Pottery. Photography. And All Things Handmade.
Yes, there are time differences between countries, states and cities, but I've noticed time differences affect photography. The outside light changes through the day. You may not notice the vast difference in light as the day proceeds, but through a camera lens that light difference is magnified! Pictured below is one of my newest stoneware... 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 →
I was happy to accept the Life in Black and White challenge. At first, I thought it would be hard but I found that taking a picture of the simplest things made the biggest impact in black and white.
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 →
Though the calendar says it is autumn, Mother Nature says otherwise! I am thrilled by the warm dry autumn days because I can continue to throw pots on my back porch! Most recently, I have been working on plates. I have been using a certain mid-fire cone 6 clay for over 10 years and... 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 →
Best of summer!
This is an annual move from the basement to the back porch. Luckily, this year I didn't have too many loads to lug up the stairs (12 steps). My pottery wheel stayed under wraps on the back porch over the winter. I was happy to unwrap it, clean it off and set it up! So... Continue Reading →
We have had a terrible cold and flu season. So much coughing and so much mucus (TMI, I know but still . . . so much!). This past week has been fairly mild so we went on a walk to look for signs of spring. Looking forward to planting our peas around Saint Patrick's Day... 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!
"The peas are here! The peas are here!" our grandson exclaims. Yeah! Peas!
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 →
Because the forecast called for rain today, I was hesitant about firing the kiln. (My kiln is on a covered back porch...open to the elements.) Luckily, no high winds! We had a lovely gentle rain most of the day. So, as I fired my first kiln load of the season, I enjoyed taking photos of... 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 →
It's beginning to look and feel a lot like summer. 🙂 We picked about two pounds of strawberries from our strawberry patch this morning! Delicious!
Back Porch Studio 