Blank Canvas, You Can Almost See the Cold

I plan to test some of the glazes I use on a different clay, a speckled tan. This platter is a blank canvas. Wonder what it will be, stay tuned. These are a nice size but they take up almost half a shelf in the kiln.

I tried Michele's trick of using the saran wrap while cutting out ornaments and pendants and it worked quite well once I got the hang of it. Later I used bisque stamps or carving to embelish them.

This was going to be a tooth pick holder but it got larger. As I worked along I thought of a wall pocket but didn't want to put a hole in the back. Then I thought if I added a handle on the back it could serve a dual purpose. It can either be hung on the wall or set on a table top, shelf, or even a window sill.

 Most of these forms dictate their own shape and I go along with what the clay says.

Here's a couple of serving trays. I decided to make a few serving pieces that don't take up much room in the kiln. The one on the left is butter tray size and the one on the right could be used for relish, vegetable, or appetizers. I plan to make a few more of these. They'll stack up nicely in a cabinet.

You can almost see the cold outside; it's 13 F right now. Barney kept looking in the window the other night so I decided to bring him in on the really cold nights. I'm keeping him separate from the other two cats with his own food bowls and litter box. He's up on the bed in the guest bedroom relaxing on the crochet throw like a king. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Espalier, Decorative and Functional

Blossoms

We have a huge concrete block wall holding the bank of soil above our driveway. I'm thinking of growing some fruit trees against the wall which I can espalier. I usually prefer informal gardens but my location seems to lend itself to this type of treatment. I don't want any plants grown there to encroach into the driveway since we need every bit of space to turn cars around.

Pear Espalier

The technique of espalier was perfected by the French as both a decorative and functional method of growing fruit trees. Trees are usually grown against a wall to take advantage of reflected light and heat to extend the growing season and ripen the fruit. Various patterns are used to make the structure pleasing to the eye.

Fall Color

We're all probably familiar with espaliered grape vines but there are so many other varieties of shrubs, trees, and vines which can be espaliered effectively.

Blooms Like Snow

Ginkgo

Juniper

Espalier and Boxwoods

Jasmine

Winter

Espalier Patterns

Below is my concrete wall, a blank canvas for my ideas. It's about ten feet tall and thirty feet long. There's about a four foot section of earth where I can start the plants. What do you think? A pear tree, a peach, an apple or two. Do you have an espalier? Do you remember seeing one in your travels? What did you think?

I noticed nurseries are starting to get bare root fruit trees stocked. We shall see how far I get with my idea in this regard. Apparently it takes a lot of patience to achieve this type of treatment and several years as well. For more espalier photos click here. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.