Another mug shot

For someone who likes glazes that blend and flow and make different color combinations.  Raspberry inside, Matt Bronze Green outside, over a white clay "Little Loafers" fired in oxidation to cone 6.

Extruded vase

Having fun with an extruded shape, it will hold a small flower to perfection.

Planters

When a friend brought me 3 new plants, I started thinking that I need more pottery planters...which speak of my love of plants.

Here's the first one, ready to go.

And yes, I put a hole in the bottom.

Cup Holder size mug

OK, one glazed and working, fits in my cup holder in my car anyway.  Feels pretty good to use.

Why do you do what you do?

This TED talk was on http://www.artbizblog.com/ today...I'm listening to it for the third time and posted it on FaceBook as an inspirational talk.  But it's really about doing business correctly for satisfaction and connection with other people.  Remember the phrase "right living?"

Please take 18 min of your life to see what this is all about...and ask yourself why you are an artist, or do anything for that matter.

http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

simple

A new home

My pit-fired vase is going to a new home with my friend, M.  She gave me something I dearly needed, a working computer.  Whee!  I'm so grateful.  And I gave her this vase. It's just the right size to put a jar of water inside to display those summer blossoms.  This trade certainly made me happy.

Sculptural Sepia Saturday

I'm a sculptor...a potter, and a blogger.
So where is my work to share with this Sepia Saturday topic?  Ah, I'm looking for it!

I like to carve into the surface, then paint the shapes with different glazes, so there's the bas relief sculpted, but also colored permanently in water-color-like tints.

Raku glazed goddess figure.

A tree goddess of the wind lamp.

Vase with leaves.

Simple tile that can be hung on the wall.

Moon Dancer goddess.

Unfinished dragon mask.

Come see other's posts about sculpture or something else...

Glaze notes...kind of

Love glazes?  Or at least when you get over the fact that there are so many variables that they will never look just like you expect them to?

Here's a nice recipe book of some, mostly cone 10, but 2 are interesting cone 6.

https://delicious.com/glazebook

Thanks to Lori Watts at Fine Mess Pottery in Maine for the link. 

reducing inventory

The good news is that I'm back in the community studio again.  So nice to see old friends and catch up with their lives.
I'm slowly building things with extruded pieces...minimal hand work.

My hands have another week to heal with exercises using special therapy clay (who knew?).  This is to strengthen the lateral muscles (can't remember abductors vs the other kind...one squeezes and one stretches) between my fingers...so they won't continue to have the sidewise cramping.  Which of course isn't what the doctor diagnosed or treated...but this is the actual problem being addressed.  I do want to avoid those cramps.

I sent jars to the Tailgate market last week.

Maybe too many.
Certainly too costly for Tailgate customers.

So the good news is that some will be going back next week, and the prices will be cut in half.  If that doesn't sell them, bring out the hammer!

What did sell?  

My friend Pat has made more sponge holders than she can count, and sells them like crazy.  Congrats!  I think.  She may be really sorry at this point.

Gypsy Vardo wagon

This post first came out Feb 13, 2012.  I bring it back to you so I can share it on Sepia Saturday this week...my very own caravan made from clay.  Even the lanterns, all fired together with a special wire on the lanterns that doesn't melt in the 2100 degree F glaze kiln.

The little gypsy van has been glazed, and the wheel axles glued onto the bottom.  The "Dutch" opening back doors are ajar so you can imagine how living in one of these darling tiny vehicles might have been.  The roof does come off, like the lid of a box, but I neglected to furnish the inside.  Anyone into miniatures might have fun putting the table, bunks, cabinets and curtains into it.

And for inaccuracy sake, I also left off the various accoutrements for a driver and horse.  Sorry about that, but this is just to enjoy thinking about, not planning to put it to the test.

Mudbuddies

Here is my share of the wares we had out last weekend.

Everyone had some sales, though not a lot.  Notice my big pitcher in the center...

... later I sold the pitcher and was so happy!

View from the other side.  Maybe a bit cluttered, you say?  Definitely.

Our tent was in a prime location at the end of the first row nearest the parking.  As well as right next to the grass/driveway by the musicians.

So many kids, so many dogs.  Pat wanted me to be taking their pictures.  I would rather go for the whole atmosphere, myself.

Pierced bowl

The glaze application is so frustrating, pouring because it was just a smidge to big to dip into the bucket.  I wish the glossy green glaze didn't have that bare looking spot on the inside sweep of the bowl.  It really detracts from the design.  Oh well...

Chickens and cats and birds

The critters are finished

Now what do I do with them?  Have them hanging around the living room or studio for ages?  I hope not.
So far I'm taking them to tailgate market tomorrow morning. After that...who knows.

But first, I really love the glaze changes on this plate.  It is hard to sponge glaze and get that pebbled texture.  Why doesn't anyone else like that?

Since I've heard others complain that blogger/internet is limiting posts, making things disappear...I'll post the cats, chickens and birds tomorrow!

Barbara's Critters get glazed

Whether these bisqued critters are chicken, fish, kitten or blue bird, this is how they look before glazing.

All the glaze work is done in Mayco's Stroke and Coat, which matures fine in our cone 6 glaze kilns.

What you've never seen a robin that fat?  How about the blue bird?

 At the same time, I get to walk by these lovely petals that sweep through the room smelling so wonderful.  (This was the rose that was supposed to be yellow)  

My work space is a bit of a clutter, eh?  My magnifying clip-on glasses are at the bottom on the bat next to cat.  I clip them on my close-up glasses and get another 1X magnification.  These old eyes need that.

More glazes will be applied at the BMCA studio tomorrow...like a nice blue for Mr. Fish, and white on the white areas that actually have no glaze at this time.

And now I finally get to tell you, this is posted as part of the Mud Colony meme...come over to see what other potters are doing these days!