I was asked to make a series of urns in memory of my sister-in-law’s friend who was a gardener. Here is one of them, freshly carved and ready to go on a shelf to dry. Eventually, they will be glazed in a clear glaze with a light green on the inside. A subtle approach, but very much like the woman who’s ashes they will hold – small, delicately sweet and softly spoken.
I didn’t realize it until now, but I think the paint on the chairs in my kitchen inspired the direction of my latest test tiles with a new clay body – that and an amazing workshop led by Jeremy Randall last summer in Rockport, MA.
Still hot from the kiln.
I was at a friend’s house the other day and saw one of my old salt cellars on her kitchen counter. I barely remember how I did it since I made it so long ago. I took a photo to remind myself to try and make some more just like it. I really like the shape – the circle within a square block – and the striped layers of color in the glaze.
It felt good to be back in the studio today after the long holiday break. After a year of carving and working almost exclusively with high contrast imagery, I’m going to dig out some of my old glazes and see what I can do to bring these new forms to life with a more subtle approach.
Now that the holidays are over, I’ve been keeping myself busy by loading up my Etsy Shop with leftover goodies, like this little carved salt cellar with a bamboo spoon. Next week, I’ll be back to work, experimenting with some new techniques. Winter time is play time in the studio.
