Studio Pottery.

Well, I guess everything I make is studio pottery. But I say that because this one really reminds me of all that wonderful mid-century studio pottery. The decoration is more varied and I played with the color a bit more than usual. I love how the green changes depending on it's application over the white or the gray porcelain. I'm really enjoying the white slip over the gray. I'm thinking I may not use the gray with black anymore, just white. It gives the work a softer, earthier feeling while still being very modern and clean.

And remember these?

My planters are finished! They all came out beautifully. Tomorrow they'll get packed up and ready to be shipped off to their new retail location.

Here fishy, fishy.

I had wanted to post about this bowl over the weekend, but mug mania (don't worry, there will be photos) in the studio prevented me from having any free time. I was thinking of making a fish bowl for a while. I had thought I would make in on the wheel, but I am so happy with how this one came out. It was made with one slab of porcelain. It is very thin and SO light. With the exception of the green interior, every bit of this guy has been carved, even the edges. Another piece that I just want to hold all day. His tale slumped a bit in the kiln and I think it helps to give him some movement. Perfect for candy or displayed on a low table.

And, oh yes, there will be more of these guys.

Feeling grey.

Today I posted a few of my 1 lb. vases, this time made from grey porcelain. What do I do with all those carved and "contaminated" bits of fine white porcelain and black slip? Recycle them and make grey porcelain, of course. Now, I use colored porcelain on a regular basis with my sculptural work (which someday I'll go into on here) but it's rather expensive to make. If I made a vase out of bright orange porcelain I'd have to charge quite a bit and I don't think your average customer would understand the price. But consider the fact that my orange stain is $30/lb. and you also need WAY more stain in a clay body than in a glaze. Anyway, my grey is practically free when you think about it that way. And I must say that it is quite lovely. It does wonderful things with the glazes and it's always nice to change things up every once in a while. I've never been a fan of working with dark clay bodies but I think that bias is from working with the rough, groggy stoneware I had to use in college before learning to make my own clay...ugh, memories of finding sponge bits and sticky band-aids in the community buckets! So here are a few of my new vases. I particularly love the yellow over the grey which turns slightly green and the cobalt, which makes a lovely, super rich, navy blue. Not quite as graphic as the other work, but just as beautiful in their own way.

Trunkt.

Well, I finally took the time to apply to Trunkt. I know I'm a bit late on this one, but better late than never. I haven't posted anymore pictures and I'm still deciding if I feel like upgrading my portfolio. But for now, you can find my meager portfolio here.

The kiln is cooling and I'll be glazing tomorrow. New work will be out this weekend. Lots and lots of vases. I've been on a kick lately. And about 7 or 8 of them were made with gray clay. You might ask what do I do with all those tiny black and white pieces that I carve away. Well, waste not! Mix it up, add a little more stain and I can make gray, black, blue...fun. It can be a bit unpredictable, every batch is a little different. Because I have no idea how gray the clay is when I start adding more color, it's always a bit of a surprise when I unload the work. This is not an exact science.
This is one of my favorite pieces made with my recycled gray porcelain. It was VERY hard to part with. Fortunately, I know the woman who now owns it, so I know she's safe.