Monday, June 27, 2011

Pottery Before and After

I got my final pieces back from the kiln, and although they were a little over-fired, I’m happy with how they came out.  Especially the toad house.  Wanna see?




I made the toad house shaped like a toad (duh), and decorated him with a garden scene—grass, a toadstool and a cloud in a turquoise sky.  The inside was painted with a glaze that has crystals in it.

I haven’t had the chance to place the toad house in my garden yet, but I’ll put it in a shady place with a saucer of water nearby and a wet rag inside to keep it cool and moist.

I love the surprise involved when a piece back from the kiln—this is the only form of art I’ve done where you can’t watch the final product develop as you work.  The glaze colors are usually nothing like the final color after firing.  You think you know how it’ll come out, but it’s always exciting to see a fired piece for the first time.

I forgot to take a picture of the toad house right before it went into the kiln, but an even better before-and-after example is my flower vase.  I pressed a flower print into the clay and glazed it so only the indentations (stems, leaves and flower outlines) kept the green color.  Flowers were then painted blue, and then I glazed over the whole thing in clear (which goes on a pale, minty green).

Before:
 

And……

wait for it……

after!





Cool, right?!

8 comments:

  1. Love the toad house and this vase! you are so very talented!!

    Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
    Hope you have a great week!
    Jill @ Creating my way to Success
    http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

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  2. I love them both!! Pottery is definitely a theraputic, amazing thing for me, also! How fun!! Where do you fire your pieces?

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  3. I love them both! I have always wanted to have a kiln and 'throw clay'. One day!

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  4. I don't have my own kiln -- yet -- maybe someday I'l be so lucky. I joined a night school pottery class held by my local school district, and the teacher fires the pieces in her own kiln. It's over now, but I'll sign up again in the fall.

    Pottery *is* theraputic, and so relaxing! Plus, it's the only thing I get to do where I'm able to leave Nathan at home with Dada one night a week. : )

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  5. kelly these are really good...love the results...and the pictures u shared of ur surroundings are superb....i think its a beautiful u have given to Nathan; bringing him up at a place that is surrounded by greenry, wild life and nature.

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  6. Oh that is so cute!! I love the shape. I clicked on this from Momnivore because my kids and I just made a toad house today with a clay pot. Yours looks much better!!

    Cheers!!

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  7. Thanks for linking up to Mad Skills Monday!

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  8. BEAUTIFUL!!! That vase is stunning!!! Great job! THANK YOU for sharing and thanks for linking up to “Strut Your Stuff Sunday” on our blog!! We appreciate it! Looking forward to seeing more of your beauties :)

    Kristine
    www.jandmseyecandy.blogspot.com

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