Noah Ark. Eight 4 1/4" square tiles. Low fire bisque and glazes. Set in handbuilt wooden frame and grouted.

A set of handbuilt platter.

Handbuilt platter with handles using same mold as platter below. Same clay and glaze excluding the juniper leaves imprint. Chinese characters written with magic flow glaze. "Forever", "Energy", "Love" & "Peace"

Handbuilt platter. Juniper leaves imprinted slab draped over poured mold. Low fire bisque. Three layers River Stone low fire pottery glaze.

Tall water glass. Low fire bisque & three layers low fire red pottery glaze.

Rectangular hand weaved basket.

Hand weaved bread/fruit basket. Low fire bisque & three layers of low fire red glaze.

Another view

Porcupine pencil/pen holder. Low fire bisque and acrylic glaze.

Creativity & Work

I am usually very creative(at real job) about what I am going to make or paint when I get home and play in my studio. My mind just wonders off into 'artland' creating images and visualizing the outcome.

Then when I reach home, things are different ...........physically exhausted and mentally drained, I changed into comfy clothes, play with my dog and watch some tv, read the mail and decides whats for dinner on 'free' evenings, otherwise will have a quick dinner and off again to ... ladies group, church service, social get-together, etc.....

The studio is pretty much my 'retreat'. It is fully equip with the comforts of life ......tv, stereo, AC, recliner, stationary bike, toning gym and pottery equipment & tools. Therefore, I spent a huge portion of my time in there and just wonder into the house for drinks, snacks and bathroom.

Sometimes, I get so caught up that I can spent my whole weekends in there and loving every minute of it. I let my guts down and play with clay or paint whatever I feel like. I have pieces that looked really bad but had so much fun making it and then pieces that accidently turned out great and friends wants me to make another one for them (for birthdays, weddings, house warming) but....I don't quite remember how I did it....:):):)

Everything is by chance or accident when you are working with clay and fired glazes. You are always experimenting with different techniques, glazes and tools. You never know the outcome until it is fired in the kiln. Many times, I am surprised with the final result when I finally open the kiln after 2 days of firing and cooling. The waiting period is the pits during firing. Temperatures in my studio can get really high as I normally fire to Cone04 - 1945'F and Cone06 - 1828'F. Therefore, I try to fire only during cool/cold days and avoid summers.

Since I am only a hobby ceramist, it takes a quite a while - anywhere from 2 wks to 12 wks to build up enough pieces for firing. I only fire on a full kiln as recommended to lenghten the life of the kiln.

Ceramist can be an addictive and expensive hobby. It is just how far you want to take it. I know a couple of people who have invested $$$ and years and quit the hobby overnight. But most stay on and enjoy every minute of it.

I normally laugh at out own trial and errors ..... 'ulgy' pieces and then amazed at myself for the 'pretty' ones that turned out well and wondered how I did. No two pieces ever come out alike eventhough I used the exact same ingredients and techniques.....almost like cooking & baking.

Handpainting on bisqueware round trivet using low fired glaze, clear glaze over it and fired to cone 06.

Green glaze first then fired and then red & black crystal glaze over it.

Another Trivet, fired three times, first blue glaze then fired and then crystal glaze over blue and fired again to get coral effect.

Top View

Handweaved Trivet of low fire clay cone 04 (1945'F), glazed with crystal glaze and fired to cone 06(1828'F)

Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer

Rudolf is created with 'two baby handprint' for the ears and 'baby footprint' for the face & nose.