Adventure

When we were on the cruise, I spent a lot of time sketching. One of my sketches is of the wooden panel by the bar. The panel has a port hole in it. As I sketched, I thought about how some people just look out at adventure and some people go out and experience adventure. May you experience adventure.

Farther down is another box based on this sketch. That box is made from high fire clay.

Raku Peas

I tried my first raku firing yesterday. I used pine needles, pine cones, wood shavings, paper and palm fronds. I'm not fond of the palm fronds. The nasty things left cuts and slivers in my hands when I tried to pull the leaves apart.

You'll find more raku photos if you scroll down a bit.

Great idea, not great results

I used a bulb syringe to make the squiggles inside this bowl. Unfortunately, I used a really ugly green slip. Next time, I'll use a smaller opening on a syringe and a nicer color. I like the idea, I just don't like the execution on this bowl.

Spodomene bowl with ocher celadon rim

I hadn't expected the ocher celadon to run the way it did, but I like how it turned out.

Spodomene bowl with teal rim

The teal ran, which I expected. I like what it did with the glaze. It's not teal, but it is interesting.

Raku Bowls

Prison

I was working on getting ready for a trial and wondering how on earth I was going to let a jury know just what being inside a prison is like when an image flashed into my head. That's how this piece came about.

I leave it to you to figure out why this represents a prison. Perhaps your interpretation will be far more interesting than mine and it's certainly as valid as mine.

Sometimes, the theory goes all wrong

I wanted to try a saggar firing. A friend said she has been using flower pots as saggars. Unfortunately, not all commercial flower pots are created equal. The ones I chose won't withstand firing to Cone 03.

I had used copper, steel wool, and oranges in assorted combinations in the pots.

I nearly cried when I opened the kiln door. As bad as I felt about having my work destroyed, I felt even worse about destroying two pieces one of the grad students made. I waited until the rest of the class and my teacher arrived before unloading what was left of the flower pots.

Not a single piece inside any of the pots was broken!

Unfortunately, I was under the impression that terra sig could be put on bisqued clay. Perhaps it can, but it can't be done on the clay I'm using. And so I have instant antique pots.

If I ever do this again, I'll try throwing bowls with lids from high fire clay and using the bowls and lids for saggars.

Saggar Buttons

Bowl with steel wool

Bowl with copper

Bowl with copper

Peace

Jim's New Boxers

These are Jim's newest boxers. Love the exercising pigs.

Butt ugly, but the handle feels good

No, this is NOT a great mug. It's ugly. But.... the handle actually feels good in my hand. From this mug, I learned that I need to put U-shaped handles on mugs. That's what feels good in my hand. I learned that a wide handle isn't always a bad handle. I learned that Ghost Ranch Blue really will flow. I dipped just the edge in the glaze thinking it would make a nice little stripe. For once, this glaze actually ran on one of my pieces.

Little dual clay pot

Oops. The glaze ran - something I work hard to avoid. More crackles.

Dual colored bowl

I took some mason stain and wedged it into the clay. Then I took a glump of stained clay and a glump of unstained clay and smooshed them together. Then I threw this pot. I had to scrape off the top layer on the outside to see the swirls.

I wasn't that wild about throwing this dual clay. The stained part was dryer than the unstained part so it felt strange when i was throwing it.

I'm not sure why the glaze crackled. It may have been because someone opened the kiln too soon.

I lived in my head because it was safe

If I stop feeling, I won't hurt

That's a marginally effective approach and I don't recommend it. The hurt is still there, but with enough willpower, I can convince myself that I don't feel it.

I'm a good person. They hate me.

I am a good person, yet my mother hates me. Why? Haven't a clue. Yes, it is her loss. It's my loss as well.

If I stay quiet, I'll be safe

What to do with the bowls I threw. They aren't the right size for food. I decided I'd glaze the inside and write on the outside. This one says: If I stay quiet, I'll be safe.

I think that if I put the hurt inside the bowl, I can dump the hurt out and won't feel it any more.

Yes, I did grow up thinking like this. It probably saved my life.

Blankie

I needed to take a break from emotional art work so I thought I'd do something just for fun. Turns out this is emotional art work, too. I got out the reversible quilting book and learned how to do a reversible, quilt as I go type quilt. Then I proceeded to put an almost noticable dent in my stash of leftover fabrics. I had originally intended to make a quilt for use when taking a nap on the sofa.

When I was a little kid, my grandmother made me a quilt from all the leftover fabrics she had. I would look at the quilt and think, there's my blouse. There's my stuffed toy. There's my pajamas. This quilt I just finished is like that.

The quilt is a fabric version of comfort food, hence it's my blankie. And.... it's more emotional art.