The ghost bowl turned out amazing! The ghost mugs, though, still need a little refining.
First, the glaze I chose ran more than I expected, ugh. Second, I think I want to make the ghosts a little smaller. Right now they feel a bit cramped on the mug, and I think giving them more breathing room will improve the design.
I was able to sand down three of the four mugs enough to make them acceptable, but the last one was beyond saving. I have two more of these to fire and given how much these ran I will be wiping the outside to thin.
On the bright side, I found a few new glazes I want to put on pieces in my next kiln load from my test tiles. I also have a backlog my crochet pieces made, sanded, waxed, and ready to glaze. Now I just need to sit down and get them finished!
ow cute is this ghost bowl?! 👻 I can’t get over that little face.
This kiln is a mix of new experiments and lots (and lots!) of crabs. Maryland favorites are definitely keeping me busy! I’m especially excited to see how the ghost mugs turned out. There’s always that moment of anticipation when you open the kiln and finally get to see if the idea in your head made it all the way through the process. Fingers crossed they came out as cute as I imagined!
I had some rolled-out clay left over, so I decided to practice my new tumbler form. The first one ended up completely inside out (and of course I forgot to take a picture!), but surprisingly, it still works.
The next couple turned out much better. As I was cleaning them up, though, I realized they felt a little heavier than I’d like. I didn’t roll the slabs as thin as we did in the workshop, but I also used a much deeper texture, so I’m not sure a thinner slab would have held up as well.
I’ve finished up my white clay for now, but I’ll definitely keep practicing this form as I go. I really love the shape, and I can’t wait to see how it evolves.
Summer is in full swing, but fall is right around the corner, which means it’s officially time to start making fall pottery! This year I’m planning at least two different ghost designs, and I have another idea waiting for when I switch back to darker clay....assuming I don’t run out of time. There’s never a shortage of ideas, just hours in the day.
This first batch already makes me smile, although I’m a little nervous about those tiny pumpkins and hats. Here’s hoping they all survive the bisque firing! I still want to give each ghost a little more personality by refining their expressions, but they need a bit more time to firm up before I can do that.
This batch also includes a few smaller pieces that are already in the bisque. I used a lace texture on them because, obviously, ghosts deserve to be fancy too.
This past weekend I took a workshop with Sarah Gromek at the Jersey Clay Society. What a fantastic workshop at a great location. Sarah was showing her techniques on how to make work that looks like leather. Here are a few of her pieces.
I purchased this tumbler because I really loved the template.
I ended up choosing to make the tumbler as a part of the class. I feel like my tumbler is pretty decent, but my stitching is terrible! The stitching is definitely the hardest part of this and one I am not sure I will incorporate into my work.