We finally got a bit of sun, so I could take some photos in natural light. Although it was still not bright enough, so most of them needed a bit of digital brightening.
First, I'll start with my 3 sea-themed lidded trinket boxes, from my course last Fall with Fredi, focusing on lidded vessels. I was really pleased how this set worked out, and the glazes finally worked for me rather than against me. I think my experimenting and detailed note-taking is finally paying off.
11) This octopus vessel is my favorite, and a few people have expressed interest in him already. As with all 3 boxes, it was formed from a Willamette Yellow clay which was extruded or slab rolled. It was quite a process, building the box, but by the third one I had fallen into a rhythm, and was really enjoying the process, even though quite time-consuming. I'm very happy with the fit of the lid on all of them, it feels like a good quality fit, even though the box is naturally a bit off-square. The octopus was hand built using Little John clay.
The box is glazed inside and out with Bamboo, which is my favorite glaze at the moment for the iron rich clays. The octopus was glazed by brush, four layers. Then waxed by brush before dipping the piece in Bamboo. Very time consuming. It is the new Flambe glaze, with Deep Blue glaze accents. I really like the color variations. Too bad it doesn't show well in the photos. And the eyes turned out really intense. Quite stern, and it looks like he really is looking back at you.
12) The starfish also worked out really well. It is again Deep Blue accents on top of Flambe, hand brushed and waxed. I really like how the texture shows through the Flambe, which is white in spots. It really looks like the starfish is gripping onto the box, and it makes a great handle for picking up the lid.
13) The seahorse is really cute. I like how the colors and visual texture on this one turned out also. It is Ash Yellow glaze, with Khaki accents.
14) I think this piece would make a nice footed cake stand. I started out making regular plates, but had in my mind to elevate one of them, and chose this one since it was a very large size (finished diameter is over 10"). So I fluted the edges and added the pedestal. The glazes are white (all over) and then dips on the outside with Daly Blue. I really like the soft blue color, and the purple edge that forms between the white and blue.
15) This one is also a footed plate thrown from 1700g of Columbia Buff w/ Grog clay, but it was a bit too flat to start out with, so it has drooped a bit on the edges. Still functional, but funky. I poked holes in it, as a possible piece for the pine needle weaving workshop, but didn't get it back in time. But I still plan to do some weaving on it one day, when I figure out what types of branches / materials would be suitable. My notes say that I dipped it in White and Daly Blue, but I'm pretty sure this is just Daly Blue with no White (otherwise I'd see the telltale purple color instead). The Daly Blue is quite fluid, so those concentric ridges in the center show beautifully.
16) This plate was also thrown from 1700g of Columbia Buff w/Grog clay. It is very rustic, with a sun pattern carved in the center, and is glazed in Ash Yellow with blotches of Khaki, and a highlight of Deep Blue on the back and edge of the rim. It has a double concentric ring foot, and a really reasonable weight (some of my other plates are still a bit heavy for everyday use). I am loving this result, and hope to make more variations on this theme.
17) This little mug was thrown from 700g of H440 brown clay. Then I added a white slip ("Arlynn's") around the belly. It is glazed with Ash Yellow, with Deep Blue drips from the rim. It has a wiggle wire bottom, and a really nice weight to it. I'm very pleased with the result, and it will make a good companion to someone.
For the first two ammonite wall hangings which I made in Tanis Saxby's porcelain course, I decided to apply a thick layer of stain, as I know from experience (do you remember
Sedna, who went to live with my friend Miranda?) that the iron oxide will result in a metallic finish, much like an ammonite fossil which has been pyritized.
When I went to finish the first one, there was no Red Iron Oxide left in the container, so I used the Kingsmill Wash, which is based on an oxide stain, with some other ingredients added. So I used the Kingsmill for one, and Iron Oxide for the other, so I could compare the results.
18) This one is my first ammonite, finished in the Iron Oxide. It shows a few spots of brown where the Oxide was not as thick, and I like that variation. I also love the "crud" which has collected toward the center of the whorls. It is a beautiful shiny silvery finish.
19) This is the second ammonite, finished in the Kingsmill Wash. It is also shiny, but a bit darker. I really like the result also. I think it will be an interesting challenge for me to finish each one differently, and if all goes well, I plan to use them to decorate the remaining blank wall in my office. it will be quite a statement.
20) Returning to plates, next to that rustic sunshine plate, this is my next favourite. It is thrown from 1800g of reclaimed B-Mix clay, with a pinched double rim (nice!), a spiral carved in the center, and a hand stamped border. I used Black Stain to accent the stamp pattern, and then dipped it in Daly Blue, overlapping at the center. Where it overlapped, the blue is richer. It is a beautiful color, and nice result.
21) This plate was also thrown from B-Mix, hand stamped, and a spiral added at the center. It was dipped in White and then overlapping Daly Blue, which produced the purple which I was hoping for. At the back, I did a bit of chattering when trimming, which shows through the glaze, but doesn't show in these photos.
22) This plate was thrown from 1600g of B-Mix clay, and decorated with one of my handmade stamps. My notes for glazing say "White + Daly Blue + Flambe". So looking at it, I dipped the whole thing in White, then added Daly Blue in the center (which is why it is a mix of blue and purple), and then I highlighted the stamps (which look like flames to me) with Flambe. The Flambe can range from white to red, so I'm happy I got a bit of red, but I would have perhaps liked a bit more red. More of an "interesting" result than a "beautiful" result, but at least it's "unique". :-)
23) I wasn't sure what I thought of this one when I picked it up, but it's starting to grow on me. I love the matte and rustic bronze/yellow color, and the texture of the stamps, and that gorgeous three-ringed foot, but I wasn't sure about that screaming blue center. But the more I look at it, the more I am enjoying that surprise center. The plate was thrown from 2100g of B-Mix clay, and glazed in Ash Yellow and then highlighted in Deep Blue (with a few rings of of Ash Yellow where I rubbed off the Blue, as I had initially added too much to the center). The handmade stamps hint at fossils, which complements that color and rustic look, I think. The back features a lot of chattering marks, which show through the Ash Yellow glaze, and are even apparent in the photo (bottom left).
24) And for my last piece today, this mug was thrown from 700g of B-Mix clay, and features a wiggle wire bottom, and since it just seemed to "boring" to me, a little snail is gliding across the top of the handle. I'm so happy he made it through 2 firings with his eyes intact. It is dipped in Bamboo, and then Daly Blue across part of the mug. But in this case, the Daly Blue seems to have almost disappeared into the Bamboo, leaving only a trace, which seems more purple than blue. So this is probably not a glaze combination I will try again, at least not on a white clay.
I know I still have more pieces I haven't photographed, and I hope to pick up more tomorrow, so stay tuned.
