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Located in NW Indiana, near the town of New Carlisle between Lake Michigan and a huge Beech Tree
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Today, I wanted sun, but got sleet and grey. The morning's routine was dismissed when our 6:30 AM Taiji class was cancelled due to icy roads. Steve fulfilled his responsibility to brew the morning coffee and we talked about the day's work ahead. No matter the weather, it's time to load the kiln to prepare for the 7th Annual Indiana Artisan Marketplace, March 25 & 26 in Indianapolis at the State Fairgrounds
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By mid-morning it's obvious, the weather isn't going to change its ways. Steve begins to carry the bisqued stoneware from the studio to the kiln, then he's back to the studio for more work. Jenny, our redbone hound, lumbers behind him, in both directions, dispensing the odor of an early-spring skunk encounter 2 days prior.
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Loading pottery into the Elene William kiln (named for Steve's Artist grandmother) is a slow, contemplative exercise. It takes planning, strength, and patience. A pot’s placement inside the kiln is intentional — upper or lower shelf, back of the kiln or at its front. It will make a difference.
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Do we love those iridescent blues,
the deep red glazes
and the toasty colors of stoneware bodies?
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Here’s what Steve knows to be essential for a successful firing: understand what goes on behind closed kiln doors — the physics of a gas reduction firing. When the kiln is tightly clamped shut, and the propane is fired up for 14 - 16 hours, that’s when the alchemy of heat, oxygen and time finishes the potter’s work.
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Early morning, the next day (1:30 a.m. or so) the firing is done. Now we will wait 4 days until the kiln is cool enough to be opened and we see what we have.
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We hope you have an opportunity to see our latest work throughout the year. Here's our list of scheduled 2017 shows.
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- April 7-8: Spring Artisan Market, Journeyman Distillery, Three Oaks, MI
- Apr 21-23: Kentucky Crafted, Lexington, KY
- June 3-4: 57th Street Art Fair, Chicago, IL
- July 1-3: Cherry Chreek Art Fair, Denver, CO
- Aug 12-13: Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair, Milwaukee
- Sept 2-3: Art Fair on the Square, Lake Forest, IL
- Nov 18-19: Holiday Artisan Market, Journeyman Distillelry, Three Oaks, MI
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Please stop by...
115 E Michigan Street
​Historic downtown New Carlisle, IN 46552
Open Wednesday thru Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
773.318.9161 ~ Louisemarion@blacktreestudio.com
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Visit us at
BlackTree Studio
Call us! We'll give you directions out to the studio where you can see our latest work. 773.318.9904
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The small kiln in springtime
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The new kiln at the studio built August 2015.
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P.S.
Here's a peek at one of my favorite new works from Steve...
Did you ever think clay could be sexy?
His latest hand built Flat-Bottom Bowl with an extra wide
"ribbon" of wrapped stoneware has an elegant décolletage.
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Thank you for reading this newsletter. If you have any comments or questions, don't hesitate to contact me by clicking here.
Louise Belmont-Skinner,
The Potter's Wife
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