hello there minnie

I'd like to introduce you to a special lady in my life. Minnie is the new test kiln at the Gold Coast Potters' Association and subsequently my new best friend. She's been freshly built by Tetlow and we all have quite the crush on her.

The last 6 months have been frustrating in regards to firing my work. Minnie is my beacon of hope that I can complete work in a shorter time frame and with a lower loss rate.

Dear Minnie, you are so, so welcome.

Thursday means it's time for Mud Colony!

throw, fold, trim.

Last week's throwing is this week's trimming;

ooh! folded vases!

cups sneak peak.

First finished batch of the porcelain cups are looking GOOD! Even if I do say so myself...

[p.s. follow me on Instagram: @katyintheclouds]

tall

The tallest pieces that I have ever thrown: 15cm! (yes, I know, not that tall, but tall for ME!)

Hopefully one will be my entry for The Australian Ceramics Association's 2012 exhibition...
[p.s. how good is the TACA's new website?]

miami marketta | april 2012

I was SO impressed with the great turnout at Friday's Marketta, despite the lousy weather. Must have been the promise of live tunes from The Lamplights (thanks boys!).

miro cups

Yet MORE for the Miro project!

[Can you tell I like his style?]

miro time

Saturday night/Sunday morning creative time with Monsieur Miro.

The Constellation Series makes my mind pop! All those interlinking shapes and the way each overlap creates a colour change. I'm itching to paint these designs on cups!

stacked.

All 58 of those porcelain cups are painted and ready to glaze!

better.

Today was a much better day than yesterday.

[early morning light in the studio]

[4 porcelain cups, 8 stoneware cups + 8 stoneware bowls]

I feel at peace with the universe again now! Though my fingers still hurt.

grumble.

I've only been wheel throwing for 3 years. The first year was horrible; I cried nearly everything I made something and had to bully myself into persevering because I knew I loved the end result and I wanted to improve. I'm glad I did stubbornly continue, as I can now produce work that I'm rather proud of (if only quietly, so as not to jinx myself.). I'm at the stage now that I can do a day of repetition throwing and produce anywhere from 4 to 20 pieces, almost at identical sizes (albeit in limited forms).

However, today I felt like a complete newbie all over again and it stung. Foolishly (oh so foolish!), I purchased a bag of SOFT porcelain last week, thinking it would be easier to work with. Nu uh. Difficult to centre, way too sensitive to moderate pressure and very questionable structure. Out of 11 attempts, 3 completely failed, 2 are cracking due to the awful shape, 1 is wonky and 5 *might* be ok.
AND there is very little skin left on my fingers, due to spending 3 times as long centering the damned clay.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that soft clay of any kind does not make good cups. Where was that logic at the pottery supply store?

Hopefully my fingers will heal enough overnight and allow me to return to trusty stoneware tomorrow to make some cups for ANOTHER project, linked to the Miro dishes.

[*Please note: I don't cry when I wheel throw anymore; I've learnt to take deep breaths and tell myself that I learn from every piece I make, even if I screw it up.]