Mugs, marks, mice and making platters!

More mugs for the "100-Mug Challenge" went into the bisque kiln last night.

I've also been busy with mouse-making and mark-making. Here is a photo showing recent scraffito work on a trio of vases.

The platters will come out of the bisque today, along with the first round of mugs in the "100-Mug Challenge." I'm excited about glazing these.

Never a dull moment in the studio these days! (Put on some NPR or great toonage and the time flies by!)

In a couple of days, we go back to Bakersfield and I'll pull more goodies out of the old studio - including my slab-roller. More fun ahead!

Good weekend for sales!

Note to me: Martin Luther King weekend is a great time to be in my studio-gallery! On Saturday, I sold more than the rest of January combined (so far anyway). Such fun!

Gone are most of the noodle bowls and my mug inventory is looking pretty bleak. (Thank goodness for the "100-Mug Challenge" as I'm going to need to restock and am well on the way!)

Sunday wasn't nearly as good, but thanks to Robert and Dennis, this pitcher has a new home. It's lovely when someone comes in who appreciates hand-made pieces. While it's wonderful to sell pottery, it's even better when a dialogue is shared and you know that the person is leaving with something they really love.

Thank you Robert and Dennis!

Scrafitto

   

I've been playing with scrafitto over the last few weeks... These will go into the bisque with some of the new mugs.

After the bisque firing and before

glazing, I'll have to go back to these with black underglaze along the joined areas that I waxed before deciding to do the scrafitto... (I waxed them right after doing altering and additions to reduce the chance of drying too fast and cracking along the joined areas.)

Sometimes I don't think these things through very well! My motto seems to be "Act and THEN re-act!"

To see a master at scraffito and drawing on pots, check out Jeff Martin's work at his blog or his ETSY store. He is an amazing artist and thinker. I love his work and the way he can convey a thought or a feeling.

Not mugs

Yea, I know... It looks like I'm already deviating from the "100-Mug Challenge." But, not really. I did these earlier and they'll be popped in the bisque with the mugs in the next firing. A little hand-building to take a break from the wheel last week.

After all, variety is the spice of life, right?

Studio clean-up!

I'm pretty good about keeping the studio clean and did a number on it yesterday. Because its open to the public, part of the reason is pur

e ego. But, the other reason is that I really enjoy the space so much more when it's clean and organized

. My thoughts are disorganized enough on their own!

It's my hubster's birthday today, so I'm taking the day off from the studio to spend it with him! And, here's the kind of sweetie he is: We're going to the Home Depot store an hour away to get counter-tops for some old funky office counters/cupboards I've installed on the porch at the studio. I need them for storage. Maybe we'll even get the counter-tops put on today. We're also building a make-shift "roof" to keep the rain off of the storage area.

It feels like MY birthday!

New Style of Mugs

I've been working on a new style of mugs. They're formed on the wheel and then stamped/altered. I love the variety within the series as I can approach each piece with some new little element. (Keeps me excited! Yes, I know, I'm pretty easily thrilled.)

It's been interesting to see how the form and details have become more refined as I've gone from the first one to the 30th... Perhaps I'll try for 100 mugs like the series documented in another pottery blog... Check out the "100-Mugs in 100 Days" challenge at  Fine Mess Pottery,

And then there's this busy potter who started off the year with another "One-Hundred Mug Challenge"! I've only got 70 more to go... My challenge is staying on course and doing 100 SIMILAR mugs. The "new" always hooks me and I'm off and running on a new tangent.

Anybody else doing the "100 mugs in 100 days" scenario?

Noodle bowl for Aaron

My friends Rose and Donnell from Bakersfield visited the studio recently and purchased a noodle bowl for their son, Aaron. He was a fellow artist with my son at the Bakersfield School of Art when they were just kids.

It's great to sell a piece -- but even better when it's going to be used by a family friend who is also an awesome artist. Rose does pastel paintings and ceramic functional work, in addition to being a therapist specializing in using art in her practice.

Thanks Rose and Donnell!

The noodle bowl form, pictured at left, was one I "borrowed" after seeing it in Clay Times (I think)... It was a winning idea in a competition the magazine presented for new functional ware. Great idea so I played with variations of it. I no longer have the artist's name or source.

Glazed bowls

The little dipping bowls are out of the kiln and I gotta say I really like the results. Here's a peek at some of them on the shelves. They stack up in little sets.

Perfect for sauces, kids' veggie bowls, condiments – or ice cream bowls if you're a masochist!