Celebrating Human Spirit
Freshly carved runner
I've got a good start on the awards for the Uwharrie Mountain Run 2012. This year's awards are decorated with a simple runner carved into Highwater Clay's Little Loafer's Glory and glazed in a copper green.
I do about 500 pieces for this every year, so I start making them by the end of December. The pieces themselves are a relatively easy form to make. The most time-consuming aspect of the making is writing "Uwharrie Mountain Run 2012" stamping "20 miles" (and 40), signing my signature and carving the runner on each piece.
I still enjoy making them after 20 years. I always feel I'm helping celebrate the human spirit. It takes quite a bit of spirit to run this race. It's a tough trail - up and down steep hills, over creeks, rocks and sticks....
I do about 500 pieces for this every year, so I start making them by the end of December. The pieces themselves are a relatively easy form to make. The most time-consuming aspect of the making is writing "Uwharrie Mountain Run 2012" stamping "20 miles" (and 40), signing my signature and carving the runner on each piece.
I still enjoy making them after 20 years. I always feel I'm helping celebrate the human spirit. It takes quite a bit of spirit to run this race. It's a tough trail - up and down steep hills, over creeks, rocks and sticks....
My current workspace
The runners
I like my newest loop tool
Stamp for '20 miles' and 'From the Ground Up,
drill bit for head of runner, small loop tool for
writing on bottom, larger loop tool for carving
runner, and peeler for smoothing down edges of
bottom of jars when they're too dry for finger smoothing
