Pottery again

I have a number of things to finish up in the studio before the Solstice holiday begins in earnest. This is a bowl (cereal/ice cream sized)  I made for one of my Grand Sons. I ordered a speckled brown cone 5-6 clay from a supplier in New Mexico (via Amazon of all things) because I could get a smaller quantity (25 pounds as opposed to 50), and have been unhappy with the moisture level of the clay from a more local supplier. The speckles are from the clay. The glaze, I think, is close to divine. Three glazes, actually. I used this combination on several pieces. And yes. You did read that correctly. I like the glaze.

In contrast, I am not so happy with the glaze on the oblong dish. It was supposed to be a Copper Matt, and you can see that it is really Not Matt. Shiny appeals to a lot of folks, but I really prefer a matt finish, especially when there is so much texture in the piece. The glare detracts from it, in my opinion. But I know less all the time, it seems.

I've been working on consistent throwing by making these medium sized bowls. . .more snack than cereal size. I should really just measure them, shouldn't I? Anyway, again the glaze I really like, but notice the difference on that middle bowl. . .in both the glaze and the size.

No speckles, of course, because the middle one is porcelain. But it also shrunk more, and the lip was slightly deformed after firing. Not a big deal. Just instructive if I can remember it.

Below is the first tall vessel I threw as a result of taking Bill Van Gilder's "Throwing tall" online class. The piece is heavier than I'd like, but it's ok for a 4th try. The others went back into the clay bucket. It's a case of "Hate the glaze, love the glazer". Well, maybe don't love her, but don't hate her as much as the glaze might suggest.
 

Finally, I've been messing around with making some tiny birds (and a bunny) for the tree that I made for the holiday. These are fun little pieces, and I learned a lot from making them. For one thing, I need to put a loop on the end of the nichrome wire that's embedded in them so I can hang them to glaze them in the kiln. Always an issue. Glaze sticks to the kiln, so I left the bottoms unglazed, but the loop thing would let me glaze the entire piece. These guys are about 1.25" long. Very small. Very fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been especially cold, but I have a space heater in the studio, and it's such a pleasure to immerse myself in the making. The garden is resting, the heated bird bath stopped heating today, and I do worry about all of those tiny birds keeping warm enough. I know they evolved with this weather, and it simply amazes me that they survive Out There. Stay warm, Sweethearts.