I just finished working on this project with Press Coffee, a local coffee shop in San Antonio, TX.  It was a pleasure collaborating with a local small business that recognizes and appreciates the importance of handmade objects in our daily lives.

I am very excited to be part of the 22nd annual San Antonio Potters Guild Juried Exhibition.  

We had to take the 22' chimney on one of the downdraft gas kilns down in order to replace the cement block foundation.  Ryan, Dennis, and I were fortunate enough to have the help of many of the students.  Overall, the project took just over a week, and the new should chimney should be good to go for many years to come.

I had a wonderful weekend participating in a wood firing at Finn Alban's studio and home in Fredericksburg, TX.  Her and the other potters from the south central Texas area welcomed me with open arms.  As the day progressed and fire grew hotter, more people arrived bringing an array of food, drink, and dessert.  Musicians played, friends shared stories, wood was burned, and the sun shined bright.  

The community that exists around Finn and Bunnie Haigh, her firing partner, is beautiful, humbling, and unique.  As I drove back to San Antonio through the Hill Country of south central Texas, I reflected on the weekend.  I was reminded why wood-fired pots are so special.  The pieces in the kiln are not only marked by the flame meandering by bouncing from one piece to another.  But, each piece is marked, at least in some way, by all the members of the community who work hard to make a firing successful.  I am thankful for the opportunity to fire a kiln with such a genuine and giving group of people.  I look forward to unloading the kiln and seeing the fruits of everyone's labor.

A few of the tea bowls out of the recent soda kiln firing at the Southwest School of Art.  I will update the portfolio page with the rest of the new pieces soon.

Check out the Southwest School of Art's blog.  They featured a piece I wrote about kiln building and wood firing.
http://southwestschoolofart.tumblr.com/

I was very happy to be part of the recent soda kiln firing at the Southwest School of Art.  We unloaded the kiln Monday, a great way to start the week off.  It is always nice to get fresh pots out of the kiln.