A New Birdhouse. And birds inside!! I swear!

We cut down most of a big holly tree (a clump with several large trunks) in our backyard but left one trunk so we could put a birdhouse on it...and here it is, finally. I used scraps of wood from our studio, ceramic tile mosaic for the front and a recycled roof from another old birdhouse. Left-over paint was also used and in no time birds were occupying the new place. As the house is pretty large (to visually fit the size of the trunk) I built a smaller walled off "room" inside the house so the birds would have a better nest building space. The size of the opening to the house helps determine what type of bird will be attracted to the house. Wrens and smaller birds go for holes around 1 1/4" to 1 3/8".

New Horsehair Raku Pots!

Here's three new Horsehair Raku vases! ...and check out the colors in the background from our garden. A nice Azalea in the upper-right corner!

New lidded Jars!

Two new lidded jars...one with crazy birds and the other with a leaf pattern.

Beartrap Teapot

Here's my latest "phone conversation" vessel, a slab-built teapot made of a mid-range stoneware clay. I've covered the vessel with several layers of porcelain and black slip to create the sgraffito effect. Finally I've applied  underglazes and a clear glaze to complete the piece. She's talking to her friend and describing the "worst birthday ever".

Two New (almost complete) Plates

Bone-dry plates to be bisque-fired!

Martin Lives in My Refrigerator

  “Martin lives in my refrigerator”

Martin lives in my refrigerator. I don’t know how he does it. The idea of a grown man living in a perfectly functional refrigerator defies any notion of logic and common sense. He actually complains when I open the door to get a snack or prepare dinner. “Shut the door, you’re letting all the cold air out,” he yells. I’m intimidated by his forceful nature but eventually I got up the courage to ask him questions that had been nagging at me for weeks. “Isn’t it too cold in there? Aren’t you lonely in there with no one to talk to?” Martin just issues some unintelligible grunt, hands me a jar of pickles and slams the door closed.

I’d like to ask him about it being too dark in there as I’m sure the light goes off when the door closes but I’m afraid he’ll throw a brick of cheese or jar of mayonnaise at me. He’s got a strong arm and that could really hurt.

I know for sure that he can breathe okay because he’s always conscious and usually grumbling when I open the door. The big problem is the foul language and dirty looks he always directs at me. And yet…it seems so wrong. It is MY refrigerator and he’s not just a silly, immature teenager acting out in some inexplicable manner. Why did he choose MY fridge to inhabit? A squatter of kitchen appliances? It’s absurd and I don’t know how much longer I can take it.

It all seems so wrong and anti-social.  As far as I know, he has no other personal contact unless someone else is sneaking into my kitchen late at night. Does he have some nocturnal visitors? I don’t think so, but I haven’t the courage to ask him. No one to talk to, no social interaction. It’s definitely unhealthy and I know Martin’s missing the chance to watch his beloved Boston Red Sox. I don’t think he has cable in there.

Some new work at the gallery!

Here's some new work at Good Earth Pottery that I recently dropped off. I haven't put any Raku horsehair pots in this gallery before so it will be interesting to see if it sells. I went for fairly bright, colorful stains on this batch of wheelthrown forms. Maybe a few of these "guys" will catch the eyes of some holiday shoppers.

Really Cool Masks by Kim Murton

I was at the Lucia Douglas Gallery (in lovely Fairhaven) recently and fell in love with a wonderful display of small ceramic masks by Vancouver Washington artist Kim Murton. The masks are small and some nearly 3-D. Kim created very simple forms with simple, whimsical surface treatments  and the "surprised" mouth expressions were my favorites. I wasn't planning to buy anything but I ended up getting one anyway. I guess it's my Christmas present early......

The Man With a Thousand Buttons Plate

My latest plate!

Bird Mirror Frame

I finally completed a mirror frame for a custom order. The frame has ceramic, sgraffito decorated birds and wormy apples glued to the edges. Here's a step-by-step view (with a few steps left out).

 Here are the bone-dry porcelain figures with black slip left as detail.

...and here is the pine frame after it's rough cut, glued and drying in the clamps.

The frame shape is drawn out and waiting to be cut on the bandsaw.

Here's the final shape awaiting the sanding job.

Here I am routing the backside of the recently sanded frame. The routed area will allow for the mirror glass to sit securely.

Here's a close-up of the routed area. A little sanding will be needed here before I apply primer and final paint.

...and here's the bright orange frame as requested by the customer.

Here is the completed frame with creatures attached at the sides, clear glass buttons added to the front, mirror glass installed and a hanging device added to the back. That's a line in the ceiling that you see in the mirror.

A detail shot of the underglazed birds. Done!

Newest Home Project

Here are a few pictures of my latest home improvement project. I recently poured a concrete slab (with brick border) and built a brick and cedar enclosure to house our garbage can and recycle containers. What a great improvement to an unsightly spot at the side of our house. It's not entirely finished but today I installed two metal crow sculptures (I made them today!) to add a fun surprise in this partially hidden corner. I love my plasma cutter! Much nicer.

A New Batch of Mugs

Here's a bunch of mugs I recently made. My brother is going to sell them in the coffee shop at his church.

Fantastic Cardboard Sculptures by Ann Weber

I saw Ann Weber's work in the latest issue of American Craft and was amazed. She is able to create very impressive sculptures from such simple materials, mostly cardboard, staples and shellac. I love the surface quality and patterns she develops with the paper. Check out her website!                                                                           

http://annwebersculpture.com/html/sculpture.html

Bad Girl Mug

Are you a bad girl?

Raku Horsehair Pots

Here are four of my Raku pots that are decorated with the horsehair technique. If you're not familiar, the technique is as described here: The piece of pottery, which has previously been bisque fired, is loaded into the Raku kiln. At about 1400 °F it is removed from the kiln with long tongs and set upon a turntable. Quickly, and carefully, strands of horsehair are laid on the surface of the pot. They immediately "frizzle" and smoke. The burning hair leaves its mark permanently on the face of the pot. The smoke also leaves its mark giving the piece a smoke "blush". Once the desired pattern of burned hair is complete the pot is allowed to cool naturally. Afterward the ash residue is washed from the pot and when it is thoroughly dry it may be hand-colored and sealed with acrylic sealer.