G L A Z E D - N O T - F I R E D

here's another commission from my sale. I had a couple of these cups at the show which sold very quickly. everyone grumbled about them already being sold, but my friend, jane, is the one who asked me to make more. she kept saying "BLOOD CUPS. I need some BLOOD CUPS." which was both funny and unnerving. maybe that's why no one else asked me to make more.

anyway, I figured that I'd show these in progress not only so jane knew they were really being made, but also because I am fairly sure I've never shown you what glaze looks like before it's fired. it's chalky. and more often than not, does not reflect the color it will actually turn out to be. these cups will be (blood) red and shiny on the inside and matte white on the outside. like this bowl. the greenish tinge you see in these photos is actually wax. I applied it after I put the red glaze on, so the white glaze wouldn't mix into the red glaze. who wants milk in their BLOOD? ew.

anyway, I should be able to pick these up tomorrow evening, all done-sies and lovely. and if they don't turn out by some freak of firing (which also happens), I've made more.

BLOOD CUPS! get your BLOOD CUPS HERE!









p.s: no, I did not do any of the other pieces shown.

I N - P R O G R E S S

a bit I'm currently working on.

remember my semi-impromptu sale? this is a direct result. at the sale, I had a plate with these fun bubble/dot designs on it which had already sold by the time my friend dylan saw it. dylan must be a fabulous husband because he commissioned me to make this dish for his lovely wife, who is a big pottery fan. (apparently said wife has collected so much that she's finally had to limit her purchases to functional pieces because she's pretty much out of room. luckily, I do functional.)

anyway, here it is in progress. at the point I took these pictures, I had just finished hand-painting the bubble/dot designs on it with black wax. it's still not glazed, but I intend to glaze it in "pistachio," which is one of my favorite glazes. (dylan, now is your chance to change your mind on glaze color if you want. speak now, or forever use a pistachio casserole dish!)

I'll post again when it's done. hopefully better pictures though... and with a cleaner backdrop... am I really about to post my cluttered coffee table on the internets?

S N E A K - P R E V I E W

of the non-pottery sort.

there's this fun thing in portland where all the galleries open their doors on the first thursday of every month and have music and food and wine and show off their new shows. it's smartly called First Thursday. my company has a big open space on the first floor, just as you come inside the front doors that we have recently deemed a gallery space, and today, this First Thursday, I am not only organizing a show, but I actually have a poster in it as well.

I'm probably not supposed to show you, so you'll actually come, but I realize that most of you live far away and can't come anyway, so here is my poster:



it's an excerpt from the haitian national anthem. the small type tells you the english translation (thank you, kristin, for your help in dealing with the french). the red part is something lovely and inspiring like "our souls will be strengthened" which I thought was appropriate. when i was done with the poster, I looked at it and thought, "this is so ME." I just love me some classic beautiful type.

anyway, this is a pretty sizable show. about 30 different artists/designers. here are some photos of some of what you can look forward to if you do make it. you can see ALL the posters here, and buy them if you live afar. actually, if you want me to buy you one tonight, I will. they are cheaper at the show tonight than on the site. (it's only a $10 suggested minimum donation vs. $50 online). it's a good cause, so if you want me to buy you one, let me know!

but shhhh, about that.

R A N D Y ' S - V A S E

finally, here's the last piece with slip inlay that I did for the holidays. I made this one especially for randy, because I based it off a photo she had taken in great falls, virginia, of all things – a vulture:



obviously, I could only approximate the trees below the bird, so I did my best to hand-carve the bird, then took artistic license with the branches. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out.

I didn't measure this piece, but I'm guessing it was about 6 inches tall or so. it has shiny turquoise glaze on the inside to suggest sky and clear glaze on the outside.
wheel-thrown and signed, november 2009
$ - I won't list a price since it was a gift

G I F T E D (12.25.09)