Lots of New Work

Mahogany Basket

10 3/4 x 4 1/4 x  3 1/2 inches

Lots of new work just out of the kiln; I'm so excited over the results of these wider strip stacked pieces. I didn't glaze the exterior of the mahogany basket above because I wanted to keep the rich red color of the slip and muted stain. Now I'm glad I didn't glaze the exterior. I'm thinking a wax rubbed onto the exterior, what do you think? What kind of wax, bee's wax? Or would it be OK just leave the clay naked? Maybe spray with a sealer?

Here's what the interior looks like with a clear satin glaze over it. It's darker in person but the flash distorted the color to much lighter than it really is.

Tall Pastel Patina Tower

11 1/2 x 3 3/4 x 2 3/4 inches

This is the first pastel patina tower I made. For some reason I'm having a hard time getting this one in focus (maybe a solid black background would help). I'll take another photo out of doors when I get a chance. The colors are soft and blended nicely. Notice the two deeper creases at the bottom. I didn't mention this before but when I was making this piece it started to slump down onto itself and I thought I'd loose it. I inserted a half full paper towel roll inside and laid it down on it's side on a foam pad for quite some time till it firmed up. 

 Large Pastel Tower

9 x 6 x 4 1/2 inches

These pastel towers are so much nicer in person then in my photos. The colors are muted and the satin clear glaze gives a nice sheen to the surface. Most of these are tapered smaller at the bottom. This one is 6 inches wide at the top and 4 1/2 inches wide at the bottom.

With the stacked strip construction, the interiors are just as interesting as the exteriors. Hum maybe I should make a cave shaped sculpture, something to look into, with a small light at the end of the tunnel, but I digress. 

 Large Blue and Brown Tower

10 x 6 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches

This tower had the same red clay slip as the mahogany basket, but this is the clay the supplier said was similar to my white stoneware but it's not the same with the clear glaze over the top. Almost all of the red slip burned out. Several folks said there's an ingredient in the clay which reacts with the glaze and causes the color to burn out. Still this came out nice with it's muted colors. This piece has a hole on either side for me to add a handle. Perhaps woven reed or something similar, we shall see.

 Green and Chartreuse Tower

8 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches

This one turned out a darker green and not as blended as I wanted. I'll be working on blending the slip colors so they are more subtle which is the surface I want to achieve for the stained pieces.

 Aqua and Brown Tower

7 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 3 3/4 inches

 Textured Rose Tower

8 1/2 x 4 1/8 inches

 Mottled Olive Tower

8 x 4 inches

 Pale Green Lidded Canister

9 1/4 x 5 inches

This one is from the previous type of stacked strips. The lid was fired separate from the canister. 

Blue Gray Strip Stacked Bowl

5 x 9 inches

Now I have the painstaking process of checking these to be sure they hold water. I fill them with water and let them sit for several hours to be sure. With the stacked strips there are so many seams there's always a danger a seam might have a slight gap which mayt allow liquid to seep out. Hopefully all of them are acceptable. All in all I'm very pleased. I've got some great pieces and several directions to move forward. Coming up are the ornaments which turned out better than I thought, and more of the colorful plates I'm working on. This post is part of Mud Colony what's happening in the studio. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Handle the Handle

Yesterday afternoon I made this basket, strip stacked, slipped and stained. I hope it stays this burnt red color after firing. The color reminds me of mahogany wood. With the basket being this color I imagine it being made from thin strips of wood. After I decided to put a handle on the basket, I realized I'd have to figure out how to handle the handle. It was touch and go inserting the handle through the holes in the side and then holding up the handle till it firmed up enough.

I used some foam and crumpled newspaper to keep it from sagging. That's my cat Betty in the background on my studio table looking out the window. Thankfully she didn't interfere with my making process. Then I had to move the basket from the studio to the drying cabinet, another precarious feat. But somehow I carried it without the handle breaking or the foam and newspaper props falling out. Sometimes I amaze myself.

After it firmed up for half a day I moved it back to the studio and carefully applied the red clay slip and the stains. The red clay slip I've made from some Navajo red clay I got on the West Coast. It's really smooth without much grog at all. Now for more drying, then a bisque firing, and then a glaze firing. Lots of steps before it's finished, and there's that fragile handle to contend with. Sometimes nerves of steel are needed working with clay. Hope you are having a great weekend. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.