Pottery. Photography. And All Things Handmade.
The back porch has a half dozen handmade pet dishes filled to the brim with cool fresh water. I made them just for her, Miss Kitty. She prefers drinking from the Tonka dump truck. It used to be our son's now it's our grandson's Miss Kitty's. So, I keep it filled with cool fresh water.... Continue Reading →
Over the past few months the need for a shallow cat dish became apparent. Miss Kitty,17 years young, refused to eat out of her regular cat bowl. I thought it was her food but learned it was her food dish. She developed whisker stress. Whiskers are extremely sensitive, and when a food bowl is too... Continue Reading →
I have been working on nesting bowls this week. Each bowl is made from a slab of clay draped over clay molds I made last winter. It has taken me several tries to work out all the kinks in the process. The third time worked like a charm! After these air dry, they will undergo... Continue Reading →
Just when I was ready to throw in the towel early this month due to groggy clay , I decided to talk to the folks at my local pottery supply store to see if they could recommend a new clay body similar to what I had been using for over ten years. I am SO happy... Continue Reading →
Glazing is not my favorite part of the pottery process but when my pieces come out of the kiln, glazing is well worth the effort! Most of my pieces have two different glazes applied giving the pottery one color on the inside and another color on the outside. This process involves a combination of pouring... Continue Reading →
Glazed Bottoms or Bare Naked Bottoms? These are my newest pieces: free formed shaped bowls made from a slab of clay slumped over a plaster mold. They are becoming my favorite to make; however, when it comes to glazing I cannot decide whether to glaze the bottoms or leave them bare and naked. Which do... Continue Reading →
Opening the kiln after a glaze firing is pretty exciting. It is as if it where Christmas! I was very pleased with these glaze results minus a few minor clay and glazing technique glitches which I won't talk about yet. Right now, I'm am enjoying these colors . . . eye candy for the potter!... Continue Reading →
I am getting ready for my 2nd glaze firing. I am trying to be more meticulous about the glazing process and spread it out over a few days rather than do it ALL in one day. When I try to do ALL in one day, I grow tired and very impatient which is not a... Continue Reading →
When given lemons . . . . . .make lemonade! Save
Well, this is a first! Apparently one of our cats took refuge in my drying box . . .on a bowl! LOL
Over the winter, my thoughts turn to solving pottery problems, learning about new ideas and techniques. One reoccurring problem I have had was making large pet dishes (8 inches or larger in diameter). In almost every single instance, I would ruin the pet dish when taking it off the bat. It wasn't until I had... Continue Reading →
