Wrapping it up for this Term

The end of the term always comes too soon for me, and the Christmas and New Years break is always too long.  I dread being locked out of the studio for the whole of December and first half of January.  It is a truly bleak time of year.

Tomorrow is the bisque deadline, and I have been away from class for two weeks now, since I had the raku firing last weekend, and had my personal life interfering with my pottery the last two Wednesdays.  So my extruded clay was pretty stiff, and the slabs would have been too dry if I hadn't already snuck into the studio yesterday and added wet paper towels and re-wrapped them in plastic.  Fredi had encouraged us to make a set of stacking containers, and today I decided to give it a try.  I think the result is pretty good (better than I expected, actually).  I made two containers, the top one with a very nice fitting lid :

I really like how the stamping worked out, and I have a different stamp on each side, to make it easier to assemble the stack.  Pretty clever, right?  I wasn't sure what type of handle to add, the stamp on the front is a tree design, so I played with making a small tree to add on top, but that didn't work too well.  It was my friend Janet who suggested I just make a branch, since it fits the nature theme of trees and flowers.  I really like how the branch worked out.

I have a feeling this would go very nicely in a wood or soda firing.  But I don't have any scheduled any time soon.  So I'll need to decide whether to save this stack for a future firing.  But I won't be able to rush it through this term anyhow (the bisque deadline is tomorrow, and the glaze deadline the following weekend).

Anyhow, I also trimmed up two vases I had started previously.  It seemed to take forever (over an hour, anyhow), to trim up those two vases.  But I'm relatively happy with the results.

I wasn't really supposed to start anything new, and didn't have much time anyhow, but I ended up throwing two small items, which could become mugs or just vases.  I tried an idea I saw on Instagram the other day, to press in some of my brown trimmings into the white clay.  But I think I'd need to apply a bit of slip next time, so that they stick better.  And I guess I forgot to take photos.

I also threw a very beautiful half-sphere bowl, which I intend to trim smooth on the outside, so it will double as either a slump mould or hump mould.  I have lots of ideas already for how I want to use it.

I did remember to take photos of a couple other small items I was also working on, but I can't post them yet, as one of the items is also destined to be a Christmas gift.  So I think that's it for now.

I have two more sessions, Wednesday and Sunday, and more items to glaze than I'll probably get done in that time.  But I'll do my best to at least get all the mugs going, and the leaf plates.  Since those may be items which would be of interest to Hemlock Coffee (Agassiz) patrons.

More Finished Items : Plates and Totem Pieces

I really enjoyed making some stamped dinner plates (salad plates, once they shrunk!) this session, and was really curious to see how the glazes would work with the dark chocolate H440 clay. 

11) This plate started as approx 1800g of H440 clay, and stamped with one of my hand made stamps.  It is a pretty deep plate, something between a plate and a bowl.  Perfect for pasta.  I added Black stain to the impressions, and then glazed in Bamboo.  I like how the Bamboo breaks over the brown clay, and the freckly iron-rich texture shows nicely.  I think this is my favourite glaze so far on this clay.  But I look forward to experimenting more.

12) This is also the H440 clay, glazed in Deep Blue and Amber Celadon (overlapping).  A bit darker than I usually like, but I love how the Amber Celadon breaks over the carvings on the edge.

13) Least favorite glaze on the H440 : Ash Yellow.  I think I intentionally stirred it lightly, so the Ash Yellow would apply a bit thin.  So it turned out a bit mottled yellow and brown.  Not too bad, but not my choice of colors. The plate itself is pretty nice, with again the hand made stamps decorating the edge.

I am really pleased with the shape and weight of my plates, and really look forward to making some with pedestal bases, likely in the new year.

14) This fig leaf is an absolute beauty.  Too bad it's for my future garden totem, rather than a trinkets plate.  It is made from B-Mix clay, and my notes say that I applied Deep Blue glaze to the cracks first, and then dipped in Tam's Green.  And I have a sad face indicating that the Tam's Green went on a bit thick, and was all crackly.  But there is no sign of that now.  It is beautiful, with a rich veining.  There is a bit of the kiln shelf stuck to it (see bottom left), but I should be able to easily grind that off.

These next four pieces are extruded sections of B-Mix clay which I will use for another garden totem.  I really like how all of them turned out.

15) It's funny, but the Davidii involucrata leaf imprints were washed in Green overglaze, but since they were waxed (so unglazed), they went black rather than green.  I had that same thing happen a long time ago while I was playing with little leaf pendants / beads.  But there isn't much I could do about it, as I really wanted to keep these unglazed.  Another time perhaps the whole piece could have a green slip applied before adding the leaf imprints, to get actual green.  Anyhow, the remainder was dipped in Amber Celadon.  Lovely result.  I think this would work great for some mugs next Spring, when all the leaves are fresh and available again.  It's pretty slim pickin' at the moment.

16) This piece also turned out nicely.  It is the imprint from Japanese Anemone leaves.  It was glazed in Tam's Green, but it seems to be thinly applied.  I like how there are fall yellows and browns on that bottom corner.

17) This piece features the mosquito geranium from my friend Beth, and a texture from one of my hand made stamps.  Funny but when I first saw it, I thought "newspaper", and my son said the exact same thing when he saw it.  It is Black stain in the textures, and then Celadon.  I will use this combination again!

18) This one looks very similar to (15) above, but here I used Black stain in the viburnum leaf imprints, and then Amber Celadon where I hadn't waxed.

Most of my other pieces are now awaiting glazing.  So I hope to move them along on Wednesday, as the studio is closed this weekend for Remembrance Day.  Then I have probably very few I can finish up or start, and get done by the end of the month, when the studio closes for the Christmas / Winter break, and doesn't reopen until January.

