I am into faces now

Hot from today's kiln opening:

My first (almost lifesize) sculpture

Well, to give myself more challenges and get away, at least temporarily, from some of the smaller things I make, I decided to try an almost "lifesize" figure. I plan to construct it in four pieces so I can get them all in the kiln which has size limits, of course. I also realize I can give myself room to "quit" at each of the first two stages, if I so choose by making it this way. The first top part has been constructed and is now drying. I am using paper clay from Axner which I love for many reasons, especially for a project like this. I now can contemplate and plan the remaining pieces, which might have a sea theme, I especially like the poem "Oceanus" by William Sharp 1855-1905---and may make silkscreens to decorate her dress along with other ocean imagery/text. Still in planning stage although I feel I reached a milestone getting her this far. She is tucked away behind toweling to dry. I am also inclined to make all four pieces and not fire them until all have been constructed/decorated with underglazes, etc. A true work in progress, here she is:

Inspiration from Scandinavia

I often get inspired by designs I see in other medium. For example, this gorgeous Scandinavian bag made from felt was the inspiration for the series I am making in ceramic, as vases/holders, etc. Just delivered this one
to the Topsail Art Gallery for sale, and have glazed four more different designs yesterday which might be out of the kiln next week. I am not the only one inspired by the Scandinavian bag, it appears Canuck Craft was also inspired.

Lots of beachy things

My herons are in glorious company

Thanks to Sarah Knight for including my herons in the moonlight in her gorgeous collection/treasury at ETSY

My new Beach Box

Similar to design of my beach mug, this nice tall box is about 11" tall. I will be listing it on my ETSY store soon--I was really happy with the way this turned out. I just listed my Herons in Moonlight vase

I can reveal contents of package now!

This is the commissioned piece using my computer/Photoshop skills to capture suitable images and text requested to enable me to create custom silkscreens to use on this box.
Here is the photo of the conductor that I used to create the silkscreen.



and using photoshop, I came up with this picture to be used as silkscreen for the box:

Can't open package just yet

This week I delivered a custom ceramic piece commissioned by a group of local musicians to give to their departing conductor. Can't unwrap the package and show the contents until after the presentation on the 27th. This was a fun project and I had to make several silkscreens specifically designed for the gift recipient. Next week I will post the open package.

My Trip to Beach Mug

Yeah, my beach mug for sale in my Etsy Shop was featured in Treasury West's Trip around the World!

Pauline's Place is Open for Business

Just began listing a few items for sale. Take a peak.

My first "thrown" teapot

Some Finished items

Most of the boxes shown in slideshow below while drying are now finished. Now I move on, time to tackle some other things. I did love the way these silkscreened items turned out and boxes are useful. I have two more platters to go into glaze kiln today and one serving plate with feathers and a quotation from Emily Dickenson. I just found my favorite (of the day) quotation which I found on Vicki Liles Gill's blog which is from famous potter Bernard Leach. This quotation sums up art perfectly for me:

"I think the final word I would use as a criterion of value in the world of art, if I were reduced to a single word, would be the presence of life.... It is a force that goes beyond all arts or artists. It is the ultimate standard and it is attainable."

Waiting to be bisqued

I love my new boxes with different silkscreen designs on each on and lots of texture on another. I love making these:

One has it's lid askew, didn't notice it until looking at this video, I didn't place it on top properly. Hopefully these will be out of bisque by the end of the week, but then into glaze firing so won't be until at least three weeks to see these done.
I have been doing a lot with trees lately.

More from February's efforts

I had fun with these, trying to get more text on my work, the tree vase was fun and I tried two different versions of the birch tree silkscreen, one all white, the other white and black. I had used this silkscreen way back and made three items, all sold. They are in the slideshow in this posting, black birch on turquoise background, in three seasons, fall summer and winter.
And needed to make more "catitude" vases since all that I have made have also sold. I am working on a platter with the tree and poem as well and will do a few more items/forms using that theme, but I have so many more ideas I want to try, I am energized again. In Wilmington, we rarely get snow, but we woke up this morning to this beautiful sight

More pictures can be seen here.

A few more from January

.....and a few more things finished. Did three window scenes but only one with lid. Also did a total blue screen printed fabric print on cylinder vase and decided to give it a ruffle front, I need to do some more blue and white, they seem to sell quickly.
Then, a few playthings for Valentine's day. I have a few pieces drying now that will use my birch tree screen on speckled brown clay, they look pretty good in the drying stage. Will photograph later.

From drying to finished piece

Looks like the photoshop test glaze was pretty useful. First picture was as piece was awaiting bisque firing, scene painted with window and cat silkscreened over scene, then the Photoshop "test" glaze then final picture with background glaze, black and clear glaze over scene which brightens the colors of the underglazes. I will have to explore using photoshop again to test glazes on a piece.

Using Photoshop to "test" Glazes

I was wondering what glaze I would use for my windows series. I used photoshop to test the look of a glaze I was considering, didn't go for perfect photo, just enough --like a sketch to see if I would like it and I do. Just found an item where I had used the intended glaze and cloned bits of that glaze from the pear box where I used it before and cloned it around the window on the piece drying. Not a wonderful photo, but just enough to see that it would work for me and I will try this glaze when item is bisqued. The hardest part of glazing is deciding what glazes to use. If I can think about it now, glazing will be easier.

One more "Window" Box drying

A third vessal, this time a lidded tall box with window and beach scene and grey cat this time. Next to that is a tall cylinder vase with an allover blue and white fabric design with ruffled front, also drying.

Using the Sun's UV rays to burn silkscreen

In case you wondered what that looked like: Photo from a previous class, I am sorry I didn't make a video with sound of Terre singing her homage to the sun (she was a schoolteacher in a previous life), while we were burning our screens. It must have worked though, because the screens all turned out perfectly with even a 3 UV rating last Saturday.

Let there be light!

Thanks to Ginny Eckley's instructions on how to build a light table, I am now able to make silkscreens no matter how bright it is outside. Up to now, I have waited until mid-day to "burn" a new screen, and thanks to living in mostly sunny NC, this hasn't been too bad, but now when the creative urge strikes in the dark, I can whip out the light table my DH made me for Christmas and drive on! Exposure time is 12 minutes (in mid-day UV sun, 1 minute +/- 10 seconds), but I am a multi-tasker and can find plenty to do while timing the 12 minutes.