lately

yes, some relatively hippy-like activity has been happening (at one with the soil of the earth type stuff). Not only potting in the elements in my back yard, but also stomping around in the dust and the heat trying to be a festival type. Im not sure I am. Logan got us some very very last minute tickets to the big day out which I went to solely to see bjork -this dreadful singlemindedness led me to miss Arcade Fire. regretting!
All is well, and the shellac is waiting to be applied....
mmm ridgy

a sulky return

mmmmh I have to give the wheel back.
Its all tidy and ready to go (sans the 2 sponges next doors cat abducted), but I don't wanna! I harrumphed quite a lot today using the last of the clay and the last of my available 'wheel time'. (I was forced to take a curious visit to my old friend ebay.. its been a while, but I cant afford to fall in love with bidding again, so just took a very calm, tentative peek... the $80 bargain? beauty nearly had me, but I was strong - and for goodness sake, class starts on tuesday and it seriously is terribly impractical trying to make pottery outside in the sun under a very dropsy tree with 2 thieving cats waiting for me to abandon my post).
all of that aside, heres the last of the things made at home...









It was down to the wire, but quite satisfying to use the last of the clay and the porcelain slip on the last day. I plan on making up some shellac tomorrow if I get a chance before work, it should be ready for resisting next week - I want those cups and small cylinder (vase?) things to be etched with ridges, very simple ridges, and then glazed very simply for an all over simpleness (and ahem, ribbed for pleasure. both visual and tactile)
the results in just a few weeks!

the colour ban in action

a new batch of bowls and cups have made it to the bisque firing stage. hoorah! hopefully they make it into the kiln in one piece and don't show cracks from dodgy clay preparation and thin bases (aggressive trimming)...
here they are, most have a layer of porcelain slip on the inside - the grey paint is black underglaze which at this stage I would like to leave unglazed/rough/natural with nice clean/white/shiny insides.

nervous laughter

you know all those bright new challenges for the bright new year? well, some are just a bit silly really. For example, deciding to sew a dress to wear to Aaron and Vanja's wedding. A 1930s themed event that i have the impression is to be perfect. So in an attempt to please, I thought authentic would be good, and so a pattern was purchased...












pretty isn't it? whats even prettier is the nana floral silk i have fallen in love with at artextil













luckily, I managed to save face by just taking these swatches - it was only after I left the shop that I had a melt down over the $75 per meter price tag. Later that day, Auntie Tracey deciphered the measurements on the back of the pattern to announce the damn thing is going to need 5 meters! This is very bad, I'm not even sure I can actually sew this thing.
At this stage I am plotting an alternative route (a cheap option)...












I have so much poplin lying around its not funny, but it is very very cheap. I'm thinking some gypsy gold printing of the undecipherable Vogue measurement charts. I like the large scale - looks like city lights, good for the art deco theme, but much more difficult to print, will have to do some tests? not sure this is the best of ideas, but I do have a backup dress I wore as Amber's bridesmaid.
hmmmm

back

Manuka, or Kanuka? pretty sure this is Manuka, from the walkway to Pupu springs in Golden Bay. Nice to capture an image of it for real (not sourced from someone else's lens) after obsessively trying to get this flower to be a symbol of new New Zealand nostalgia. The concept got a bit incoherent, and didn't really work out, but I still feel something when I see these flowers...
Am looking forward to a new year of creative challenges! fingers crossed a few get finished and I remember to post on this blog and explore others with relative regularity...
LTP