Wednesday 30 March 2016

The kiln is open

below is looking into the kiln whilst unloading it.
This is the second bottom shelf


Some beautifully creative glazing by one of G's students below
this is glaze on glaze using wax resist


What an awesome design below.
A fabulous set


finishing this blog 
with some more of my hand built bowls below


Saturday 26 March 2016

works in progress


A close up of a stamped large platter 
one of many I did a couple of weeks ago 
(sore wrist, no throwing, but had fun hand-building instead)


And this is it below 
slab, stamped, slumped - earthernware 
fired in Gerald's gorgeous green glaze


Tea cups on the go - freshly thrown
and
 a bunch of little things to paint. 
these will be used for wall hangings.
the holes are where I nut and bolt them on
to what ever recycled bit of something I can get my hands on


Still in the fridge for slow drying
a Gerald raku form


also in a slow drying cupboard
G's leaf bowls


He's been working hard


and to finish 
one of my mushrooms, finally finished
 

Thursday 24 March 2016

Fired a couple of kiln loads


Some of the gorgeously painted ceramics in this weeks kiln load
 these look a bit brighter than last blog


 We love the creative glazing that the students are doing
pretty tumblers below


pie dish 


Below
and looking down in the kiln
more creative glazing
with some of my little painted circles as kiln fillers
just so we don't waste the space when firing the kiln


the little kiln fired with mushroom stems


a cute nest of bowls by Ella


Thursday 17 March 2016

students working hard

The students have been so busy.
They are coming along in leaps and bounds,
 and are really doing great things in class.

Below are some pretty plates from Tuesday class


 Giggles and lots of smiles.
Makes doing what we do fun.


We have racks and racks of work to fire at the moment


This is Thursday class stuff from Casuarina Night School
G had to bring this work home to bisque fire as the kilns there were not working (yet)

They have made loads of colourful and interesting pots


The big pot ( from Mondays class) got a bisque this week (surrounded by other pots of course)
Mushrooms are finished and we are onto bigger and bolder pots now.


This gorgeous under-glaze decorated platter is from the Wednesday night class


as is this beautiful huge hand made oven dish is glazed and ready to have a gloss fire.



Thursday 10 March 2016

Chicken bottoms!

something's been eating my
Chicken bottoms!


Its no picnic
but
it has been a bit dry here in the Darwin
  the ants start to eat out


nibble nibble nibble


Oooh, even their little beaks have suffered



Better get painting and get these little ones in the kiln quick smart.

Tuesday 8 March 2016

There are boats and mushrooms

Gerald has a thing about boats
and
he just keeps making them


some have a use, like the little sauce boats 
and some are just boats
 that weird and wonderful form 



Be interesting to see it finished


These little things below are called sprigs. 
We have a variety of molds that we make them from.
I found G in the bathroom with a tooth brush years ago 
scrubbing clay off one of my girlfriends broaches.
She never know that he made a clay mould from it and we still use it today.
Some prigs go on pots, some books (G's picture diary) and even onto boards (the food variety)


Janelle finished some of her mushrooms
 They are ready for the garden


These ones below will hopefully be finished next week
 I adore the pretty colours

Saturday 5 March 2016

This week today

Below, and sorry, sideways??
 Julie from one of Gerald's classes
with her rather large oven dish.


Below still in the kiln
From the Monday Mushroom class
Really pretty colours
All shiny and ready for the garden.
some test tiles (colours) and pieces (clear glaze on white)
 and did sneak in some chooks


I have had a sore wrist lately. I think  from some hard wedging.
 No throwing for me then, so have 
had some fun hand building


I have done a series of these larger bowls
some more organic than others
Slab formed, stamped and slumped
earthenware clay


I am stuck on this stamped pattern at the moment.
Will look lovely with G's gorgeous green glaze.


Monday 29 February 2016

Monday's Mushroom class


Janelle's mushies are looking so colourful.
Can't wait to see them finished


Ella got her mushroom stem up in no time flat.


Julie finished her mushies and is onto bigger things


Ahhh got to be happy with the new lights in the pottery class area. 
OMG we can see!


Julie's fish bowl got a bit of a crack from drying too quickly
 but with some tender loving care, she'll survive
(all our fingers crossed)
It's going to look beautiful.


Thursday 25 February 2016

the pots, it's all about the pots

This beauty is for an exhibition coming up at 
Tactile ARTS
"Fire Works"


Its all nice and smokey from the fire


Smokey Shiny bottle


G sure has some nice shapes 
Must be the New Zealand influence



even the underside of this little cutie has some lovely colour
and of course a nice little sticker too