Can I Keep My Name?

After the studio was built I decided to name it after the exterior paint color I chose, "raisin." It seemed to fit well. Plus raisins are tasty. Now I see that name is taken by another blogger. I've changed the name of this blog once already. Do I have to again? For now my address is elsclay@blogspot.com and the physical building is Raisin Studio. El's Clay is also an established business. It's so hard to be original these days!

Postscript: OK. The other Raisin Studio is in Australia, and El's Clay is in Canada. I guess I'm safe to keep my blog address and title for now. Just call me El.

Wind Chimes

I had the idea of trying to make wind chimes. I wondered if the stoneware clay I use would make a nice sound, how thick the pieces should be, should they be glazed or unglazed...

So I experimented.

I drew up different ideas in my sketchbook and went with the idea of using old keys. I made sprig molds out of clay by pressing the keys into a lump of clay with a pulled handle, like a rubber stamp. When these were fired I pressed them into 1/4 inch thick rolled clay shapes that were a bit thinner around the edges. That way they were sticking out in relief just like the original keys. I glazed half of them with neutral colored glaze and left the other half the natural red clay color.

The hanger was simply an antique key (I was told it was made by my great-grandfather) pressed into the slab and trimmed. Of course holes were punched in all pieces before firing.

The result is that yes, stoneware fired to cone 5 makes a nice sounding wind chime. It's pretty heavy though, especially with the heavy hanger also of clay, but it hangs on a sturdy branch of the magnolia tree with the other wind chimes. It just needs a wind strong enough to give it a shake.

Three Different Styles

Here are a few more pots for plants.

 I made the wall hanging pot last year and hung it on the porch for the summer. It has white engobe brushed over the surface to better highlight the texture and patterns.

 The green pot is another coiled pot with pie crust rim. I'm happy with the glaze on this one.

The tall pot has no drainage hole. Basically a goblet shape, it is intended to give a plant space to cascade downward. I think this would work well in a grouping of potted plants or alone to showcase a special plant like this begonia. I am not particularly happy with the glaze. I took a chance in layering glazes without being sure of the result. That is of course a no-no, but I've done it many times, with mixed results. Fortunately at the same time that I fired these last pots I fired some test tiles and little pots with different glaze combos. Some really pretty results which I can hopefully reproduce on the next pots to be glazed.

Face Pots

The first pots I made specifically for use as planters (they have drainage holes) were two face pots. Both built with coils, one has retained the coil look and the other has been smoothed out. When they first came out of the kiln after the glaze firing I wanted to throw them out immediately. There were pinholes in the glaze on one and the glaze ran and left funny streaks on the other. Plus they were godawful ugly.

Generally, I am unable to throw any finished pieces away, so they survived.  Now I like them because they are performing their roles plus they look so much better with hair on their heads.

Big Pots

I don't like to make tiny things. No beading or jewelry making for me. Right now I'm making big pots - they're getting bigger and bigger. The last one I fired was as big as I could make it and still fit in the kiln.

Functional as well. Lately they have all been planters.  Big Bertha I first thought should be planted with canna flowers, but instead I think I'll plop her down by the kitchen door and fill 'er up with herbs. 

I've made quite a few pots for plants. Some with faces. Some with stands or pedestals. Some that are inspired by the very old pots that you see in museums - the kind that have been made by people all over the world when they were first becoming attuned to clay. I'm trying to make forms that are pleasing esthetically, not trying for originality. They may very well mimic ancient pottery though it's happening naturally.

Big Bertha is not perfect, she is a little warped around the rim, but is functional and will be beautiful when filled with dirt and fragrant herbs. 

                                        Molly with a new pot