Cherry Blossoms

The cherry tree is still in bloom and won't quit showing off it's beauty. See the previous post for the tree which is inspiring me this week. I've run out of white clay but decided to make a few more pieces with colored slip decorated cherry blossoms on Highwater Clay speckled brownstone. The clay looks red now but will fire to a speckled tan color. I've shaped the piece above into a symmetrical bowl form.

The asymmetrical cherry tree bowl I made the other day developed a couple of cracks along the rim so I've patched them with some vinegar slip, we shall see. The good news is I like the asymmetrical way the tree wraps around the bowl and the contrast of the flowers, trunk and bark against the white clay.

The cabinets were delivered yesterday for my studio. They forgot to make one lower drawer base cabinet and forgot to deliver the countertop. The countertop will be delivered today but the missing lower drawer base cabinet is on order. Luckily it's a base cabinet so we can just set the countertop and wait for that cabinet and then slide the lower cabinet in later when it comes in. This weekend a friend we met in South Carolina will come and help us install the cabinets. That means moving everything out to get them in and then moving everything back in.

Yesterday Barney and Butter enjoyed the warm afternoon on the deck. Barney likes to sit up on the rail which is one and half stories up. I think Butter might have lost his footing and fallen from this level when he was hurt. He's doing much better now but is taking things very slowly. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

This Cherry Tree

One of our neighbors has a huge cherry tree in their front yard. At the base of the tree is a small koi pond. When I drive by I imagine myself sitting under the tree listening to the birds sing and watching the fish swim. Given the room to spread the tree has formed a perfect canopy over the pond. I rushed out yesterday to get the cherry tree photo since I knew rain and winds were expected and thought the blossoms would be all but tattered after the storm.

I was inspired to make a bowl with a cherry tree drawn inside. First I started out with the trunk. Mine isn't symmetrical but it will suffice for my purposes.

 Next I added a dark color of pink for the blossoms.

Then I added in the second lighter color pink. Later I placed the round form into a bowl shaped slump mold. I wasn't happy with the shape in the mold, but we shall see.

A. E. Housman (1859–1936).  A Shropshire Lad.  1896.

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now

LOVELIEST of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. Now, of my threescore years and ten,         5 Twenty will not come again, And take from seventy springs a score, It only leaves me fifty more. And since to look at things in bloom Fifty springs are little room,         10 About the woodlands I will go To see the cherry hung with snow.

I saw the bare branches in winter and wondered what variety of tree it was and now I know a small portion of this cherry tree. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.