Yet another glaze-firing!

Here is our new porcelain bowl. I say our because Mike made it on a potter's wheel and I decorated it. It is now in my shop. Two more to be listed soon! Watch the space!

Porcelain bowl made by Mike and decorated by me. 

After loading the kiln about eleven o'clock Wednesday night, I caught a cold. Ah, it was predictable. I had stayed in the sick bed for one and a half day. I wanted to stay longer, but in the next room, Beaper, the grey parrot, was wolf whistling as well as whistling the tune of  the Merry Christmas song so loud that I gave up on napping. Since then, I have done more glazing in the studio (and remotely loaded the kiln and started another glaze-firing!). A strange thing about glazing is that I usually reluctant to start, but once it is started, it is difficult to stop until all are glazed. I kept at it for two days, and now only three pieces left.

I still get a sore throat and headache when I go outside; it has been cold lately. I put all pieces on kiln shelves in the studio last night, and politely asked Mike to carry them to the kin in the garage. They are mostly re-firing pieces.

Lower shelf

Top shelf

I had a small rabbit mask to be fired, but forgot about it. That's why the lower shelf has space!

When I am doing glazing, I feel a small kiln is more suitable for my work than a larger one. I like to fill the kiln quickly and see the result soon so that I can get feedback from what I have done. If my kiln were a bit taller it would be perfect. But I can't have it all.

Although I have been indoor bound, Mike has been out and about.

Ducklings

River Stour in the city centre

Moorhens

Our animal family are also doing well.  

Pumpkin is bathing. 

Dogs are sleeping in tandem. (Pearl chews her blanket!) 

 In the garden, apple blossom is in bloom.

Apples

 And Camassia is showing its beautiful blue spike.

Happy Easter to you all. We finished our first Easter Chocolates on Friday, and we are working on the second one. They come from Madame Oiseau chocolaterie. You can get her lovely chocolates in either Canterbury or Selfridge.

 

Last and current glaze-firings

We have had some sunny bright days, but with a chilly wind! This is ideal  weather to use solar power for firing the kiln. Another glaze firing was done today. Luckily the last glaze-firing was successful, so I had only a few to be re-fired, which is nice for a change!

All whippets came out lovely! They are beautiful!

Bronze-gold glaze whippets

The first time in a year or so, I have made these beautiful crackle whippets. This time, I used semi-porcelain clay. They are large for my whippets.

Clear crackle whippets - large

I hope you can see beautiful crackles. 

This one was a surprise. I was aiming at dark blond or very light brown hair. The other boy's hair also became dark brown, not patchy, though!  

I am planning to do another glaze-fire in a week time or so. There are lots of things to do in the studio as well as running my little shop, which takes about three hours every day.

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Last weekend, I took a rest from ceramics. I did a big tidy up in my office. I have loads of boxes and packing materials. I did some clearing out and made space for them. A tidy up always makes me feel good! I should do it more often!

We also went to the Blean woods with our dogs, Topaz and Pearl.

Is somebody in this?

After this, it's another world. 

Old rotten stump

Our garden is full of flowers. 

Cherry and apple

Oriental poppy

Mike's Easter holiday has begun today. We are planning to visit the zoo again.  If today's firing has gone well, we might pop out soon! (We will only know the result tomorrow morning.)

The lower shelf

Top shelf with the head! 

My painting table, spring flowers and Pearl met a tiger!

Hello everyone. It is so nice to finish all my work before dark on a Friday! I have glazed and loaded the kiln full, and even had a tidy up of my studio space! Ah, lovely!

The last three days, I have concentrated on glazing and painting bisque-fired figures. This has somehow made me hungry for high calorie food. I am a bit concerned if I am going to be a piglet at this rate!

I have three tables for my ceramics. One is for making, another is for painting bisques; they are in my studio. The third one is for packing  in my office.

My painting table has had these ones. A view of my painting table - yesterday.

Rolling heads!

The hair of this boy might become blotchy because I didn't mix enough colour at one go. I was making the colour under artificial light at night, so I couldn't tell the nuance of the shades. I guess he would need at least a second firing.

They will be in my Etsy shop, if they come out fine. 

This is how the heads were held.

This afternoon, I started loading the kiln.

The lower shelf

The top shelf

I hope they will come out fine. The kiln will be opened on Sunday morning.

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In our garden, there are so many flowers at this moment. I can finally enjoy them this weekend. We will put the garden furniture out.

Oriental poppies -very early!

Lily-flowered tulips. 

Our eating cherry have lots of flowers! But birds will have most fruits! :D

This afternoon, I took Pearl the whippet for an ordinary walk around four blocks. At the farthest end, we were chased by a tom cat! Pearl became bonkers, and started barking at him. The cat made himself large by arching and putting all fur spread, and chased us! I ran away as I dragged Pearl who was ready to fight. Then when I looked back, the cat was behind us, still chasing us! And when I hurriedly crossed the road, he came to the closest corner of the other side, and did a wee! I picked up Pearl and held her as if she were a child (heavy and cumbersome with those long legs) and whispered her 'Don't make a mistake. That's not a cat, it is a tiger!' 

Bluebells near us

 Have a great weekend!

Another bisque-firing and the British Museum

Hello everyone. I have just started the kiln for bisque-firing.

The lower shelf.

Mike made a pair of little owls as tests. Do you remember we bought a bead rack? They are the first ones to hang from it!

The top shelf

I wanted to make another piece, but after a few hours' trial, nothing came out of the clay. So I gave up, and made an anteater for fun. The anteater we saw in the Zoo last weekend inspired me. He had gentle eyes and cute ears, so does mine!

My first anteater!

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We went to the British Museum for my research on Saturday.  I needed to look at the Lewis chessmen again. They are in a new bright display. I could see them in detail.

The Lewis chessmen

We had stayed there until we became hungry. There are always so many interesting things to look at. These are Roman brooches. One is a rabbit. The orange one is a sandal brooch! Why? I thought it was a pickled cucumber! :D

Roman brooches. Rabbit and Sandal! 

Then we went to Soho to have dim sum. We found a restaurant recommended by the Time Out as well as Japanese expatriots. Yes, it was delicious!

Then I came across the Chinese stationary shop I had wanted to visit for years, by chance.  I did some shopping!

After that, we went to Mayfair. After some shopping, we came back. What fun we had! It was also my monthly day-off. I usually have a half-day off each weekend. Once I take a day-off, it would take a few days for me to get back to the rhythm. so when I have got a project or two, I prefer to keep working.

I hope you had a good weekend, too!

My brain clicked.

Hello! Yesterday evening, my brain clicked. I finished the body for this boy. He will have wings. He is an angel. I had struggle with both the body and the head for several hours. Unlike some ceramic sculptors, I don't use moulds, so each piece is totally original and unique. It takes lots of thinking and trial and error. I create something different each time and that is the point of me creating. It is not going to be any easier for me.

I love his lips! :D

 In the meantime, The rabbit girl became this. As I removed the ears and hair after it became too dry, I can't smooth the surface much. I am still trying to find who she really is.

Once she was a rabbit girl. 

This is an ancient Japanese child. I liked the way the head is over-sized, but not completely sure about the proportion of arms. As faces are the most important parts to me, I like to emphasize them. But when you add hands, hands start telling a story, too. Getting the right balance is important.

Ancient Japanese child