The hot and humid summer weather has finally arrived in the Catoctin Mountains where we live. Thank goodness my studio is in the basement where it stays cool and not too humid. The air conditions actually impact potters. We have to work with the clay differently to compensate for change in temperature and humidity. It significantly impacts the drying process of the pieces that just come off the wheel. During the winter, we heat the studio with a free standing wood stove. It keeps the air around 68 degrees with very low humidity. Our work actually dries much faster in these conditions than in the summer when the humidity is higher. I know fall has arrived when newly thrown pots start to dry to the trimming stage overnight instead of a day and a half!
Our focus this month is on birdhouses. I have completely sold out and need to make more! The next batch is currently drying and will get posted to our Etsy shop in the next couple of weeks. We are also starting to make bird feeder trays, which attract additional bird species to expand your viewing pleasure! Our resident cardinal family will only eat from a tray or the ground. The same it true for our blue jays. Here is some of our work in process:
We are still social distancing, and nervous to leave our home, but we are fortunate that our county has very low covid numbers compared to the rest of the nation. We so miss seeing our customers face to face, and are anxious to share our work in person. We are continuing to work on our online presence to help keep everyone safe at home.
Stay safe,
Lucinda and Jim Leaman
