In the Bisque Kiln

Two of these are sold if I can get them out --finished by Dec 2. I used underglazes on the leaves then I will clear glaze them. I have some more ideas as variations on this theme I will pursue maybe today at the studio.

Such a long wait

I made a few more music themed items, but it takes such a long time to get them finished. These babies are in for drying, then another week or so for bisque, then another week or so to get them out of glaze kiln. I have several things waiting to be final fired, and that batch might be out next Tuesday. In fairness, I think I made these things after we got home from our two week trip, so certainly formed about 8th of Nov or so, and to be able to see them next Tuesday is really about two weeks. I find that my brown speckled clay takes a lot longer to dry. I have several things on the bisque shelf as well. Made these today and will post when they come out of final kiln and will, therefore, have a real feel for how long it takes. The kilns are pretty busy this time of year, so things might be moving a little faster than usual.
Here's a photo showing the items on the "waiting for bisque firing"
Boy, until I posted all this I hadn't realized how busy I have been this month, especially since, for me, handbuilding takes quite a while. I also have another big leaf platter that will come out of Glaze kiln (hopefully intact) that I didn't photograph for this posting. Next week!

My new creation

Most of my turtle items have sold in one week, also the beach box sold. I have two more drying as well as another two leaf platters, but my newest "fun" creations are my kitty vases. Here is a picture of one (I have made three), and I am hoping they look good after glazing, etc., I used to have a brooch that looked something like this with that backward looking attitude, and I thought it would be a hoot to recreate this look as a vase. I can see a bunch of daisies coming out of the vase can't you? Also did one with texture on vase and a different texture on rear and face. Stay tuned for finished projects in a couple of weeks.

My Goodness!

Before my stuff even got into "official inventory" at the shop, three of the items have been sold. I had a good day today and my turtle series is off to a good start. Of course, the lady from Ocean Isle Beach who "just happened to be an adopted mother of a turtle" bought several of my pieces, including three of my turtle vessels and my beachbox. I had already sold the tumbling rocks box I put in the shop just before we left. My Hosta leaf holders also have had a fairly decent run and today, I sold an item, I never did post on this blog, a lovely green platter with impressed leaves.
It is fun to meet the people who buy my items on the three days a month I work at the gallery. Today was a good day!

Turtles, birds beach and stars

More on my beach theme, a box similar to the one I featured here and sold, and using a new silkscreen showing turtles on the beach including hatching scene. This area is pretty famous for our loggerhead turtle nestings. Also a batch of star ringholders and a pair of candleholders. Will be in gallery tomorrow.

More Pots for October

Playing around with some new shapes/forms, more use of my new acqua glaze, and addition of silkscreen turtles to my beach collection. Some of these sold from my trunk before I got them to the shop.

Still at the "Beach"

Still experimenting with my beach bird images and some new (for me) clay. I have only recently decided to work with brown speckled clay and to try various new ways to use my silkscreens. I have found I can "transfer" from newsprint onto matte glaze surfaces to give a sepia look. Same image direct screenprinted is decidedly more black. Also trying to capture the textures and colors of the beach as our beach season here in Wilmington winds down. I have a few new images of turtles that I am playing with also. I like the variations I have been getting with brown speckled clay.

New for August

I haven't had much experience using speckled brown clay before, and had a bag of it from almost two years ago, so decided to try a few things. Except for vase at the bottom, all these were made from that clay body. I see lots of possibilities and love the result so today I will get more of this clay and see where else I can go with it.
I had some nice surprises with this kiln opening.

My new Shorebird items

Having fun using the new silkscreen images from the sea. Quick items made to demonstrate using silkscreens on clay at my last class.
Love these little birds!

New Work in July

I am having fun as usual working in several different directions. Love making my "Seafoam" pods and am experimenting with different glazes as well. The cutwork is a personal favorite technique I find soothing. My Asian vessal has a screenprint in underglaze on it and I like the way it turned out too. I only made one cutwork bird, but plan to make many more of these since they look beautiful all year round "and" would look great as Christmas ornament as well.

Some things change

This is the black and white box shown earlier before finishing, but after bisque firing, I decided it needed a little more color. It is finished and in place at the shop.

Forgot to show you the new teapot

I showed the "Petals" teapot I made and my DH broke, but forgot to show you the replacement, which I liked better anyway, and it sold rather quickly. Guess I will have to try to make another one.

boxes

Playing around with boxes, everyone seems to like and have some use for them.

A couple of new things

Not yet finished, used silkscreen for butterfly:

Artist of the Month--June

Hi all, here are some new things making their debut this month as Artist of the Month for June at the Port City Pottery and Fine Crafts. I am so pleased and had such fun making these items. The large planter is a second attempt at one I made last year, it is similar, but different in that the saucer is attached and the face is aligned higher. Just wanted to see if I could make this again, I never know!

Lessons, lessons, lessons

As every potter/ceramic artist has experienced----things get broken. DH bumped into the table holding some of the items I had just finished grinding bottoms, etc. (my fault in that spout was hanging over the table a bit) and "crash." As I had said, I have a whole bunch of things I have been making in this series. In fact, just finished glazing most of them yesterday---to go with this teapot! Since this accident happened a few weeks ago, I have since made another (different though) teapot. All this potential risk at each stage of the process kind of adds excitement and makes a finished product all the more wonderful I think. My innate sense of re purposing won't pitch this mess thinking I might just be able to do something with it. Mosaic?? who knows, ----

On Mother's Day and how to expand the joy!

My daughter and her new family (got married in April to a wonderful man with two wonderful children----voila, I am an instant grandmother!). Anyway, they sent me a beautiful bouquet of tulips. I grow so many flowers in my garden, I often think I do not need florist flowers, BUT---surprise to me, this bouquet has pleased me so much. I moved them into my Master Bath, of all places and realized with the mirrors I quadrupled the display from one bouquet to FOUR! Beau, our oldest cat seems to enjoy them too. I put them in the bathroom since our youngest (and most mischievous cat) likes to push things over in the Bedroom to wake us up. Little did I know that the bathroom with its mirrors was the perfect place for them. I probably visit that room more often than I would like to admit and while there, get to enjoy these flowers all the more.

Petal Crazy

My newest teapot, plus lots and lots more using this technique/ and glaze combination. I have so many pieces lined up to be part of this collection. I originally made a plate to test glaze/technique and it sold so fast, I thought this might be an area I could expand upon. So made this teapot, also in the process I have a tray/plate, soapdish, sugar/creamer, vases and a spoon which I loved making. More on these as they make their way through drying, bisque firing/glazing! I will be "artist of the month" at the Port City Pottery and Fine Crafts for the month of June and I hope to have all of these items on display there.

New Music Themed items

Just put these and a few others in the two shops that sell my work. Wilmington is a very musical town and items I have made previously using my sheet music screenprinting have gone over very well. I enjoy making them too!

My poor "Piglet"

Piglet is my cat and she is an indoor cat, but she has gotten little sleep during the day watching this bird make a nest in one of those cheap wooden birdhouses bought at craft shop several years ago, and plunked in this bush outside my BR window. This video clip is from yesterday and she watched the activity all day:


Then again this morning, she is perched up on the back of the chair watching again: