Pottery and Photos

I am trying new photos, since I had found an important fact. Photos of my pottery have more traffic on FB when the pottery is set as it will be used in a everyday house. Pottery portrayed in a white background appeal more to people who frequently buy pottery and/or art pieces or at least wanted to buy it.

I was also looking on big companies websites and FB pages, Pottery Barn for example, show their furniture and table ware in a very nice environment, nice houses, retreats with great food and sometimes good looking people, it is all super well produced. I wish my friends who work in advertisement were here to help me, but they are in Lima. However, since I myself had also studies advertisement and had work briefly for them I should have some clues. It is not really a fun thing to do, at least for me. I have to find a great location, get some props and take the photos.... to do that take some time, time that I rather use in making more pots, drawing or writing.

Anyway here is my first attempt. My mom made this delicious lemon tarts and I thought I better used them before I eat them. I don't have to much light in my dinning room, perhaps I should get some extra lamps or something. Any extra ideas?

The pieces were hand thrown as always and decorated with the slip trailing tool and later glazed with Magic Glow, fired c. 6

Blue Jay Nest

I have been lazy lately, I haven't take photos and posted in a while. I was working on making plates and mugs, I was hoping to have a set to post but the studio kiln was in a terrible mood and kind of exploited with my pieces inside, so I have to start all over again.

Here is one of my carved pieces. This particular one I don't feel so attached. It gave me so many problems, I tried to use a different technique in order to make the process faster and ended up working even more. I applied latex to cover the design in hopes that later will be easier to remove but no, it was horrible, I had also manipulated the piece so much that the blues in the piece faded. I am not happy with the colors but I do like the carving, I think I had to do a new version of it. I like how the nest is coming and leaving it without glaze it  adds more character to the piece.  I have to try it again SOON!!

Henna Pots

I have been very busy lately, I haven't write in a while. Here is an update. I have been playing with the slip trailing a lot, I have made some tumblers, some vases and bowls.

This green glaze is called Ayumi and everything was fired at c.10. I also tried a red color, but it looked more pinkish. The design was inspired in Henna motives I found on the internet, I like the flowers and butterflies, that can be created with the slip. 

I took all this photos in my back garden and since we live in Florida there are all kinds of wild life everywhere . Here are some animals that were dying to have their Kodak moment, hahaha. In the first photo you can see Sssssinforosa, the snake. She is everywhere, luckily she is shy, when she is aware of my presence she hides very quickly, which is good because I don't like reptiles. My garden has many insects, I am not very fond of them, but I know they are good for my plants so I let them be, as long as they are not so close to me. However I love butterflies, everyday I see a new kind, we are having more and more everyday, I guess my flower selection is working. Now I hope someday to have hummingbirds to keep me company at the garden, just like the Blue jays and cardinals. I will post photos will all my garden visitors soon.

Black Racer Snake

Gulf Fritillar Butterfly

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!

Mata and friends

I think I lack of discipline, I get distracted so easily and with the most absurd things, I mean what kind of person would prefer cleaning to take photos??? I have so many things unfinished, my paper, a canister, my closet, etc, etc. Today is cold, very cold for Florida, so I think I will stay inside and perhaps try to finish something, wait, no, I can't... today is Thursday, I will go to St. Pete in couple of hours to spend the day with my mother, oh well, tomorrow I will finish all the projects :) Sometimes I feel like Scarlet, from Gone with the Wind, that was her answer for almost everything: tomorrow!

Anyway, I did took some photos the other day, before it started to rain. However it does not have a name yet, Betsy said "Mata" but even though that will fit the name of the ardilla (squirrel) it doesn't holf the name of the whole bowl...Brian has been very lazy lately, he is not fulfilling his job as a cerrajero (locksmith) hahahaha! In Lima a cerrajero is a person that put locks and also nicknames - chapa can mean either lock or nickname.

Awakening Cacophonie

Yes, morning are very noisy in the mysterious guy who lives in the tree can not sleep because baby birds are crying, and the rest of the neighborhood is busy on their diverse affairs.

Spring Twilight

I took me so long (well, I took Brian) to figure it a name for this little vase, but finally he got it. Spring Twilight, it evokes flowers, bird, nice and warm weather.... it is a perfect match for the cherry tree and the birds.

Birds on Trees (carved pot #2)

This is the second pot I carved, I tried something different with it, after I stained it with red oxide I painted only the high relief areas and left the background bare, no glaze at all, The red oxide will give it an antique, woody look.This one is different that the first one, that was totally glaze. However,  I am still trying to find the right combination, I am carving like crazy, I will post more photos later.

In the land of purple trunk trees

Well, this is the final product, I had never play with underglazes this way although I do had use some before, for sgraffito purposes, 4 layers of one color and that's it. This is different, I was trying to paint with them the same way I paint with water colors. I did not turned out how I was expecting. However the result is fascinating, the greens are so psychedelic even when I only use a little and very, very watery. The brown turned purple, the orange/red turned out really red. Kiln does do magic!

