Summertime is here! No doubt about it - it's sweltering here in Fairhope lately.  We've been busy at the school with a 2 week Hogwarts Camp. I had a blast teaching new students how to make "cauldrons". Pumpkin season is revving up at Tom Jones Pottery. Getting lots of new things made. I'm hoping to be making a series of mugs and bowls for my online shop here with a bit of extra time I'll have the next month or so. Keep checking back!

Hey everyone! I've temporarily taken down my Store here on the site. Right now I've sold most of my pieces and am going to take awhile to build back up over the next few months. Feel free to see some of my work at www.tomjonespottery.com! Contact me if you'd like any custom pieces in the meantime.

So recently I've been working on a few custom orders as well as a TON of coffee mugs (see in-progress picture). It's funny that something so simple as a coffee mug can feel more complicated than a plate or bowl...after you throw the cup part, then you have to trim the bottom, make a handle, and add a design. I've been making a few extra handles every batch because the one that looks best on a particular mug depends on the shape of the mug- curved, straight, thick, thin..and I don't choose one until I hold them together to look at the result. I'm sure after another 10 years of making these I'll be able to tell beforehand, but for now it's a fun process.

As much as I love to make pottery, I also love to SELL pottery. Sometimes, though, it's difficult to part with my favorites...until the bills are due, of course!  But next weekend I'm going to be a part of an arts & crafts sale in Tampa, and am really looking forward to it. No idea how big the sale will be or who the customers are; it's just nice to be able to have new people see my work.
This week I'm going to make a ridiculous amount of coffee cups, partly because it's good practice in being consistent, and partly because they're easy to sell. =) I've also started working on a dinnerware set with one my new favorite glazes.

So school is out, graduation is over with...now what? Just kidding - I have a plan! I'm working on prospects, and in the meantime still helping out in the studio in exchange for finishing up more of my pieces. We have a few new glazes, an awesome bright clear blue that flashes red, and a deep purple. Both are a lot more color than we've had before (the studio glazes are mostly whites, yellows, browns, etc.) and it's tempting to put them on everything! But for now I'm experimenting with combining and layering a little with the studio glazes. Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Last week I had the chance to teach a mini-workshop to 2 groups of elementary school kids. I took them each a ball of clay and taught how to make little pinch pots. It was so entertaining to see how differently they all turned out - some of the kids just wanted to smash the clay into the table over and over, while others sat there intently, trying to make their pot perfect. A few just complained they were getting their hands dirty, but I think it was worth it in the end; I took their fired pots back to them today and all were so thrilled to see them finished.