*whispers* in the bisque

 Here is the lid of one of my teapots.  Stoneware clay, wheel thrown, black underglaze and a scraffito pattern.

Here is number two, the pattern is based on some drawings I did a while ago of the flowers of the Illawarra Flame Tree flowers.

Here's a copy of the water colour I made based on my drawings.  I hope the pattern translates well on the teapots when they finish their journey.

Remember to check out Mud Colony this week.

decorating started

a sneak peek
one completed one to go.. and then the firings so still crossing fingers

Camera Shy

No images of my work this week.  Only just got the computer back online after being down for two days :^(

However, I will be posting images soon of my very first effort at pierced work - two little tealight holders underway.

Very wet and windy here today so my teapots are still at home as I didn't want to risk taking them out in the heavy rain and wind to get them to the community kilns.. later in the week all being well.

 One good thing about the weather is the boost to the plant life - even my Ixa which grows in a large pot on my open balcony.

The Bangalow Palm trees are loving it!  Two lots of older flower stems with loads of red berries and more flowers unfurling!

You can still go to Mud Colony and see what other potters are doing this week...

Teapots? In March??

Just received an email reminding me that I should have some teapots made and ready to send to Victoria by 18th March! Yipes... might need some help on this one...

In the mean time - those little boxes have been decorated:

I hope those dots fire OK. I used black engobe - an earthenware one.  What was I thinking? The rest of the work is stoneware clay..  I was mainly thinking the black should stay and not fire out forgetting it was an engobe which I think would be made with an e/w clay base?  suppose I could fire them as earthen ware and the colours will stay bright. They don't have to hold liquid so it wouldn't matter if the clay hadn't vitrified...

I think I give my guardian angel an awful lot of work...
the other day I went to wear my butterfly brooch and it wasn't where I usually put it - hanging out the washing this morning I found it on a blouse I had just washed - well how's that for product research - not a scratch and the clasp is fine too, ha ha...

I'll be adding this post to Mud Colony so hop over and see how the other ceramic artists are doing this week.

February already

I had hoped that somehow this year would slow down but it seems to be rushing along already.

Today I went back to a community gallery studio where I can meet up with other potters, experiment a bit and just play with clay for a few hours.

The most awkward thing is deciding whether or not to risk leaving your pots there til next week, all wrapped up or transport them home hoping you don't have to do an emergency braking...
I chose the later this week

As you can see only little pieces but I'm seeing what happens when I try altering the shape and then I'm stamping the sides.  The round one will stay round and I might use some tissue prints for decoration.

Earlier in the week I finished off the flowers on the lids of these little jewellery boxes: 

 

The image is a bit fuzzy, must have moved the camera :(  these are yet to be coloured with underglazes before being bisque fired.

I'll be sharing todays post over on my Facebook page: Anna's Ceramics plus  at Mud Colony and also at Artists in Blogland.