December 25. 2019

Good Yule from the Christmas Dragon

Birds

I have taken to drinking my morning tea in the sunroom rather than lolling around in bed.

We are beginning to get more birds this year.  Last year there weren't many.  I don't know if  there was some reason other than they didn't feel like it.We used to have many house finches; they no longer seem to be in the neighborhood.  Perhaps they will return.

In addition to those pictured we have many titmice, juncos, and nuthatches.

We do let the squirrels come.  After all, they get hungry too.  They love peanuts in the shell  and corn, which we are currently out of.

We are enjoying sunny, cold days.  Much better than the cold, sleety, rain we had last week.

Meanwhile I am cozy and warm enjoying the heat from our trusty Jotul.

Good Yule to everyone!

As always, thanks for stopping by..........*s*

It's Christmas!

The dragons arrived this morning with lights and ornaments.

This is the little penguin whistle I made last week.  He is glazed for a single fire.  The pink is the wax resist I use.  It makes using black so much easier!

Toes crossed I will have a full kiln by the week end.  We'll see grasshopper......

As always, thanks for stopping by................*s*

Pinch Pots

Here is a rabbit/hare/bunny that I pinched out of a small cylinder of clay.

He was going to be a whistle but I let him get too dry.  I like my whistles to be on the edge of hard leather when I make them.

There is a lot wrong with him, including the mended foot, but he will be fine for design experiments.

Many of my potter friends on various FB pottery groups have been making coiled cone Christmas trees.

I built these two over bisqued cones wrapped newspaper. My clay was very wet and I was too impatient to dry it out a bit.  The smaller one is coils which I then smooshed  to get some surface movement.  The larger one is small wads of clay which I shaped as I applied them.

I remove the forms as soon as the clay has dried just a bit.  The newspaper stays in to provide a bit of support.  It removes easily when the trees are completely dry.

I have glazed these with three coats of Spectrum #799 Majolica White. The green in Mason Stain #6202 Florentine Green.

They will be single fired to ^05

We'll see, grasshopper...

As always, thanks for stopping by......*s*

Ringo

Our dear orange floof, Ringo, died suddenly of what I can only assume was a heart attack, while we were out shopping.

Ringo... July 1, 2017-November22, 2019

He was a fourteen pound ball of floofy love.  His goofy affection helped me get through Aloysius’s passing last summer.

I am devastated and heartbroken.

As always, thanks for stopping by.............*s8

Sunflowers

Yes indeed.  My sunflowers are coming into bloom.

They sprouted in a birdfeeder after days of rain in September.  I transplanted some of the strongest into a planter so I could bring it inside if it it got too cold.  Here on the south side of the house it has stayed nice and warm.

I think next spring I will scatter lots of sunflower seeds around and see what happens.

As always, thanks for stopping by..............*s*

The Last Rose of Summer?

I thought this was the last rose, but yesterday I noticed two more buds forming.

Autumn is always interesting here because it often wanders along in the sixties even low seventies and then suddenly turns frosty.

The maples and some of the beech have begun to turn.  The oaks are always much later.

 

It's Turkey Time!  These are just a few of the very large flock that has been wandering through our yard at sunrise this week.

I have been reorganizing my studio to make it more conducive to work.

I am debating with myself about doing the Christmas Sale at my Art Association/ Pottery Co-op.

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

The sun is out after days of rain and storm.   Enjoy!

As alwaqys, thanks for stopping by........*s*