"The doctor put a plate in my head."

Ahhhh, a new sketchbook...

Plate design sketches and ideas...

Getting a nice layer of background color...

Reverse ermine plates...

Bottom kiln layer with nests and clowns...

Loading these up for their second firing, before the wash...

Projects PROJECTS P-R-O-J-E-C-T-S

Small clowns bring some studio cheer...

Long shrine with birdie top...

Greenware shrines for matte finishing...

Finished shrines are very shiny...

Unhappiness with clear glaze prompts test tiles...

Building many nests...

Greenware nests in the cabinet...

Yellow coats, then blue coats, and then a sanding...

Flea Market Research

Let the research begin...

Awesome pinched, peeved family portraits...

He claims that his donuts are healthful...

Some like glazed, and some like sugared...

Buckets and boots for sale...

Family vacation to the flea market...

Wishing this was for sale...

Plastic mold making trinkets...

Treasures to go inside the nichos and shrines...

Soon to be painted future tea cup case...

Fantastic Mexican cookies, flown in from Midway...

Blame it on Elvis

After running out of cream underglaze mixture, I moved on...

Today started slow, when I ran out of a specific underglaze color that I had mixed. I needed white to make more of my cream color, and to my surprise, there was no white in the pantry. Instead of listening to my usual round of public radio shows, or watching Netflix, I put on the Elvis Costello Pandora station. It is awesome. And, it gave me some energy to get a lot of work done. So, I moved on and started brown washing the pieces that were in last nights firing. The pieces were still a little toasty, so the wash dried nicely and quickly on them. After sponging off all this work, tomorrow will officially be clear glaze day! And, now it's time to take my dog for a walk on the beach to see the sunset...

Ready for clear glaze and the final firing...

Also ready for clear glaze after their brown wash...

Tomorrow I'll clear glaze these...

Finished a passel of plates with a brown wash...

Clear glazed the plates to load into the bottom of the kiln...

Solution?!

Have I finally found a way to make wall hangings that don't crack?! Maybe. Using thick, wide slabs on the back might be the solution. This piece has one more firing to go. Let's hope that the slabs help. Also, the Navajo Wheel Clay might also be a part of the solution. It seems to hold up better, and to fire with a less brittle quality. Fingers crossed on how this one turns out!

Salvage Day

Waiting impatiently for the first summer firing to cool...

"My great concern is not whether you have failed but whether you are content with your failure."

Abraham Lincoln

Repeated repairs on faux bois backing have not worked...

Salvaging smaller pieces...

Salvaging apricots near the backyard shard pile...

Glazing bisque shelf months-old hold outs...

Paper clay repairs on bead holes...

Glazing the last of the vases...

Throwing away bisque pieces that aren't worth glazing...

Washing the pet urine out of a rug...

Goofing Around on a Hot Day

Stopped by Amy's work to make a delicious jam trade...

The main drag in Pacific Grove...

Moorish tile in Carmel by the Sea...

I love it when different clays and glazes meet...

A painting in the window of my favorite gallery...

A long hike to find a parking spot...

Finally, home to the hot cement box...

A belated birthday present for Miss Jordan...