Creative Process poster is creative

Years ago, I came across this series in a magazine and cut it out to save.  The other day, I came across it and decided to see if the artist, Chip Sullivan, had a website. Well, of course he does. www.gonzogardens.com  Under Comics & Books link he has more illustrations and published works of more of the same covering different topics related to landscaping. His illustration style caught my eye...it has so much energy and imagination. I wanted to share this set of the Creative Process. It is my favorite.

Scrap glaze

Every time I rinse out a cup or a brush that has been used for glazing, I save the settled-out minerals and put the slurry in my scrap glaze jar. For a while now, I've been wondering whether it was really worth the trouble. I've tried using the scrap glaze from the clay class but the result was a transparent glaze. I have hopes for something amazing since I've added many colorful glazes to that jar but it was not to be.

Here the result of that test. Not the colors I had hoped for but not a flat color either. The pot I used was one I made way back. It has a really rough finish but, as I recall, I was thrilled with it at the time. I'd say that the glaze suits that pot and I think the glaze will be good for pot interiors. And will I keep collecting it? Why not. Maybe it is good that it is not some amazing glaze because I would never be able to duplicate it anyway.

Crack fixed - sort of

That fern pot with the cracked bottom from a previous post did not fall apart in the glaze firing but did what I had hoped. Just enough celadon froth glaze ran into the crack to seal it shut. In fact it hides it quite well. Not so defective after all. Good or bad, the finish has a lot going on...light slip over dark slip on a speckled buff clay with carving to expose the under-layer. In the future, I will have to try variations of this technique. The kiln gods were not appeased this time. There's always a next time.....Yikes!

Boho pot

This is a "bohemian" pot I made as a gift for someone who is very special. I carved and fired stamps for the sprigs on the side. Leaves on the lid were applied and then carved at the soft leather stage of drying. The knob is reminiscent of the spires of a temple and the glaze is Coyote's shino which I brushed on because I never have a big enough bucket of glaze.

I'm Overdue!

I haven't sacrificed anything to the kiln gods lately... I'm overdue. This week I came real close. This bisque fired pot is looking good so far until you look closer at the bottom. A crack runs almost completely around the base. The bottom doesn't seem any thicker than any of my other pots so I can't figure out why. I am tempted to totally chuck it but the inside is solid looking without any cracks. Maybe if  I  glaze it pushing a little extra glaze in the crack  it will fuse the bottom in place.  The crack will still be visible but I can add it to my defective but useful pot collection. If not, that will be one for the kiln gods. Even the electric kilns have them you know.

My First Teapot

I was very pleased that the first teapot I every made came out in one piece. No cracks on the bottom or handle, a good pourable spout and a good fitting lid. Handles still need work, esthetically speaking, but overall not bad... at first.  As I used it to make tea, its streaky glaze grew more annoying over time. The glaze, however, looks better in this photo than it did in person. So I decided to refire it. Now the results looks more blended with more tans and browns and less blue with cream streaks. The situation is now reversed, since the refired teapot looks better in person than in the photo. Either way it makes for a good pot of tea.

Littlest lid

When I made the mini pot to match the large fern resist pot, I intended to make a mini lid. I finally got around to making it today following dimensions I wrote down while the pot was wet. I had just enough of that type of clay to throw it off the hump. I don't think I could have made it any smaller using my fingers. At the widest point, the lid is 1 1/4 inches. It would be very nice if it would fit but I know I am asking for trouble doing this after the pot has been fired. Do I feel lucky? Maybe?