Bowls and Lizards

These are my newest bowls-- what's emerging these days.  Hope to trim them tomorrow p.m.  About 2 1/2 lbs. each or so of clay.  The one in front with the rim is my new favorite.  Will make many more of those.  I must say that I do love having my own studio.  Don't need to clean-up fully- these have plastic over them and are just sitting there on my work table. 

These two have been hanging around lately.  Closest things to pets that I'll ever have.  They tend to hide in that small opening above the box and well, live there, I think.  Glad they don't scare me, although must admit they do get my attention.

These are awaiting the first bisque kiln firing.  Still need to get my garage rewired for the kiln and get that placed.  This all takes time!  In the meantime, I'm pleased with these forms.  Glad I haven't learned how to do this all!  :)  More soon.   Thanks for reading!

Miracles!

Miracles.  This white petunia just showed up in this planter these past few weeks.  No idea how it got there.  The wind must have blown a seed my way and well, it grew.  I tend to be introspective at times- and this reminds me of miracles.  Life is such an adventure.   Sometimes it is full of surprises (both good and bad) and that I think that one of the ongoing challenges in life is to look for the miracles in the everyday for they are there.  Thankfully, some have come my way and these days more than ever, the compassion and kindness of others that comes my way in a beautiful way... well, it stays with me.  It's a miracle that I'm a potter.  On the most challenging days, I love being at the wheel and the peace that it gives.  Trimmed some bowls this past weekend and planning on spending more time at the wheel this next one.
Oh, and the photo needs to be turned a bit----  still the same pic, though.
These days, I'm counting on more miracles in the days to come!  Thanks for reading and for all your support.

Plaster

Finally mixed some plaster - this is about 1/2 of the 50 lb. bag.  This all took longer than I thought and I made quite a mess in the process!  Did spray some WD 40 on the inside of the plastic container and as I write, it's drying.  The hardest part was getting the surface to be smooth and level.   And while the plaster is already pulling away from the plastic, I wonder how to get it out of it in one piece.  I must admit that I have had this bag of plaster for 6 months and while the instructions online said to sift the plaster as it goes into the water, this quickly became so tedious.  So, I just dumped it in little by little.  And it looks like it turned out well.

Meanwhile, I trimmed several bowls and made several more.  The bowls in the back are made with 3/4 lbs. of clay.  Small mixing bowls.  Tomorrow, will trim all these and make some larger ones!  It's good to be back in the rhythm of throwing clay and it's so much easier to step away from it and come back quickly!

Bowls, Finally!

Bowls!  I keep telling myself that gentleness is needed in that it takes awhile to get back into the rhythm of all this.  So for now, I've decided to make familiar forms and this bowl form above is one I'll make a bunch of.  

This second photo was the prelude to the bowl with the rim above it.  I realize I posted it in my previous blog post, but I'm showing it because it shows the subtle differences between the two.  Both are bigger than cereal bowls and have pretty thin walls- about 1 1/2 lbs.- 2 lbs.  More bowls this weekend!  In time I'll increase the amount of clay and make deeper ones.  All things in good time, I tell myself.  So thankful for my emerging studio too.  Looks to be good throwing weather this weekend- with it being in the upper 70's here.  :)
On another note, does anyone have suggestions for whether to get a gleco trap to put under the sink or not?    Wisdom?  If not.... how do you catch the clay instead of clogging up the drain in the sink... o seven better yet, clean your wheel?

Slowly

 Slowly, I'm back at it.  It's been a long road.  First, here is dinner last evening.  Grilled salmon, shrimp, and mushrooms... and my favorite kind of rice.  Yum!

 Last week I spent a couple days with my family.  This is one of my nieces.  How I love this girl!  It was such a joy to be with everyone and Lily is quite the girl.  She's 3 going on 5, at least.  She helped me try out chairs at Target as I'm looking at buying inexpensive ones for my screened in porch.  How I miss her--- and all and am looking forward to being back with them in 2 months.  I've been reminded lately that life is short.  Time with family is precious.  Take it.

 Here are the hyacinth bean plants that I posted pictures of earlier.  I've replanted them next to a trellis.  Hoping they grow and grow and grow!  Thanks, Mom for teaching me about how to use trellises!  :)

 My studio is coming along.  As you can see, the kiln still remain in the box.  Hoping to get the garage rewired by the end of May.  It's so expensive to create a studio.  I keep telling myself that good things take time.  The shelf that I bought from Sam's Club is so helpful!  I love using it.  Planning on spending some more time in the studio this weekend.  Little by little it's taking shape.  Lots of change- new clay, new place, new year.

 This is the first bowl I made today- the first one in 6 mos.  It's been a long road back; it just takes awhile to get back into throwing.  I'm rusty!  It's hard to be patient with myself in this.  This is made with only 1 1/2 pounds of clay, but it's a start.

While I've been thinking about trying new forms, I think that for now more of the familiar is best.  So, here's some more yunomis alongside one of my top five favorite ones.  These yunomis will shrink, for sure in firing at least 12%.
That's all for now.

First Ever

Well, this was the first piece of pottery that I ever made- way back in high school.  I remember the assignment to make something that has texture where you slip and score something onto a part of the vase, hence the triangles at the top.  The bottom part is a stencil kind of texture on it.  It's amazing that my parents have this; my mom actually likes it and says it's one of her favorites.  While it's hardly one of mine, I do believe her.  She uses it quite regularly as today it has tulips from their flowerbed in it.  I do like the blue glaze but that's about it.
Can't even say that I enjoyed clay back in high school.  Remember I didn't like this assignment as I just wanted to do my own thing instead and not be given parameters for what to make.  So glad I gave pottery another try 6 years ago.

Flowers Instead of Pottery for Now

While I wish I have pottery updates to share, that is not the case.  With it being Holy Week last week, I was very busy and now I'm out of town this week, so it was useless to throw a few pieces and wonder if they would dry in my absence.  So, I went to Lowe's and bought a flat of vincas (left) that were on clearance.  $4!  Bought a few trellises too and thought about planting the hyacinth bean plants on the right, but am waiting to see where there will be enough sun around my place.  So, I'll ponder that and decide when I return.

 Holy Week always wears me out.  Before I flew out of town, it was great to have some peaceful time at Duke Chapel on Easter Day after the services.  I was the only one inside at the time- and earlier there were hundreds.  What a day!

There are some days that I am more interested in getting a doctorate than others.  Today is one of them.  Not quite sure what I'd study though.  Working on a doctorate and making pottery sounds like a wonderful combination, yet both don't make money.  Such is life!  At least I'm less than 2 hours from Duke Chapel.  Love being in the university world.

 These few days while with family I do hope to have some time to read Mastering Cone 6 glazes.  It's been waiting for me quite patiently.

Found these pieces interesting.  Saw them in a store while I was in Costa Rica last month.  Evidently they're from Guaitil.  If I had more time, I'd have taken a closer look at the surface design.

I return at the end of the week and then officiate a wedding.  Somehow in-between all that, I hope to find time Happy Easter!  Blessed Passover!