Showing posts with label texture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label texture. Show all posts

Monday, August 15, 2011

Before and After...




As promised, I am sharing the before and after photos of a recent paisley textured vase. I must say I was a little disappointed with the final piece. It is very nice, and there is nothing wrong with it, at all, in fact technically, it is one of my best. But, all along the process, I thought the clay was lighter! I glazed it and expected one outcome, and low and behold the finished product was much darker than I had envisioned. The glazes that I chose were subtle, and therefore are not as dramatic as I had thought they would have been on a lighter clay.

It is all a part of the process. I just forgot that I had used this particular clay on this piece. All a part of the ongoing learning curve.

I think with pottery, the curve goes on....and on....and on.....

Friday, February 6, 2009

Inspiration Through Exploration


Don't know about you, but I am a country girl. I grew up in the regular old "suburbs", but over my lifetime have gravitated toward rural, uninhabited areas. I have spent time living in cities, and metropolitan areas, but never felt like I could breathe in those places. I was always wondering "when can I get out of here and back to a more peaceful place"?


I know many people are stimulated and find city living quite fulfilling and could never even consider an alternate lifestyle, it just has never been for me.

Many of my pottery pieces are inspired by the colors and textures found in the nature that surround my home. A number of my pieces have been imprinted with leaves, flowers, and shrubbery stems found locally. People who live in these parts recognize their favorite flowers or plants and many purchase items that are made with them. It is a fun thing to walk outside the studio and just hunt and find the items I use to create my pieces. The tray above was created from a local sycamore tree. The tray measured about 14-20 inches, really turned out well, I thought.

It is also interesting that when my husband and I go on "vacations" we tend toward less crowded areas of the world, in general. We also seek out areas of natural beauty. Lucky for me, my husband also tolerates cities, but just doesn't like being there too long. So we are a great match in that area.

This weekend we are headed a little west from our place into an even more remote and uninhabited area. We have not been to this exact spot, but I spent summers in the area as a child at a summer camp. So, it will feel familiar, but still be "new".

We are going skiing and the resort just got a foot of fresh snow earlier this week. So with the temperatures rising a bit, we may just luck out with a nice little break!

Should be fun! I will let you know.