A board covered in canvas with clay smudge smeared all over it. It’s set out to dry some before the potter wedges it into workable hunks of clay.

There’s really no easy way
to reclaim clay scraps in my humble setup but potters always find a way. It’s so worth it—aside from mitigating the ridiculous cost of clay these days, throwing with reclaim is a dream. #pottery #ceramics #clay #potterproblems #mudslinging #pottersofbluesky

I really need to start covering my pots in plastic again for slower drying. Here in Portland, we have two seasons: always raining and pots take waaaaay too long to dry, or sunny and dry and pots dry waaaaay too fast. #pottery #ceramics #wheelthrowing #potterproblems #timingiseverything

I’m putting it out there that I need my own kiln, now more than ever. I’m grateful for community kilns after having to leave my own behind when I left Denver. It was heartbreaking but I made it work.

At this point, sustaining creative flow requires my own kiln. #potterproblems #pottery #ceramics

A bathroom set which includes a toothbrush and toothpaste holder, mouth rinse cup and soap dish, all glazed in colors inspired by a tropical beach setting.

Bathroom set pictured without the toothbrush and toothpaste props.

Got some bisqued pieces back from the community kiln and I’m so inspired to glaze but don’t have time right now #potterproblems. But I think I’ve got my color combinations down now—here’s a bathroom set in one of my favorite combos #pottery #ceramics #pottersofbluesky #wheelthrown #kilngods #glazing

I just realized this is Kristy Lombard clay and not reclaim. I was trying to use it up before I switched clays.

The spout dribbles when pouring from a full pitcher—I’ve never had that problem before with spouts so I may rethink the pitcher shape altogether for the next set. #potterproblems

Today and tomorrow are for glazing like a mad potter so I can get these pieces to the kiln in time before another event next weekend. #pottery #ceramics #glazing #pottersofbluesky #potterproblems

Three trimmed mugs with handles attached, all drying out before their bisque firing.

Still buzzing from yesterday’s clay session teaching giddy clay first timers (mostly)—I trimmed through TWO Pride mugs 😭. I did manage to trim and attach handles to a custom mug plus two others so there’s that #pottery #ceramics #potterproblems #wheelthrown #pottersofbluesky

Large elephant ear leaf platter glazed in a bright, translucent green glaze that highlights its vein pattern.

This elephant ear leaf (leaf green underglaze wiped back, glazed with wasabi celadon) has a large crack that goes all the way through. Seems fitting I get to keep it—it’s still beautiful and whole. #pottery #ceramics #handbuilt #pottersofbluesky #potterproblems #kilngods

The inside of a bowl made with the impression of a Big Leaf Maple. It’s glazed with a translucent bright green glaze that highlights the leaf’s vein pattern.

My first Oregon Big Leaf Maple bowl of the season came back cracked, so I get to keep it. Leaf green underglaze wiped back with 3 coats of wasabi celadon. #pottery #ceramics #handbuilt #pottersofbluesky #potterproblems #clayplay

Three large, wheel thrown bowls, extremely wet and soft and sitting on their bats in the drying closet.

Today was for throwing a few large bowls with my reclaim. The clay was sooo soft, and I found leaves and a dried tree berry in the clay as I threw, so I lost some of it along the way. In the end, I and the clay still managed to pull it off. #pottery #ceramics #wheelthrowing #potterproblems #clayplay

A set of four nested pinched bowls varying in size so they look like an open flower bloom together when they’re stacked.

Can’t wait to glaze these babies, but deciding on colors… oh my gosh, how am I going to decide? The possibilities are endless… I’m in choice overload. Luckily they still have drying to do before they’re bisque fired so there’s no hurry in deciding. #potter #ceramics #handbuilding #potterproblems

Wheel thrown bathroom sets, 3 each of toothbrush/toothpaste holders, mouth rinse cups, and soap dishes that are bigger than the potter would like. She’ll turn them into kitchen spoon rests and throw a new set of soap dishes using less clay.

Bathroom set prototypes are trimmed and altered. The cutouts are functional and I know what size rinse cup I prefer. The soap dishes are too big—one thrown too wide and thin and I lost the drip spout, so I’ll turn them all into kitchen spoon rests. #pottery #ceramics #wheelthrown #potterproblems

A freshly thrown iced tea set that includes a pitcher and four tumblers.

Oh yeah, I like the shape of this pitcher sooooo much better. Now the set looks more like a family.

There’s ease to be enjoyed while wheel throwing immediately after a morning at the spiritual center :-D

#pottery #ceramics #wheelthrowing #potterproblems #clayplay

Tall hand built ceramic freeform vase with a wavy v-lip, a vertical wave on the left side, and attached spirals for added decoration.

A freeform vase created from the clay slab meant for an Oregon Big Leaf Maple bowl. The slab piece didn’t want to cooperate with the leaf so we improvised together. #pottery #ceramics #potterproblems #handbuilding #clayplay

Reglazed jar to cover up goofy lettering. Picture taken before it has been glaze fired.

Reglazed the joy jar because I was unhappy with the lettering. Now I have to worry the extra glaze will present a problem by melting onto the kiln cookie, or the glaze doesn’t fully cover the lettering. Fingers crossed that the kiln gods are kind. #pottery #ceramics #wheelthrowing #potterproblems

A wedging table with a layer of reclaim clay drying out.

Still reclaiming clay with a couple more sheets of it to go. Hopefully this dryer weather will help speed things along. #pottery #ceramics #potterproblems

Old Pic, but a goodie 🙂.

Back when I was playing with low fire glazes and a couple pots broke in the kiln and stuck to other pots.

*sigh* Potter problems 😆

Should we start a new trend of sharing pottery mishaps? 😅

#pottery #ceramics #art #gayart #gay ##gaysky #lgbtq #queerart #potterproblems

Two freshly trimmed medium sized jars on a shelf drying. The jar on the right has a lid with a stubby little knob which throws off the composition of the whole form.

Joy jars are trimmed and inside drying. The one on the right has a lid gone wrong so the jar composition is off. Should have thrown two. I’m not worried about it—I’ll glaze it something funky and keep it. Pots gone wrong often turn into favorites. #potterproblems #pottery #ceramics #wheelthrowing

Six freshly thrown mug bodies stored inside to dry to leather hard before they’re trimmed and have handles attached.

Yup, I had to bring these large mug bodies I threw yesterday inside to dry because of the Portland rainy season. Pots left outside take forever to dry around these parts. #pottery #ceramics #wheelthrowing #potterproblems

The thing that brought me joy today (and gratitude and relief): I hired a handyman to install my gleco trap under the kitchen sink. I bought it last summer but couldn’t get the job done, so it was just sitting around. I should have hired him a long time ago #pottery #ceramics #potterproblems

One 🦋 finished. 😆 At what point do you realize you may be insane by making super fiddly pots knowing you could never recover the amount of time invested? And also knowing that your brain 🧠 says you gotta?
#potterproblems #tryingtoremainsane #whatishappening
#americahaslostitsmind
#pottersofbluesky