As an attempt at personal enrichment, at lowering my levels of stress, at taking advantage of opportunities whilst they beckon, I took a sprint (shortened) ceramics class this semester. Additionally, I'm taking a horseback riding class and a class that's titled something like "American Women Writers Before 1900," which features British Women writers and male writers as well. (...?...) Thus, I am living the life. I am quite busy, but I'm also doing a ton of things that I'm really enjoying. I'm also getting a lot of snow days here and there as little gifts of justice for enduring through this ridiculous weather. On a side note, it's warm today (see: the point at which water freezes), and was snowing, but now, lucky us, it's icing and making my sidewalks treacherous.
SO! Why on earth are we reading this silly stuff? Because I'm showing you my first pot. Ever.
The first, oddly enough, is a coil pot and the second, more believably, is a slab pot. Also, in case you follow links as neurotically faithfully as I do, I did not do half of the steps on the slab pot page. It was more like: 1. roll out clay 2. cut clay to shape (optional) 3. smush clay to base 4. pretend superiority. Anyways, wanted to share (brag). It's been a bit of an uphill battle learning how this clay stuff works, and it's left me nothing short of ragingly frustrated on an occassion or two. Conveniently, now that I'm seeing the things that I've made, I'm feeling the inspiration to pay the $35 studio fee to continue that which has frustrated me. Go figure.
The pieces you've painted are beautiful! Referring to my post on the gloves ... this reminds me that maybe I am a LITTLE artistic. OK, well I'll add "I paint" to the "I sing; I cook" entry. I've painted ceramics for YEARS! (Again, your sister in law can comment on the amount of things that I've painted for my parents over the years.) I DID learn a great lesson, though, while I was taking a ceramics class with my mother in law a couple of years ago (while John was deployed to Ft. Benning, GA), and that is, when using certain typed of lighter colored glazes, that require numerous coates, be careful, as depending on the composition of some glazed, colored (read: PINK) streaks may appear during firing(!) I wish I had a picture of the platter that I'd made, but I was so frustrated with it that I left it behind as a sort of warning to other painters. AND .... if you ever feel the need to paint a bird bath... with beautiful colors, intricate designs and loads of detail work, and give it as a gift to, say, your in-laws ... make sure you either glaze (heavily) every surface that would every possibly come into contact with low temperatures ... or make sure to advise the recipients bring it INSIDE when it's cold. This is all a hypothetical scenerio of course. No really. I wasn't upset when I got the call from John's mom. saying that the entire bowl portion of the bath had neatly cracked into 4 jagged pieces. aaarrrrggghhh! BUT ... lesson learned. :) The pot is beautiful. Did you just paint it, or did you form it as well?
Pretty!
I LOVE making pottery. The whell totally frustrates me. But I love making pinch pots and coiling. I'm not as big a fan ot the slab method- but it serves a purpose.
Maybe this summer I'll see if I can find a wheel throwing course and have another go.
I meant to comment on your opotterty- but got a little self absorbed !
I love the glaze on the first pot. The line of the handle is absolutely lovely. Nice work.
THe second pot treminds me of a knit sweater. Is that intended?
Ugh! The wheel has been so maddening to learn (in 4 weeks nonetheless!). Fortunately, I'll be able to share pictures of some of my bowls and mugs in the next few days once they're fired. So, Rae, I feel for that issue. Also, the second pot is totally supposed to look knit. In order to get a stitch with any definition in the clay, I had to knit up some funky twine that I picked up at Ace. The glaze that I used was one that I could brush away and create an orange glaze (which stands in contrast to all of the green that was able to stay hidden in the divits of the stitches). Otherwise, the pot would just look unattractively lumpy.
And, Crys, I've been making everything from the beginning. It's just part of the course description. It also sounds like the painting that you've done is different from the glazing that's available to me. There is very little available in the ceramics studio for painting, and even then, it's not that fantastic.. I'd have to go elsewhere if I wanted something with ornate and lovely details on it - it would be impossible with what's available in the studio. Glad to hear that you've been able to enjoy this so much!
The pottery is lovely, Kristen. I keep making efforts to take a pottery course and they keep getting dashed (violent morning sickness, etc.). Some day. Some day.
Oh, Kristen, Lover-ly! You do such nice work. You really do have a visual artistic streak, not just music.
Now we'll have no streaking while arting!
Very nice pot and pitcher.....how much do they weigh? I DO LIKE THE SWEATERY LOOK.
Have I ever mentioned to you that my sister in law is a professional ceramics artist? She got a wheel for a wedding present! Anyhow it seems you are having fun this semester, which is good.
Jon H.
those are lovely!