Bird designs after high firing

These plates & bowls from the previous post were fired to cone 6. I found I liked the underglaze applications best. I still have quite a bit of experimentation to do until I am satisfied with the cone 6 faux maiolica. The application of white glaze base upon which the maiolica is painted needs improvement I think. The glaze texture was lovely, satiny-smooth, after having been fired though, there was some glaze peeling before firing.

This Pelican plate is now in the collection of Brighid, Baroness

Dragon's Laire. Given to her by an anonymous friend. I've been asked

who, but my lips are sealed.

Mistress Sine has spoken for this raven bowl. I am happy with

the glazes, but would like to fire it one more time to

smooth the texture more.

All in all, I was excited by the outcomes of this firing and plan to do more without waiting to get snowed in this time.

In My Snow Island

This pelican design was done in underglazes and will be

fired with a transparent glaze over all.

During my enforced vacation/marooned status, I did get some ceramics done. I brought some bisqueware, cone 6 maiolica base, and underglazes into the house and painted birds on the bisqueware. It was so much fun.

I've noticed Canadian Geese in the air and on the ground

even during this bad weather. They are inspiring to see.

This one is painted in the style of maiolica and will be

high fired.

The Raven is a bird I am always in awe of. Wonderful

birds and the symbol of the trickster.

I used underglazes to paint the bird on the bowl, it will

be covered with a transparent glaze and high fired.

Late Winter

The end of January '08 was a time of difficult weather. In two weeks over 3 feet of snow was dumped on us and the wind blew it into impassable drifts. At one time I was stranded in my house for five days as my car was stuck and I couldn't physically walk through the drifting snow to get it anyway. It could have been a pleasant time to relax and enjoy the forced vacation, but I spent most of my time trying to find a way out.

This is a view of my pottery studio from my front porch.

The roughness in the snow was where I walked the day

previous through 3 ft. of snow, the drifting filled my path

in again overnight.

I had sufficient supplies and heat, but I didn't enjoy the confiement.

When I did find a snow plow willing to plow my driveway, the snow berms were pushed up so high I still have to back the 1/8th of a mile back to the house because of lack of turn-around space from the snow. Then shoveling the sidewalk and a path to the studio commenced.

But all is well, now I can come and go as desired.

This is Amby on the sidewalk I dug out. I was worried

about letting him off leash because I couldn't go through

the snow to get him if he decided to bolt.

Pipkin goodness

This is the pipkin and pouring bowl set I made for my son and daughter in law. They aren't interested in Medieval recreation, but love camping. This set will work well for their camp cookery.

This is what the pipkin looks like.

The side handle is hollow to help with insulation and makes it more comfortable to pick up unless it gets very hot, then a pot holder is advised. The lid has a loop handle, the cook can pick it up with a stick or end of a wooden spoon to check on the cooking contents. Finally the tripod legs are so it can fit reasonably securely over the coals.

These pots are so much fun to use.

See my October '07 post showing pipkins in use

Another travel mug

Here is another travel mug from pre-made bisqueware. This one was for my handsome middle son who likes the Goth lifestyle. I've made him several mugs with skulls so I thought I would "branch out". The leafless trees are suitably spooky. He was born in the year of the boar, thus the boar under the tree.

Some of the Christmas pottery

The mug on the left is for my dancing daughter. The Center mug was for my oldest son, and the hare was given to my daughter in law. Both the designs of the 'ram' mug and the hare cup were inspired by the special display of Medieval Islamic Art I was able to see at the Chicago Art Institute this summer. The glaze colors are modern though.

Two dimensional?
Yeah, on my part at least. I bought the bisqueware because I wanted to make the kids travel mugs for Christmas as a request, and these came with well-fitting lids. So I painted them with low-fire underglazes that I did not formulate myself with the exception of my exterior glaze, with which I am not yet satisfied. If ceramics are done right IMHO, the surface design is there to enhance the shape. With this style, my attention to the shape was secondary.

But dayum this was fun. Way, way fun. I could have yet another obsession to deal with.

This is the backsides of the travel mugs from above. All three are from Medieval Islamic ceramic designs, with a little tweaking.

My display at Mud & Spirits. This doesn't seem like a lot of space,

but my inventory was quickly replaced when a piece sold.

Mud and Spirits was fun.

Mud and Spirits has a different atmosphere, it's a very nice show. People attend because of an interest in pottery; it's not the casual entertainment wandering-around of most art fairs. Maybe it was just a good day, all around was happiness. Such a stark contrast to my weekly workday.

I picked the pooch up from the 'doggie spa' this morning. His spa is in the country and I took a short cut on roads that were even more back country. The snow had drifted a foot and a half in some places. I plowed through them with the AWD and studded sawdusts. Now that was fun (POW, SWOOSH!!), I still have loads to do in the house here, but for a while considered finding more backroads and spending the day swooshing through them. (That would have had disaster written all over it.)