bowls

 Doing a little bowl cramming here. I just found out last week that the date for Empty Bowls is March 24.  I figure I received an earlier heads up, probably before Christmas, which obviously flew out of my head. 

Those light colored bowls were made with Laguna's #55.  I've found it difficult to throw with. I purchased it partly to use for cookie stamps- thought its smoother texture might be better for those, and also to see how the lighter color would work with my glazes.  Maybe I'm just not used to it yet, but it doesn't seem like it has the plasticity of my usual- Laguna's #45.

These striped bowls are the lighter clay.  In addition to the black engobe, I used white and gray slips.  It was a bit of a struggle to see if I was getting good coverage with the white and gray on this light clay body.  We'll find out when they're fired.

square mugs, candleholders, little birds and big birds

What I've been working on this week- candleholders and mugs.  I was surprised last year at how fast I sold out of candleholders.  We'll see how these do.  Sometimes an item can sell really well for several years in a row then all of sudden it hardly gets noticed.  You never know.  I like making these anyway.  It's a bit of a challenge trying to form the opening at the top of the taller ones without getting the bottom torqued, but I prefer making them for that very reason. 

I knew a potter when we lived in Texas who made square-sided mugs.  I bought one from her and loved the way it fit my hand.  They are possibly the most comfortably shaped mugs to hold.  Her mugs seemed like a very unique item so I thought if I tried to make similar mugs, especially if sold online, I should ask her permission.  It's been quite a few years but I managed to track her down.  She said go ahead and good luck. It sounded as though she has given up pottery, at least as a paying job, and is teaching college English now. 

Little bird we tried to rescue.  The little guy refused to be put back in the bird house we thought he fell from.  We put him under some nearby pine trees, hoping to at least shield him from predators.

And speaking of predators-  A few days later a couple of hawks came by and stuck around until I annoyed them with my camera.

rock, paper...

No scissors.  Rock, sandpaper, busted bisqueware, and block sander were my tools for grinding away the "nubs" from recently bisque fired berry bowls.   Nubs are the rough places that get pushed out when I cut the holes. It took 2 hours to smooth out 9 bowls.  Please remind me of this next year when I get the idea in my head to make more of these.  I have tried smoothing the nubs out hole by hole when the clay is still moist but that takes even longer. 
Sorry about this.  I know I already complained about not being able to charge enough for the time spent on making berry bowls.  On the positive side, this drudgery with the berry bowls has gotten me thinking about making the stuff I really want to make.

I'm a functional potter. Well, put it this way, I make functional pottery. Some purely decorative items too, but mostly functional. And although I embrace the craft involved- a good fitting lid, a comfortable handle, I am also motivated by the art involved.  I need to remind myself of this now and then to make sure I balance out the more mundane tasks and physical work with creative process.       

See the nubs?