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Kiln Firing – 15 January 2021

I just opened the kiln, and have some new porcelain pots. Most exciting to me are the new plates. I don’t sell pots online. I try to take the best photos I can, but a pot needs to be picked up and held to really ‘know’ if it’s the right one for you. You can see them on my front porch in Old Washington. Cups are $40 Plates $80. First come, first served.

Click the arrows below to see all the pots from the firing.

  • Peace On Earth Plate – SOLD
  • This Too Shall Pass Plate
  • this too shall pass 2020
  • peace doves plate
  • peace on earth bowl – SOLD
  • lion mug – SOLD
  • peace bird mug 1
  • peace bird mug 2
  • cat in flowers mug
  • blue bird of happiness mug 1
  • blue bird of happiness mug 2
  • blue bird of happiness mug 3 – SOLD
  • bird with flower mug
  • blue bird flock mug 1
  • blue bird flock mug 2
  • bunny mug – SOLD
  • leaf mug
  • cats bowl-SOLD
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Happy New Year 2021

Happy New Year! When I work in clay, i sign the bottom of each pot with my name, location and year created. For my FINAL pot of 2020, I made a plate to celebrate the little village where i live, OLD WASHINGTON. If I HAD to be stuck in one place for the year 2020, I’m grateful it was here!

porcelain plate with sgraffito design of Old Washington, Kentucky. Log Cabin, Federal Brick buildind and white church house.

When I was young, i was led to believe that an artist has to live in a big metro area to ‘make it’.

Now that i’m older and have more experience in the world, I know that a small town is a great place to an artist! I’m so grateful to have been welcomed and a part of this small rural town.

This pot is a work in progress. It still needs to go through the kiln.

Happy New Year!

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Thanksgiving Pottery Teaser

Hope Everyone is having a happy and healthy this Thanksgiving holiday. The pandemic is going strong here in Kentucky, so things are a lot different from normal.

I have some new porcelain pottery that I can’t wait to show off (and sell) to you all. I believe that pottery should be experienced in person. You need to pick it up to TRULY know whether or not it is the right pot for you. I’m going to wait until things are a little safer before i invite you to visit my front porch, but you can follow THIS LINK for a sneak peek at the latest pottery:

Pottery / Pottery 11/25/2020 | Ken Swinson

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Exploring the 25 mile radius from my house

exterior of the poston school house museum in fleming county kentucky

I’ve lived in this area longer than anywhere else in my life, and I’m still surprised at how much I DON’T know about the world directly around me. I love maps and travel, and recently calculated the 25 mile (driving) radius from my house.

google map of 25 mile radius from my house

I know a lot of the people and places in this circle, but there is still a LOT I don’t know. I have decided to start fixing that!

I started at the bottom east corner, just a little east from wallingford at the top of park lake mountain. There I discovered a treasure you won’t see on google maps.

photo of the Poston School Museum in Flemming County Kentucky

The Poston School House Museum!
It’s a historic schoolhouse from the 1800s, lovingly restored into a little museum.

interior of the poston schoolhouse museum in fleming county kentucky

I am a lifetime learner, and am forever grateful to the public schools and teachers who shaped my mind.

sketches of the poston school museum in fleming county kentucky
Some of my quick pen and ink sketches of the schoolhouse

Moving forward, I’m going to try to stay in my little 25 mile radius; to travel, explore and get to better know the place where I live–through ART!

outhouse with moon painted on door at the poston schoolhouse museum in fleming county kentucky

Please share if you know any places (on or off the beaten path) that would make a good subject for an artist!

Stay tuned for more!

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new stamp!

I take a lot of pride in hand carving and printing my woodcuts and linocuts, and worry that people who aren’t familar with printmaking don’t understand what they are looking at. I designed a new stamp to put on the back of all my notecards.

rubber stamp that says 'hand carved and printed in old washington, ky' kenswinson.com

Now instead of just my website, there’s a visual cue to illustrate the unique process that goes into the work.

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Carving porcelain – cardinals

Hi Everybody! I have been carving my first batch of porcelain cups; using RED colored slip. To honor Kentucky’s state bird, the cardinal. This video shows how the process works.

Stay tuned to see how they look after going through the kiln. Thanks for everyone for watching, your encouragement and support! I’m so happy to be back in the clay studio!

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new brayer and sheep dog linocut at the log cabin print shop

photo of log cabin print shop in Old Washington kentucky
Greetings From The Log Cabin Print Shop!

We have a new brayer at the log cabin print shop!

linocut of herding dog with sheep on a traditional press

 It’s a heavy duty piece of equipment; with a 2 1/2″ diameter.  Giving it a much wider roll out. I can print almost 3 prints without having to re-ink the brayer.  The roller surface is rubber, which is MUCH more durable than the craft brayers we have been using. 

How do you like the print of the dog herding sheep?  You can get a better look at the linocut, with information on how you can add it to your art collection here: