Re-juvinating a bowl failure

An o.k. shape, but that little foot and sudden horizontal flair weren't intended, and threaten a collapse, I'm thinking.

I really need to get rid of that donut hole problem but decide to work on flairing the rim instead, for some crazy reason or another.

Hey, look what happened?  It just folded over, not evenly, but not cracking off either.  I gently took it off the wheel and sat it outside in the sun to dry up a bit.

 

Now to do something with ribbing off any moisture remaining, and reforming this idiot bowl, if possible.

Yes, with a few very slow and patient tries, I've got the rim back where it belongs, and the bottom slant is more like it should be, kind of a 45 degree angle rather than all the way over horizontal.

So the final piece should be left alone, right?  Nah, I know that clay remembers everywhere it's been, and tends to want to go back there.  So I think, I'll just change it enough that it will have some resistance to falling back into either of the not so good shapes it had.

I take my big rib and push in on the outside, while my left hand fingers flow up along the pushed area on the inside.

And here's a fluted bowl.  I hope it makes it.  Yesterday's bowl was pretty much the same end effect, without quite the drama!

chip off the old pot

Today's lesson.

Don't put one of your favorite sculpted and perfectly glazed bowls on the floor with the cat's water.  It may be nice to see it used regularly.  But you will probably drop a clunky not so great bowl on the edge of it and chip the edge, and that's all she wrote.  Now your favorite bowl will always be the cat's water bowl.  See how that works out for you?

So that's how I did it.  A beautifully finished work became junk.

I've got lots of that.

I will not identify with it.

I can let go of it, just let the wind take it away...another thing that's just another thing.

I'm settling back into my own skin.  That's how I feel putzing around my home after catching up on whatever happens to me when I travel.  I've explained it that part of my etheric being (or some other name as you chose) strings out behind me as I zoom along...at whatever speed.  And it takes a while for all that "rest of me" to catch back up and settle into my skin again.

The other thing is the sight and smell of familiar things.  And the wish to catch up on un-done projects.  Oh my yes, do I have a few of those!  

So, much as I wish to be creative (which is my main energy source in life) I've decided to work on the maintenance of things for a while.  This is so rare for me, I usually ignore the call, toss a few things into a trash bag and call it done.  Not so this time. 

I'm wanting to actually change the environment so it could be more welcoming to others.  I'm wanting to showcase my pottery that I am proud of (see the cat bowl fiasco above) and throw out the ones I can only see as potentials.  The potentials mean that the idea had potential.  The execution of the idea failed.

That's so hard for me to accept.  Yep, an idea can fail in execution, but the idea is still good.  And the potter/artist is still quite capable.  I just didn't quite get that one right.  Boy is this a tough thing for me to feel ok about.

That's because I'm not a professional.

I am having a migraine right now (mine are the blinding shimmering lights kind, so I can't see what I'm typing very well).

 So will maybe add some pictures later.  If I never did, sorry about that.  Lessons are sometimes easy, sometimes hard, and lots of times just plain missed completely till the next time.

Is this reality or fiction?

My grandchildren are so fast and waaay ahead of my highest abilities.  We were able to talk a bit about alternate realities, but they would then veer off into another fantastic discussion which would leave me shaking my head.

So the question is, which is real?  Which is fiction?  And which may be real, but an alternate reality?  Apparently scientists are serious about this consideration (which used to belong to the genre called "science fiction." )   I listened to an interview on NPR with a scientist about the Hadron Collider, and a discussion of Dark Matter, which included possible realities which we cannot see from ours (yet.)  

My blog recently received the Sunshine Award from Linda Starr at http://bluestarrgallery.blogspot.com/
Thanks Linda.   I really enjoy your blog also!

Here's my list of questions and answers and below are the ten blogs to whom I'm sending a Sunshine Award.
 Please answer the ten questions on your blog and pass along the Sunshine Award to ten more folks.

1. Favorite color:  turquoise
2. Favorite animal:  cat
3. Favorite number:  eleven
4. Favorite drink:  Americano espresso
5. Facebook or Twitter:  FB
6. Good Book or a Good Movie: good book definitely
7. My Passion:  creating with clay
8. Giving or getting presents:  getting (at my age I can say that without guilt)
9. Favorite day of the year: any sunny day that's not too hot
10. Favorite flowers:  geraniums

My Sunshine Awards go to (not in any order):

Sofia's Dad's Pots
Robin Hopper's Phoenix
Euan the Potter
.timegoesby
Jackie Morris Artist
artbizblog
myvillagewitch
brendawolfceramics
.waystationone
folkwaysnotebook
Clay Studio of Black Mountain Center for the Arts


It was really difficult chosing 10 blogs only.  I know some of these don't post very often, but when they do, they are really interesting!

I've never done an award before, so I hope I've done it right.  If you already received a Sunshine from Linda, I had to skip you rather than double up.

Vase for a mantle?

A friend asked me if I had any tall vases that would fit on a mantle.

I think some of these might be nice, depending on the color scheme of the room of course.

Art in Bloom student sale

The Student Fund Raiser sale for the Art in Bloom show at Black Mountain Center for the Arts...as seen my my camera.  (Of course I'm not allowed to take pictures of the great flower arrangements with art pieces which inspired them.)  This sale will happen only on Sat. this weekend.  Oh well.

I enjoyed volunteering at the Folk Art Center this morning.  Lots of folks from elsewhere.  Good gallery exhibits, and permanent collection of crafts.

Here's my big blue fruit bowl which is selling for $45...and half of that goes as support for the Center for the Arts.  Please come purchase it!

And I got somewhat inspired reading a book out of the extensive crafts library at FAC on the Blue Ridge Parkway (available if you stay there to look at things).  I read and looked at pictures in History of American Ceramics..  What an inspiring collection.  But I won't be making pots for the next week.

Going to not have anything to say for a few days probably.
Just so nobody will worry about me.  Both of you.

More fun to come! 

Send your good wishes for safe travels please.  I've been told St. Christopher no longer is in good graces with the Roman Catholics, and since I'm not one, I guess I can still ask his blessing my journey!   And please have your traveling goddess blessings sent my way too.

I'll catch up with you in a few days.

Don't miss Mr. Bear!

Blue Ginger Jar

With several (I laugh here, more like a lot!) of disappointments after glaze firings in the last couple of weeks...this Ginger Jar is pleasing as punch for me.  I am actually proud of it 100%.

I can take credit for planning it to look like this.  I worked to make a well thrown and trimmed vessel in white cone 6 clay.  I can say that the glaze combination surpassed my expectations.  And I can be very appreciative that everything came together just right on this one.

Tailgate Market this week

I just took inventory of the pieces I'm sending to the TAILGATE  MARKET in Black Mountain this week.  If you're in the area, stop on by the Mudbuddies Booth.

Other friends in our co-op will be in charge of this weekend's sales.   

 

A pale dragon with a goofy tooth

Variegated green long tray on feet

 So I'll just leave these pictures for you to consider (some have been listed on my Etsy site HERE too, and prices are a bit lower at the Tailgate!)

Green two-tone stoneware mugs (large)

Yellow vase with blue liner

Not perfect but artistic mugs

Double loop handles with double trees

Single loop handles with single trees

So I hope you have a wonderful weekend, whatever you're doing.  (I've got a sculptural project that I've returned to work on today...so will be putting energies into it, when I'm not out working in my container garden)