The Beginning of A New Year

It is almost Valentine's Day.  

In that spirit, almost all of the mugs and bowls on display at Hunter Bay Coffee are arranged in sets of two.Thank you to everyone who made First Friday Art Walk possible, and to everyone who stopped by made the event and a success. 

A few of the mugs and cups that were on display during the opening are available for purchase at Hunter Bay for the remainder of February.  

Adam put together the display shelving a few days before.  They are larch, connected with dovetail joints and finished with a mixture of bee's wax and mineral oil. 

It has been an unusually warm and wet spring...  and I have been unusually busy with custom orders throughout the beginning of this year.  One has been completed, delivered and checked off of my list and a few more are in the works. 

Studio Sneak Peak: 

A custom order of logo mugs for a local coffee shop and bumpy mugs with T-shaped handles.  

There is a new tool the workshop behind our new house and Adam has been experimenting with his lathe.

These are tiny turned boxes made from palm seeds and ipe.

It has been a fabulous start to a new year.

Look for us at the Blue Pine Gallery at the Missoula Food Co-op in March!

In Full Swing

A few weeks ago I packed up the car and drove across the mountains to participate in the Celebrate Montana Art: Artists' Showcase and Sale in Helena, MT. 

Photo Credit:  Sue LaRose

It was my first time to use our new show setup and our new display looks fabulous! (Adam built these shelves for us - this beautiful. entirely collapsible shelf, painstakingly pegged together with square red wood pegs, started out as a pile of logs.) 

Here are a few new ceramic pieces up close.  These pieces are all stoneware, Soda Fired to Cone 10 at The Clay Studio of Missoula. 

Pear Jar, 6"x 6" x 8", $145

Pear Jar, 6"x 6" x 8", $145

Magpie Jar, 4.5"x 4.5" x 6", $100

Magpie Jar, 4.5"x 4.5" x 6", $100

Mushroom Mug, $45 

Umble Handle-less Mug, $35 

Simple Fruit Bowl, 6.25" x 6.25" x 3", $60

Sunflower Bowl, Unavailable ($35) 

Small Nested Bowls, $50 for the set

Maple Samara Wall Tile, 5"x 5" x 1.25",  $100

Of course, while I have been busy in my workshop, Adam has also been sawing away in his space. 

Here is a prototype of a new product we will be bringing to this seasons holiday shows. 

We, as many in our community, have back yard chickens and thus the need for a wooden egg holder perfect for on the counter or in the fridge.

Please contact us if you would like any custom pieces (wooden or ceramic) for this holiday season. 

Studio Sneak Peak of my Upcoming Show

New Cone 10 Soda Fired Work

I have been busy in the studio - making mugs, bowls, jewelry, and a few sculptures.  

A friend snapped this picture of my while she was explaining how to use her camera.  She was kind enough to let me borrow her camera so that I could document my most recent pieces.  Here are a few of the many new finished mugs and bowls that now sit boxed up on my self at The Clay Studio of Missoula.   These pieces are all soda fired to cone 10 and the exterior surfaces are primarily left unglazed. The surfaces are decorated with layered flashing slips and carved designs.  The mugs hold approximately 12 ounces of liquid.  

Dandilion Mugs 

Germinating Bean Seed Handle-less Mug

Maple Leaves and Samaras Handle-less Mug

Mushroom Handle-less Mugs 

Roots Handle-less Mug

Small Stacking Bowls 

There are many more exciting images and event details to come!  Stay tuned with the happenings at Sticks and Stones Workshop!

Snap Shots of the Holiday MADE fair 2013!

Thank you for coming out and supporting local artists!

Wood and Ceramic Jewelry - In Progress

These small (1.25" x 1.25" and 2" x .75") tiles are a return to some of my favorite subject matter. 

The structures of algae, diatoms and plants. 

The designs are carved into Cone 10 Stoneware through a layer of Titanium Yellow Flashing Slip.
I can not wait to see how they turn out after being fired in a Soda Kiln.

Work in Progress - Large Mugs

Large Stoneware Mugs to be Soda Fired to Cone 10.
Images are etched/stamped into a Titanium Yellow Flashing Slip with White Slip Details added.

I have no idea how they will turn out - but I hope they will turn out beautifully.