How Will?

How will it look? This is one of several bowls that I'm making. The pattern is the outline of a baptismal font at the Episcopal Center at Duke University. It's a wooden font and I'm making several bowls-- one of which will be the bowl for the font.

Each bowl that I've made is a bit different. One of the challenges is to guess how much they will reduce in size when fired. 12% more or less. Time will tell. This one in the pic above is drying and getting ready to be fired in the bisque kiln.

This bowl has been fired in the bisque kiln. It's all ready for glaze to be put on it.

These three are awaiting the bisque kiln. The one on the far left is a flowerpot. It's been fun making big forms recently. I am more familiar with smaller forms so this has been a great challenge!

I decided to glaze two bowls in similar colors. This one has blue/green celadon as its base and then I poured some alfred's blue on it as shown above.

Decided to put a bit more blue on this one. Only one will be big enough for the font. The other will find a new home somewhere!

I intentionally put the blue on the bowl to allow it to drip on the sides, some of which will show on the font and some of which will not. These bowls will enter the gas kiln on Wednesday and be out next Saturday. Fun, fun! I'm eager to see how they turn out. How will they look?

Change and Glazing

In a world full of change, it is peaceful to just glaze. I began with sifting a bit more of the wood ash that my dad gave to me.

Ended up putting a bit of the wood ash on the chalice that I made. Dipped the chalice in spotted shino first and then put a bit of catherine's oribe on it. On top of all that, I sprinkled a small amount of soda ash. Then glazed this big bowl on teh left- and the plate on the right. Both have blue/green celadon and then alfred's blue poured on them.

Here are two others I glazed. Plate on L: spotted shino and catherine's oribe

R: blue/green celadon and catherine's oribe. The vase on the right has writing inscribed on the outside of it. It's a kinda test vase; I wonder what that glaze combo will bring.

Wish there was time to do more of just this... rest! These are gorgeous sculptures that my friend, Minke created. I think they show a good image of what it means to be in God's care. I like it... a feminine image of God. Tomorrow, I'll find a better place for these in my place. Peaceful...

I'm still recovering from being sick last week. Just haven't had much of an appetite. Did get hungry for this, though.

Much to do tomorrow; so little time.

I'm determined to spend more time in the studio tomorrow.

Goal: make a big bowl using a new clay: little loafer's!

Big Bowls

Took a few more not-so-good pics of this bowl that I made recently. These pics reminded me that I REALLY need a new camera. Even so... they show a bit of the variation of color on the glaze on the outside.

And one of my favorite parts-the drip that just 'happened' on the foot. I'll use the blue/green celadon as a glaze more in upcoming pieces. While it was difficult to wipe off the white slip after I brushed it into the etching, the result was good. One of the hardest parts about this process is waiting for the right time for each step-- how dry the bowl is during the process is crucial.

Well, the bowl has found its new home, yet I may take a few more pics of the inside of it. Since making this bowl, I've been commissioned in a sense to make a bigger bowl, so big bowls are in order these days.

One more pic... thanks, Adrienne for the insight about glazing. Now, I'm thinking of making a set of these... hmm- cereal bowls!

Anyway, I've made four BIG bowls now. The challenge is that I need at least one to be a certain diameter and it's hard to gauge with the pottery reducing about 12-14% what the actual diameter will be. Of course, I can't predict exactly.

That is why four bowls are in the making. Each are different forms-- I'll explain the 'why' about this process soon. I hope to spend some more time in the studio this weekend. Last weekend I was sick... and well, work has been quite busy recently. More soon.

Good Things Come...

This bowl of mine came out of the gas kiln today. I tried new glazes, thanks to my instructor's recommendations. I'm so happy with the result!
Glazes: All of it dipped in blue/green celadon; Part of the inside was dipped with alfred's blue. The result is a purplish blue hue... wow!

The outside also had words etched into it all around the bowl. Hard to see in this pic, but there's a drop of glaze at the bottom of the foot. I love it!

I did the etching during the leatherhard stage and then brushed white slip into the words after they dried a bit more. Then, I wiped off the excess white slip. A LONG process. but so worth it. I'll take some better pics tomorrow. This bowl was worth the wait and now it's onward to the one for whom it was made in the first place-- a couple weeks late!

Good things come to those who wait.