Oh Yeah!

The good news.  This mug!  I have been working hard to get this last kiln load out so I can finalize the images for my last two grad portfolios. When I saw this in the kiln I said "What the heck is that?"  Until I pulled it out and took a good look at it.  It is a complete accident.  I tried a different underglaze and the shino wasn't quite compatible.  Thankfully, I put the glaze on thin or I think it would have gotten sharp blisters all over it.  But, I hope I can repeat this as I am completely in love with it!  It is my absolute favorite of the whole kiln load.

The not so great news is that Kickstarter did not approve my initial proposal.  Hmmm...   I couldn't really figure out why but I think I may not have worded things correctly.  I asked them for feedback and am waiting a reply.  Perhaps I can give it another go.  We'll see.  Here are some more images of tonights kiln load.

Ok, gotta get these added to my portfolio and get some z's.

Penland and Christmas and All That

I surprised my mom today with this fun hand built, textured, oval vase.  Surprising her with potter is pretty hard, she can sniff it out like a bloodhound.  Luckily, this was cooling in a kiln and just came out Friday morning and got wrapped up in box before none were the wiser.  Phew.  She was delighted as she hardly ever sees anything from me not built on the wheel.  I really had fun with this little experiment and want to work on some more.

I blame my absence from my blog to continued work on my grad school applications.  I have most of the apps submitted and some of the portfolio's done.  I should bite the bullet and submit the portfolios but I still have time to get a few more good pieces through the kiln.  If not, I have the images ordered and ready to upload and burn to disk.  I will breathe a deep sigh of relief when they are all done and then comes the waiting part.  Ugh!

Luckily I will be too busy working to worry.  I just found out that I have been awarded a studio assistantship at Penland School of Crafts.  This it for their spring eight week concentration with artist, Kathy King.  I was so excited when I found out that it took a couple of days to get down out of the clouds.  I really can't wait to go back to North Carolina.  I had such a wonderful time last June.

Here is another fun piece I gave my mom.  She saw me making it and just had to have it.  But I kept it over at the studio for the last month so it hasn't been on her mind.

About a week ago I was able to get these three mugs into a cone ten gas reduction firing and I am in love with them.  The one in the middle is my favorite.  I dipped the shino and next time I will try spraying for more control.  I want to get more of the orange color so I need to get the glaze on thinner.  I have some more of these mugs all ready to go plus some other forms to apply the paper resist and underglaze to.  Can't wait to see how they turn out.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Catching Up

I think I am finally starting to catch up.  Maybe...  Well, I have been trying to anyway.  Taking too many naps though messes up you sleep cycle so I've got to ditch that developing habit.  Besides, I wont be able to when school starts and I don't want to have to go through withdrawals. 

My mother had a minor procedure done to her foot so I got to hang around today.  Not like I really needed to go anywhere.  Uh, wait!  Overdue library books.  Yikes.  But, as I was saying.  I finally got through sorting paperwork in the  spare room and today I made another mess.  I got into the boxes of pottery I got out of the kiln the day before I left for Fresno.  Now there is pottery all over the floor and paper piled up in a corner.  The cat likes that.

I photographed almost all of it with my new canon SLR, hehe.  Here is a gorgeous little shino chawan that turned out great.  I posted it to my Etsy shop along with some other items.  I will be posting more in the next few days.

I think I threw this with B-Mix.  It is the only one.  I wish I had made more!  I love the speckling on the inside.   I think with the next photo shoot I need to move the piece either back away from the white or use some black fabric or paper to absorb some of the reflection that is happening on the bottom of the piece.

Now I am starting to accumulate a lot of work.  I am not sure if I should just keep working to sell it on Etsy or if I should sign up for a craft fair.  Hmm...  One thing is for sure.  I have so many new ideas from the clay workshop that I'm not sure what I am going to work on next.  Decisions, decisions.  Time to whip  out the sketch book and start working on some ideas.