Raku Results

I think my photos from the actual raku session on the weekend may be better than the ones I took today.  Even though the sky was relatively bright, I didn't seem to be able to capture the vibrancy and iridescence in the colors well today, even after making some color adjustments while editing.  But here they are, anyhow :

1) My notes says that this piece was thrown from reclaimed clay (a combination of Columbia Buff with Grog, WSO, and B-Mix).  The raku glazes include : #5 Red Bronze Lustre, #6 Patina, 881 Oxblood, #1 Ferguson Turquoise, #2 Copper Red, and then I did a few pieces in Yellow and Purple underglaze, with White Crackle glaze over.  I really like how the yellow and purple pieces turned out.  There are also some shiny copper pieces which I was pretty happy with.

2) Same reclaimed clay and similar approach, except I didn't cut out any puzzle pieces on this one, and I like the robust shape of this one a bit more.  it was finished in the same raku glazes, except I also did a couple of pieces in White Crackle glaze.

3) This one is not a vase, it is a closed form, with Davidii involucrate (dove tree) leaf imprints, and cutouts.  If it was more open, it could serve as a candle holder, but this one is just a decoration / centerpiece.  The colors are much more beautiful than in the photo.  It was thrown from Columbia Buff with Grog clay, and finished in the #2 Copper Red glaze.  It amuses me that the glaze is called Copper Red but the result is an iridescent amber / green color.

4) This shiny Butterfly bush (Buddleia) leaf could serve as a small serving plate (e.g. for ginger for sushi), or just decorate the house.  It features a single ladybug (Oxblood, and White Crackle for the eyes), and is glazed otherwise in #2 Copper Red.

5) These 3 pendants were from a set of 6 I made a while back, from WSO sculptural clay and Davidii leaves.  The first 3 I glazed in the soda firing.  These were done in the raku firing.  If you take a look at the soda-fired leaves, they look very different.  Very different, but I think I like the vibrancy and green / black colors from the raku firing.

The remaining pieces, I have already wrapped, as they are a Christmas gift, but I already posted photos in the last post.

November Raku Session

I had all my pieces ready for the October raku session, but since there were not enough others who were ready, it was cancelled, and I had to wait a long month for the raku firing yesterday.  Surprisingly, the weather was really decent.  Cold, very cold, but clear and sunny.

I was pleased with how my pieces turned out.  Here are a few photos from yesterday's firing.

Here's a whole table of our treasures, from the 7 or 8 of us in the class.  Even though we had "Caution. Do Not Enter" tape blocking off the area, some people managed to slip in, to look at them.  One couple was pointing at my puzzle pots, and asking if they were for sale.  I answered "Not yet".

I made the shiny leaf decoration, the two big puzzle jars, 3 leaf pendants, one hosta leaf with ladybug, and 4 chess pieces.

Here's a look from the other side.  Nice colors on those puzzle vases, and beautiful shine on that leaf decoration.

The 4 chess pieces are a gift for my husband, who is a chess master.  I was toying with making an entire set, but decided to start with the 4 pieces, and see if he likes them.  (Even if he does, I'm not sure I want to invest the time required to make an entire set.)  It would have been so perfect if I could have fired them in October, as it was days before his birthday.  So now it will be a small Christmas present.  I think I'm okay, he never looks at my blog, and I'll wait until after Christmas to post them to Instagram.

I guess that's the best photos of my pieces so far.  I cleaned and waxed them tonight, but need to wait for some natural light to get some good photos.  Here is a photo of a nice one made by my friend Roma.  It is Clear crackle glaze over white clay (probably WSO) and turquoise slip.  Sweet.

I also brought home some new pieces from the Cone 10 gas firing, but need to find time and good lighting to take some photos.

Finished Leaf Plates

Continuing from the mugs which I picked up recently...  I made quite a number of leaf plates this year, as last year the leaves disappeared before I felt I had experimented enough with them.  Here are the first few which came through the glaze firing.  The photos are a bit dark, as I took them on a cloudy day, but the colors turned out more beautiful than the photos indicate :

6) This little plate is formed from an oakleaf hydrangea leaf, and features a ladybug, a gentle curved surface, and a small foot.  I glazed Deep Blue into the veins, and then dipped in Tam's Green which was not mixed well, so instead of a green / blue, it is a mottled brown / yellow / green / blue.  Quite nice Autumn colors.

7) This little plate is formed from a fig leaf, and features a single ladybug, and a small circular foot.  It has the same glaze treatment :Deep Blue into the veins, and then dipped in Tam's Green which was not mixed well.  I really like how this one turned out.

8) This little dish was formed from a hosta leaf, and features a ladybug and circular foot.  It was dipped in Ash Yellow and then Tam's Green.  Another time I may stir the Tam's Green a bit more, to get more green.  But I also like this fading browning Fall look.  I think it would make a great little plate for serving out some appies, or sushi.

9) It already snowed Nov 3, which is early for Vancouver.  So it may be a longer winter than usual.  But I look forward to building more garden totems next year, in the Spring.  This little Buddleia (butterfly bush)  leaf with two ladybugs will be part of one of those totems.  It was dipped in Matt Green and then Tam's Green.  Again, nice Autumn golds and browns.

10) Again, a butterfly bush leaf, and again, destined for a garden totem.  This one dipped in Tam's Green only, so a more typical Summer color of Buddleia.

I have a few more items in the cone 10 glaze firing at the moment, so hope to have more photos soon. Including a couple more items from the speckly H440 brown clay.  Stay tuned.