Monoprints

No, I have not gone completely around the bend and taken to posting pictures of pans of water.

 I have been reading a lot lately about commercially available gelli plates.  That got me to thinking about making my own plates.  After poking around on Google (so much easier than having to go to a library and pour through card catalogs) I found a terrific blog Linda Germain has.  It's filled with all sort of information, including instructions on making your own plates.  I made mine in a silicon baking pan that I have hesitated to use for baking as I often bake at fairly high temps.

I'm not sure how I will use this, but I'm thinking of it as another way to make images to go on clay.  I used to do a lot of silk screening, both for printmaking and for transfer to clay.  This seems to be a good time to experiment as I have been doing some work in white earthenware with an eye to underglazing.

We'll see, Grasshopper......we'll see..............

Speaking of grasshoppers, does anyone else miss Robin Hopper's wonderfully informative blog posts?  I notice lately that a lot of his books are being reprinted.

Sunny with a cool breeze .....just enough to make it uncomfortable to be outside.  I go out for about twenty minutes and then come in.  I am always surprised at how much can be accomplished in twenty minutes if one concentrates on the task at hand.

Enjoy the day and, as always, thanks for stopping by..........*s*

May 12, 1013

Happiest of Mothers Days to one and all!

Fun!

After staring at various blank forms for the last month or more I have begun playing a bit.  What I have mentioned before and am now sure of is that I am many times more gestural when working with handbuilt forms.  For one thing I don't have to wait until the clay is set up enough to handle, and then there is the fact that I don't have to trim.

I'm experimenting a bit with lid attachments.  Hayne Bayless makes wonderful clay hinges for his very elegant teapots.  Me?  I'm not so elegant, so I'm trying to find an earthier(?), solution.  

I want them to interact;I like the way these little guys have something going on.  Arguing? Asking for directions?  Hero Worship?  I suppose to always have them in the position I want them in I'll have to make trays for them.  Oh the complications of life! (We all should have these be our only complications.

The pots below look sort of like teapots but they're meant to be cruets as they will only hold about eight ounces when they are finished.

            

AND here is the reason why I do not take cups or mugs I have collected into my studio.  Aloysius decided that this was a good morning for knocking thing onto the cement floor.  The mug was a second, but it was pleasant to drink from and by using it I solved the drawbacks, including the futzy way I constructed it.

The beech tree, now partially blocked by the white oak branch is getting greener.  Not so much other trees.

We're having a gorgeous sunny day between rainy days.  I'm alternating between time outside and time in the studio.  At last I feel fully thawed from winter.   (My brothers tell me there was snow on my birthday....April 12...around Lake Winnapasaukeh ....and they wonder why I don't want to move North!)

This post also can be found on Mud Colony.  There's all sorts of interesting stuff there.....especially Gulgong!

Enjoy the sun, moon and stars!  As always thanks for stopping by..........*s*

Wordless Wednesday

Memory Lane

Here is a picture, ca. 1978 of our dear Nubian goats, Felicity (on the left) and Narcissus (on the right).  Felicity was a doe and Narcissus was a wether and her buddy.  They were so gentle that we could let them out of the pen and they would follow us around like dogs.  

I just realized that I forgot to photograph the teapot that I am glazing. I'll do an update or another post later.

Meanwhile it's a bright sunny day......but.....the blackflies are out,  Time to dig out my hat and insect repellent.  Blackfly bites can be extremely nast.

Enjoy the sun, and, as always, thanks for stopping by.........*s*

Cinco de Mayo

Wishing a joyous Cinco de Mayo to all those who celebrate the day!  And to those who don't, it's a really good excuse to eat yummy Mexican food.  There are too many sites to mention here with excellent recipes and tips.  Google is called for!

I have been experimenting with a new (to me) decorating method.  I am outlining the design in wax resist, then painting in the colors.  The bottom photo show a cup with the resist design; the top right mug has the design painted in; the top left is a finished mug with the background color added.

I used my regular green wax resist, which by it's nature is runny.  I may switch to batik wax which I can mix to a consistency I like.  

I initially thought it might be a faster way to decorate, but hah! I say, HAH!  There is no such thing when it comes to majolica, at least the way I do it.

It's time to relearn patience and enjoy the process.  If you don't enjoy the process why on earth do it?

Below is a shot of the cut Cuban beer bread.  I used my regular Cuban Bread recipe substituting one and a half cups beer for the same amount of water and honey instead of sugar.  I wanted the honey to balance the bitterness that sometimes occurs when cooking with beer.  The amount of honey may have to be adjusted depending on the beer that is used.  This loaf had a mellow flavor with only a hint of sweetness.

I am not a real beer drinker so I let Proge choose the beer.  He came up with Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale which is very flavorful.  Next time I may try a wheat beer.

Finally it's feeling like real spring.  The early morning light has changed with the tilt of the earth.  And my favorite beech tree is leafing out.  It's one of the earliest trees to leaf.....yes, there will be a spring this year!

Beech trees have their own timetable for leafing.  We have one out in the woods that doesn't begin to leaf until most of the woods is in full leaf.

Someday I hope to put in a copper beech in the woods behind the house.  Game of Thrones people will understand why.

There's no Mud Colony this week, but everyone should take a look at what Adriana has been doing at Gulgong 2013.  Now I want to visit down under more that ever!

We're in a streak on sunny, warm weather. with no rain expected until the beginning of the week.  I hope it's a spring rain and not one of our New England bone chillers.  Rain is good but....

Enjoy spring and, as always, thanks for stopping by.............*s*

Wordless Wednesday

Cuban Beer Bread Experiment