The breezeway birdhouse fired up nicely. I put two holes in the top to insert two wires so the house can be hung in a tree in the shade. Now that it's fired you can see the green underglaze circle pattern. I put the pattern on the bottom so looking up from the ground there's also a pattern to see. There's a clear satin glaze on the surface. I like this green it blends in with the tree but the purple edges make it just noticeable enough among the leaves. As I look at the birdhouse I could have put leaves and branches on the surface and it would have been camouflaged in the tree.
Will a bird nest in a swinging bird house? Actually it doesn't swing that much. We shall see; Gary hung it up for me and said it looks good in the tree. It's a little surprise in the garden. It is hanging in my sweet gum tree in the yard. I made sure it's in the shade all day long so the ceramic doesn't get hot from the sun hitting it. I also have vent holes in the sides to let heat escape and I put drain holes in the bottom.
Things are not always what they seem. Gary saw a green caterpillar on the sidewalk and immediately said it's a tomato horn worm. But I said wait, I don't think it is; because I didn't see any horns and the body looked different. I decided to look it up before we squished this fat four inch long green caterpillar. We carried the caterpillar over to the forest and he immediately started eating on a fallen leaf.
from Wikipedia
I am so glad I checked to see what type of caterpillar this was. This is the caterpillar for the Antheraea polyphemus moth, a North American relative of the large silk worm moth. A beautiful moth with eye markings meant to camouflage the fact that this is a moth. Perhaps I'll make a moth birdhouse.
Years ago when I first started in clay, I made the luna moth plate above. It's about 9 inches square, made of stoneware, and has an applied luna moth. It was fired to Cone 10 in reduction. The glaze crawled a little and I didn't get good coverage, but I was learning and having fun working with clay. And I'm still having such great fun with clay. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.
Hello Linda:
ReplyDeleteWe do so hope that your little birdhouse will find residents soon. It is such an adorable place to make a nest and does look incredibly well camouflaged as it hangs in the tree!
Hi Jane and Lance, thanks, and I made it camouflaged by accident, ha.
ReplyDeleteThe subtlety of the design and glaze on the birdhouse is superb.
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine, thanks, I never know about these underglazes and how they will fire so purely by accident, but thankfully a good one. I should keep better notes on these like I do my glazes and then I'd know. Ha.
ReplyDeletethat is a great bird house and love that you looked up the caterpillar and found him a home.
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith, thanks, I am so glad I looked it up since you know if it was a horn worm it would have to go they eat tomatoes much too quickly.
ReplyDeleteYour birdhouse is lovely - the green is so pretty among the leaves of the tree.
ReplyDeleteAnd that moth is gorgeous - so glad you took the time to look before squishing that caterpillar!
Hi Judy, thanks, the birdhouse turned out better than I thought it would, not sure ceramic is the best choice for birds to nest in but it was fun to make. I hope I get to see the moth this fall or whenever they come out. I remember I saw one with eyes in Arkansas and it surprised me lying on the ground.
ReplyDeleteWe have a swinging bird house that was hanging there unused for a few years but this year it's home to a family even though it's rocking gently in a breeze. They are fun to watch.
ReplyDeletethe bird house looks great in that tree! let us know when it has a family inside.
ReplyDeleteGood for you saving the caterpillar soon to be pretty moth. Bird house looks precious too!
ReplyDeleteEven though such a large caterpillar
ReplyDeleteis a shock, they produce lovely big moths. My daughter once brought home a huge caterpillar and we discovered it was the beautiful cecropia.
What an interesting and lovely post, Linda! The green caterpillar looks really great! I wish I had one! WOW! I can't believe that it is going to be a gorgeous silk moth which has stunning eye markings! I really hope that it will spin a cocoon in your moth birdhouse. I wonder what color it will be. Maybe a light-green one?? How exciting! I love the green birdhouse and the Luna moth plate. The red on it is very nice! Thank you for this post. I enjoyed it a lot!
ReplyDeleteHi Lori, thanks, good to know the birds don't mind one swinging, I guess a nest in a tree branch would swing too.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele, thanks, I hope a bird nests in there, that would be cool.
Hi Ms. Sparrow, thanks, how wonderful to have your daughter bring that caterpillar.
Hi Sapphire, thanks, I hope I see a moth in the coming months too, I will keep my eyes out for them. The red of the luna was high fire red and not achieveable any longer, but a luna birdhouse may be coming up soon I think.