Monday, January 2, 2012

Tests and Pizza

Testing, testing, testing......I'm doing some blue on white or very pale blue backgrounds.  The blue poppies are in turquoise blue with indigo on a white ground.  I have some other blues I want to try in combinations.  I find it works much better for me if I do designs rather than strips of color.  Changes can occur when they are layered and and blended.   Color also changes depending on the carrying medium for the stains I use.  

I'm not totally happy with the rim.  It feels a little bare.  A simple line design may solve the problem.





The bowl is an attempt at dogs.  I haven't done much with canines; they have an entirely different anatomy from cats.  One of the joys of google is the ease of finding photos and descriptions of animal anatomies. There is a lot of drawing in my future concerning dogs.  I keep looking at the bowl.  Most of them look more like odd cats and bears than dogs.


I always have pieces around that are not good for anything but tests.  If I like them I use them at home.  If, after a few months, I still dislike them, I photograph them and turn them into drive way fill.  Terra cotta is great for filling ruts.

BIG NIGHT pizza......so named after the movie Big Night  and a wonderful pasta enclosed dish of many ingredients.  We do it as a kind of homage for special occasions.  Layers of goodies of choice with cheese and herbs.



Top layer of fresh mozzarella 


Covered and ready to bake

Out of the oven and out of the pan.....four inch deep cast iron.  It has to cool for about twenty minutes so as not to cause painful burns.  We ate it before I thought to take  a photo of the cut cross section.......it was delicious!



Thanks for stopping by, reading and commenting.............-s-

9 comments:

  1. I like both of those pieces, the flowers are emphasized by the white space of the rim and I like the mystery of not quite knowing if those are dogs or bears and I like the faded look of the blue, very lovely both of them and I don't particularly like cobalt blue but those are very soft looking, the first reminds me of a morning glory vine. I think a set of both of them would be great. What different carrying mediums do you use? I mix my mason stains with thick slip and my oxides with water but have always wanted to try some frit but never had the nerve, perhaps this year I'll do some tests. Oh that pizza looks wonderful I hope to venture into some gluten free recipes this year for crusts and such.

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  2. Both of the plates are really neat, but it's the dogs plate that just pulls me in. Love the blue on blue, but more than anything, I love the drawings. The ambiguous nature of the drawings keeps the eye exploring your line work, teasing out hints, Brilliant!

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  3. Feedback is what makes a blog invaluable!

    Hi Linda....Thanks...I use only stains, mostly Mason but some Spectrum. I mix them fifty/fifty with 3124......the major frit in my glazes. ( I don't know if it really makes a difference but I think it helps the stain melt into the glaze. ) With frit the stains are very much like water colors or pastels, easily blended with brush and water or with a dry finger. If I want a transparent, brushable look I add a little glycerin to the stain and frit mix. It makes the stain more like working with ink on paper. If I want a dense, opaque color I do a mix of frit and gerstly borate one to one and at least one part stain, depending one the color I am using. It will be more like gouache. Watch out for gerstly borate, sometimes it can lead to a muddy look. I also size the piece with a light spray of odorless hair spray, before I begin working. You will need to experiment a bit as everything I do is geared to ^04.

    If you don't want to get into making your own gluten free crusts, try Bob's Red Mill products. They have all sorts of gluten free mixes, with no preservatives, dyes etc. I understand the brownies are to die for.

    Hi F.G......thanks.....interesting about the positive comments on the dog plate......shows that the maker is not always the best judge of successful pot. These will look very different once they are fired as the glaze is what I call a 'buttery' white....not totally high gloss, and I always add a little rutile to tone down the white....makes the glaze look more like the old leaded paints found on early colonial buildings. Sometimes if I want to tone things down a little moreI do a third firing with a semi-matte clear over the whole piece.....kind of a crap shoot though with plates. I do have a nice almost semi matte that I need to make up again......plenty to do in 2012!

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  4. i like the contrasting rim on the first plate!
    the deep dish pizza looks delicious. i make pizza at least once a week using a pizza stone. i just might have to give it a try in my cast iron skillet.

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  5. Oh thanks so much for the info on the frit etc. I plan, I will, do some definite tests this month to see if I can get the feel and appearance I have been searching for with some of my work.

    Oh and thanks about the Bob's Red Mill products, I will definitely check into them.

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  6. Hi Michele...thanks for the comment....I love seeing how different people react/ interact with different pots.

    If you do pizza in cast iron.....watch out for juiciness....which this one was. We usually do them on the grill which seems to dry them out more.

    Hi Linda....please don't hesitate to email me if you need more info.

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  7. goldarnit, your work, your kicking are AMAaaaazing :) and I totally love the painting, all of it, and that pizza, !!!!

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  8. Hi Gary.....I'm blushing! Thanks!

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  9. Thanks for coming and reading my blog. Majolica- wow! Really like the first plate-- having that extra white really draws one's eye to the design. A successful pot? successful for whom.... I think if you as the creator like it, that's what matters... :) hope you're making what's best for you. I've found that for me, that's my best work.

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