I still have one more to paint, I will try something different and perhaps I will try a whole new set with this decoration, oh the future  what magical things will they have prepare for us.

I still need a title for it, some people had called Alice in Wonderland imaginary, some others psychedelic, and some kind of putrid (!!) What do you think?

Birds on a Tree #2

Here are some photos of the new vase, I will post the video later.

The birds are Red-bellied Woodpeckers, the same one live in my garden, at least that was my intention.

Birds on a Tree # 1

This year I want to make something new, I was thinking on making jars with lids because I want to learn how to make lids and also because I think jar will be easier to sell than bowls. After last year craft fair I learn something important: not many people want to spend money on everyday objects like small bowls. However, they seemed to be very open to spend, sometimes even more money, on objects that they will not manipulate constantly like a big bowls for salad, a table center piece, something that will mostly function as a decoration. So I think perhaps I should to jars, they are nice and can be very decorative on the kitchen or wherever they want to put it. Plus learning to make lids will be fun!

First thing to learn about jars with lids is that both of them must be made at the same time or at least take the time to measure their circumference before of letting them dry. I didn't know that when I made 2 cylinders in hope of making their matching lids next class (!!) Well, lesson learned!

I will have to make more cylinders and measured them if I want to make lids for them. But what should I do with these 2 cylinders? They are not very big and they are quite thick. . . my head was thinking on the future lids instead of concentrating on making their walls thin. So I question myself again, what should I do with them? Well, I still don't know, but I figure it out that will be a good idea to try some new decorative technique with them, something I like to do but couldn't have done before, and my answer was right in front of me, resting on the thick walls: I should carved them!

So I did it, I carved both of them and soon some birds on a tree came out of the thick walls of the cylinders. Here is a video of the first one I made. I will post the second tomorrow. I don't know yet how to glaze it or what will be the actual function of these objects but I am sure something will came up.

These cylinders are the first attempts on something new. Perhaps I will develop a new collection with this idea, hummm, what will the future bring to these birds on a tree??

Sali en el periodico!! / I am in the paper!!!

Yes, I was in the paper!! How exciting is that??

I revived a call the first week of December asking me if I will be willing to give an interview for the Spanish newspaper of the Tampa Bay, I said yes of course. I was pretty nervous, I got to extremes in those cases: either talk way to much or talk only with monosyllables.
They asked to have the interview early in the morning at 9 am, which is pretty for me. They also wanted to take some photos of my pottery pieces, which since I was doing a couple of shows were in boxes, so I have to clean the house (a little) and unpack and set my pieces in a nice way.

So I did it, I woke up on time to get dress and awake for the interview, the reporter was a very nice guy from El Salvador, and I think I feel comfortable because I talked and talked non stop. Now that I read what he wrote I am a bit surprised that I said so much in so little time. Perhaps I should have talked more about my Peruvians design on glass, perhaps I should have name my alma mater, which I care so deeply. It is true that as a kind I dream to study arts at the Catolica University (PUCP) but I have no regret whatsoever about San Marcos (UNMSM), I learn so many things there, not only regarding the academics but about my own city and my country. San Marcos open my eyes to many things, helped me to learn about tolerance, discipline and critical thinking, my professors were and are the best the country can offer and I got all that for a small price.

However, I believe that in order to be happy one must fallow their dreams and I always dreamed to create art, isn't what we do as kids what really make us happy?? Although, as a child I also spend many hours reading about artist and isn't that the essence of an Art Historian, to have a passion about the art creators and their influence in the world. So, maybe the reporter understand me better than myself, I am both, I enjoy  writing, reading and creating art.

Anyway, here is the link to the newspaper, I hope you find it interesting, at least amusing....

You can click here to read the note:

Entre Ceramica, vidrio y piezas artisticas

Merry Christmas/ Feliz Navidad/ Frohe Weichnachten

 HO, HO, HO....

Its an unusual cool day for Florida, very sunny but cold, but perhaps if you live in the northern states you would find it pleasant. It is quite interesting how memories from our childhood, and what we experience when we are growing up mark what is normal in our lives. For me, a girl born and raised in Lima, Peru, sunny means hot, because around this time of year is when summer begins in Lima, and when Lima is warming up it also clears up, clouds slowly retrieve and even when a full blue sky will not be seen the shine and the light make us smile. This phenomenon occurs perhaps only in Lima; however it has been impregnated in my mind and soul and even after so many years living abroad, every time that I wake up and see clear shiny sunny day I think its warm outside. Takes me couple of seconds to realize that it may not be warm at all.

