Octopus's Garden Collection

I have been pretty busy lately, these days I am always busy and when not so tired, that I don't feel like doing anything, except watching Netflix. The new season of "What not to wear" is available on streaming and I am just addicted to it. I am not ashamed to admit it.

Also, I had catching on movies, the Hobbit and Catching Fired, are so good, you should go and see them.

You see, very busy ;)

Here is the Octopus's Collection, there are some more to come, I promise will posted tomorrow night. I posted this on my FB page and turn out to be quite popular, what do you think?

Octopus's Garden Pitcher

Here it is, my Octopus's Garden Pitcher. I also made a some cups that will match it, but I will post them tomorrow :)

Tumblers

Like I said, I have been practicing new forms besides bowls. I was making tumblers and trying different glazes, but in the end I think I always do the same, draw something on them. Here are my two first carved tumblers. I carved them free hand when they were on leather hard, then I add some red oxide wash and cleaned them and finally I add celadon green glaze and fired cone 6.

Under the Sea

I have been practicing vases, tumblers and pitchers lately. My teacher told me that I should practice more shapes besides bowls. Pitchers are hard to make; first of all, I have to  center on the potters' wheel 3 pounds of clay, more if possible. After that, make a cylinder, the walls should be thin because they will carry water and it should not be too heavy to manipulate.  Then, a shape should be formed and, depending on the shape, the spout should be molded.

After that, it should dry enough to trim the bottom and add the handle, and OMG! handles are so hard to do. Maybe that's why I am making tumblers now, no handles needed hahaha!!

Any way, the one here is a piece that refused to be a pitcher, so I made a vase :) and since I started to make the top in a scalloped shape, it kind of reminded me of waves, so I thought the best way to decorate it was to draw a marine theme with jelly fishes and marine plants.

I carved the design and also used some slip for the final touches. When in bisque I added some iron oxide wash before applying celadon green glaze. The piece was fired on cone 6.