Pottery. Photography. And All Things Handmade.
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 →
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I love that some of my pottery pieces are going to new homes! Also on Etsy. . . I can vouch for each shop. I have shopped at each one. Wonderful products! Wonderful people!
Our grandson looks quite swanky in his "Easy as Pi" shirt from Swanky Shank on Etsy. I love the play on words as well as the design. So creative and fun! It took some coaxing before our grandson would let me get a picture of him in his swanky new shirt. He relented by asking... Continue Reading →
All my bottoms are waxed and ready to glaze! I can hardly believe this is my last big batch of pottery for the 2016 throwing season on my back porch. Aside from my most popular item, pet dishes, I made a few new things this year: Organic Molded Bowls (To be listed soon but you... Continue Reading →
My newest pieces: organically shaped bowls made from a slab of clay slumped over a plaster mold. They are becoming my favorite to make. I can roll out a slab of clay, slump it over a plaster mold, walk away to do something else! Within 20 to 30 minutes, the clay has dried out just... Continue Reading →
I wish I could say summer 2016 is going at a snail's pace but it is not. It is hard for me to believe the end of July is upon us. Next thing you know it will be Christmas! That said, a lot has been happening in and around the back... Continue Reading →
Bisque firing today! Meanwhile, the zucchini, squash and cucumbers are doing well. Soon we will have bowls for zucchini bisque, squash bisque and cucumber bisque!
As any potter will tell you there is always an element of anticipation and surprise when you open the kiln after a glaze firing. A couple of weekend ago I glazed and loaded the kiln. I tried a few new glaze combinations; some I liked and others I didn't and will not do again! (I'm... Continue Reading →
Is watching clay dry as exciting as watching paint dry or grass grow? Believe it or not I have done all three. WATCHING CLAY DRY WATCHING GRASS GROW While the clay dries, I look out to our yard. The lush green grass (and clover) inspires me to practice taking pictures of, well, grass. A... Continue Reading →
Warmer weather has arrived which means I was able to play in the mud this weekend! Had time to play, too! Now it is time for some garden fresh strawberries with whipped cream (from a can)! Summer is here!
My most recent project came as a request from a dear friend: a whimsical clay plaque with one of her most cherished quotes from one of her most treasured children's book Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney illustrated by Anita Jeram . I took special care in creating a design by playing... Continue Reading →
Happy New Year! A new week! A new day! Hooray! I made no New Year's resolutions. In fact, a long time ago I resolved not to make New Year's resolutions. Instead I decided to make daily resolutions or, as some may call them, daily affirmations. Daily resolutions are much less daunting. The intent is for... Continue Reading →
I am happy to announce my newest items I am adding to my Etsy shop: whimsical wall art plaques! I am thrilled to be able to continue to work with clay inside this winter where it is nice an warm as opposed to my back porch where it is very cold, icy and snowy this... Continue Reading →
The kiln is loaded. Ready to bisque fire tomorrow. Bisque firing is the first firing at a low temperature. This first firing prepares the clay for glazing by removing all of the moisture from the piece leaving it porous but hard. The bisqued pieces are then ready for glazes. After the pieces are glazed, they... Continue Reading →
Below are pictures of a few things I made this summer on my back porch. All are available to purchase on Etsy at Back Porch Studio: Winter is on its way. Time to move all my pottery stuff inside. I did, however, find something new to keep me busy and out of trouble through the... Continue Reading →
Despite the torrent of rain, I was able to throw some pots today! At this point, I wait until the pet dish is dry and stable enough to take off the blue bat. Then I wait some more until the pet dish is dry and stable enough to finish (clean up) the bottom. The next... Continue Reading →
I have not had a lot of time for pottery this year. That is not to say I have not been busy. Our grandson comes over every day. His little hands are busy as well as his mind exploring the world around him. While his hands are busy, my hands are busy clicking my camera... Continue Reading →
This summer is filled with sandboxes, wading pools and playing with dump trucks with our first grandchild! Needless to say pottery has taken a back seat. Oh I'm still throwing! My production is just not as quick this summer as in past summers. Sales on Etsy are going strong. In fact, I just finished an... Continue Reading →
I test fired the kiln this week to make sure it is in good working condition. I am happy to say I'm back in production!
Over the weekend we brought my pottery wheel to the basement from the man cave (a.k.a. garage). Wheel maintenance will start this week to make sure everything is in tip top shape for this throwing season. The first thing I need to check out is why the wheel head continues to rotate when the foot... Continue Reading →
It's that time of year where I reclaim the earth one bucket at a time! I wedged 20.5 pounds of clay yesterday. The balls of clay (see photo above) are ready to be thrown onto the wheel and molded into something spectacular! Sadly, though, I'm not in tip-top shape. (And it's still pretty darn cold... Continue Reading →
Back Porch Studio 