Life is full of choices and contrasts. Yin and yang, light and dark, positive and negative are seen in our lives each day. I am drawn to reflect this yin and yang or feeling of contrast in clay lately. Today, I combined some light and dark clay into a prayer box. The prayer box is 12 inches tall and 5 inches wide overall. After I constructed the prayer box, I thought about glazes. Should I glaze the porcelain portion with a celadon blue? Maybe not, perhaps I'll just use a clear and let the natural color of the clay show through. This piece is still in the construction stages.
Judy, a loyal follower of my ceramics, called last night and wanted a cross for herself. She purchased one of my woven crosses as a gift for someone, but said she couldn't bear to part with it. I told her I have several crosses in the bisque load and would also make a few more crosses for her to see. Here are the ones I made recently, a photo of which I will take with me to the Art A'Faire on Saturday for her to see.
In the interest of clay research, I am using Bee Mix, Windsor Porcelain and Black Mountain clays. The lighter clay is Windsor Porcelain from Laguna, and the dark brown clay is Black Mountain, and the medium clay is Bee Mix both from Aardvark Clay. I really like Windsor Porcelain. It is recommended by Laguna as a good clay for small, medium and large hand building and for small, medium and large throwing and for tableware and tiles. How much more versatile can you get? The jury is out, however, as the bisque and glaze will be forthcoming.
I Just love the lantern. Very unusual and intriquing.
ReplyDeleteJoan Tucker, Off Center Productions
oh yes, divinely inspired work!
ReplyDeleteHi Joan, Thanks so much. I originally made this piece as a lantern and perhaps a candle could be placed inside. I was going to carve into the porcelain portion so the light could be seen. As I was testing the fit of the lid and tray base - setting and removing the lid and setting and removing the box from the base - ever so gingerly when they were still very soft - it felt like a ritual - so I am calling the piece a prayer box - a place to put thoughts either written or not.
ReplyDeleteI want to make more contrasting pieces too - not sure what they will be - and I still want to make the carved lantern.
Hi Gary, Thanks, I am not an overly religious person, but rituals and symbols are facinating to me.
Hi Linda. I had the same idea about using it to place a candle or light inside. If you use porcelain, and make it super thin it will be translucent as well which might be nice. I kind of like it without glaze myself.
ReplyDeleteHi Deborah, I'm now thinking of a lot of pieces I want to make with the light and dark clay. I'm off on another tangent again, but loving it. So many ideas and so little time. I think you are right, I am going to keep it unglazed.
ReplyDelete