What happened to August? It seems I last wrote a blog in late July. After that we had a fine week with the family at Rathtrevor Beach before Steve, Jen and the grand-boys left for their big move to Edmonton. Al and I spent a couple of days more with friends in Duncan before returning home. There were no ceramics-related events in August that I…
It takes me about a month to make enough pots to justify firing my kiln. When I had Raiders here I could be firing more often but, even with some exciting new work to see finished, I had to keep making. Finally I actually filled the bisque kiln. This last weekend the kiln with all the work, glazed, finally cooled enough for me to see…
Once I've finished painting my leather-hard jugbirds with coloured slips I leave them to dry. The final step before the bisque firing is to coat unpainted areas, usually the foot, with terra sigillata. It makes a fine, smooth surface.. think Roman Samian ware.. and I like the look as a contrast to the super shiny glaze finish of the rest of the pot. Realizing I…
I have been using wetted paper as a stencil between layers of coloured slips. The design can be an intricate image, or merely torn strips as Raider Pierre Coupey has done. I decided to cut random angles in the sides of my strips of newsprint and then experiment with two or three possibilities for the overlaid slip. Porcelain slip on an earlier plate was pleasing.…
My Pinterest collections include pots, birds and jugs of course, but also patterns, painted plates and Mid-Century designs. I particularly like the work of Sonia Delaunay and her circular patterned abstract paintings and angular shapes on fabric and clothing designs. So I suppose it is no surprise that one night, after making some more slab dishes and plates for the Raiders in my bisqued moulds,…