always a learning experience

A few more pots from the last firing-

I wanted a little more of the wood ash glaze feathering in this shallow bowl.  I remember now that last time I used this combination I brushed a little clear glaze over the wood ash glaze to make it run a little more. 

One of those learning experiences. While I was working on these utensil holders I started to think that I'd rather be doing this slip and stencil with tiles.  I might like the one that's second from the left, but overall just don't think tree stencils worked well with this form. I think some of these will find customers with just the right kitchen for them, though.

I've come to appreciate succulents.  Give them a good watering once a month and leave them alone.  I made this planter so it would fit on one of my windowsills. It's a little under 4" square. I didn't bother with a drain plate because after thoroughly watering a plant I let it sit in a sink until its done dripping. 

A little birdy.  Haven't made any of these for a couple of years.  This is wheel thrown with enough clay left at the bottom to pull a tail (ha).  This is the black engobe by itself with no glaze.  I like the pebbly surface of the unglazed engobe for nonfunctional things.  The hole at the bottom is large enough for a dowel rod in case someone wants their bird hovering in the garden.  One of these has been known to hang out in our garden.  I would like to hand build some birds one of these days.  I did this once before to make realistic looking birds.

getting ready to bisque.....and Red happens

It's been taking a very long time for things to dry out, but I finally have enough to bisque fire today.  I figured with the dry winter air I might have a problem with pots drying too fast, but I guess the basement always stays a little damp.

Some salt pigs and a utensil holder in the kiln today.  Pots were piling up in my basement workspace.  Usually when they are almost dry I transfer them to a shelf next to the kiln in the garage.  With some nights dipping down to the teens recently I was afraid to do that.  If there is still visible moisture and the temp goes to freezing seems like things could go wrong, as in expansion.  I've never taken a thermometer down there.  Since the garage is mostly underground maybe I'm safe.

French butter crocks, also in the kiln.  Actually one crock and 3 lids.  I have some extra crocks due to the tendency the lids have to develop hairline cracks.  Hence the extra lids. 

Not ready to fire- some nesting bowls and a set of soup bowls.  I'll be heading down to trim some of these this afternoon. 

Red happens.  Found this mess this morning.  I leave my slip bucket to set overnight on my wheel so the water will separate enough to pour out,  then I'll recycle the slip into clay. Red, the cat, loves to watch anything liquid move across the floor.  He, in fact, finds it hugely entertaining.  Used to tip his water bowl over every day until I got a tip proof bowl.  I've learned not to leave small glaze containers on my table and I had been hiding my slip bucket from him.  Lately, I thought I could get away with just covering it with a towel.  It worked...for a couple of weeks.  

The guilty party.

Here's what happens to the slip, trimmings, etc.  I'm using a rack that used to dry out bath toys.  The very wet clay is slopped onto a piece of canvass and left to dry to the consistency of usable clay.  Then, because I don't have a pug mill, I double bag it with plastic grocery bags and slam the heck out of it. The idea being to de-air it as much as possible. That doesn't get me out of wedging, but it helps make it easier. 

slow start

I've been working with some slip stencil designs lately. Here's a few utensil holders/wine coolers I've made recently using slips or engobes and stencils: 

It's been a slow start to the new year for me.  I always have a difficult time getting back in the flow of work after a break.  This year, after Christmas, we passed around something or other- worse than a regular cold, that's all I know.  Still dragging a little, but doing a lot better.

This is a link to a picture of one of the pendants I made after Kate, the jewelry person at the market, did some magic with it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67885530@N03/6544375309/
I had no experience with making jewelry items, but had some fun messing around with ideas.  I was glad she suggested the pendant idea.  We'll see what happens.

doilies and politics

Thanks to a sprained ankle, I didn't get much done last week.  I found I could work for about 45 minutes at a time before needing to elevate.  Hadn't really thought about my feet being particularly important to pottery.  I'm usually more aware of hurting my wrists, or wounding my fingers with a kitchen knife.  Anyway, being that I couldn't manage the foot pedal on the wheel, I rolled out some tiles.  I've done the birds before, but the doily idea is something I've been meaning to do for a while.  I've used doilies before, just not on tiles and not with black and white.  I think the doily thing might lead to another idea to combine with other textures for a collage-type effect.

As you can see, I ran into a warping problem.  My white slip was a bit too wet so the tiles needed two coats.  Then I added even more moisture with the black engobe.  Next time I'll try laying the tiles on damp cloth before adding slip/engobe to the surface and see if that will balance the moisture levels of back and top to prevent curling. 
The paper doilies I used for this were in a drawer in my parent's house for many years.  They were in a 50's- looking envelope with advice on the many ways a good housewife can use them to make life so much more enjoyable for her family.  Oh my.  Apparently my mother flunked doily domestics.
This leads me to a book I've been recommending to my friends: The Girl I Left Behind , a narrative history of the sixties by Judith Nies.  As you might guess, it deals with the women's rights movement,  but is much more encompassing of that time in history.  The author worked in Washington, D.C. and has much to say about the politics of the time, including, of course, Vietnam.