One on One private throwing workshops!

"...No experience necessary but open to playing with mud on the pottery wheel!" As we note on our website ( http://kingspointpottery.com/services.htm#Page3 ) we do offer private one on one throwing workshops. It may not be like the movie segment in "Ghost" but couples do enjoy learning to work on the wheel, making a piece, and decorating it... something that they get to keep as a momento! Yesterday we had two more adventurous types experience making a pot on the pottery wheel...they had a great time...and so did we! I'm going to try and add a video segment to this blog...for the first time so it's no Steven Speliburg movie clip but here is a random (and very unedited) segment of the throwing process from last night and a still image of the creators and their final products! Thanks to M & N (who were staying at the lovely Riverwood Inn http://riverwoodinn.ca/ ) for letting us take them for a spin...on the wheel!

Tracy Keats, KPP Apprentice

Our King’s Point Pottery Apprentice: Tracy Keats

Tracy is from Forteau, in ‘the Straits’ of Labrador. It was there, in her hometown that she ran her own pottery for 5 years before we persuaded her to join us here on the island portion of the province. The pottery is so very very fortunate to have a multitalented artist like her assisting us in King’s Point. Tracy is a talented potter, jewellery maker (...check out her fun boot pin's in the shop), soap (...love the lavender) & lip balm producer, photographer (...butterflies), wild plant expert (...labrador tea),…and that’s just the tip of the artistic iceberg! Here are just a few pieces of her fine work that we will hope will give you a hint of just why we are so thrilled to have her here in King’s Point, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. (P.S.: To see a picture of 'The Trace' please refer to the previous post.)

C'est fait!!!

The website is officially re-launched as of May 7, 2009...dancing in the streets!!! ( http://kingspointpottery.com/ )Huge thanks go out to our web site person David Tilley, (and his web site is http://wildnfld.arcpsychologicalandcounselingservices.com/ ) If anyone is thinking of doing a website or rebuilding one give him a shout and feel free to email me and we can chat too...so much homework for you and your webmaster...LOTS to think about!!! I can't remember when we have been this excited ...not since we met in person Shelagh Rogers from CBC last November at the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador's Fine Craft and Design Fair in St John's, NL. (Photo Credit: J. Laaning. From left to right, Tracy, Linda , Shelagh, & me). Shelagh and (the late) Peter Gzowski (Photo Credit: CBC) are two of our many favourite radio personalities! We are so addicted to the fine work that CBC produces..especially CBC radio...WAM, radio noon, check up....!!! Pls do visit our site if you can and let us know what the good and the bad is so we can make it better! Take Care!!!

Ps: You can now find us on Facebook too!!

101 reasons to visit Newfoundland and Labrador: Reason 001!

Ok...this is not about clay exactly but it does inspire the artist in everyone. Indian Burying Place is out the bay from King's Point (Pottery) on the Baie Verte Penninsula, Central NL, Canada. A must see destination...it's a movie set like ghost town...Newfoundland style a.k.a. a resettled community. Haunting and gorgeous. You can watch the wild hops slowly tearing down the old buildings piece by piece...poetry in motion. Dennis has taken us out every year...whales, eagles, and Indian Burying Place...perfection. Don't just take my word for it...as a globe travelling tourist said to Den after a day out the bay...three words, "best trip ever".

24 April 2009

OM gosh!! ...as they say these days. Yesterday we heard one piece was going to the Unity and Diversity Exhibition at the Canadian Pavilion of the Cheoungju International Biennale in South Korea and today a second piece ...and what a second....assuming all goes well...it is called " The Secret to the Return of the Cod" and I have attached an image of Linda Yates in front of the piece. Not only are we told is it going to Korea but next year it will be heading to the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver Canada!! (Update: May 11th...oops... the final decisions on Vancouver are not completed...time to cross the fingers and toes, eh!) We are over the moon and them some. Thank you to all the selection committees for deciding we had something to offer for the Canadian Show...what an honour!

March & April News Flashes

Big News "1" The reconstructed website is almost done ...1-2 weeks max. and it will be unveiled!! Any one thinking of creating or recreating their site multiply the estimated effort by 3 or 4 augh!!!!! But do I love the new site? Yes, YEs, YES!!!

Bigger News "2" NCECA in Phoenix was fabulous. We were selected to lead a discussion session on Salt & Soda firing! And the amazing Soda fire innovator Gail Nichols from Australia was there to field questions!! Thank you so much Gail! Just love NCECA...1700 images on just one of our three cameras!

Biggest NEWS "3" Best for last... we just were informed that one of our clay pieces has been accepted to Korea - 'Unity & Diversity' Exhibit - Cheoungju International Biennale - September 23 -November 1, 2009 via the Canadian Craft Federation. Wow...what an honour. Dancing in the streets time!!!!

Lots more but I'll add to this tomorrow. How about a pic from NCECA which might surprise some because it's not clay rather it is ceramic or rather glass I should say Dale Chihulli (spelling error I'm sure).

Hello from King's Point Pottery Newfoundland!

David here (of "Ltd", of the Newfoundland , Canada, team of Linda Yates-Tracy Keats- David Hayashida)...no time like the present to start a whole new thing...my very first 'green'-bay post...I blame ( in a good way) the web marketing pro's at Digital Daisy Inc http://www.digitaldaisy.com/ and Emily Murphy http://www.emilymurphy.com/the soda gal from Chicago for inspiring me to just try it and see...this blog thing as a tiny start to the huge task of totally updating our website (Http://kingspointpottery.com/ ) yes...people tell me it is the new part of having a good site is having things that work with it and this did seem like the easy place to start. But salt/soda firing is what this blog is about so I'll try and drop in the scallop version of one of our "Rocking Slut teapots" and call it a day for my first effort. Hope the image appears! I guess I had better clarify something before I go. The word "Slut" is the newfoundland term for a tin kettle or in 'mainland' speak a teapot. ..and for all the hardcore ceramic types....cone 11 reduction, seawater/soda mixture, stoneware, propane fired...lots of info on salt/soda at http://saltandsodafiring.ning.com/ ...huff...puff I'm back to finally finish this yet again... the plow just arrived to dig us out from an additional 18 inches...everything buried, again! Maybe just a quick image of me and the cats (Wallie & (grommet?) no actually biscuit (after the type of firing))here in the wee bit of snow.