Monday, September 17, 2012

Vessel #9.


Yay - my ceramic vessels have all been fired! Some are less successful than others, I have to add. Here is the first one - made in a lovely terracotta clay and glazed with a white slip.

The little round dots you see are the results of a failed experiment - I stuck on round stickers before glazing in the hope that they would burn off and leave perfectly round, terracotta-coloured dots in the white glaze. Not so, I am afraid. They half-peeled off in the kiln, but the glaze prevented them from getting completely dislodged. While this makes for a very nice, arty effect, it results in a non-functional bowl, as the round dots can be chipped off by inserting your nail in the groove. I know it because I tried it. And unfortunately they do not chip off leaving perfectly round terracotta-coloured dots.  So I had to artfully fix the one dot that I spoiled.


I bet you can't even see it! Oh well, maybe you can ...

4 comments:

Linda Sue said...

Mistakes are the best surprised and your bowl is perfectly awesome! I know which one you messed with- it is the one over there, the one you can not detect...
Well done, you!

kendalee said...

I have been out of the blogosphere and 'offline' for weeks and weeks and look what I have missed!!! Your hope project and your new vessel series... WOW! Sometimes only a WOW will do.

I love how you interpreted the hope prompt - so you. And I mean that in all the very best ways that can be meant - gorgeous!

So far vessels 5, 8 and 3revisted are my faves but I am enjoying seeing them all emerge. And I can't see the repair. Maybe it's 'cause I don't have my contacts in but I don't think so. Anyway, it reminds me of that black bead in your sheep... it's the imperfection that makes it perfect.

Nicky Linzey said...

I can't see it but there is a solution .... don't stick your nail in the groove!

Sarah said...

I like the dark pots above and this one even more. Have you researched masking glazes-there is probably a way. It is interesting to experiment, and you never know what will work until you have tried it. Often mistakes make the best finished products. YOur bowl can be functional for storing non-food related things anyway-I can just see a few choice colourful objects in there-strings of beads, cotton reels, felty balls. It would also look good with natural objects. You are on a great vessel journey at the moment!