Bowls for food

I am trying to keep my first big order. Its from a dear friend, it will also work as an experiment and learning process of shipping. She wants a set of 8 pieces, but all of them different. Currently I have 7 designs and I am still thinking and working on my 8th. I tried leaves in yellow, but I am still not happy with it, although I like that new  technique very much.

I work very slow, I don't have a wheel at home and I have to throw, trim and glaze at the studio, it takes time. Also I am making a set for myself as well, so I will have a model for photos, shows, etc. I have to make 16 bowls, 16 mugs, 16 big plates, and 16 medium plates. This will mean nothing for a professional potter that make wholesales orders, but for me is a lot. I feel bad specially when I am at home after a day or relaxing, there is nothing I can do to accelerate the process, I have to wait until Monday to start again. Perhaps I can work on recycling my clay in order to feel more productive.

Here is a collage I made with my designs. The yellow is there just to complete the 8.

Octopus's Garden Bowl

This is a B I G bowl for me,  as you may know I always have a hard time centering the clay. Anything beyond 3 pounds is such a challenge, sometimes I can, sometimes I can not, nowadays I am practicing with close to 4 pounds. This bowl will have had required at least 6 pounds, so I did something different, I made it with a slab of clay that later I slumped it on a mold. The process is slow, very different from the fast spinning wheel.

I did it because I have an idea on my mind, I wanted to make a big bowl with the "Under the Sea"  or "Octopus's Garden" theme, something big than can make people look at my table in future shows. Before I started the decoration process I realized than I have never had so much space for drawing, empty spaces scare me. I start thinking on my regular characters, jelly fish, octopus, fish, somehow it didn't seem enough for so much space,  I started to think on marine images and one image came to my mind, a turtle!!

Why a turtle, well, I should have started by telling that I have a friend, her name is Rhonda, she is a marine biologist and most of her work consist on  rescue turtles, of course there are more, something about the marine currents, the waves, the weather, the tide, the wind... it is quite embarrassing but sometimes I can not fallow her, I blame it to my lack of English words concerning marine biology, but perhaps I would not even understand it in Spanish either. Marine Biologist, get so passionate about their jobs, that I feel bad to interrupt them to ask silly questions, I get the big idea and I am happy with that. When I talk to her I feel a renew optimism, not everyone is evil, maybe not everyone has sold their souls to devil in exchange of money, prestige or fame. I am a pessimistic, I have no faith in humans.

However, I do remember a time when I was younger and really wanted to make this world a better place, I worked and volunteer in a couple of organizations back in Lima, but then, I found out the corruption, the personal interest and get into the conclusion that we are doom. But when I see Rhonda, and read her daily post on FB I feel better knowing that there are still some people working for us, protecting living creatures and their environment, Rhonda is one of them, isn't she the best!!

She works very early fallowing turtles paths, saving their nest, and much more, if a turtle needs help she will never  say: "Too bad, its 5 pm, I am out of here". Bad thing is that this wonderful people are badly paid, even worse than teachers, they don't receive paid vacations, or sick days, or retirement money, nothing, just good bye was nice to have you here, isn't it horrible!!

Thank you Rhonda for being there for the turtles, and for be my friend!

Playing with the slip trailing tool

A month or so ago, I bought a slip trail tool at a Highwater Clays Store in St. Petersburg, FL. I have seen many really interesting designs made with that tool and though why not try it myself, since I like decorating pots and I am not afraid of complicated designs.

So yesterday and today I have been practicing with this little tool, is not so hard to manipulate once you have the slip in the right consistency, that is the hard part. Too thick and is really hard to squeeze the plastic container and to watery, and the design will run away.

I have not master it yer, but I will keep trying, possibilities seem to be endless. Here are my two attempts. Hope they will make it to the studio tomorrow.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4625244428077594559

 

Sgraffito & Slip. Experiment # 2

Experiment with red clay and slip. The pot is still on greenware, can't wait to see how it will look after being fired.

Saving the Greenware

I got two pieces from my teacher, she again asked me if I wanted to do something with them otherwise she will discard and I don't like that,  I will save anything (almost anything I must admit). Although I should also say, that some pieces don't deserve to be saved, I must learn to let them go....but not these couple.  So I did something with them. I did a sgraffito design with one of them, a bird, bring me back memories of the old good days in Lima, when I was studying drawing animation. I think one of my characters from the short film animation will show up again very soon :)  I wonder if Edith or Maria Angelica will remember it...

With the second vase I wanted to try a design with slip and carving. I didn't have the official potter tool, the slip trail applicator, so I used a piping bag instead. It doesn't work quite exactly as I planned, or maybe the vase was a bit to dry or maybe I just need more practice or maybe the slip had not the right consistency.... many maybes, I will keep trying.