31/07/2010

There's more

I just forgot to put al the pic in my last blog, chuckle....
Here they are; (they just won't sit upright!! weird.....)

Another 'buddhabox'















Backside















And...another one















Made some mugs to, still working on those handles! I'm having more difficulties with that than I thought I would. Good to know there's so much more to learn!

















"into boxes"

After reading a post on how to make lids on altered vessels I had a go at it.
I had so much fun with this, I couldn't stop so I made a few!
I wanted to put a link to that blog and post in my new post so I searched... and scrolled... and clicked..... but I can't find anymore, bummer! I really wanted to show you the source of my inspiration. :-(
So to whoever made those pictures of the process and explained how to make a lid fit.. Thank You!
As soon as I find you again I'll mention you here, promise!

In short it works like this;
Make a bottomless pot with a gallery and as it has dried a bit alter it into the shape you want. Then make a slab and put your pot on it, cut it out and attach; there's the bottom.
Then make a slab and place it over your pot, you can put some plastic in between to prevent it from sticking.
Then carefully with a rubber rib push the slab downward, sort of into the pot. Then cut of the extra clay.
When it's dry enough to handle flip it over and trim the last bits of.
If you keep the pot itself from drying to much you can then sort of make the pot fit the lid if necessary.

I hope this makes any sense. :-)

Here are my first attempts at this, there al greenware:

A buddhapot, the front. I'm not sure if you can see but the 'stamp' in the middle has a Buddha on it.















same pot, backside. The holes in the lid are for a thread or a piece of leather which will have an attachment on it. I'l show you later..... still thinking about that one.















small box with a different experiment, I wanted an overhanging lid so I attached a coil of clay on the lid, put it over the pot and let it dry..... and offcourse......it was stuck! The pot was dryer than the lid so the lid shrunk more....o well I thought, let's see what happens and I forced the lid of and a part of the attached coil broke off. when I then put the lid back on it fitted fine and looked kinda ok. After a while I really liked it so here it is...















Another white box, with a 'rounded' bottom. I have to admit that this lid doesn't fit very well, it shrunk a bit to much. What I learned here (again!) is to not let the pot get to dry but try to keep them in as much the same state as possible so they dry evenly. Maybe I'll glaze the gallery on this one as to fill some space, will that work? Hm, just don't forget to not put the lid on the pot then and hope they still fit together after the glazefiring.






























I like this handle, what do you think?















This was my first one, there are two holes in the middle of the lid, I want to put a handle ore knob made from a different material on it so I made two holes to attache that (somehow). Don't know how or what yet. I'll let the pot speak to me when it's fired and glazed.















That's it for now.
I hope you are all enjoying your weekend!
I'm of to do get some groceries and then into the studio. My mum asked me to make a vase for her a while ago. Today she came by to remind me... oops.... better get to work! :-D

Be happy and enjoy whatever you are doing,

blessed be,
Monique

23/07/2010

Something completely different


A friend of mine was going on vacation and needed a new suitcase. To make sure nobody could mistakingly take her suitcase at the airport she wanted to have painting on it. As I have been painting/drawing celtic knot-work for ages and she likes that very much she asked me to paint a simple celtic knot on her suitcase. She wanted this color because the suitcase has a line across the sides in that color (which doesn't show in the picture). It was fun painting again for a change. :-D
I would love to put some celtic knot-work on my clay pieces to but haven't figured out a good way to do that. Any suggestions?







22/07/2010

some more pics

Now I am sort of back in 'blogland'  and looking at all your beautiful work again I'm almost embarrassed to put my pics on the blog.... Almost because I'm eager to learn!
Looking forward to your feedback.

Here are some more pics of my first ever open studio works.

Mugs....still working on those handles! :-)




























More cups/mugs. These were actually glaze tests...sshhh don't tell anyone.....



Cups with my green ashglaze. The color looks different in every picture but this is pretty accurate.














This is a new asglaze, not perfect yet but getting there. I think I have to apply it a bit thicker to get more of those nice drips.




















This plate has a transparent ashglaze over a commercial transparent glaze. Turns out it makes opaque blue-ish drips...hmmm,














And offcourse another birdhouse... :-) I so like making them!



















I wanted to show you pictures of the set up in my livingroom but the light wasn't kind to the pictures so this is it.
My next post will be on my new infatuation with boxes! 

Grtz,
Monique

20/07/2010

Ready for LOTS of pics? (finally...)

Hi there!
Finally I have the time and energy to write a post. The open studio was absolutely wonderful!
Although I didn't have many visitors I did sell my very first pots! The feedback I got was very motivating and I learned a lot during the weekend and the weeks before. It has been a big learning experience and a lot of fun!
I for instance never knew that people won't buy a bowl if it doesn't have a name!
I got questions like; it's a beautiful bowl but what can you put in it? Duh??????
But if I tell people that the little bowls are tapas bowls I see their faces light up and suddenly they appreciate it more.... does anyone recognize this or is it a Dutch thing? :-)

Here are some pics, not all of them yet because I had to resize them (couldn't download them because they were to big) one by one and my old Mac doest that but it takes some time.......
I hope you enjoy the pics and any comments, tips and tricks are very welcome!!

and...uuuhhh.... not spending time on telling you why it took so long for me to post again and no promises for the future! :-D


Two small budvases (250 gr) with a combination of commercial glazes and my own ashglazes.




























Mugs made with the same clay and slips but with different transparent glazes.
This one has a commercial transparent glaze....


























and this one a 'transparent' ashglaze.... what a difference hey?













Pinch-pots with the same clay and slips and commercial transparent glaze


Some pieces in different clay's and/or slib but all with my green ashglaze.




































My best friend stayed for diner so we thought we'd put the bowls in use..... doesn't food just look good on green?? :-)












































Jellybeans are so photogenic! 

















































These is an old piece from last year when I had never seen a potterswheel up-close so this is coilbuilt.
































Thats all for now. Back to the clay (not that I'm addicted to it...)

Happy potting everyone!

blessed be,

Monique