Sunday, February 19, 2012

Some test photos


Here are some pots from the last firing in December.  The photos were taken on a bright, sunny day with light from a north window and no flood lights, except the last one which was in the south window with me blocking the direct sunlight.  This is definitely going to be an ongoing project.

Tea dust glaze with ash deposit.

Shino glaze with residual salt.

Tea dust cream jug.

Tea dust bowl.

Temmoku with window reflection.

Tea dust jug.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Vandals

We live in a quiet, peaceful, beautiful part of a beautiful, peaceful valley.  Coming back from errands this morning I found that the sign that leads people to my studio had been stolen by some cretinous vandals who went to considerable effort to remove the sign from its post.    The second photo is what it should have looked like.  Thankfully that one is still in place.  The scumbags also stole the sign coming from the other direction, then, to round off their fun, they shot holes in our mailboxes.  Nice.



Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Tent


So here's the first version of the tent.  The fabric is too heavy so the light doesn't come through well enough and the lights are obviously the wrong kind as they're turning a very white background pink.  I'm still getting glare on the shiny glazes but I kind of like it.  Note the clever dowel tent holder.  I have to admit the photos taken outside on bright overcast days are better.



Friday, February 10, 2012

Back in the Saddle Again

After a very long rest, (2 months) I've finally got back in the studio to work.  It's always hard to start again after a break and I will use any excuse, it seems, to avoid doing that first mug - the dishes/laundry/vacuuming need doing and maybe I should bake some cookies and oh, look, it's so late now I may as well get dinner started.  There's this little flutter of anxiety at the back of all this that maybe it won't work this time.  So a few days back there was half an hour free and I just got my butt out there and made a few mugs.  And they were ok and it was wonderful!  So then you have to go back in the next day to put the handles on and then you might as well make a few more and maybe some bowls and then you're saved. 



Thursday, February 2, 2012

New Pots!

I've been following Michael Kline's blog, Sawdust & Dirt, glad that he's returned after a 6 month absence, loving the pots on the blog and on his web site and finally taking the plunge and ordering pots from him.  And they came today!  They're much more beautiful than they look in these quickie snap shots.  We had raw veggies at lunch in the front bowl and will use both for soup tonight. 

It's always so exciting to get new pots to see how other potters deal with things like rims and feet and curves and decoration.  How glaze and slip are applied, what marks are left of the process of making.  Michael Kline wood fires and salt glazes which makes his work especially appealing to me.   After seeing his work in books and online, it's great to be able to pick them up, feel the texture of the clay, the heft and balance, the cup rim against your lips - that's how the pots come alive.