'Joker' from Steve Miller Band, smooch to my beautiful wife

(Miller/Ertegun/Curtis)Some people call me the space cowboy, yeahSome call me the gangster of loveSome people call me MauriceCause I speak of the pompitous of lovePeople talk about me, babySay I'm doin' you wrong, doin' you wrongWell, don't you worry babyDon't worryCause I'm right here, right here, right here, right here at homeCause I'm a pickerI'm a grinnerI'm a loverAnd I'm a sinnerI play my music in the sunI'm a jokerI'm a smokerI'm a midnight tokerI sure don't want to hurt no oneI'm a pickerI'm a grinnerI'm a loverAnd I'm a sinnerI play my music in the sunI'm a jokerI'm a smokerI'm a midnight tokerI get my lovin' on the runWooo WoooooYou're the cutest thingThat I ever did seeI really love your peachesWant to shake your treeLovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey all the timeOoo-eee baby, I'll sure show you a good timeCause I'm a pickerI'm a grinnerI'm a loverAnd I'm a sinnerI play my music in the sunI'm a jokerI'm a smokerI'm a midnight tokerI get my lovin' on the runI'm a pickerI'm a grinnerI'm a loverAnd I'm a sinnerI play my music in the sunI'm a jokerI'm a smokerI'm a midnight tokerI sure don't want to hurt no oneWooo WooooPeople keep talking about me babyThey say I'm doin' you wrongWell don't you worry, don't worry, no don't worry mamaCause I'm right here at homeYou're the cutest thing I ever did seeReally love your peaches want to shake your treeLovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey all the timeCome on baby and I'll show you a good time

gorgeous blue bowls with pigs!

(by Gary Rith)

Socks Pistols - Anarchy in the UK (Studio Version)

Tunes o' the day for our old pal Gordo.

mugs, bowls, wiggly handles

(by Gary Rith)

You have your before and after here. I call these plain mugs, because they will not sport animals on them, but they have wiggly handles because it is hard to avoid adding flourishes here and there.

Spike is Oscar-worthy!

(video by Gary Rith)

I filmed the bit below, but then things got interesting and I started things rolling again!!!

I can haz tummy rub now, LOL!

(video by Gary Rith, title inspired by John Bailey)

Spike is a very friendly and laid back cat.

Space Cowboy

(video NOT by me, but I wish I made it.)
Special for CM and Maurice.

Glazing a little blue bowl

Today the bowl gets cooked, but first watch the movie below showing the exciting glaze application!

piggy teapot!

(by Gary Rith)

Going up for sale later this morning.

ADVANCED POTTERY TECHNIQUES: pottery in action

I have been making pots 24 years. I have many secrets and skills, but I don't mind sharing this technique with CM and the world.

Bisque firing: the movie!

You saw our plucky little bowl thrown, then trimmed, what happens to our hero next?

The potter here looks somewhat scruffy, I noticed.

big blueberry bowl!

(by Gary Rith)

Sometimes small blueberry bowls go with large blueberry bowls. This large one goes for sale shortly.

3/08!

So, my calendar page fired nicely. I have to arrange the tiles carefully on a nice piece of paper and get a shot for the printer to use, but you get the idea here. Thanks to all of you for suggestions such as 'in like a lion out like a lamb', and the sadly too late Mary Lee idea of putting the days at thetop. Ooops! Missed that one.

dog days of August

Penny, Jack and Emily suggest everybody should take a small nap today.

Penny pulls me to the PO to post a package of pottery

Blooger, when it works, has slightly better video services than youtube, but ANYWAY:

So, folks think that I make pots quickly, and I do, but I have to make a lot, and like you see below, making a dozen monster mugs can take forever, what with the teeth and eyes and taking breaks to blog. But then there is also delivery. In this video, I multi-task, combining a walk with Penny and taking Mary Lee's package of pots to the PO.

making monster mugs

(work by Gary Rith)
In case you think I just sit around making movies of myself these days, you can see that stuff is being made. Just opened the kiln here, stuff is looking good.

Total eclipse

'Total eclipse of the heart', schmaltz for tunes o' the day in celebration of the lunar eclipse we just saw. I want this song OUT OF MY HEAD.

finishin' a bowl

Hey, let's finish the bowl I threw earlier, alright?

blob to bowl

Mary Lee wanted to see throwing a bowl from the start. Here is a little one.
A person notices my Clint Eastwood-style squint, and full head of hair. In a family of bald men, the fuzzy stuff on my head is a bit of a surprise.

3-08

Final brushwork and glazing on March 2008 calendar page. I know, it is out of order here, but tiles can be moved around.

Eisley-tunes o' the day!

Eisley, 'Invasion', an unexpectedly strange video, and why does everybody seem so young these days?

