Tuesday, March 24, 2009

from mud to wonky candle sticks












This is quite a funky wonky collection of candelabras. I still don't know what to think of them. They're kinda cute in a "only a mother can love them" way. I'm not sure if they were worth the effort but I did have fun playing in the mud. And it has been a useful exercise in how much abuse the clay (and I) can take.
I have been working on creating a line of utility ware for my etsy store while still staying within the Mediterranean Classics. I was inspired by a pair of "marble" bowls that I've thrown years ago and still love and use regularly. I would have continued to make more, but the use of black clay was soon verboten in the studio I worked in at the time. (Something to do with my messy work habits maybe?) Anyway, while trying out different white porcelains to mix with the "midnight black" from Seattle Pottery and the right proportions, I made a pretty big mess of things and ended up with a bucket full of scraps and mud. Not wanting to be wasteful, but without the help of a pug mill or even a wedging board I set out to create something, well anything really. After an "entertaining" struggle with air bubbles and lumps - it made shaping the neck of the vase in the previous post feel like buttah - I ended up with a bunch of wonky aka "characterful" candle sticks. Now all I need to do is figure out how to glaze them, if at all. Any suggestions? MAybe I'll try to raku them. Not my favorite procedure normally, but it could be just the right thing. I will post the results when available.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi, welcome to the blogging thing... not sure how i ended up here, from isalbelleabramson.com i think. i'm new to it myself and been looking around, i really love the vase in the previous post, very cool handles.

mariellemacville said...

Hi Jim, thank you for your compliments. I just left you a couple comments on your blog. Your work is truly astonishing. The prettiest bowls I've ever seen.