It's been ages

since I have posted, here are a couple of things I have been working on, all but the kiteflyers have been sold, the kiteflyers will go into shop tomorrow, I had to get the copper inserted, so it's the last one, but I have more sculptures drying awaiting first firing.  These are fun.

What a difference the right backgrounds make

This is a repeat of some of the photos below, but I did purchase a nice gradated background for my photographs (Varitone 31in x 43in vertical format Item# 39 Varitone 31in wide x 43in long(78.7cm x 1.1m) vinyl) from: http://www.phototechinc.com/graduate.htm
I took photos in my masterbathroom late in the day which has the best natural light from two windows (one covered by a soft rollup shade whch diffuses the bright light. I used my DroidX camera using ZoomFX app and got some pretty nice pictures I think. Sure makes my work look nice doesn't it?

More ornaments

Just out of bisque kiln, now to glaze and refire all of these:

Christmas in July

Now that the 4th is gone it's OK to think about Christmas isn't it? Well, I have found that the ceramic process takes so long that I have to start this early. I have a new toy, the silhouette SD digital cutting machine and it has enabled me to produce some wonderful designs in cardstock which can then be made into a silkscreen and used on my pottery. I was looking for some new ideas for Christmas ornaments and here are a few I am playing with.

Also experimenting with low fire white clay "And" single firing after the designs are silkscreened on with underglaze and the pieces are bone dry, I have glazed them and fired them. These are my first batch and I am pretty encouraged. Wanting to find a nice package for them I found an excellent little box that cuts on the cutting machine.

Unfortunately I only had brown cardstock so you can't see the Christmas"y" effect, but having tried them, I have ordered lots of red cardstock. They will make a nice presentation for the ornaments and I can resize them to fit. I am in awe of the capabilities of that little machine and plan to give it a workout. The software that is "free" with it enables one to come up with own designs, text, etc. Lots of possibilities here.

Finished Boxes

Thought you might like to see the finished boxes from this posting

:

Basket #1 finished

Really nice to have my own kiln, I got to open it this morning and see the final results of my basket making technique. I am pleased.

Some new Items for June

These are drying,

still have a few more basket ideas to work on, but need to mix things up a bit, so making my bombe' boxes, one inspired by a wedding cake I saw with acqua and white coral, this box will have acqua underglaze on it with white coral, and then trying my birds in the marshes sketchy designs using a blue and white palette instead of the gold one.

Tisket tasket, love my new basket

I have always wanted to create a basket out of clay, one that looks like a real basket. Over 20 years ago, I bought this real basket

and have loved it. It is usually filled with plants (with a plastic bag liner), but it is getting very tired and some of the basket material is deteriorating. So I used this basket as inspiration for a clay basket, it is now complete and is drying. I am going to love it and have some other basket projects in mind now.

One of my favorite recent things

Here is a photo of a box I made inspired by a painting I saw on the net "somewhere" I loved that painting and have no idea who painted it, but wanted to use it as inspiration to try out a new technique and make a box with that imagery. Of course, my latest items are always my favorites, but this little box did turn out exactly as planned and sometimes that is not always the case. I put it for sale in the recent art show and sold it that night. So now only my photos of it remain.

The lady that bought it seemed to love it as much as I did and she actually bought three of my items and I kept seeing her look at it as she walked around and could tell she was so pleased with her purchases. Actually, I am glad she is the one who bought it. She also bought the indigo batik box I showed here:

Cameron Art Museum Art of the State/State of the Art Exhibit

What an exciting event! I was happy to be able to place one of my pieces in this exhibit:

I also uploaded tons of video taken after my volunteer shift on Saturday morning. Lots of amazing art here, urge all who visit Wilmington, NC between now and October to check it out.

Indigo Batik Box

Also out of the kiln, I have two more little items with the Batik Technique ready to be glaze fired. I need to work on the technique more, gotta get the wax to crackle smaller and try other colors of silkscreen too.

Refiring with Clear Glaze

I was not happy with the natural look of the body of these vases, the screenprint designs were too dark for my liking. I had wiped iron oxide over the outside of these and just glazed the inside and the handles. Sooooo, I reglazed the outside with a no zinc clear glaze and I like them much better. I think next time, if I want the natural clay body to show, I will just not use oxide but I think I did that because I had some light spots that showed after bisque that I didn't want to be there in the final firing, so I used oxide to darken the natural clay overall. The clear does make the silkscreened pattern more distinct. So a before and after look here:

Also made another of these wonky vases using a different decorating technique and glaze combo, on of my favorites:

I had also used this design/shape for a few other mini vases which are for sale at my ETSY shop:

Results of my indigo batik experiment

These are the 3" test tiles and I am very pleased with the look. Used virtually the same technique as for fabric, only I did use my silkscreens to get the blue print on raw clay. Today, I used the same technique for a box, also in blue. I will now experiment with other colors. I love the old look these have and am excited to use this decoration on several different forms.

Oh I am excited about my new technique

No photos yet, but I am experimenting with a new decorating technique that will look like Indigo Batik Fabric. Did up several 3" tiles using this new technique and they are now coated with clear and will come out of the kiln in a week or two. This is the studio's kiln and the owner of the studio waits for a full load before she loads and fires. I am very excited that I have my own kiln now and DH is getting it wired today.
In the meantime, here are some cute little vases I made, plus a ceramic wall painting that you can hang outside (weather proof), you can take it down and put in on your table and slice cheese or whatever on it, put it in the dishwasher, and then hang back up on the wall) Might make more of these ceramic canvas things, who knows:

My porfolio video

Created this to show a sampling of my work, most items have been sold and gone, but it is good to have photos as memories of some of these items:

New in March

I am playing with a more painterly technique on plates and a ceramic wall canvas, playing also with the idea that you can hang it as art, take it off wall and use to serve on table, cheese, etc., then put in dishwasher, then hang back on wall.  A slideshow was the easiest way to post so here it is:

Something different

Magnolia box

A couple more mermaids

I am trying to get a video sized enough and uploaded so I can include it of the fountain working, but in the meantime, here is the first vase mermaid and a mermaid to hang on the wall:

My Mermaid Fountain

Mermaids finished

I love decorating and have kept up with many current decorating blogs.  "Habitually Chic" just posted two photos which I have taken the liberty of including with my new mermaid plate.  I think I will try showing my new pieces in a color context in home settings.  My mermaid plate would look fabulous in either of these two settings I think, don't you?