In Florida we are experience a cold front, so even when it may look like a Christmas in Lima it will feel different.  We Peruvians have weird traditions like drinking hot chocolate/cocoa when is 28-30 C outside (!!) I guess drinking hot chocolate will be better in this kind of weather :D


I think I should hurry up, there are many things that I need to do before Christmas... if I don't see you later let me wish you and everybody out there a wonderful Christmas time: may you find Peace, Love and Happiness. Remember what the fox said to the little Prince:

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

 It's time to sing happy songs!!

Octopus's Garden Set

Pitcher and cups :)

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 :)

Inca Waves

Here are two more plates, they are the same size and design, but different colors... its fascinating how little details can make big differences. This a Peruvian pattern, its very old but still very much in use in specially in textiles. You can also see it in reproductions of Inca Pottery among many things. I like the Inca designs, I believe they work wonderfully with fused glass, perhaps because its precision and geometric forms, perhaps because it keep me connected with my country... don't know exactly.

This year I have been focus on the wheel so much that I have not done much in glass. Also, the glass company where we used to buy our materials is closed down, so I have to find a new place to buy glass.

The photos are again from Annette Batista, isn't she wonderful! Feel free to leave any comments, it will be nice to know who reads my thoughts :) 

Blue and White Tocapu Plates

You may remember this plates , I did them last year with the hope to make a set of 4 for Christmas Dinner. The fourth plate was very complicated and I was never happy with it, so I made pendants and bracelets with it.... well, the bracelet is still a work in progress.

Anyway, a friend of mine a wonderful photographer named Annette Batista took photos of many of pieces, they came of incredible!!! I will be posting them by series one at a time. I hope you like these photos as much as I did.   

You can read the previous post clicking Tocapus 1, Tocapus 2,

Made by Hand Show

So I did it, I finally did my really first show. It was this past Saturday, November 17th. We were asked to be there by 6:30 but I couldn't I arrived at 7:30, but it was OK, the show started at 9 am. I should explain for the ones who don't know me that I am part of a long traditions of Peruvians who are always late and even when I try to change it seems that will not happen, I will never be like my Germans friends always on time, like my dear friend Katalin it was so common for her to say on the phone: I will see you moni in 13 minutes, not 10 or 15 but exact 13!!! and she was always able to manage her time and arrived at the exact time she said she will be!! But I digress from my story.

I was sharing the booth with a fellow classmate the wonderful Kathie King, she makes incredible glass flowers and now she is making fairy houses, kids, specially little girls come to the booth magnetized by them.

So we set our tables in a uncommon Florida cold morning, it look nice everybody working on their booths trying to display their art pieces in the best possible way. We already had a workshop about how to display our stuff how to talk to the people, etc. Things in theory easy to do. . . in theory.

So at 9 am everybody were ready to make a lot of sales, art pieces nicely display coffee or hot cocoa, big smiles ready to welcome the first costumer and we wait, and we wait and we wait. Couple hours later people start coming, not many but some enough to make us feel better. It is something fascinated how people always come in groups without being conscious of that, people come like waves suddenly bug groups of people and then nothing... how that can happen, they don't know each other so how they can do it is like a symphony ( I am just copying my dear friend Erika's way to describe the cars on the highway).

Many people came to our booth and compliment our work but they didn't buy anything. I was next to a booth who was selling pottery and glass as well but way cheaper than us. At some point I was wondering that maybe my stuff was overprice but then I think again, my bowls for example are very unique, there are not 2 exactly alike, I tried real hard to make sets and decorated one by one fallowing a theme that initially is only in my head. Would be much easier to just glazed them in one unique color, less work, less thinking, less material, probably less expensive, but I will not be happy with them. I like my bowls, I only sell the ones that are "perfect" for me, even when I am the only one who can see the mistakes, a different tone of the glaze on the bottom, a scratch when it was on greenware that was cover by the glaze but I can still see it, or a shape that according to me is not for the design I have in my head, those bowls or pots are reserved to be given away, some of my relatives are happy with my craziness, they always get pots.

So then I think that my prices were right even if I sold only one, to recuperated my expenses I will be happy, at the end I sold 2 bowls and a couple of more things, so I think it was ok. Some of the vendors sold a lot and made a lot of money and I am happy for them, specially for the ones who were congruent and loyal with their true self and respect themselves as an artist. Another friend who was at the show was Andrees, he is an sculptor and made wonderful pieces hand build, he uses raku glazes and his pieces are incredible, I still can not afford to buy his pieces but I hope I can one day. He was not making any sells for hours and then suddenly one lady bought one of his big ones, he made $450 on one sell!!! So I guess one just need to wait for the right person.

I have been accepted in another show, Art in the Park in Ybor City so I guess I will try again. I already have the fabric and all the little things to display my art so why not.

My wonderful boyfriend took some photos of the event, feel free to make any comment or suggestion about my display... it is still a work in progress.