letting the glaze speak for itself

There are so many ways to decorate pottery that sometimes I find it difficult deciding what approach to take.  This time I decided to let the glaze speak for itself.  This is actually two glazes- off-white semi glossy glaze with some speckles and a transparent glaze with a little iron oxide layered over. 

 The combination has some nice depth and subtle visual texture. 

 

It's a simple bowl. Holds at least six cups. Pass the mashed potatoes.
 



Same glaze combo with a little added extras this time on this french butter crock.

 



Now, the bad- What happened?!!! This is the lid of the french butter crock mentioned in my last post that had a few pinholes. I touched it up, refired and now it looks like the lunar landscape. Will have to do some research and testing. Oddly, the bottom of the jar was O.K., although there are some pinholes on the interior sides of the jar. Almost no pinholes on outside surfaces of jar or lid.

 

 

The list. Actually, the getting-ready-for-a-show list has grown since I took this picture. 

 



 Some weathered boards for my previously named "driftwood hangers". I'll have to call these something else since they are scavenged from loading pallets, a.k.a. skids. Lately, I haven't been lucky enough to find driftwood lumber, which is unfortunate because it's a lot easier to pick up a piece of driftwood than pry these boards off a pallet. I noticed (painfully) they have about ten nails where one screw would have done the job. Got nail gun?

 Finished products after a trip to True Value Hardware.  I just bring the boards and knobs into the store with me since both vary in height, then I try out various screws to get the right fit.  I can do that there since they have that stuff in bins.

The knobs stand out like jewels on the rustic wood.  "Rustic" might be how I'll label these hangers since my driftwood board supply is undependable.  I don't know about pulling apart more of those pallets though.
I just have a few more things to do to get ready for the Harvest Moon Festival.  I figured I'd get to some more glazing this week.  I still have enough bisque ware for another kiln load. Might have to wait until after the show.  This display stuff, pricing, packing wares, etc. has taken a lot more time than I expected.  Still have some display tweaking to do.
 

 

just be quiet

Sometimes you just have to drop something.  I was rushing to get glazing done so I'd get a firing in last week in anticipation of Mother's Day sales and to fulfill a couple of commissions while painting the living room and trying to figure out how I'd get ready for a show in June and where to find a good upholsterer for a busted chair, then dealing with the wreckage in the rest of the house that results from non-stop painting and glazing. Was that an impressive run-on sentence, or what?  A few days ago I made the decision to drop the show and immediately started sleeping better.  All that head noise just went away.  This show will be outdoors.  So far, I've dodged the outdoor shows and I wasn't looking forward to having to buy a canopy tent, having to set it up, and having to store it.  And what if it rains?  So what if you have a tent- who's going to show up?

Enough ranting. The berry bowls are here!

 I didn't get all of them fired because of the commission work I wanted to get in the kiln, so there will be more coming.

More knobs for the driftwood hangers (previous post) and a couple of new cookie presses.  There will be a special breakfast at the farmer's market for our customers this Sat. so I may try out the new cookie presses in time for it.  I know, cookies for breakfast. Bad.  But you can come by and get a berry bowl for those healthy strawberries you'll be buying at the market.

 This is what I use to make the holes in the berry bowls and the knobs.  The screw is just for size reference.  The brass tubing (I'm not sure that's what it's called) is from the hardware store.  I cut it at an angle and sharpened/beveled the angled end a little.  My son gave me some accessories for my Dremmel tool last Christmas that were just right for this little job.  The only thing it needs is a dowel rod stuck in the other end to make it more comfortable to hold. 

 Pleased with the way the glaze worked on this hanging.  Chartreuse with gunmetal around the edge. 

Here's a neat little benefit from having an Etsy shop I wasn't expecting- I was contacted about selling some honey jars wholesale to The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio.  It seems the buyer was looking for made-in-Ohio honey jars to go with some honey they are selling in the museum shop.  I've never been there, but now that I know it exists I'll have to check it out if I'm in the area.