This pod vessel is glazed and wrapped with copper wire getting ready to be placed in the wood kiln. I'm hoping the copper creates flash marks on the surface. We shall see.
Above is a flask vessel also ready for the wood fired kiln.

I have visions of this opened pod with an assemblage 'crown' placed on the inside. Of course I still need to learn how to solder in order to make the assemblage crown.

And this is the Tony Moore's wood kiln in Cold Spring that will fire for 4 days burning a number of cords of wood in the process. The second opening towards the back is the wood chamber. That's where my pods will go. Pieces placed here get the most amount of carbon imprinting from the smoke and the ash. After firing for 4 days all the pieces stay in the kiln cooling for 2 weeks. Patience is the name of this game. I can't wait.

The Nature of Things

I'm attempting to present my artistic visions in a simpler manner. This is not always easy for me to do...want to add a bit here...and then there...before I know it I'm toying with the dreaded overworked issue.

My messages often revolve around thoughts of the past holding keys to the future, the continuum of life, renewal from ruin, etc, etc. Today I took one of my pod vessels, put it on top of an old wooden model of a beehive (very cool) and added 3 adornments only.

Hooray for me.

Pods, Vessels and a Bird

Can I just say that I'm getting more and more psyched about these pottery explorations? These just came out of the gas kiln today. Assemblages here I come.

Winter Endeavors

Made this vessel last week. It needs to be scraped, sanded, glazed and fired. Right now I'm thinking I'd like to put this in a cabinet that has a window as the door.....Guarded Memories....of course I need to find (or build) the right cabinet. Hmmm...trips to antique/junk stores? Gee, what a horrible thought.

Today I have prep ready to do some gelatin printing. A media friend I haven't visited in quite awhile. I plan to take wip photos and - if all goes well and I remember to take the photos (sigh) - I'll post a small tutorial to this blog....stay tuned...

Start of The Pod Farm

This is one of the pods that came out of the gas kiln this week. I am certainly seeing this in an assemblage in front of that vintage, ethnic looking wrench Melanie brought me the other week. I have a blessed week off between Christmas and New Year's. A week that I usually fill with time spent seeing friends and family and....ART (hooray). I have visions of pods dancing in my head, also have an itch to pick up the pastels. Oh, how sweet anticipation can be.

Organic Baby, Organic

Hand built clay pods...about 5" high...these will get glazed and fired...hope to use them in an assemblage.

Opposites Attract

My husband and I are doing a together thing...we actually do many together things but this Thing is art related. We are messing around with clay, slips and glazes in our friend's tricked out ceramics studio. Being an engineer head he tends to be very precise and is learning to throw on a wheel. His glazes are very carefully applied in a scientific method kind of way. He creates art in direct opposition to my methods. Care to hazard a guess as to which piece belongs to who?

Yum

Ok....can I just tell you....I am now officially psyched on exploring more with pottery. The glazes are The Deal...all the layering, scraping & resisting I do in my paintings and textile dyeing have a huge relationship to the effects I'd like to achieve with glazes. When I glazed this I was after a fossilized effect. I'm happy.

Construct or De-construct

Night photos being The Worst aside....this is the finished sculpture that was glazed and then fired over the weekend. If you click on the photo it will get larger and you can see some of the detail. Have I told you I love glaze? And the carbon that is created and fired into pieces when you place them at the top of the kiln? I do believe I will be making more clay assemblages....have an idea for one with a bottle....oh my...the brain is on over load!

I have a new art friend, Lynn Isaacson, who makes some great pottery. I am especially taken with her 'lizard' (her words) glazes. I went to her tricked out studio last week and came home with clay, books and tools and an assignment. The assignment was to make stuff so I could join in the firing and glazing that will be going on at week's end. Soooo...I went home with not much of a clue...and started messing around. The wall in the back will have antique, rusted nails secured to it after it's glazed and hopefully - if they don't blow up in the kiln - the front left pieces will become pendants for necklaces. The curved piece on the bottom right...well I'm not sure what direction that will go in....it was my first attempt at being a pottery artist. If these pieces don't turn out too bad I'll post 'after firing' photos. Maybe I'll post 'em even if they turn out horrific.

So the Saying Goes....

....one woman's junk is another woman's treasure. I found these at a yard sale up in the Catskills Mountains yesterday. They are very old and very cool but my husband and I can't exactly figure out what they were used for. We know bigger crocks were used for pickling and salting foods but wonder if these small bottle vessels were used to store oils, vinegars, etc. Did people bring these to the local store and get them filled? The larger crock in the forefront has the stamp 'B&B' on it. Steve said that is a brand of liquor. Perhaps this bourbon? brandy? was sold in these pottery containers? If anyone knows can you be so kind as to fill us in? We'd appreciate it.

Evolving Work in Progress

Last night I took some silk and rusted it. It's very organic looking and belongs in this piece although I'm not quite sure how. I'm still lovin' the textures and raku fired pottery look of the pieces of painted thick stabilizer. Oh! Have to run....just remembered I have some copper mesh....do you think if I fire alter that it might just need to be added to this piece?????