Ugh, I know Texas is hot but ...

The heat wave continues unabated and we're drying out under the scorching sun. Last year we had a really wet, cool year. This year is making up for that and more. The pastures are brown, I'm feeding grain to the livestock, and I can't fire my kiln until the heat wave breaks as we have to conserve energy to avoid brownouts.

So in the meantime I photographed some of the pieces I made in May and June before summer hit. Enjoy! Cheryl

PS these pieces are listed in my Etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5237447

Fun with low fire clay!

I usually teach high school level chemistry but I was teaching middle school science for the first time last spring. When I was teaching the 5th and 6th grades about fossils and how they form I had the idea of letting them make their own "fossil" by pressing a shell, or making an animal "track", in some low fire clay. Once the students had done that, I fired the clay to bisque in my home kiln and then brought it back to school for glazing. I then refired the "fossils" and the students had some very nice pieces that they could make a Mother's day present from. I also used the lab to reinforce some ideas from the chemistry unit, about the difference between physical and chemical changes.

This brings me to my hot dog days of summer project. It's way too hot to fire right now but it's great clay drying weather. So I'm making some "pinch pot" critters: rats, mice, bug-eyed dogs and the like. I'm also working on some more "serious" medallions and hand-pressed tiles.

I love working with clay, whether it's on the potter's wheel or just pinching some off of the 50 lb block and sculpting something freehand with it. There is something very basic and satisfying about squeezing and molding clay. I loved doing it as a child and I have rediscovered that passion! Stay tuned for pics! Cheryl

It isn't easy being green but Freecycling helps!

I'm trying to do my part for the environment and one of the great ways I've found is with the freecycling community groups that are on yahoo groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=freecycle) and their main site at http://www.freecycle.org/ . I've found lots of "stuff" for my classroom (darkroom supplies, canning jars, etc.) and even some useful items for my studio. It's also how I got my first flock of geese and found a home for the bull that broke my hubby Paul's hand!

I've also used it to pass on some VCRs we had from when Paul used them in his editing studio and some of the knickknacks that were my Mom's and I didn't have an emotional attachment to (she was REALLY into chicken themed pottery and I'm not).

Of course there are always those who abuse the system but for the most part it's been a great way to recycle items rather than hauling them to the dump or putting them in the trash. And I hate doing the garage sale thing more than once a year. Cheryl

Pottery Pieces: finally getting somewhere!

Over spring break this year I took a short course on using a pottery wheel. I hadn't thrown since high school and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to given the arthritis in my hands, knees, and ankles (old injuries due to horses and ice skating LOL). But I gave it a shot. Now the first piece I threw I wasn't able to get the clay "centered". This is the lovely point at which the lump of kneaded clay is balanced on the wheel so that when the wheel spins the clay isn't lurching to one side or the other. For me, finding that point wasn't easy.

The upshot was that while the other students were making these sublime bowls, cups, orange juicers, etc. I was making this lopsided, goofy looking thing-a-ma-jig. The teacher asked me if I wanted another new piece of clay to try again with and I said "no, it would just be a waste, let me see what I can do with this." With a look that spoke volumes, the teacher went to the other students. About 30 min later, after dragging my nails through the spinning clay, lifting and teasing the edge, and making a base, I stopped the wheel. Someone said "Wow, did you mean to make that?" I looked down at the wheel and said the first thing that came unbidden to my lips "I guess I was channeling Georgia O'Keeffe". The laughter was contagious!

So I brought the wet piece home, let it dry for weeks, and then fired it to bisque. Since it still reminded me of an O'Keeffe poppy painting, I glazed it in colors to suit that. And this is what I ended up with, the photo in the upper left corner.

Since then, I've gotten better (I had to LOL). My husband even said one day "Wow, that's a bowl!" So at least the pieces are recognizable shapes now! Cheryl