I like it!

Most of the time, I open the kiln and have to admit that reality is far from the perfect fantasy I had envisioned. However, I'm really liking this new work. I see things I want to do differently and ways the series can evolve as I continue refining but, for the most part, I'm pretty darn pleased. It's a refreshing feeling and I'm enjoying it.... while it lasts!

Here are pictures of a few of the mugs. 

Flora and fauna- getting blue

Here's a peek at the bisque before more deco to add the black in some of the incised areas. These puppies are sure labor-intensive, but the work is flowing nicely. The "indigenous and endangered" theme is a great conversation starter when studio visitors ask what I'm working on now.

More flora and fauna

Hi Everybody!

Pics from latest firing... As things progress with this series, I'm working with dark/light... "reversing" the line out of the dark color blocks and filling in the etched line with black in the light color blocks.

All of the pieces in this series feature "indigenous and endangered" plants of the central coast of California. 

I love the etching/drawing on pots and am working on a new batch now. Should bisque today.

My goal is to do a bunch of these and continue to refine, holding the work for a future show. In the meantime, I have a tile commission to do and need to restock the shelves at the studio gallery. 

Fun! Am looking forward to all of it! 

New series underway

Got the first pieces out of the kiln of my new series and am really happy with some of them. In this series, I'm using underglazes and featuring etched line drawings of the endangered plants native to the central coast area where I live.

The inspiration for this series came from the annual Wildflower Show held here in April. The show featured a collection of wildflowers and plants that are indigenous and endangered. 

This new work has given me an opportunity to learn more about the plants in this area, as well as an appreciation for those working to preserve the natural beauty of California's central coast.

On the work itself, I'm interested in the contrast between the line drawings and the graphic panels of black/white on the same piece. I'll be exploring that in the studio on the work as it develops. More to come!

Searching for Studs and Mounting Big Blue

That headline sounds much more provocative than reality!

I FINALLY have my "Big Blue" extruder up in the "new" studio. It's only been a year, but I'm finally getting it moved in! We had to search for the studs and found a good spot by the back door.

Thanks for the help Mike! (He took a bowl in trade. What a guy!)