My newest salt and pepper cellars – clean and simple!
This is a plate that I made using a rubber block that my daughter had carved for a printmaking project when she was in a 5th grade art class. I have some other blocks of hers, and a couple more that my younger daughter made in the same art class a few years later. They both get a kick out of seeing their childhood designs worked into my pottery. It’s fun for me too.
I’m getting ready for the Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show in Providence, Rhode Island next week, and this collection of air plants and their containers are a few of the garden-related things I’m bringing with me. I’ve fallen in love with these miniature gems, and had a lot of fun designing little pots to hold them. The wall pocket style in the top photo has both a magnet and a hole in the back so that they can be hung on a refrigerator or a wall. The others look nice sitting on a table, shelf, kitchen counter – anywhere, really. Air plants are so easy to take care of – I’ve had mine for over a month and they are perfectly happy and thriving. They live on the organic matter in air and water – and don’t like soil or direct sun. They enjoy bright, indirect light and a good soaking once a week with a misting in between. Air plants will bloom and make pups, which can be separated from the mother and set to grow on their own. Simply delightful!
This is a detail of raspberry leaves on a tumbler – something I made a few “Springs” ago. It will be quite a while before this subject matter and color shows up in the landscape again – especially after today as we wait for a blizzard to hit the East Coast, covering everything in sight with a blanket of white. It’s possible I’ll be studio-bound for a few days – not that I mind. Inspiration can come in all different shades.
This is my version of a traditional Spanish olive dish, something I didn’t know existed until a woman visiting my craft fair booth last fall told me about them. I made a special one as a gift for her – sometimes my customers give me the best ideas. I’ve always loved divided dishes. While things are quiet this winter, I’ve set out working on other types beyond the common “chip and dip“, experimenting with shapes and sizes and imagining what kind of appetizers would work best in them. For me, glazing has always been the hardest aspect of making pottery. I like the plain white glaze on the prototype above and the way it sets off the color of the olives, but it might look a little boring on my craft fair table. The next step is to find something a little more interesting that still looks good with food. More to come!
A batch of soap dishes, drying on a shelf in the clay studio this morning.
I’ve had these plates in my basement for a long time – sitting idly on my inventory shelves waiting for me to decide whether to sell or keep them for myself. There’s something about them that I really like – the glaze came out just the way I intended, and they have a strong solid feel. I finally posted them on my Etsy Store today. I realized I have way too much pottery as it is – a lot of my own seconds, and a collection of ware from some of my favorite potters around. Frankly, I just don’t have room in my cupboards for one thing more. So, off they go – hopefully to a home where they will be used every day which is a much better fate than gathering dust on my inventory shelves.
This is a glaze that I’ve rediscovered in the back of my studio and am now loving on these bowls. The glaze is glossier with a slight crackle in places where it is thicker. I like the combination of semi-matte and gloss – it adds some nice variety and depth to the surface, which is something I’m always trying to achieve with electric glazes.
If you happen to be near East Greenwich, RI this weekend, check out Festival Fete’s East Greenwich Art Festival. There are over 140 artists (including me) who will be showing off their crafts, plus good food, live music and entertainment. I will be in Booth #40 – come by and say hi!
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