Friday, March 07, 2008

Old and New plus minor accident





I finished a piece today (actually, it was a handbuilt platter done by a friend but never decorated, so I had a go at it with a tuscan scene done in underglaze but not yet coated with clear glaze and final firing). As luck would have it (common occurence when working with ceramics--as I was pouring the final glaze onto the piece, the beautiful handle broke off! It was a feature I liked most about the platter, and I did take a photo before it got final glazed and here it is, with the handle that is no longer there. It will be a much brighter piece when finally fired, sans handle, however. Also in this grouping I am including a pear box I made a while back, and a pear vase thrown with dark brown clay and glazed in one of my favorite chartreuse colors. I had seen a similar vase on the web somewhere and tried to make one. Flowers do not stand up properly in the thing, however, unless I insert a pin holder in the bottom which I may do to actually use it. Now little lamb has company with the second lamb behind my range and inspired by my kitchen towel.

The middle grouping shows the wall vase I made which is up on one side of the fireplace and now I will need to try to make another hopefully like it, or close to hang on the other side. The photo grouping shows the piece ready for bisque firing which I posted earlier, thought you might like to see finished piece.

And lastly, the grouping to the far right shows a couple of vases and some of the silkscreened items I made for the class I gave last month and another one I will give later this month.

I will be away for a short while and then return to the studio to make more things. I have some buttons screenprinted which should be coming out of the glaze kiln while I am gone and if they turn out well, I plan to make more, also have several pieces drying ready for bisque kiln.

I think this catches me up on most of my projects. The kitty banks were traveling on their way to Southern Pines last Monday, that job is completed for now.