Two Birds are Singing

Two birds are singing in the studio today, actually three. I'm singing because these two bird baskets came out better than I expected. I wanted to photograph my latest work in a natural setting and thought about taking some pieces down to the beach but with possible storm surge I decided I'd better wait on that idea. So I took each piece outside to take some photos. Here are the two bird tower baskets. I'm placing them in the category of my towers because I'm using the same strip stack method of construction. I lay flat strips of clay one on top of another, sealing them with slip one by one, similar to coil construction. It's a time consuming method, but that's how I achieve the unique circular pattern all the way up the basket.

In this close up you can see how the glaze pools nicely in the seams. The strips remind me of how a wood basket would look if constructed like this. Speaking of wood, I'll be taking a basket weaving class this Fall, more about that later. The first basket is glazed in a golden blue with a pale blue bird. It's about 9 1/2 inches tall and 4 /12 inches wide with the handle it's 5 1/2 inches wide.

This second basket is glazed in a golden green color with a charcoal black bird. The eyes and inside the beak are golden yellow but it's hard to see unless you'e really close. The glaze seems to have hidden the texture of the bird, I'll have to use a different glaze next time.

This second tower basket is about 9 inches wide and 5 1/2 inches wide at the bottom and tapering slightly narrower at the top. On the first one I have the bird sitting closer to the handle and I like that position better. It's funny how small details can make a difference.

A light rain is falling and we've missed being hit directly by Isaac, but the gulf coast between New Orleans and Pensacola may be hit. As the tropical storm travels across the warm waters of the gulf it is expected to gain strength and possibly increase to a hurricane. I hope the storm loses power and just gives them a gentle breeze and a soaking rain. Stay tuned for the towers next time. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.