous and then ground down to powder form. Each frit has a specific formula and was designed for a specific need. While there are thousands of frits available, potters generally use just a few different types. Their low melting point makes for a valuable melting agent in glazes and promotes fusion to the clay body in underglaze and slip. Certain frits can be used as a low fire glaze all by themselves and some potters even use them as a flux for clay bodies, although that gets a bit pricey. The complex manufacturing process causes frit to be more expensive than other fluxes.
Frit formulations tend to be fairly standard across the industry and most have a readily available substitute. However, there are slight differences in the chemical analysis of P25 and 3269 which could affect the fired quality of a glaze recipe. As always, testing is recommended before firing up a whole glaze load and please contact us if you have any questions.
Monday, May 21, 2012
MICA Gallery opening!

Mica | Fine Contemporary Craft
is opening May 26, 2012, 10-6 pm
In Beautiful Bakersville NC.
Gallery Hours will continue:
Sunday - Saturday 10 - 6 pm
Save the date!
Join us for our
Grand Opening Celebration:
July 14, 2012, 5-8 pm
Current Mica Artists:
Jon Ellenbogen and Becky Plummer
Kent McLaughlin and Suze Lindsay
Gertrude Graham Smith
Susan Feagin
Cynthia Bringle
David Ross
Claudia Dunaway
Jenny Lou Sherburne
Shaunna Lyons
William Baker
Joy Tanner
Jacque Allen
Pablo Soto
Mica | Fine Contemporary Craft
37 N. Mitchell Ave.
Bakersville, North Carolina 28705
Email: info@micagallerync.com
Phone: 828-688-mica (6422)
Gallery Hours:
Sunday - Saturday 10 am - 6 pm
Visit our Website:
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
New Gallery Opening!
fine contemporary craft
a cooperative
artist gallery located in Bakersville, North Carolina
Opening May 26, 2012, 10-6 pm
Gallery
Hours will continue: Sunday – Saturday 10 – 6 pm
Join us for our Grand Opening Celebration July 14, 2012, 5-8 pm
Join us for our Grand Opening Celebration July 14, 2012, 5-8 pm
37 North Mitchell Avenue
Bakersville, NC 28705
828-688-mica
Website: www.micagallerync.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/micagallerync
Email: info@micagallerync.com
For years our community of artists and craftspeople have dreamed of having our own cooperative gallery, and now that dream is becoming a reality. After months of planning, preparation, and hard work, Mica will be opening its doors on May 26, 2012 in downtown Bakersville. Located in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina in the heart of Mitchell County, Mica will feature the work of some of the area’s most creative artists in a casual and comfortable setting that is sure to become a destination for fine contemporary craft.
Current Mica Artists:
Barking Spider Pottery: Jon
Ellenbogen and Becky Plummer
Fork Mountain Pottery: Kent
McLaughlin and Suze Lindsay
Gertrude Graham Smith
Susan Feagin
Cynthia Bringle
David Ross
Shaunna Lyons
Joy Tanner
William Baker
Claudia Dunaway
Jenny Lou Sherburne
Jacque Allen
Pablo Soto
We hope to see you soon in our beautiful new gallery!
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