Finally had my camera ready when the gopher tortoise came out of his tunnel and Gary ran outside and got this shot. He was on the lawn when Gary went out and he was already in the woods ready to go underground by the time Gary made it out there. These tortoise move really fast. This one is about one foot wide and one and half feet long. I recognize him because the back of his shell has some damage on it. We have already seen two more different tortoise each with their own territory.
The floral motif large bowl I made with frost clay has developed many cracks, on the sides, in one handle, beside the other handle. I hate spending so much time making a piece, then decorating it, and then having it crack. It's not so bad if it cracks during bisque or glaze firing, but when it cracks before I even bisque it, well that's too temperamental for me. I want a clay that's easy to work with and it doesn't have to be pampered. I don't want to keep making things over and over again if they crack when they are green. So I won't be using frost porcelain. Maybe that's why some potter's use slip over different clays. They can have the clay they like to work with and the glaze results from the slip over the clay, something to think about.
Meanwhile the white stoneware I've been working with is doing fine. I have pinch pots, plates, lidded boxes, and bowls in various stages of drying. Here's a few of them I snapped a photo of. This clay still has to pass the test for firing and glazing and how the stains look on the clay, but it definitely handles well and isn't too groggy. Large handbuilt pieces, like the birthday cake, do well and also bowls, platters and pinch pots, just what I like.
Gay of Sister Creek Pottery and my friend Carroll suggested I use glass jars to store my mason stain slips. I looked everywhere for inexpensive glass jars and finally purchased a vegetable pack of baby food jars just to get started mixing up small amounts for several projects I am working on. Then a young father called from a craigslist ad I placed and said he saves all his baby food jars and I was welcome to have them. I'll be going over there this week to pick some up and bring him a piece of pottery.
I'll leave you with this shot of a tiny lavender flower I saw in the woods, not much taller than a few inches. It looks like a miniature lily or orchid. Does anyone know what it is? I'd like to learn more about the native plants of Florida. I am headed to Bennett's Pottery to pick up more clay. More stories later this week about Gary's trip. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
at least if your porcelain cracks before the bisque you can slake it down and recycle it (if you are inclined)!
ReplyDeletei really like white stoneware. it is easier to work with than porcelain and i like the way it wood fires.
i recently started using laguna B-mix (a nice alternative to true porcelains)- i really like it and have had minimal problems with cracking.
...way cool that you have tortoises that large in your yard!!!
Love the tortoises in your yard!!
ReplyDeleteThat would be fabulous to have:)
The baby food jars look perfect~~~does it seem to work for you too~~~Jonathan and I had a box turtle they can be really fast and live forever!!!!We have a female wild turkey and at least her 8 babys the size of small chicks, she walks them in the high grass, I really hope nothing gets the little ones like the barn cat or a hawk :( love to watch the critters and the flower is great~~~we have a wild iris here in the woods
ReplyDeleteLinda, I would never have thought to post on craigslist for baby food jars. You are so creative. I really like your white pottery. Me thinks your lavendar flower is in the day lily family, but not sure. Wonder how your turtle got banged up. Guess there's no infection and he's got decades ahead to wander.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda- thanks for your kind words for me and my brother. I know you have taken the time to read him when he post on NC pottery.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be such a hard walk.
I look forward to hearing about Gray's trip.
Best- M
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ReplyDeleteHi Michele, thanks, I've used B-mix before and I did like it, but it also had some cracking for me. I might try it again if the clay I am using now doesn't work. It's not a stock clay (I don't think) at Bennett's though and I am trying to find one of their clays I like so I don't need any special orders.
ReplyDeleteHi Simpledaisy, thanks, I am currently enamored with them. The one side of our yard doesn't need mowing because they come out every day and eat the grass.
Hi Carroll, thanks, yes the jars seems to be working out, these are the really small ones and I'm stilll going to try to get larger jars for colors I might use a lot of. Where we used to live we had wild turkey, but the time they were juvenile, there was usually only one or two left, I have never seen eight babies, that is a lot, hope they do ok.
Hi Kittie, thanks, I've actually been posting a lot of wanted ads on craigslist for several projects I'm working on and had good responses. This flower was so small I almost stepped on it.
Hi Meredith, thanks, I am so sorry about your brother's health, I truly hope for a miracle; you know I lost my brother at too young an age and it isn't easy. He was five years younger than me and it's been more than 10 years since he died and I still miss him.
HI 長卉長卉, thanks.
Handbuilding with frost seems like it would be tricky - my friend also did the same and had so many issues with cracking years ago both in drying and bisque firing.... It is beautiful when it works though.c
ReplyDeleteBrilliant idea with the baby food jars! Love Craigslist too!
Hi Cynthia, thanks, the small bowls did fine, but the large bowl I think had too many stress points and perhaps it was too thin. I did notice when I was breaking some dry pieces to make slip that some broke very easily and others were tough as nails, perhaps the clay isn't uniform in consistency? anyway I have worked with B-mix and other porcelains before and they had a few cracks but not this many so I will move on to something else. Craigslist around here is really active and just great. Yeah there must be a ton of baby food jars around the country. thanks to Carroll and Gay for that tip.
ReplyDeleteHi Cynthia, thanks, the small bowls did fine, but the large bowl I think had too many stress points and perhaps it was too thin. I did notice when I was breaking some dry pieces to make slip that some broke very easily and others were tough as nails, perhaps the clay isn't uniform in consistency? anyway I have worked with B-mix and other porcelains before and they had a few cracks but not this many so I will move on to something else. Craigslist around here is really active and just great. Yeah there must be a ton of baby food jars around the country. thanks to Carroll and Gay for that tip.
ReplyDelete