Use A Straw

If you don't have a hole punch for clay but want to make a nice smooth hole, use a straw. You know the plastic straws you get with sweet tea. Sweet tea is every where in the South. If you don't like your tea too sweet, ask for it half and half. Seriously though, a straw works great for making a smooth hole in clay. After pushing the straw through the clay, pull it out and cut the end filled with clay off, then make the next hole.

In other news I have a pulled or torn muscle or ligament in my upper left arm. I can't lift my arm to the side more than a foot or so. I hope it's just pulled and not torn. I 've been putting an ice pack on it and it's a little bit better today. Gary also had the same injury a few weeks back in his left arm. Unfortunately he's left handed. I'm right handed. But even typing this hurts my left arm. Whoa is me, it's heck to get old. In other news Pottery Making Info shared my post about making slip and easy hump molds on Google Plus and Twitter. Thank you Pottery Making Info. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Revisions

Sometimes things just aren't quite there. Do you ever feel that way when you make something? This is the second revision. Still not sure about the bird.

This was the first draft, didn't like the bow after an hour so I removed it and added the bird in the nest. The bow and bird came about because the textured rim I made wasn't long enough to go all the way around. The rim started out as a handle which might have been better. What you see in the finished product of a clay piece isn't always how it started. Much like a painting that may have many revisions so it is with clay sometimes. Still thinking about it but this morning it may be too late to revise again. The electrician finally got the plug for my kiln. Soon, soon. Thanks for reading and  for all your comments.

Carolina Silverbell

Today we went to the Butternut Creek Festival in Blairsville at Meeks Park. It was too late for me to enter the show but we went to look at all the other artist's work. Gary got a new tooled leather belt. His old one is over 30 years old. I guess he got his money's worth out of that one. It was raining so I didn't take my camera. The park is a beautiful place with five miles of walking trails which traverse the hills and meander along the creek. Covered pavilions dot the area and bridges cross the creek in several spots and there are benches and swings in viewing spots along the creek. 

On the way back to the parking lot walking along a gravel path beside the creek I saw a tree with some interesting drupe type seed pods. I broke off a small branch to take home to see what it was. I found out this is a Carolina or Mountain Silverbell, Halesia carolina.

I must remember to go back when the seed pods ripen to plant one near my home. The tree is vigorous and a fast grower. The I'll go back in next Spring to see this tree in bloom. The first photo and seed pod photo were borrowed from Wikipedia.

I worked on a couple of pieces for my online class with Diana Fayt today. I also made the textured tower above using my overlapping strips of clay technique. This piece is about seven inches tall and seven by five inches wide. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Green Muse, Refired

Normally I don't refire pieces but I decided to try it on this piece since the glaze was too light and didn't show any variation like it should.

I'm amazed none of the twisted ribbons fell off. I had to drive over the mountain to fire this pieces as greeenware. I put it upright in a box and gently put some bubble wrap around her. I'm calling her Green Muse and I'm glad I refired her. Here's what she looked like in the greenware state.

I took a couple of close ups to show you the variations in this soft green matt glaze. I think this glaze has to be applied rather thick.

I need to make a really tall and wide one of these pieces one of these days. This one's about a foot tall and two inches wide.

Darn, my cat, Barney, caught a baby rabbit.  I ran all over the yard trying to get Barney to let the rabbit go. He'd let the rabbit go and then catch him again. Finally the neighbor distracted Barney with some food. I got the rabbit and put him in the woods. He does have a bloody spot on his back I hope he makes it. Poor little guy. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.