Side-Saddle Planters

 Retired? Sort of.

I feel deep gratitude for you, our loyal pottery patrons and friends, for all of these years. Thank you for enjoying our production work, the mugs and fruit baskets, bowls and platters.

Note: This link: Table of Contents 
          will help you find specific items of our work on previous posts.

We feel very lucky to be retired this year when the art fairs are all cancelled. We also feel great compassion for those friends who depend on art fairs for their livelihoods, as well as so many in this time of great economic challenges.

Sam has retired completely from the pottery business. He used to claim that he was only a "potter by marriage," with humility toward the amazingly creative work that he made. But he will make no more stoneware fruit baskets. We have some inventory remaining. I continue to create special pieces. However, without a second person to produce, I am very slow to fill our kiln.

Right now I am most interested in planters and bonsai succulents. I've been raising these plants for many years, selling them locally in my handmade planters. It's not a great marketing strategy, but I enjoy working with the living plants and creating unique planters. In particular, I've designed a planter with a built-in saucer. They are usually handbuilt (without the potter's wheel) and highly textured.

I haven't fired all year and have several items all glazed and ready to fire, but I need to fill a bisque firing before proceeding. Here are photos of work in progress:

Most of these mugs will be sold through Sundance Gallery in Buena Vista, Colo.

unglazed planters in process

Overfill in watering will pitcher down into the "saucer."

Firing schedule is undetermined at this point.

TAQUILE ISLAND TEXTILES

In the meantime, we progress with marketing the textiles, fairly traded mostly for solar gear, which we bring home from Peru We have initiated an Etsy site. Do check it out https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaquileFriends

Yes, and for more stories about what this Peru relationship is all about: www.taquilefriends.blogspot.com

Thanks for listening!

Hermiston High Commemorative Mugs

Note: This link: Table of Contents will help you find specific items of our work within this blog.

Hermiston High School Class of '65 will gather for our 50th Class reunion on July 17-18, 2015 
(Hard to believe, but there it is).

In honor of the event, I've agreed to take on the project of making souvenir mugs. They are approximately 4 1/4" tall and 3" in diameter, holding about 11 ounces. Made of stoneware clay, they are dishwasher and microwave safe, lead free. 

Front, showing the Hermiston "H" with
"CLASS   OF '65
HERMISTON
HIGH
50 YRS     2015

Reverse Side shows a Fighting Bulldog

Order information:
Order directly to via postal service or email or phone. Deadline May 15, 2015, but keep ordering; there is still time!
Reserve your mug via email tarasam at tds dot net with "Reunion Mug" in the subject line, or by phone: 970-527-6570.

Free delivery at the reunion in Hermiston. Price each is $20 (a discount from her usual mug price of $24).
Shipping available (if you can't make the reunion) for an additional $8 for the first one and $4 for each additional to the same address. Colorado addresses include 2.9% sales tax. 

Send checks made out to Tara Edna Miller 
41342 O Road
Paonia, CO 81428

Go Bulldogs!

Here are some pictures of the work in progress:

Working with the stencils

Stamp kit to press the letters into the soft clay

detail work to bring out the bulldog

Before and After detail work

Mugs mug shots

These figured mugs are wheel thrown and decorated with colored clay slips, sometimes called engobes.
I cut a detailed stencil in order to replicate the images. Usually the back of the mug has a mountain from a stencil and around the figure are free-hand mountain "paintings."
Each mug holds a generous 11 oz. at approximately 4" x 3" x 3" and is made of high fired stoneware: dishwasher and microwave safe.

