Where Does It Go From Here?

This is an experiment.  I have glazed smaller purchased flower pots with some success, but this one is a larger size, about thirteen inches across at the top.  I bought several of them on sale at Job Lot.  I inspected the rims very carefully and even sprayed them when I got them home to make sure there were no hairline cracks.  Even the tiniest crack will wreak complete havoc on a pot in its glaze firing. I sanded the pot with a 80 grit paper and sprayed it with vinegar and water.  I let it dry in the sun for a day before glazing.

This is glazed with Spectrum #799, Majolica White.  Through my experiments on small, purchased pots I have found that my studio glazes are a crap shoot.  I had one where the glaze slid completely off the pot to form a very nice ring at its foot.  Needless to say I always fire on a pad or piece of kiln shelf.

Now the question is how to paint it.  I want something fairly simple as it will have plants, probably petunias and friends, in it.   I will stare at it and do some sketches.

I am making these for my own use with no intention of ever selling them.  That would be too close to paint your own pottery for comfort.

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

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

CELEBRATE

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

Thanks for stopping by.......*s*

Tile

Whenever I want to do some straightforward illustrating I dig out one of the tiles I keep on hand.  They are glazed with who-knows-what, probably Spectrum #799 Majolica White.

I use Mason stains, mostly mixed with frit #3124, sometimes with gerstley borate added to give a denser color.  I will fire at ^05.

I have been looking at a lot of Mucha lately, so you don’t have to look far for the inspiration.  

This is not quite finished but I wanted to get a photo  before I loaded the kiln.  Yes I am going to do a firing soon.

Toes crossed that all my northern hemisphere friends are enjoying a terrific summer.  I am enjoying tea by the fish pond in the mornings.  It is such a relief to not have caterpillars crunching and crapping everything in sight.

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

It Takes A While

I finally remembered to photograph the other side of the fish.  It's quite different from the reverse, but that is what I wanted, 

And I finally remembered that with this glaze Mason stains mixed with frit and g.b. work much better than stains with frit only.  They go on with a much smoother application.

It will be interesting to see how it fires.  We'll see, grasshopper........we'll see......

As always, thanks for stopping by............S..........

Sometimes

You just gotta paint a fish!

I have been gathering up the fish, turtles and mermaids that I put in various parts of the garden, fish pond,, and pool.  I found this lonely little guy with his white base coat, but nothing else.  Soooooo, he has been getting some bling.

It just started raining here.  The upside is that it really does in the remnants of caterpillar infestations from the last two summers.  We may actually be able to use the pool for more than a few weeks in August-Sptember.

Toes crossed that all who have been experiencing torrential rains and flooding are safe and dry.

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

Sometimes

How Do You Use a Cup?

I was just reading Tony Clennell’s blog.  Man can he make some fine cups/mugs.

All of which got me to thinking about mug sizes and when I use them.

In the morning I use a huge mug because I like to drink my tea in bed and not get up for refills.

The rest of the day I use one cup mugs, just because.  Unless I am drinking a white or green tea late in the afternoon.  Then I use about a five to six ounce mug, or is it a cup?

When does a mug become a cup anyway?