Basket with Handle
white stoneware, cone 6
9 h x 7 w x 6.5 w inches
The last few days I've been busy as a bee firing a bisque, glazing till 3:30 am, and firing the kiln. I was hurrying because we were expecting back to back thunder storms and I knew I wouldn't have a chance to fire for a while if I didn't get the glaze firing done yesterday. I was anxious to see what would happen with my latest work with rustic woven baskets. I had more losses than gains making these baskets. I had one very tall round one that crumpled into a mass I didn't even mention. But now I'm encouraged to make more based on these few results.
Spiral Footed Basket
white stoneware, cone 6
4.75 h x 6.75 w x 6.25 w inches
I was so busy, in fact, I didn't even have time to think about turning sixty two years of age yesterday. But today I was rewarded with a nice birthday present, some great results. These first two might photograph better with a dark or black background. The baskets were light as a feather when I took them out of the bisque; the strips are very thin. I still have one more basket to fire but it wouldn't fit in this load. There isn't much grog in this clay and since there isn't much supporting them they tend to warp a bit. I might try making some of these with another type of clay. But I like the long working time of this clay and I hate to switch to different clay with it's potential for other unknowns.
Tippy Basket
white stoneware, cone 6
3.25 h x 9 w x 7 w inches
This was the tippy basket and the last piece I put in the kiln. I hand glaze these baskets and it takes forever brushing the glaze into all the crevices on the inside and outside. This one really warped outwards on the long side from about 4 inches to 7 inches wide. I'm wondering if that's because the glaze really saturated the clay and didn't have an adequate time to dry out before firing? Luckily I put a small tile on the tippy side to prevent it from tipping over. If it had tipped over it would have stuck to the kiln shelf. I'll heat the glaze with a torch to see if I can release the tile from the piece. Stay tuned for more results from this firing coming up as soon as I take more photos. This post is part of the Mud Colony what's happening in the studio. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
Hello Linda:
ReplyDeleteThese baskets really are most attractive but we can well imagine are difficult to fire in the kiln without disaster. However, you must be so very pleased with the results. Belated birthday greetings!!
These look great..... hope you keep doing them. I use a chisel to separate heated items (mostly lids) and then smooth them with my Dremel.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, albeit a day late. I really enjoyed reading your story yesterday. What great memories.
ReplyDeleteHappy birtday, one day late but better late then never. I adore the last basket.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Elna
Yay! The baskets look good! Patience paid off....Happy Belated Birthday Wishes, Linda!
ReplyDeleteThose look great, and the squishy quality as the basket bends is kind of nice on clay which is now hard and brittle...nice combination of qualities I think. Happy belated birthday, Linda!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! glad you were rewarding with a good firing. The glaze on the first basket gets my vote, looks great.
ReplyDeleteI got so involved with the baskets I did not wish you a belated hippoest of birdies!
ReplyDeleteCelebrating late stretches the joy!
Great results with the baskets of late. I love the spiral footed square one. Happy Happy Birthday to you!!
ReplyDeleteRustic is good; they are sweet little baskets.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday - our birthdays are close and we are the same age!
ReplyDeleteLove the way the baskets turned out.
Thank you so much for becoming a follower of my blog. I will do the same here. This is indeed a beautiful blog, filled with gorgeous pictures of your art. I am looking forward to seeing more of this.
ReplyDeleteRight now I can't sign up to follow your blog, something about Google Chrome and a proxy server. Will try later.
ReplyDeleteHappy (belated) Birthday!!! Really like these baskets. My fav is the first one, but love the little legs on the white stoneware one.
ReplyDeleteWell gee, Happy Belated Birthday. Hope you took some time for proper spoiling.
ReplyDeleteTo me, you are still a puppy.
Hello, Linda, wishing you a belated Happy Birthday! The baskets are wonderful, I especially like the one with the dark glaze.
ReplyDeleteReally cute :)
ReplyDeletevery nice results. I'd stick with this clay :^) the glazes work very well with them.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane and Lance, thanks so much, better to be busy on my birthday so as not think of the age thing, Ha.
ReplyDeleteHi Suzi, thanks, I think the glaze has adhered to the bisqued tile so I will heat the glaze to red hot and then use a chisel, hoping not to chip the glaze, we shall see.
Hi Teresa, thanks, eating watermelon reminded me of that childhood memory.
Hi Elna, thanks so much, these baskets are fun to make when they turn out. Ha.
Hi Charlene, thanks, yes I still want to improve on them, these are rustic but still appealing. It does take a lot of patience for them that's for sure.
Hi Suzi, thanks, there you go stretches the joy, I like that, thanks.
Hi Barbara, thanks so much, I hope to make more.
Hi Joanne, thanks so much, yes rustic they are. Ha.
Hi Judy, thanks so much, I didn't know we were the same age, you look so young.
Hi Inger, thanks so much for stopping by, I too look forward to reading your blog.
I don't know what blogger is doing, strange things happen and I know little about them.
Hi Turquoisemoon, thanks, I hope to do more with the legs on others, the first one should have had legs too but it sagged every so rustically. Ha.
Hi Patti, thanks, my mind is a puppy but my body is, well never mind about that we both know best to ignore it if we can. Ha.
Hi Mark, thanks, I hope I can separate it from that bisque tile.
Hi Sadhana, thanks so much, hope to make more.
Hi Anna, thanks, I plan to stick with this clay. I do have some other speckled clay I may try a few with but I have also used that clay before too, we shall see what it does with the baskets. I am starting to get the glazes and firing down so no sense messing it up with another clay.
Hi Barbara, thanks, the squishy quality is the sagging Ha. but I do like that effect as if it has worn down with wear.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele, thanks, I couldn't be happier with that first one, the blue one was supposed to have some of the same variation. I may have to over lap that glaze with another to get some of that mottling.
They look great Linda - Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteHey happy belated birthday Linda xx the baskets ate getting there !!
ReplyDeleteLove your baskets! My favourite is the middle one with all the curls, but I also love the bottom one for it's almost primative look! Good work on the weaving. I've tried it once and it's quite labour intensive! They really turned out lovely!
ReplyDeleteHi Deborah, thanks, hoping to make more in the future.
ReplyDeleteHi Adriana, thanks so much, working on improvements.
Hi Brenda, thanks, yes labor intensive and lots of loss and separating at the seams, but satisfying when they work.