Gaia remembered

This is a reminder to myself...remember who your goddess is!

Gaia, Mother Earth, or any other forms or names...she is still the SOURCE, the energy of LIFE, Love, Happiness, the juicy stuff that runs the universe.

Of course if you're not into a goddess, just put up with me.

This morning I got back in touch with her, by a Tarot ritual, by going on a short walk, throwing a rock with all my un-needed sticky attributes that I'd been holding onto into the creek...and by not going to church.

Oh my. But for me to do all this ritual in solitude was really what I needed to reconnect to the creative force, the sensuous nature of the goddess. That just wouldn't have happened in the pews, listening to others, doing a ritual that didn't have much spirituality in it. Maybe it was aimed to have some, but it didn't speak to me that way. This other stuff did. I need to nurture it for myself. It's really important to me.

I don't think I've posted this little vase before. The bottom portion is a combination of Matt Bronze Green over clear...perhaps with some nutmeg in there too. It's porcelain, cone 6.

The base of the vase (sorry about that) is thrown, with torn slab and some hand work for the leaves. Mayco colors on the leaves, under studio clear. I'm concerned because it continues to crackle on this clay. That is ok on vases, but not cool for anything functional, since crazing leads to places bacteria can grow.

This is a totally torn slab assemblage (about 10-1/2" at tallest point). Mayco under clear under a little nutmeg. The nutmeg is barely there, probably cause it was a new batch, and I was just sponging it on.

The base was reinforced right at the bottom edge, and the rest of the pot is very thin.

A variation of a pentacle makes this into a rainbow cauldron for me.

Next will be some sangria pitchers and some smaller bowls. Not everything has to be huge.

Donating some pots

My dear Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley is trying to raise funds for operating expenses. They are going to hold an auction, so I've donated 10 pots. They will bring at least $100 if they all sell (not likely, but let's think positive)...at the minimum bids.

There are too many people in the congregation who are also potters, so that' why I figure lots won't be selling, no matter that the minimum bid is $5 for some of them.

These next 2 pots are my latest porcelain ones, and aren't donations at all. This one is the cobalt blue which I developed for Solstice gifts last winter. Finally found a way that it looks good. The slightly tan overtones are from the light sponge-ing of nutmeg glaze over the clear.

I was amazed that it shrunk about 20% from original size, but it's still my largest pot, I think, 15-1/2" tall, 10-1/2" across.

This is Teresa's wedding bowl.

Tonight is the wedding, so I have to go wrap it up now. Just wanted to have some pictures to remember how it looked, in case I want to make anything similar any time. It's porcelain also, 11-1/2" across, 6-1/2" tall.

New August Pots

I'm including this pot, because it's a comparison from this stoneware (cone 6) to...

Some of the new P-5 (porcelain at cone 6) clay with some very troublesome glazing. It took 3 tries to get what I wanted, and I'm pretty happy with these results.

This glaze is my favorite, clear then with nutmeg over it. I had to sponge on the nutmeg because it was so thick it cracked off if I tried pouring or dipping the glazes on the pot.

The details on all my pots (colors) are done with Mayco Stroke and Coat, which go to cone 6 pretty well. The bottom white/green on the butterfly pot is from dunking it into HR Satin.

Here the clear with nutmeg left some interesting streaking, and I put wax over the detail work before dunking this small pot in nutmeg.

This tiny little jade gem just barely didn't stick to the shelf with the runny Matt Bronze Green over clear glaze. Too thick! But so pretty with those details.

The Mayco yellow didn't survive very well in this delicate detail.

This is another large pot, combining torn slab work with a thrown base.

A medium size chalice shape, with some fun variations.

This small pot and the previous one are both low fire earthenware (cone 04) with Mayco glazes.

This is one of my display shelves...

which give slightly paler colors, as well as a good comparison of the sizes!

All in all, I'm pleased with these pots. Still working!

A couple more pots...

White earthenware chalice with leaf design glazes. These are all more pots for the sale tomorrow at the Pottery Market.

A white earthenware clay chalice...with hand painted glazes with a mid-eastern hint.

This is the tallest piece I made, and it was still in the kiln when I took pictures of the others...combos of thrown bottoms with torn slab upper parts. The glaze is what I have been using on all the pots this month...clear with nutmeg.

Pottery Market this weekend

One of my small vases with tree limbs. Each vase is around 4" tall.

Jane and Elise are busy getting ready for the sale...or maybe just enjoying making something beautiful. The Sourwood Arts Festival will take over downtown Black Mountain, NC this weekend, and since our Clay Studio is right next door, we'll have a pottery market. The sales of our works will contribute to equipment needed by the community members and classes here in the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, (a non-profit organization.)

Elise is busy glazing one of her pots.

This is one of my combined pieces...about 14" tall with a thrown bottom and torn-slab pieces worked around the upper half.

Detail of combined thrown and slab pieces vase.

Another vase of the same style, slightly taller and thinner. Base is a thrown shape, with addition of pieces of slab to form the upper part.

Detail of same combination pot.

I enjoy making vignettes on these vases...with scenery reminiscent of our Blue Ridge views.

Another small vase with a vignette painted upon its side.

Detail of goddess/female form with lid.