Gazed, fired, with some gold details added, and my Pet Urn is finished. I was able to place all the ashes of my furry family members ,who have gone on over the Rainbow Bridge, inside their final resting place and sealed it shut. Bitter-sweet moments as I remembered each of these much loved souls. This was […]
I love processes! Going through multiple steps to take a material from it’s raw form and send it into something new and different. I am also facinated with using natural materials and discovering how peoples from the past managed with only natural resources to work with, no shopping online or Walmart. So I wanted to […]
Getting down to the final steps in the 2 month process, and here’s where I really need to have FAITH! I know the urn looks like a hot mess in the picture. It’s because there’s a whole lot going on here! The cat was painted with stains, so I could get more details and stripes. […]
My Pet Urn construction started with two round pots stacked atop one another. I also had to throw a lid for the top, another first time for me. The lid had to be measured to fit perfectly, with a flange on the inside to keep it from ever sliding off. The next phase was to […]
One of my hidden agendas for taking a ceramics class was to create an Urn for my pet ashes (which are currently sitting in plastic bags on my bookshelf). About a year ago I had hand built one, but unfortunately it blew up during the glaze firing. So I set my sights on […]
Back in the ceramic studio this month to expand on my basic wheel throwing skills. In this session we are increasing the size of the vessels by combining smaller thrown pieces together. I’m pretty sure this is the only way my pieces are going to get much larger. I’ve found that softer clay […]
In ceramics, form is very important. After all, this is a 3-dimensional media. But I find I lean toward the plethora of options to decorate the surface of the ceramic vessel. Along with all the possibilities glazes have to offer, there are several other techniques to try. My favorite is Sgrafitto. The […]
Clay goes through several phases in the pot making process; greenware, bisque ware, and finally glazed. Glazes serve a few different purposes. my favorite is that it acts to color and decorate the surface of your ceramic vessel. But if this piece is to be used for food, it must be glazed to protect it […]
Up to this point in my ceramic journey, my focus has been to be able to just sit down at the wheel and THROW a body of clay into “something”. I feel I have accomplished that goal. My symboitic relationship with the clay thus far has been the clay allowing me to practice my basic skills, […]
This challenge was to throw several CUPS and then attach HANDLES to them. An average size cup takes from 1lb to 1 1/2lbs of clay. I prepared to throw 4 cups, a nice set I thought. However, the clay had thoughts of its own, and only 2 survived the process. There are generally […]