Scales Are Tipped

The scales are tipped; there was more bad than good in this firing. But first I'll share the good. Wonder if there's a better way to arrange this bowl set for a photo? Perhaps I should have propped up the smaller bowls? What do you think?


Here's the front of the large bowl which is 4H x 10.5W inches. The smaller bowls are 1.5H x 6W inches.


And the back. There's a lot of texture in the surface. I might try this set without texture next time.


This snowflake bowl is 3H x 12W inches, and has a soft touch with a creamy translucent glaze.


The woven tray is 2.5H x 10.5L x 9W inches. The lavender matt is good; the gold color was supposed to be mottled blue, but still works with the lavender color. I might not have put enough glaze, but I didn't want to risk the glaze running since it's an open weave.


The cake stand is 4.25H x 10W inches. Looks OK doesn't it? Well if I turn it the other way, the pedestal is off center. The two had separated during the bisque. I glazed them together, but when I moved it in the kiln I must have moved the top off center. It was a little warped out of the bisque, but I fired it anyway because I wanted to see if it warped more. It didn't. These cake stands are a real challenge, but I'll keep at it.


This 3.5H x 11.5L x 10W inch tray was a big disappointment to me because the handle on one side separated. The speckled clay and not so perfect (worn look) to the slip give it an aged look which reminds me of French country style. Darn I really like the look of this tray. Guess I'll have to make more.


Here's a shot of the separated handle. It was fine out of the bisque. But I formed the handle with a twist in it and it must have wanted to go back to it's straight shape. I notice many potter's put their handles on the inside of pieces, but I like the handles on the outside because it's easier to wash. Other handles I've made like this didn't come off, but this one did. I need to work more on my handle shapes.


The moonlit forest tray is another disappointment. It's 2.5H x 10.25W inches. I noticed some surface cracks in the clay before the bisque and I smoothed them out. They didn't show in the bisque, but came back again after the glaze. I do the slip work and then form up the sides. The B mix clay must have been too dry to bend at that point.


Here's a shot of the hairline cracks. They are only on the surface and don't go through to the bottom. Clay has a memory, too good sometimes.


This round tile is part of a mixed media grouping, but I made it so long ago I forgot what type of clay it was. It was supposed to be green, but the speckled stoneware clay turned the crackle glaze to an ugly brown. Maybe I can use the group for something else. Since I'm using several different clay bodies I might have to have a code letter on the back of each piece to remind me when I glaze them.


Not much else in this load except these glaze tests. The large trays and bowls take up a lot of room in the kiln. I suppose if I had ten of one thing and one was bad it wouldn't be so hard to take. When I have only one of something then it seems harder.

I think I'll start making multiples with different colors of slip deco or glazes, and refine and make improvements in the shapes where needed. Of course I say that now, but you know how I am, always trying something new. If you missed my previous post, there's a thanksgiving giveaway with a twist. If you win, I send the gift to someone else you choose. That's it for now.

Happy Thanksgiving Giveaway

No turkey's around here, well maybe one, but I'm not saying who. But the other day at the post office I saw this Brahma resting in an adjacent field. The Brahma looks so peaceful lying there, as if in meditation. I wish I could have gone up and pet the cow. Apparently this breed of cattle is very docile, can handle the heat better than other breeds, and both male and female can have horns. So, no bull, I don't know if this is a bull or not. But it doesn't matter, the Brahma is beautiful lying there basking in the sun. Now every time I go to the post office I look for the Brahma.


In the spirit of giving thanks, this is a giveaway. I will be giving away the Fossil Shell Pinch Bowl above. I chose this bowl because you can feel my thumb prints in the side of the bowl. This speckled stoneware bowl is glazed in an matt blue and gold exterior and a lavender matt interior and is 3.75 tall by 4.25 wide in inches.

