new sketchbook

a few pages from my new journal....since i wanted to get back into the whole drawing thing and the sketchbook challenge seemed to be a great encouragement, I went and bought myself some pocket sized sketch books...

these are my first entries today i'm easing into the year with some of my current work and playing with line making..the glaze resist work is a kiln filler while i'm finishing off the platter glaze firings and the cups ....well i was inspired to make some really large ones, sometimes the market stall needs some 'out there' pieces that really stand out...it helps the display have some areas of focus and really grabs peeps attention even if they don't end up purchasing that item it gets them talking which after all is our market's favourite thing... :))

and sometimes my pages are about the space as much as the object....I'm a big fan of negative space..

monster handles...

monster handles... to go with my monster mugs...

quick pics...

I've had a couple of hours in the studio this week which is great and such a nice day today i know what i'll be up to... I have a glaze dilemma again the satin green turned out almost black and in order to do my next firing i needed to fill the kiln again...i seem to spend a huge amount of time doing this but i dont think there's any way around it testing testing and more testing..

I'm thinking of taking the platters another cone higher... I fired a perfect cone6 in both kilns but feel they could go a little higher just to see the glaze move a bit.... I like it that way...

So I'm thinking a wash of satin white over the black and see what i get with one, the others where there is barely glaze on the sides of the dishes i'll brush some more glaze on and refire too...it's such a bleeper! of a glaze and so glad it's not mine..

anyhoo the monster mugs are so big cant wrap your hands around them....should be cool with big gnarly handles on them....yeh!!!!

and just for fun i'm doing some glaze layering with wax deco....so far this is it..

this is what this charming glaze is supposed to look like and did in all of my tests...

so higher we go..

big love to qld...

   I've been glued to the footage the last couple of days as the Qld floods continue to devastate the state...this is just a light hearted moment from tonights seven pm project...thanks hughesy

screen produce...

 A lil sample of todays print efforts.. the screens are from a gocco box style printer, where the screens are created instantly from laser printed black and white images or solid photocopies.. I like the quality of the final image that during the print process can become more textured and have a hand made feel to them... so lil birdie got quite the work out today...a long with mr giraffe..

Fired the 2 kilns today of 12 platters as well, so hopefully a restaurant delivery this week too....that would be good eh...

This afternoon I was making drop molded plates with the hot glue patterned rolling pin, it's kinda groovy with swirls and dots and thingy bits ... I drew some scrolls and lines from some patterns I had and am really liking the line quality, something the glaze will pool into quite nicely..

So that is it the end of my holiday break and back to work tomorrow trying to make this whole clay and work thing happen together somehow...no pressure really just enough time in the studio to enjoy myself and i'll be happy with that..