Carl the visiting sculptor

Carl is a sculptor. We are both in a collaboration show, so here he is making some of his little cute (strange space alien type characters) which are going on one of my mugs and 3 different lidded jars. Then it was Miller time.

Pottery and film!

I am likely the (fill in compliment here) potter on film since Demi in that Ghost thing.

piggy bank bodies on the wheel

Wanna see how to make the body of a piggybank? Magic fingers!

part two!

So, the vase below looked mug-like, and so it is. This video shows me adding the handle, finished product is below!
Not sure why I make all those funny faces, but I SPEAK, as requested. I have a quiet voice.
Tunes o' the day courtesy Led Zeppelin.

Jack turns 12!

Jack is our only pet with a real birthday, because he was not a stray and we know when he was born (the rest are anniversary celebrations of when the strays came home).

Jack is sweet and smart and fun and playful and athletic, happy 12th birthday!

whole lotta mugs

(by Gary Rith)

Saturday matinee: Gary Rith makes a vase in real-time!

Mrs. Potsblog with the camera here, excellent job taping me throwing a vase. YES, it is that quick, but there is more to it than what you see here: preparing the clay, shaping the vase, trimming the vase, glazing it, making coffee and walking the dog, cleaning the cat box, selling the finished vase, gossiping with friends. It adds up.

ON SALE NOW!

(elephant teapot and relaxing pig plaque by GaryRith)

Hit the gallery links on the right and have a look and maybe spend some money!

Thursday, playing hookie

(Mr Rith and Penny, Denis and Kim at Taughannock Falls)

We hiked up and down a million hilly miles on Thursday, then pigged out on a variety of junk foods. You have to lead a balanced life.

Spike goes to Hollywood

Blooger says I can post video. Spike says he wouldn't mind being a star.

Emily wants a piece of the action too.

Watch for MORE videos! Pottery in action! Throwing the ball for the dogs! Cats chasing their tails!

the hedgehog mystery

(bowl by Gary Rith)
Interest in hedgehog art remains quite high. I think I am missing something here--do a lot of people out there really like hedgehogs? It is fortunate I can make hedgehog art for them to spend money on.

tunes o' the day!

Offspring, 'Pretty fly'.

The mysterious Ellen revealed!

(bowl by Ellen)
Regular and mysterious visitor Ellen has exposed herself and wow! What great work! I am so pleased she is sharing with us. Now open your wallet, and go buy some of her stuff.

woot!

(Gary Rith making a vase.)
OK, so this is another day of hookie. We are not getting into too much trouble. Really!
Cat pill update: Spike is a little better, but I have given up on all pill-forcing ideas, save one. It does not work well to grind pills for this cat and put it into tuna or butter, it is easier to roll the pill in butter, put on heavy leather work gloves, pin the cat , pry open the jaws, toss the pill way back and encourage swallowing. I do it quickly, and he appreciates the lack of bother and fuss, thank GAWD.

Pottery in action: DENIS PIGS OUT!

So, reader and commenter Denis visits potsblog HQ, and Mr Potsblog cooks a feast. YES, you can have a feast at my house too, readers, so come on over!
Denis is special, though, because he is also my oldest friend. We met 24 years ago when we lived in the same suite as college freshmen. Denis was and is a lot more grown up than me, also a lot nicer and more polite than me.
So, first thing he said to me 24 years ago was that he was going to be an anesthesiologist. Denis of course got sick of science and medicine and became a writer and gentleman about town.

shots with a visitor

Denis and Mrs Potsblog, Spike and Mr Potsblog, Emily cat and jack on the couch.

blurry pottery pics

(stuff by Gary Rith)
The top piece was made with my friend Carl, he made the little space alien on top. I am not sure why these are blurry pics, maybe I needed more caffeine for a steady hand?

hitting the home run out of the park, winning the Super Bowl!

(sketch and pots by Gary Rith)
OK, on top is the original doodled idea, bottom set shows the first teapot attempt (score!) with just added cups, creamer and sugar, then the middle.....bigger and better second yellow set. Things have been crazy lately, but my goodness, this stuff sure turned out nicely, and it feels like the best Christmas ever. I needed something special for a group exhibit next month, the middle set will do nicely.

All this crowing and tooting my horn, listen to me! Pardon the over-excitement.
AND, get this, the famous Denis comes today from the wilds of Vermont! Yes, that Denis! As they said in Wayne's world 'Party on Denis'....'Party on Gary'

The Yardbirds

The Yardbirds. Some might say this is where rock and roll began, what with Eric Clapton and the rest.

CM writes: "The Yardbirds, For Your Love. I'm not sure why he's wearing a colander on his head"

everybody loves Mr Potsblog

Buster, Mr Potsblog, Spike and Penny. Buster isn't allowed on the bed.