Earth”y” glazed bowls

This bowl is Slow Cooled in my kiln for the matt glaze and the shinny glaze to form.  I use 3 glazes to get this look.  The inside is MC6G field mouse brown with waterfall brown on the rim.  The outside of the bowl is a tweaked version of variegated blue and the waterfall brown on the rim cascades down the outside producing some nice browns and yellows.  I like the earthy quality of the bowl.  Hummmmmm

Customer PICTURE

I had to post this picture since it is SIMPLY Beautiful!  Sonal Gandhi, from CHICAGO, commissioned me to make her 2 pots and she ended up buying all 4 that I made for her in different glazes for her FLOWERS (Orchids).  WOW how cool is that!  My humble pot looks beautiful!

Thanks soooooo much Sonal!  You truely have touched my heart!  Mary

  These are the last 2 shipping out today!

So what is that Glaze for the LACE?

I use the Floating Blue glaze and fire to Cone 5 in my Skutt 1027 on automatic with a slow speed and it cools rather quickly, not for matt glazes. 

Before I fire up, I sponge “Bright Sky Blue” On just the lace pattern.  It’s very cool in that on the top part of the bowl, it’s a floating blue and as the bowl shapes out  into a flat part the lace pattern with bright sky blue on top, shows up as tan/brown.  So I get the benefit of both!

My clay is a cone 5-7 stoneware chestnut clay that is an earth brown in color.

Glazed lace Design

This is a rather WIDE shallow bowl with a lace pattern to it!  I think this glaze really “pops” with the lace pattern.

Casserole Dish with LACE design

Casserole dish with a lace twist….

    

Apparently I am focused on this lace pattern in clay and I am looking for ways to design this in functional pots or mugs,etc.  These goblets and coffee mug are another way in which to get this design in the clay.  The top or lid of the casserole dish was a bit of a challenge since it has a dome shape!  Now that was fun!

Following that lace pattern. . .

Ok so I am not really sure what to call this latest…piece?  Hummmm looks like a cheese plate on a stem/stand.  Or a cake plate with a cover.  Or possibly a serving plate with cover.

Not really sure but I know I haven’t seen many of these, if any <G>.  I am exploring glazes and textures at the moment and I have those lace patterns to play with texture.  Now it’s easy to get lace patterns on FLAT, slab built pieces and a bit of a challenge to get a lace pattern on a thrown piece of pottery.  When the slab is flat you can just roll the lace pattern into it and than slab build the piece.  Simple…

Soooooo how do I get those lace patterns on mugs or round bowls?????  What’s my secret?  Well I start with a flat piece of clay, roll the lace design into it.  Than I use the flat piece as a “roller” by attaching the ends together so I can roll the design into clay.  Similar to a Stamp.  I bisque fire this roller stamp and than I use it on my clay to get more texture and design into the piece.

Leather and Lace

   

What’s fun about clay for me is the GROWTH you have after you’ve been doing it awhile.  Last year I focused on mostly form and craftsmanship.  This year I am exploring the clay and glazes.  Stretching if you will what I am capable of.  When there is no concern for time and shows….it’s fun and time to explore for me.  Hence, leather and lace fascinates me.  And I am figuring out my clay now and pushing it in height,etc.

So this platter has LEGS, long and lean ones and a bit of an oval shape to it both in design and the way it dips in the middle.  It has a lace design with a rather earthy,leather stamped design as well.

  My cake plate taught me about drying and firing to get the middle not to be a “MUSHROOM”.  Bonnie Staffel suggested I look at function in the plate so I designed the lip with my lacey patter but I made a wider stem or stand for this plate.  It is more solid flows a bit better.  We’ll see, this shape and design is still a challege for me but I am getting to know my clay and what it can do well!

   

Dave Hickey, requested 4 more goblets, so as I explore, well it’s nice getting paid to fire up my kiln…ya know?  So  I made 4 more goblets along with my leather and lace mugs.

 

Chips and Dip are still popular here in Colorado so I threw a few chips and dip sets with that Leather/Horsey theme.

Things I’ve learned cone ^6

   

So my cake plate and stand appear study but I think next time I would make the stand a bit shorter and “WIDER” at the top to hold more of the plate.  I think I would do more of a “V” shape between the stem and plate itself.  I think than I wouldn;t have to work so hard to get the plate not to Mushroom in shape and stay flat.  Hummmmm

The Top I don’t think I would change anything.  The largeness is what was needed for a 3-layer cake.  I also like the antique green glaze that breaks brown and black.  I think it adds to the era of cakes and plates and social gatherings.  Plus I  think it works well with texture!  Thanks to my friend in CANADA! 

I GOT RED!~  Amazing and I never thought I would!  Hummm go figure.  I learned that my red, likes a cone 5 SLOW firing in my skutt Kiln (my cone 5 is 2185 with a 20 minute soak) It’s really like a cone 6 at 2 or 3 o’clock.  As far as programming the kiln though, I used the automatic cone 5 setting to get this ( I think my kiln fires a bit HOT).  The little drip on the right side is waterfall brown over Licorice (MC6G).  Otherwise I think It looks good and a RED RED! Wow that took awhile to get!

  on this platter, I can get the RED to FLOAT on the inside of the rim with sponge work.  The rim is painted on THICK.  This red likes fast cool in the kiln and THICK or it’s Pinkish.

Lastly, I learned a secret about floating blue…much talked about glaze. . . .

TADA!  I love it and wondered why I was always getting SNOT GREEN.  This is lovely and I think I figured out somethings about it.  One ,it does not like the SLOW COOLING of my matt glazes from MC6G.  Nope you will only get this UGLY SNOT GREEN

  2nd thing I learned that it doesn;t like a true CONE 6 firing in my rather HOT kiln.  Nope, you’ll just get this ugly pea green.

So now to true and figure out more about this finky glaze….well at least I figured out a few things!  WHEW~!…

Cake plate and Lid part 2

   

So far so good!  My cake plate and lid, made it out of my bisque firing (cone 04) just fine.  No warping.  I did get a little burnt spot on the lid, I think it was too tight and too close to the elements.  I will have to watch that in the future.  OOPS!

I glazed them both with  Antique Green and Black and a bit of waterfall brown on the top.  We’ll see could be beautiful or BUTT UGLY?  Hummmmmm

Just a cake plate

 

For a first Cake plate, appears very flat and stable.  The stem on which the plate is attached is about 4-5 inches in height and makes for a great presentation.  However, Bisque firing and than glaze firingwill be a challenge.  Some folks have thought like me, to fire it upside down and give the plate more contact with the shelf.  Hummm still researching this while it drys along with the cover.  It’s been a fun challenge though and one I hope is successful.  We’ll see. . .