I Did Like It!

 Last year I had to figure out how to get myself out of a non-creating rut, so I purchased some new glazes to help to inspire me. Two of the glazes were Amaco Potters Choice Cosmic Tea Dust and Cosmic Oil Spot. Now I personally am drawn to glittery things but I wasn't sure I would like the look on my stoneware creations. I used Tea Dust on a cloaked figure (pictured a few posts back) and I kinda liked how that looked. To get the best reflection of the glittery particles in the glaze, I applied two coats of Amaco Obsidian glaze and then two coats of the Cosmic Tea Dust to my small lidded pot that's 3 inches tall by 2 inches wide. It's so beautifully glittery in the sunlight. I'm mesmerized. 

The mug has Cosmic Oil Spot on the rim and sprig. I like the watery/oily look but the glittery flecks are larger. I think it's use on the mug is successful but I'll have to figure out how else to make it work. And isn't that part of the fun.

I'm Back At It!

Me, when I realize that almost another year has passed without posting to my blog!

I kinda took a break from pottery this past spring and summer. I worked on my neglected garden to grow some garlic, onions, golden zucchini and sweet red peppers. Soil needs more ammending to lighten the clay.  I'm pleased, especially since we had 30 plus 100 degree days. Love breaking records 😓 . After I recovered from covid AGAIN, I started to miss working with clay and got back to work. More to follow, I promise.

 

Happy Holidays to All

 Enjoying a cold rainy evening by the fireplace this Christmas eve. This laptop is quite the heat generator, adding to the total affect 😄. Remember to take a deep breath, relax and reflect. It's good for creativity which, in turn, is good for us all. 🌟 

Spiffy and Sparkly

 This is a statue I made just for my own amusement.  It's about 6 inches tall. I threw it on the wheel as a thick-walled enclosed shape. Once it got to be a soft leatherhard, I carved away the excess clay to reveal this figure. I carved a space behind the hands to put a crystal or a tiny bowl for an incense cone as shown here. The sparkly robes are are from Cosmic Tea Dust glaze by Amaco. I used it 3 ways: alone, layered over a black glaze and over Iron Luster glaze (Amaco). The glittery glossy black finish is my favorite. The others resulted in a dark brown glittery finish which works well in texture and adds depth and interest to another wise dark piece. 

Happy Halloween 🎃

 Photo credits go to my daughter who inspired me to make her a pumpkin that uses a tea light to heat scented oil.

I Made 2 But I Have 3

 I completed my 2 pumpkins before Halloween.  Yay! I used Spectrum Saffron Shino glaze to get a realistic satin finish. It's exactly what I was hoping for. Now the third pumpkin is a furry one. She is a very sweet neighborhood cat that comes to visit me in the garden. I named her Pumpkin and she comes when I call her. 

Power to Pumpkins

 I recently enjoyed creating two small pumpkins. Many Halloweens have come and gone and this is the first time. Before I throw at the wheel, I find I am more successful if I make a little sketch. It usually winds up on the back of a junk mail envelope. Of course, that's when I wished I had worked in my sketch book to save for future reference. Especially when I include notation of  measurements. 

Anyway, the one with the thicker, cup-like stem is an essential oil burner and the other one will be for a tea light or incense cone. I made a hole in the stem to act like a chimney to funnel the hot air or smoke. A lot of adding and subtracting of clay to the fish bowl shapes, that I threw on the wheel, was necessary to achieve realistic looking pumpkins. There's lot of detail to a simple pumpkin.  🎃