Falls Lode Pottery Studio page 1

The Falls Lode Pottery Studio Group Album
Page 1

Falls Lode Studio is a little bit of paradise where Katherine Mitchell (known to many as The Fish Lady) has for many years created her remarkable and unique Raku fish. Hundreds of students have learned to play with clay in her pottery classes, either at her studio or through the Placerville Parks and Recreation.

A few years ago Katherine retired from teaching and opened her studio to a small group of dedicated pottery artists (limited to 10 members). We are The Falls Lode Pottery Studio Group. On these pages you will see the work of both official members (like me!) and other artists who join us for Raku firings. I hope you enjoy seeing the work of all these talented people. We are grateful to Katherine Mitchell for her friendship and the opportunity to work and play in her special valley in El Dorado. Thanks Fish Lady!

*Katherine Mitchell, The Fish Lady,* shows us one of her famous Raku fish. They each have unique charm and personality.**	In her protective gear, Katherine pulls red hot pottery from the kiln and into containers of shredded paper for the reduction. The flames devour the oxygen in the atmosphere inside the cans which creates the flash of metallic colors unique to Raku, and the typical black carbon on all unglazed surfaces.
	Click on either of these two guys to see more of Katherine's beautiful Raku fish.
Ok, enough about Katherine!! Here you see me (that's Paul Turpin in case you're taking notes) throwing a pot on the wheel. Well, truth be told, it's really just MY LITTLE TOWHEAD BUDDY PLAYING IN THE MUD!!!!!!	That's water in the bucket... you have got to keep this stuff slippery! Look... I don't even get much on me anymore.
The stick has a small sponge on the end of it and I am sucking up the excess water inside the pot so it doesn't get too soft and collapse. Now that I have a nice tall cylinder I can start to shape it. Didn't know I was so multi-talented did ya? I love to throw around the mud but am not nuts about the glazing part, although I have done a few that pleased me (see the I Made This page). For the most part Deb (RumiToo) glazes them. My daughter Cindy and other visiting friends also get to pick-a-pot at firings.	This is what happens when RumiToo (that's Deborah Kane, if you're taking notes) gets ahold of my pots. She has the patience to do all this detail. The lines are drawn in pencil first on the bisque fired pot, then she applies wax resist or crepe artist tape over all the lines. Then 3 coats of glaze are brushed on each area. This one has a moon a little farther around the pot that the girls are flying toword. Title: Girls Flying (collection of Mary Walton).