BUT - I'm changing the giveaway a little bit. Make a comment here and tell me who you'd like me to send the bowl to and why. I'll have Gary pick one person's name out of a hat who leaves a comment on this post and will send the bowl via the USPS to whomever the winning person chooses. If your name is chosen you must email me the name and mailing address of the person you choose to send the gift to. Comment cut off time is Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Fresh Out of the Kiln

Here are a few results from this firing. The vase above is my favorite. This is the vase I 'saved' and it's kind of wonky. I think Lori of Future Relics Pottery said that 'saves' sometimes turn out the best; how did she know?


There's lots of textures and subtle colors in this vase.


The white matt on this textured pitcher is supposed to be a blue; I think the clay body changed the color. There's a clear over the rest.


More subtle colors and textures on this vase.


The glaze is a little thin in places on this vase.


I used translucent cream instead of clear over the slip deco on this vase, I like this glaze. I put a flower in the inside bottom of the vase and on the outside bottom which are nice surprises. I'll do that more often. I have a large serving bowl and four small bowls with this same slip pattern ready for the next bisque.


This is my second favorite piece. I wanted the squares to look like the sun was reflecting on the window panes of a tall building. The window panes look like they're out of focus even in person. Sort of an optical illusion. Every other pane is a different color glaze.


The glaze on the round sprigs flashed onto the background of this wall tile, not what I wanted.


This platter looks like a misty night sky, kind of cool.


I used the translucent cream over this plate too. There's a lot of depth in this one. Perhaps a little busy, like a tornado blowing leaves might be.


I applied RIO to greenware and glazed with a light green glaze, but the clay body changed the light green to olive green, not what I was after, but I like the texture on this big bowl.

I had one wall tile crack; I think it was too thin. I used sand underneath the tile, but perhaps not enough. I have a couple of mixed media wall hangings to put together and I loaded another bisque. The thin cake stand is in this bisque; hope it makes it. I still have more greenware to fire but not enough for a full load; those will have to wait.

I'm working on my wall tile booth display. Oh, please learn from my mistakes and don't paint your pottery booth stands, the paint chips too easy, use stain. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Pinching On A Blue Moon

I'm pinching on a blue moon while I take stock of what I make.


Here's a pinch planter with a tray to go with it. I used Florida clay slip and will leave these au naturel, no glaze. I have a few ideas for more pinch planters.


The size of these pinch pots was dictated by the size of the leftover balls of clay. The one with the holes I hope to use when I take the pine needle basket class. I want to weave pine needles around the top. Not sure what the little ones can be used for, perhaps cone incense. They're only about 1.5 inches in diameter.


There's something wonderful to me about making pinch pots, somehow meditative. Actually working clay no matter what the shape or size is meditative, but the pinch pots more so. The kiln is on the slow cool down now. Probably won't be ready to open till late Monday. I'm still working on the glaze post.

Thanks to Teresa Evangeline for the reminder about the Blue Moon tonight. Happy Blue Moon to you all.

Florida Avocado

Having just returned from taking part in the first farmer's market in Inverness, Florida, which was a great success, I was famished. Being an almost native California gal, I am well accustomed to avocado. When I was a kid we lived in Southern California and were lucky to have avocado trees on our property. It was there I gradually learned to appreciate the mild flavor of avocados.

Since it's Florida avocado season, I purchased one at Skoors Fresh Produce Market, where I recently signed up for their organics to go program. The avocado was huge, almost five inches across. As a comparison, the plate the avocado is sitting on is eight inches square. It was firm when I purchased it, but ripened on the counter in a few days. As evidenced by the photo, which I took after I ate it, the Florida avocado was delicious. Sometimes hunger takes precedence over photography. I had half for lunch and the other half later this evening. Gary is allergic to avocados so I only purchase them occasionally.

Eating avocado has the purported benefit of lowering cholesterol in the blood. Avocados are high in fat, but the good kind of fat. About 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K. Avocados also have a high fiber content. Avocados, however, can be toxic to some animals, so the fruit is best left for we humans to consume.


I finished glazing and loading the kiln, and will fire today. I have two vases which are too tall for the kiln. For the bisque I fired them on the floor of the kiln, but for the glaze I didn't want to put them on the base of the kiln. I might have to take them to someone else to fire. But they don't fire with a slow cool like I do? What do do? Up next I'll post about my glazing techniques, so stay tuned.