Dancing Cranes

Flying Cranes

Elk

Moose

Hawk and Eagle

Aspen Forest, extra complex

Brown Aspen Leaves

Bicycle (road bike)

Mountain Bike

Climber

Fisher

Hikers

Kayak

Dressage

Jumping Horse

Western Rider

Alpine Skier

Telemark Skier

Snowboarders "Shredder"

Golfer Man

Golfer Woman

Some available images are not pictured. 
You can see a verbal list at: 

MUGS--THE LIST

MUGS--THE LIST

Verbal list of mug images
See Mugs, Mug Shots for pictures of the various styles

sampling of figured mugs, front view,
showing two versions of hiker, climber, and skier

Each of these mugs are about 4" tall and 3" in diameter, hold a generous 10 ounces, cylindrical with muted blue and brown/tan slipwork under an oatmeal glaze. You can see some pictures on a previous post in February of 2010, and more pictures to come. Mugs are $24 each. Most of the images are also available a large stein (about 16 oz), still only $28 each.

the back of the mugs usually have mountain scenes

MUGS, THE LIST

Columbine (brushwork)
Aspen leaves - blue
Aspen leaves - brown

Mountains around
Elk
Big Horn Ram
Moose

Eagle
Cranes Dancing
Cranes Flying
Hawks
Hummingbirds
Pheasants

Alpine skier
Nordic skiers
Snowboarders
Telemark skier
Dogsled team

Climber
Hikers
Kayak
Fly fisher
Mountain bike
Road bike

Runners
Golfer man
Golfer woman
Tennis players

Western rider
Dressage riders
Jumping horse
Sail boat
Ballet dancers
Musical notes

I also do a detailed Aspen Forest, which sells for a few dollars more than the other images.

2011 Art and Craft Fair Schedule

Our winter schedule has two shows:

November 25-26 (Thanksgiving weekend) Arvada Center on Wadsworth in Arvada Colorado
December 3-4, Holiday Art Fair in Paonia at the Blue Sage on Grand Ave.

See you at the fairs!
If you can't make it to the fairs, feel free to give us a call to place an order. 970-527-6570

Or, you may find what you're looking for at our Colorado galleries:
The Earthen Vessel in Durango
Handworks in Crested Butte
Working Artist's Gallery in Grand Junction
Max'ims of Greeley and Estes Park
Munson's Main Street Gallery in Cedaredge
and our newest: Sundance in Buena Vista.

Art and Craft Fair Schedule, 2010

Our final shows for 2010 will be Thanksgiving weekend in Arvada, Colorado at the beautiful Arvada Center, followed by the Paonia Holiday Craft Fair at the Blue Sage Center in Paonia.

We look forward to seeing you at the fair!

You can see images and descriptions of our pottery in earlier posting of this web log.

Exciting news accompanies this announcement:
Our Peruvian Family will be joining us!

You may be aware that we have been visiting Taquile Island, Lake Titicaca, Peru since 1986 and have a deep and close relationship with extended family and friends in that indigenous community. The excitement is that a Taquile dance troupe is being brought to Albuquerque (at the U of NM Nov 16-19) and we are then bringing three of these textile artists to the two shows where you can see our work:

The Arvada Center Holiday Art Show Thanksgiving weekend:
9-5 on Friday Nov. 26 and Saturday Nov. 27. 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard in Arvada.
Our booth is #132 on the main level in the center of the room to the left of the stairs and the Peruvian Natives booth just across from ours in #119

The Paonia Holiday Craft Fair at the Blue Sage in Paonia: 3-8 on Friday, Dec. 3 and 9-5 on Saturday Dec. 4, where we will take over the whole stage with pottery and textiles plus weaving and knitting demonstrations.

Both shows will have our pottery booth with our unique Stoneware Fruit/Bread Baskets, Bowls, Figured mugs, and all the functional and sculptural work we've been making for you this year--AND a textile display from Taquile, a designated A UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site for its Textile Art, with open fingered gloves, wool hats, woven belts, ponchos, shawls and bags.

In addition, we will make two public presentations with our Peruvian guests:
in Aspen at ACES on November 29, 6:00pm, and
in Paonia at the Blue Sage on December 6 at 6:30pm.
See more information about "A View from the Andes" at www.taquilefriends.blogspot.com

See you at the fairs!
If you can't make it to the fairs, feel free to give us a call to place an order. 970-527-6570

Or, you may find what you're looking for at our Colorado galleries:
The Earthen Vessel in Durango
Handworks in Crested Butte
Working Artist's Gallery in Grand Junction
Max'ims of Greeley and Estes Park
Munson's Main Street Gallery in Cedaredge
and Toklat Gallery in Basalt.