Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This is a very late post, but here's a pic of my Christmas tree...I got a great deal on it and in time, it will travel to PA to be planted there at my parent's house. I'm quite proud of it and for now, it's watered and happy in my home.

Well, it snowed here in Charlotte, NC on Monday and it's been a winter wonderland since. Not like this (above pic).... out in the North Cascades where I was over thanksgiving. Beautiful in its own way though. Wish I had cross country skis... but the snow will soon melt, and well skis and ice aren't a good combo.

Back to life in the pottery world. Here is the inside view of a casserole dish I gave to my mom. The colors turned out so well and this one was my first! :) More of these to come. That's phoenix clay with blue/green celadon glaze and a then alfred's blue glaze with some tom's clear glaze on top to help it run.

Over Christmas I spent a week in PA with my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. It was a very busy week, in part because this beautiful boy, my 7 week old nephew, was in the hospital, because of a very rare and very serious bacterial bone infection. I met him in the hospital. Garrett. Please keep him in your prayers; he has a long road of recovery. Thankfully, he's home now, yet is on antibiotics and may have to have surgery on his lung if it doesn't heal. Please pray for his parents and his sister, who is sick with an ear infection and now has fluid in her lungs. She's taking antibiotics. We all celebrated Christmas in the hospital. I wouldn't recommend that location for anyone, but I wouldn't have traded being together for anything.

I returned to Charlotte and learned from a friend that she was taking a break from classes, so her shelf was available. This may not seem like a big thing, but her shelf was a couple inches taller than the one I was using and the location was better. Had a great start at the wheel. Made several cereal sized bowls and and larger one, plus a smaller plate. All in not alot of time.

This 2011 in pottery I sense more exploration coming! Making new forms.... bigger forms, and different surface design- trying new glazes. I don't know how it will all emerge yet. Time will tell! Oh, and I hope to make more blog posts. :) That's all for now.

December Days

Have made lots of bowls like this one these past few weeks as Christmas gifts-- orders from friends. It's been a busy December.

Here are a few random pictures. Above is a casserole bowl that I made.... the finished one is beautiful. Will post a picture of it soon.

The kiln was busy in December, firing a few times.

Made several teabowls--- and really liked the blues of the insides of them. That's blue/green celadon with alfred's blue on top in certain places.

The insides of more teabowls.

These are those teabowls. Some of my most recent favorite forms.

It's amazing what the variation can be with these glazes... I'll make more of these in the future. One of my New Year's resolutions? To write more posts... and keep in better touch with the blogging world of potters.

Christmas Gifts

Christmas will soon be here and I have been very busy making Christmas gifts. There are some pics of teabowls and bowls on my facebook page. Friend me and you'll see better pictures of each individual one there. I hope to put up some pictures here tonight. Here are a couple. There's various shades of blue and purple in these.... and some have a bit of red in the inside from the reduction, which has spots/flashes of blue/purple, and sometimes red. Almost all have an indentation in them- perfect for a thumb to hold.

Not enough time to be in the studio these days! Somedays I wish I could be a pottery full-time.

Today I'm mailing out Christmas gifts and orders to folks...

What fun this is!

Amy+

Bowls and Glazing

Cereal bowls drying.... Christmas gifts for my nephews and nieces. Please don't tell them! :)

The beginning of a small serving dish. Made the bottom after this pic was taken- and added handles.

Glazed a few pieces recently. This vase is one of my biggest pieces. For that, I threw two forms and then put them together. Will be good to see these finished. Blue/green celadon base with acccents of alfred's blue and then some tom's clear on top of that to help the blue run.

Here's the other vase. Ended up putting a few small glass shards on the top lip of the vase. Oh, and of course, teabowls. :) Gas kiln will be fired in the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, made a couple bowls and big teabowls. Could be for soup.... not sure what yet.

Oh, and while the color is bad, this was dinner. Breakfast for dinner! Polenta, eggs, biscuits, and bacon. Yum! This week I'll head back into the studio after a few days away and make some more bowls... These days I find myself thinking... if only there were more hours in the studio.