Sunday, August 2, 2015

FIRST POST FROM MAUI

Well, another challenge. Like moving to Maui isn't enough, now I'm going to write a blog about making pots in paradise!
 We moved here from Vancouver, BC about three years ago, after visiting and snowbirding for about 5 years. Bought some land and built a house on the North Shore of Maui; the property had some old buildings on it, and my studio is a 10'x14' space in what we call "the barn". Funky old hippy building, no floor is level and no wall is straight, but it will probably stay up for a while. Bought a used Skutt wheel and a small gas kiln, which I use only to bisque at this point; luckily had brought my pugmill from the mainland. And here it makes sense to recycle- transportation almost doubles the price of clay.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, we're totally off the grid, so the pugmill requires a small generator to run. Next time I use it I'll post a photo.
Maui has a wonderful community studio about 20 min by car from our place, at the Hui No'Eau (look it up!). Great facilities: wheels, slab rollers, several electric kilns, two gas kilns, the usual collection of studio glazes, and a very friendly and lively community of potters. So my glaze firings, as well as some production of larger pieces that won't fit into my kiln, is done there; usually I bisque here and bring the pots up there to glaze and fire.
One reason I decided to try publishing a blog was to see how much time I actually spend working with clay. I plan to write a page every day I do some work. We'll see...


KILN
STUDIO

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