Got Away From Me

The other day I set out to make a large basket. I worked with the clay too soft and it got away from me. That's the tall vessel under plastic behind this one drying nicely.

The sides slumped down on the bottom. I was so frustrated I just left the piece sitting there.

Later I thought it could be a rustic basket. Perhaps a basket that was well used and had been filled too full. I put a pair of holes on each side for a future wood handle.

Today I mixed up this dry red clay I saved from California and brushed it on the outside of the basket. I'm hoping after it's fired it will look like a worn leather basket or perhaps a worn wood basket.

We shall see how it turns out in the firing. I'll be glazing the inside but will leave the outside natural clay. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Unexpected Results from the Kiln Gods

When I got to Helen Arts Center yesterday no one was there so I unloaded the glaze and part of the bisque kilns. After firing sometimes the slip colors are lighter than when they are applied to the greenware or after the bisque. This time they're darker. I used a clear glaze over the top of the slip colors. I love unexpected results from the kiln gods.

This turquoise slip in this wall tile also fired more vibrant than I expected but I like it. I do love the color of turquoise and brown together. There are a few brown speckles in the color since I used the speckled stoneware clay to make the tile. I used a clear glaze over the slip colors. I'll hang this tile in my own home testing the integrated hanging system on the reverse to see how it performs. I plan to  make more wall tiles in the future hopefully some of them much larger, we'll see how they do..

This rustic basket glaze worked the way I hoped. All of these photos are taken on our front deck railing; the sun may have been too bright and made the foreground too dark.

This lantern was a prototype; I have several revisions for the next one. The top and sides are removable so a candle can be placed in the interior. I've got to get a candle and take a photo at night to see how it looks. Stay tuned for a few more results coming up soon; it was raining yesterday when I was getting the pots out of my car. On the way to the Helen Arts Center yesterday I saw a box turtle crossing the road. On the way back I saw a beaver crossing the road. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Baskets and Bark

Somehow I got locked out of my own facebook account while I was on it. If you see anything strange from me, it isn't me. I've got a new password now, hopefully just a glitch. Ha.

Here are two baskets from the latest firing. The rusty character of this first basket really appeals to me. I wish I had glazed quite a few other pieces with this glaze technique. A tiny piece of the handle broke off before the bisque but it doesn't affect the use and is hardly noticeable. Whoa is me, guess this basket will have to be mine.

Here's another basket glazed in the turquoise which seems out of place in a woodland setting, but for Florida or a beach cottage this could be a the perfect accent. I'm still working on how to get these pieces off of the drape mold while they're soft enough to remove but firm enough to stand upright, not an easy task.

While I was outside photographing my pots I couldn't  happen but notice the peeling bark of the river birch we planted last year because I like plants with unusual features.

Just looking at these photos makes me want to go off on another tangent with textures on pots. Inspiration for clay is everywhere. Yesterday a few tornadoes were spawned South of us by the remnants of Isaac and we've gotten some rain squalls but not much wind here thankfully. These tropical storms and hurricanes are much larger than I realized when I see views from a satellite. I hope those up North don't get too flooded. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.