Diggin the pond

So the gallery has a little cement pond out front. And yes, I know I sound like Jed Clampett. It was filled with dirt YEARS ago and I started unearthing it last night. It is 30 inches deep and shaped like a torus. Should be a lovely centerpiece for the dye garden that is to surround it. I hope to make this a welcoming part of the gallery from the outside. Pond, 80 foot Blue Spruces, Posts to have hammocks hung from them, a lovely dye garden for paper making and such and all backed up by a fire breathing kiln yard. Sounds like a slice of heaven to me!

In other news we're checking into getting a roll-off dumpster in the front yard so that I can concentrate on ripping and tearing and then we'll get a whole gang to move the trash out to the dumpster all at once. Nothing like making a production out it!

OK, back to work!

NEWish Pugmill

Part of building a successful studio/gallery is outfitting it properly to get the work done. My own personal pottery studio, which will be in the garage of the new gallery, has been completely outfitted by ebay thus far. I originally got a kiln, followed that up with a wonderful clay mixer, and finally have added the pugmill. All that remains to be added is a slabroller. OK, I will need to build the brick kilns but I have the brick sitting out back just waiting for construction. The best part? So far everything has been at least half the cost of retail!

The pugmill was in Kansas City, Kansas so it involved a weekend trip of around 700 miles to fetch it. Shipping woulda been over $400 and I could drive it for less than half that. Probably spent the $400 in various shopping and such along the way, but I have something to show for it in the end (Or Laura does). The pugmill is fabulous. 1000 pounds an hours to process the clay, all shiny and ready to go! I'm gonna have to take some flicker pics so that I can show it off, not that I think anyone other than potters will be excited about such a machine. :)

SO things keep coming together, even if I don't get to work on the inside or get the place open in a week all this has to be done. Now I just have to remember to rest on occasion so I can enjoy the actual opening when it actually gets here.

Actually. I love how kids fall in love with that word. We all still should from time to time.

De-posting

When we bought the place it was ringed with chain link fence. This was most unwelcoming. Since removing the tree I have decided to clean up much of the accumulated junk around the place before moving back inside for the windy season, (we get three months of murderous wind here in the Spring). So, of course, the first thing I've turned my attention to is removing most of the fence to create a more open and inviting presence on the street. It seems to be working. I gave the fence fabric to my friend Bennie for her apartments and she and her son came and removed it. They didn't get the posts as they are cemented in place with about 18 inches of below ground concrete. Yesterday I dug out the 7 posts in the front.

It looks bigger now. Every thing we do there makes it look bigger. I thought we'd bought a good space at first, but now it's starting to feel downright huge!

My changes seem to be taking effect here on the blog. If anyone is curious about what the place looks like all they need do is click on the flicker badge down there on the left sidebar. Every pic is there, from purchase to present. I like it.

Makin changes

I'm trying to make some changes to the template here on my little gallery blog. :) My changes aren't appearing. Got the trees all shredded over the weekend. Life is good, but man are my legs SORE!

Downed trees

Yesterday and today were dedicated to the removal of a pernicious weed. Some people call them Elm trees, but in reality they are simply a very tall version of a truly annoying weed. This particular weed was 50 feet tall, and is now in small pieces and several large piles of brush drying a bit so that it can be shredded into landscaping material.

In truth the tree was weak and rotting and needed to be removed before it fell and damaged things. I would much rather be doing nothing other than working on the inside but it's so much easier to remove a tree while the leaves are not yet leafed out.

It's interesting, it is an odd day at the site when someone doesn't stop by and express their pleasure at us having bought the place. It would seem that the previous tennents had less than desireable habits. Like shooting into the business next door. :)

Ah small towns.