Things Are Stacking Up!

Around 75 items will be available for purchase anytime after May 6th!  Mix and match, build a set, or pick out an individual piece, whatever you like, I don't have room for it all.  :)  Cups, mugs, bowls galore - in a variety of colors and sizes!

Wood Kiln Firing

Last week there was a wood kiln firing in Lexington! Wood kilns are more rare than other methods of firing - they go on for about 4 days, during which someone must constantly feed wood into the kiln and monitor the temperature, 24/7. The result is unique, though; the ash from the fire creates a beautiful glaze on the clay, and you never quite know how the pieces are going to come out. The ceramics department here at UK built this kiln not that long ago, out on a farm where the university does agricultural work. I worked one 6 hour shift, hauling wood, throwing it into the kiln, and eating pizza and marshmallows cooked over the fire (yuummm). By the time I left, the kiln was up to about 1200 degrees, right on the brink of when you have to start wearing special clothing for the heat. It was wild getting up close to the door and experiencing such intense blasts while throwing in the wood, and I went up a couple times with my camera to try to get a view of the inside. A real inferno! The goal was to reach about 2200 degrees at it's peak. After the four day firing, it cools down for about a week, and we are unloading on Monday. I can't wait to see how everything looks!

The Handmade Object

I've been taking ceramic courses this year at school and really enjoying it.  I always love working with my hands, but with ceramics, it is additionally exciting to imagine a physical object or particular shape, and then figure out how to make it a reality.  I'm not very advanced at this point, so everything I imagine is happening at a fairly simple level.  Still though, it is a surprisingly thrilling sensation to eat and drink out of a vessel, knowing that I created it!

My professor this semester is really hounding us to churn out a large number of items, more than I will ever be able to keep...so...I'm going to have a sale at the end of the semester! In person, here in Lexington, but also if out-of-towners really want a few handmade items, we could discuss shipping.  I'm letting you all know in advance because if anyone is interested in a personalized or specific type of object (but think within a cup/bowl framework for now), I would be happy to fill the order.  Leave a comment below or email me at mkelly210@gmail.com, and we can talk about it.

:)

xomo

We go together like...

...a pair of mugs?  One for me, one for Trish, and two lovely additions for the kitchen countertop by a local artist.  Merry Christmas to us!  Anything ceramic that supports the consumption of coffee or tea will always be joyfully given and received in this household :)