Cake Stands

Several months ago I attempted to make a cake stand. After comments about the difficulties, like warping which can occur, I was really worried about the glaze firing. But you know how I am about challenges; I decided to take on the cake stand challenge.

Amazingly, my cake stand made it through the bisque and glaze firing. Thanks to Michele for her suggestion to dry it upside down. I attached sprigs on top of this first cake stand so the sprigs kept it from lying completely flat. However, I think a little wabi sabi is desirable with this earthy style cake stand.


For the next cake stand I decided to modify my original design; I added a lip which hangs down. This change allows me to dry the stand lying upside down and completely flat. I put in the middle flat circle thinking the addition of this extra clay piece helps support the large expanse of the top plate when it's fired. I'm drawing these circles freehand, perhaps I should invest in a compass. What do you use to form your clay circles?


I decided to use the same terra cotta clay since I had success with it the first time. Here's the bone dry cake stand (boy that black background makes the clay look white), a little sanding and it was ready to be fired the other day. Once I perfect my design and firing of these stands, I'll make more with other types of clay. I just pulled this one out of the kiln and it made it fine.


Here's the top of the cake stand. I brushed the rutile blue glaze in a circle and I like how it seems to swirl around.


Meanwhile I couldn't wait, and decided to make another cake stand with stoneware clay. I made this square cake stand (drying below in the closet) with cut off corners and a dental impressed design along the edges. The top, which is drying flat, looks a little thin to me, we shall see.


Here's the square cake stand turned upright now that it's bone dry. Cake stands aren't easy to turn upright when lying flat. I have to handle it gingerly and hold my wrist and arms flat so I don't impede the expanse of the top when I turn it over. I should do a video if I could figure out how with my camera. After this next two rounds of bisque and glazing, that might be my new challenge, learning how to make a video.

The square cake stand was too tall for the space I had in the kiln today, so I'll fire it next time. It really does look thin. I dried the stand on cardboard and it has a slight curve to the top. Maybe that's the camera, I'll have to put my small level on it. Now I'm using wallboard and I learned a tip about drying pieces on newsprint paper from Gay so I'll try that with the next one.


I've been thinking of several design possibilities for cake stands, geometric shapes and bright glaze colors. Stands can be used for other types of food besides cake, like cookies, tortes, appetizers, fruit, or cheese and crackers. It's food elevated to a whole new level (couldn't resist the phrase). Please cross your fingers for the firing coming up in couple of days for this square cake stand.

Sea Series

My intention is to have several groups of pottery, each from a different series, shown together in my art fair booth. I grouped this sea series together so you can see them as a whole. The first six are from this firing and the remainder are from previous firings. I've been working on a few pieces from each series for each kiln load of pots I've been firing.


I have a large mixed media wall hanging for this sea series which I still need to put together and some ornaments I need to string. So the series is coming together slowly.


This platter has subtle colors of matt and pale cream with shell impressions but it was difficult for me to photograph to pick up those subtleties.


I think some little black shells down the front of this one would have tied the matt coral and black colors together better, next time.


This vase has a couple of spots where I didn't get coverage on the glaze, do you think it's worth re firing it? The shell impressions remind me of broken shells tossed about in the sea.


This sea creature bowl was glazed with crackle glaze and it has bubbled and shivered off. I have several test tiles where it did fine in the same load, but they weren't as textured and they were lying flat on the kiln shelf. I am not sure why it works on some pieces and not on others. Perhaps the glaze needs a hotter firing and those flat on the shelf do better? This bowl would have been nice with the lavender or matt blue glaze, too bad I didn't choose those glazes. Oh well, next time. Not sure I can ever recreate this shape again though.





In the previous post were pieces from various series; I think the pieces are better grouped together when viewed. Loading another bisque today, then getting the lumber to build a system to hang work for my art fair booth. Coming up I'll have a post about some of my test tiles and a post about cake plates too, so stay tuned. We got some much needed rain yesterday, boy was that refreshing.

Some Subtle Some Bold

Unloaded the kiln, some subtle, some bold.