Victorian Lace Blue Serving Plate
10" x 10.5" x 1.5"
10" x 10.5" x 1.5"
Victorian Lace Green Serving Plate
10" x 10.5" x 1.5"
10" x 10.5" x 1.5"
So many things remind me of my Grandma Ruth. She built five houses by herself. She took care of those around her without thinking about it. She had five husbands. She once told me, "Honey, they weren't any good, so I had to get rid of them". She just did what needed to be done. She was tough.
Victorian Lace Blue and Green Cups
2.75" x 2.5" x 4"
2.75" x 2.5" x 4"
I remember visiting Grandma Ruth one summer and after breakfast, she said, "I know what this house needs, it needs a fireplace". She promptly went out and cut half the wall down in the living room and started to build the fireplace that same day. She hung a sheet of plastic over the opening to keep the bugs and rain out.
Victorian Lace Green Tile
6.5" x 6.5"
6.5" x 6.5"
The same summer I jumped over a snake coiled up by a cinder block step at the back door. I quickly ran around to the front door and told my grandma I had just jumped over a cottonmouth. My grandmother asked me why in tar nation I had jumped over a cottonmouth, (much deadlier than a rattlesnake). I told her I was already in mid-air when I saw the snake with it's mouth open. She said, "You did the right thing, now fetch me a shovel". My grandmother killed the snake quicker than lightening.
Victorian Lace Blue Choker Necklace
5.5" x 5"
5.5" x 5"
Everyone says I'm just like my grandma. That may be true, but I'm here to report my grandma had a delicate side. She let us pet the baby rabbits she raised even though she knew the mother would probably kill them that evening because our scent was on the babies. She let a duck gosling live after a snake almost broke it's neck. That duck grew up with it's neck flattened completely sideways but somehow lived to be a ripe old age. We all loved that duck and gave it extra food. We never thought of having that duck for a holiday dinner.
Victorian Lace Amber Coaster
4" diameter
4" diameter
I've made these plates, cups, tiles, and pendants from stoneware, so they're tough like my Grandma Ruth, but they also have a delicate texture too. Remember my post about details, these are the plates with the dainty feet. I intended the feet to complement the lace texture on the front of the plate.
Not everything in the kiln came out this time. I'll be getting rid of the things that didn't turn out, so I can make some new things. But be sure to stay tuned as I unveil more items from this weeks firing. The flower is Angle Face rose growing in my front yard, wouldn't that be a pretty color for the Victorian Lace plates?
Hi Linda,
ReplyDeleteI'm really weary after a long day at work glazing, and then some teaching in the evening, but I couldn't pass that blue lace serving plate of yours without saying how beautiful it is, and the other lovely things with the lace patterns on your post. Really interesting too about your grandmother, and what it is to be tough and delicate at the same time.
All the Best, Peter
What a grandmother! How interesting and inspiring it must have been to have her as a role model.
ReplyDeleteLove how the pieces came out. Beautiful. I look forward to seeing more.
love the lace green tile and the stories of your grandma... i fear we've lost the generations of rugged individuals with that level of self reliance, she sounds like someone to be admired and emulated
ReplyDeleteThe lace patterns on your clay work is really nice - and I LOVE the backstory! I think I'd like your grandmother a lot... :)
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, thanks. I am hoping to transfer this technique to Cone 5/6 firings this summer to obtain more stable glazes, although the tile was a happy surprise, the green plate looks a little like stained and tattered lace, the jury is still out on that one.
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith, thanks, I was happy with these all in all. Sometimes being like my grandmother gets me in trouble, but I just can't help myself.
Hi Jim, thanks, that tile was a reduction surprise for sure; I think some other glaze jumped over onto this one, glad it did. I'll bet there are still a few self reliant ones left.
Hi Cynthia, thanks about the lace, my grandmother lived till she was 99; I do miss her.
Nice! looks like you had a pretty successful firing. wonderful colors on that green tile. Grandma Ruth sounds pretty colorful herself - deciding one morning to tear out a wall to add a fireplace! I bet she had some good stories.
ReplyDeleteYou are a great storyteller! Love the tales of your grandma -- especially the duck with the flat neck.
ReplyDeleteThe lace pieces are wonderful.
Oh Barbara, I wish I could say it was a successful firing. I am thinking about what I should put in my next post, more about that later. I also now wish I had taken more time in my young adult life to learn more about my grandma as there are so many thing I wish I could ask about now and it's too late.
ReplyDeleteHi Judy, thanks, until I started writing about my grandma last night I'd forgotten about the flat necked duck, but then I remembered him like it was yesterday. I remember asking my grandma about him and worrying about him getting enough to eat since he was so much slower and couldnt get the food as quick as the other ducks on the pond. Even in the animal kingdom there are handicapped critters and they seem to get along just fine in spite of themselves. Thanks about the lace pieces.
Oh Barbara, I wish I could say it was a successful firing. I am thinking about what I should put in my next post, more about that later. I also now wish I had taken more time in my young adult life to learn more about my grandma as there are so many thing I wish I could ask about now and it's too late.
ReplyDeleteHi Judy, thanks, until I started writing about my grandma last night I'd forgotten about the flat necked duck, but then I remembered him like it was yesterday. I remember asking my grandma about him and worrying about him getting enough to eat since he was so much slower and couldnt get the food as quick as the other ducks on the pond. Even in the animal kingdom there are handicapped critters and they seem to get along just fine in spite of themselves. Thanks about the lace pieces.
I too had a wonderful grandmother and think of her often. I can so relate to your story. The store, Anthropology, has some pinch pots that have a lace texture on the bottom of them, made with a lace pattern similar to yours. Ever since I saw them I have been wanting to make some. I don't know if they would be on their website or not, but they were really nice.
ReplyDeletewhat a way to honor your grandmother. those pieces are gorgeous! i hope that everyone has a grandmother who is tough, like yours. I do, and she's the BEST!
ReplyDeleteoh, would love to see the feet of one of those pieces.
ReplyDeleteI think your Grandma and mine would have been fast friends, What an endearing post, Linda! Thank you! I've tried to use my Grandmother's tattings in my work but have never achieved the kind of results you have. SOOO wonderful that you can honor her in this way!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for honoring us with the sharing of such precious memories.
Hi Tracey, I will have to see if I can bring up Anthropology (what a great name) to see their lace pinch pots. I never thought about using it on pinch pots I will have to try it. My grandma was great, thx.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy, thanks about the pieces, aren't we lucky to know such wonderful women. The feet are actually the ones I photographed in the details post I have referenced in this article. Four little feet I fashioned over a dowel and impressed with a eucalyptus seed on the edges. It is the first photograph on the Details post I made a couple of weeks ago.
Hi Becky, thanks so much. I think the tatting might be too fragile or thin to make an impression. I have used an oxide wash and then a clear glaze over. If I had used an opaque glaze the pattern would surely have been obliterated after firing. thanks so much about the writing.
Thanks everyone about your kind thoughts about my grandmother. It is fun writing down memories and wonderful to know my grandmother lives on not only in my memory, but in the memory of those who read this post. Little do many know how they might influence people in their lives and then when they are gone from this world their strength and personality still shines on through the stories of their lives.