Once there was a woman who lived in Lecanto; she had so many flowers she didn't know what to do. Remember the nursery rhyme about the woman who lived in a shoe, who had so many children she didn't know what to do. Ha! That's how I feel after unloading the kiln tonight. Here's a small sampling from this firing. I'm pretty tired after my marathon making, testings, loading, glazing, and firing, so I took some photos with the flowers in my hand.
I have my work cut out for me cataloging and assembling all the flowers from this firing; but I am very happy with the results. Stay tuned for another snake, a rooster, a parrot, my new used car and more. Oh and more flowers too.
Flowers In My Hand by Linda Starr is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at bluestarrgallery.blogspot.com.
makes me think of the song flowers in her hair.... are you going to ....
ReplyDeleteAnyway- some really nice results!
Hi Meredith, thanks, I always think of that song too, now I'll be humming that tune all day, could be worse I guess. Have a good one.
ReplyDeleteLinda, they are very cute! It looks like you had a good time making them- I like the various wood backgrounds you have them set on.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy, thanks, for this flower power series I'm coupling some of the flowers with wood, metal, in shadow boxes, and in mixed media groupings. More about those later.
ReplyDelete#3 gets my vote! i like the colors & textures on that one
ReplyDeleteThey are lovely Linda! I agree that they look great against the wood background, they go so well together.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele, thanks, I have a little grouping of those. It is so hard to decide how to arrange and group them, wish I had a second eye close by here. Gary doesn't seem to be much help with that.
ReplyDeleteHi Yoli, thanks, I've been looking for a way to utilize some of the wood I've collected which I've been sanding, staining, and waxing; I have so many possibilities combining the flowers with the grains and natural colors of the wood.
Your cup runneth over, looks like you are in a really good place with your work right now. Flowers seem so fitting for you to be making, with your past gardening experience, and oh so easy to ship out of your Etsy store!
ReplyDeleteHi Tracey, thanks and I am in a better mood making flowers instead of making "heavy" work and thinking of negative things; no etsy I think, too many folks copying work, even those seeing the blogs; I'll sell direct from here, with generic photo for a reserve in my etsy shop for folks and I'm checking with some galleries very soon. thanks.
ReplyDeletei'm such a flowerchild even now! and i love your work with them - so hard to pick a favorite one or two or even three!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteWow, I love the direction you are taking with this flower series.
ReplyDeleteGee, and no need to water or fertilize. They are all great but I really like that 4th one.
ReplyDeleteWow, you are on a roll! These came out great and are beautiful! Love them all!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful ceramic garden! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteHi Gypseywoman, thanks, I am a flower child too, oh to return to that era of freedom and love and no worries, perhaps that's a little of what I am doing now.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara, thanks so much, I am feeling so much more up with these flowers and I suppose they are an extension of my previous forawys into gardening, landscaping and growing flowers all my life, full circle so to speak.
Hi Patti, thanks, you are right, I had to give up my previous gardens due to a bad back and deteriorating
health, but I am enjoying these almost, if not as much, as the previous living gardens I created.
Hi Marguerite, thanks so much, I am really on a roll and happy to roll along with it all.
Hi Acacia, thanks, you have no idea how true your words are about a ceramic garden, this series is cathartic for me having had to plow under so many of my previous baby flowers in my lavender garden due to ill health and other circumstances. Now hopefully I can let the past go and truly look to the future. thanks again.
How fun to experiment like this. My favorites are the 3rd & 4th down. I don't know how you have the time to respond to all of these comments. but thanks for responding w/your experience with the kiln & classes... it give me hope!
ReplyDeleteHi Becky, thanks, my pleasure, when I was first starting out in ceramics, I read a few blogs and then I decided to start a blog with the hopes I could learn and get feedback, so if I can help anyone with my blog now I am glad to do it because I learned so much and got so much back from so many folks in the blogging world, ceramics and otherwise. Your micaceous clay pieces are wonderful, I just love them.
ReplyDeleteI think these are really good Linda, have you thought about lustre on them or even enamels?
ReplyDeleteHi Kitty, thanks, good to hear from you, yes I did think bout luster, I purchased some gold and some mother of pearl a short time ago, which was all that was in stock the last time I was at the clay story, but wanted some silver too. I am thinking of which ones and how to use them now.
ReplyDeleteI am unfamiliar with enamels, I will do some research on those, can you offer any advice or suggestions as to those?
Thanks so much.
Hi Kitty, I just did a search and saw that enamel is a powdered glass. On some of these I have used actual glass I have melted during the firing, but the powdered enamel might give a more exacting surface and color. I will do more research, but if you get a chance, do let me know your experience re these and lusters. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLinda these are great! Love #2 and #4 myself :^)
ReplyDeleteI've used lustre to highlight designs using a little pen with an open well to draw with. It goes a long way but you need to be careful of fumes. Fires to 780deg C (it goes onto the glazed pot then refired). Really gives that special touch. Overglaze enamels are usually painted on the glazed pot - it is mostly what porcelain painters use. Again fired to around 780deg C as an extra firing when done. Fumes with these too so use in a well ventilated area and use a mask that catches fumes not just dust. Hope this helps.
Hi Anna, thanks so much, what firing schedule is used for these, do they have to be fired slow or slow cooled or any other particulars. I have a few pieces that aren't tip top I can practice on, but practicing with gold can be expensive, Ha. A small bottle was $25. And now I have learned I need to get some special essence to clean the brush with and must be careful not to contaminate the brushes with anything else. So much to learn, but I think these luster additions might enhance the look of some of these. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE those textures!
ReplyDeleteHi Julia, thanks so much, hopefully folks will like my finished flowers when I get them all arranged and mounted.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the future holds many delicious fragrances to inspire you dear Linda, go ahead and make our days flourished with your beautiful presence and art.
ReplyDeleteA gorgeous bouquet, Linda. You know I'm partial to deep greens and browns...yummy!
ReplyDeleteI tagged you. Hope it's okay.
Have a great weekend!
Hi Acacia, thanks, I have a feeling these flowers will be multiplying themselves, so glad you'll be there to enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteHi Kittie, thanks, I thought you liked purple too, I will be sending your flower soon, very soon.