green cups, slightly green bowls with green accents: really!

(pots by Gary Rith)

John Zentner checks in.

(teapot by John Zentner)
My old pal from New Hampshire JZ emailed yesterday and again today, talking about work and such. Fantastic work, extremely skilled pottery.

I swear I won't get any more pets, really!

Alright, off this am to the spca to volunteer, then tomorrow dog training at the spca. I have had cat training, and last week Franklin climbed into my lap and....almost came home. We have four pets total, which I think is a good max, because in an emergency we could each grab two. I think about things that way. But I shall play with Franklin and guide him toward a good home because he is a charmer. Think about it: the world is full of sweet pets in shelters looking for a home.
As for dogs over there, they seem to have a lot of pit bulls. I won't go near them. That is why our (just before we adopted her) sweet little beagle Penny was living in the manager's office. She is NO pit bull. My wife wonders if it is unfair that we took home the prize dog of the shelter.

everything is green!

(cups by Gary Rith)
Have a look, Kate and Jim.

everything is green!

Thanks to the rain. You can see the river disappearing behind the foliage. A couple of hot days and some rain...far cry form last month's snow and mud.

the Simpsons and the White Stripes

Tunes o' the day, The White Stripes on the Simpsons.

Tiki Magazine, life NOT in the fast lane.

six feet under

Tunes o' the day from the Sneaker Pimps 'Six underground'

tiki teapots for Thursday

(pots by Gary Rith)
What you realize is that there are certain basics that make a tiki styled item. I am pleased, these look most fierce and silly.
I have enjoyed making face mugs and jugs for almost 20 years. The bottom mug is one of my favorite pots, I made it nearly 20 years ago. Tiki is the next step, and is not only fun, they will sell like hot cakes. Must make matching mugs.

Tiki teapot tease: tune in tomorrow.

They have turned out nicely. Now I need to think about matching tiki migs.

tiki teapot?

This is what google image shows for a tiki teapot, amongst other things, but NO tiki teapots. Perhaps I can do something here...........

Kate and Jim--here is the green with blue accents

(pots by Gary Rith)
I am realizing that Ithaca fest is just a couple weeks from now and I had better get hoppin'. Of course, I have been hopping for months, but 2-3 weeks means make a million everythings to sell.
Kate and Jim, I am glazing your mugs right now, out of the kiln Thursday around 5 pm. My green beans glaze looks terrific here with some blue at the top.

not always an angel

But cute and sweet at all times.

two handles in search of a teapot, one step closer

GUEST DJ CM CHECKS IN

A little rockabilly to shake things up. Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing, Tom Wilson, The Rodeo Kings - just a coupla guys playin' music and Swinging From The Chains of Love. I saw them live last weekend and they put on one helluva show. Great suits, too.

Rock on, CM, thanks so much! What does it take to be a guest DJ at potsblog? Well, CM does a rather amazing job, but email me your suggestions, with an image of yourself, the band, a video link, and BONUS points for the band's website link. We are pretty openminded here, although family friendly (what does that mean? Anything that would REALLY upset my parents, like Cradle of Filth, which upsets most people)

THE MODEL AND THE FINISHED PIECE ON A PENCIL

(beagle pencils by Gary Rith and Penny the beagle)

2 teapot handles in search of a teapot and a tiki mug?

GO SHOPPING SO I CAN BUY GROCERIES AND PUPPY FOOD

(pigs by Gary Rith)
OK, here's an idea: sell a set of 3 little piggy banks together. Shop at my online gallery before it is too late!

MOTHER'S DAY

(dogs by Gary Rith)
The mother of my dogs and cats is in the middle of mother's day week, as it turns out. A large armoire needing assembly was purchased on Sunday and awaits me and my screwdriver, there was a little dinner date out last night AND a small vase was given my beloved, BUT, top secret here, I made this largish dog sculpture yesterday. Jack and his tennis ball on the left, Buster lying down on the right and a tiny beagle on his back. This is a typical pose for these guys, Penny is so tiny compared to Jack and Buster, she is always over and under them. So, the question is, does the missus see this and the surprise is blown? I also traded a teapot for....she can find out on Sunday.

sip, swig, savor

(pots by Gary Rith)
OK, I am part of a traveling art show, rotating around to restaurants and wineries. Yes, that bunny in the middle of the plaque is rudely swigging from his mug, and YES, that is a pair of beagles with cups in the middle of that huge mug.

The Kaiser Chiefs and EMO

So, we get to the point in life, where at age 41 young people and their habits are impossible to understand. I heard ths word tossed around 'emo' which has something to do with floppy haircuts and old Converse sneakers. OK, got it.
WELL, the Kaiser Chiefs, (dumb band name, very dumb, and nothing to do with Kaiser Bill either) are EMO, according to me. I think so. 'Ruby' here, by the Kaiser Chiefs for tunes o' the day, fabulous pop song.

I am not the Green Giant but....

..........this year I will grow tomatoes successfully OH YES! No slugs or other stuff this year, no sirree. I have 2 patio tomato plants (I AM CHEATING--I JUST BOUGHT THEM) which are these tough little plants that live on the deck, therefore they can't be over watered by the rain and eaten by slugs. I also have a terrible little circular weedpatch I cleared and planted flower seeds on. It still looked pretty bad, so I planted some pansies to color things up until the weeds, and maybe a few flowers, come up. I made a bunch of beagles today, too, but must rush off now for a hot date with my terrific wife (I must have been a martyred saint in my last life, as this life is pretty fun).

message to Kate and Jim

(cups by Gary Rith)
I dusted off my bucket of green glaze yesterday, and test fired a couple of items. Kate and Jim say they need a pair of mugs, sans pig etc. No problem, here are 3 different pairs, all will be green, and SO, email me sometime, because maybe you would like one of these pairs, when they are glaze fired and ready, maybe Thursday.

YES, I still need to mix all my glazes, but I had forgotten my green beans glaze, which is a nice opaque deep forest/turtle green, and there is plenty of it. Plenty of brown, plenty of green, but I think that would make a yucky color combination.

Mahna Mahna!

'Mahna mahna', Sesame Street version. The fuzzy guy makes it hilarious!

SEE? My dogs and cats are tax deductions.

(Penny, all 4 dogs and cats, and little clay beagles being glazed by Gary Rith)

GIMME COFFEE SHOW

(Gimme Coffee, Mrs Potsblog, 2 mugs by Gary Rith)
So, I am in an exhibit at Gimme Coffee west State St Ithaca. Perhaps they should stock my mugs permanently, and get them off the wall?
Mrs Potsblog looks most fetching here on a warm spring day.

Mahna Mahna!

CM checks in with The Muppet Show's version of 'Mahna Mahna'. CM is exactly my age, so let's do the math: Sesame Street came out in 1969 when we were 3, and we were EXACTLY the target age group to start watching the show. THEN when we were teens, The Muppet Show came on, with all the fun and none of the learning.