Seagull

Seagull  5X7 Oil on Linen

Here is a quicky..  I love to paint the little 8x10's and 5x7's in an impressionistic style and the "Seagull" was no exception.  About 2 1/2 hours start to finish.  Gotta love Liquin!

Dancing in The Light

Dancing in The Light

  Its been such a long time since I put brush to canvas.   Though in reality I still was painting in my minds eye.  So was never far away from it.  Those who know me best know how much I have missed pushing paint and the pain I went through to put this to canvas.
  I started the under painting 2 years ago and was unable to finish it.  Now..  here it is..

   A 24"x30" painting of a study I did 4 years ago. 
(better picture soon)

Throwing Laguna Frost Clay

I mentioned earlier about taking John Britt's glaze workshop.  During the class he mentioned that Laguna Frost can only be thrown about 6" high and that a pot thrown higher had to be heavy.  To which I responded with a comment that its not so..  Sorry John, but I learned on Frost and since I was self taught I didn't have anyone to tell me that I couldn't throw it high and thin walled.  I just kept at it till I got a knack for it.
  Below are a few of the smaller Frost pots I threw this week.  I always weigh out the clay so I know how far I can push the envelope size wise.  The two vases on the left are made from 20 ounces of clay and they did not receive any trimming.  They are 9"-10" tall.  The key lime green pot was 22 ounces of clay and it has a trimmed foot.
  I've had other potters ask me how I get the larger thin pots to stand up and not deform in the kiln.  The answer is geometry and understanding the stresses a piece goes under in the kiln.  The thicker rim allows the piece to maintain its shape while the shape of the pot itself lends it to keep its shape.
  All three pots are really light and balanced. 

Glazes and Kiln Opening

   Its been a busy season here in Florida so not much time to post photos or chat about pots and paintings.
  But....  Today I finally got a chance to take a breather and thought I would share a few of the pieces when I opened the kiln this afternoon.  Lots of fish and berry bowls this time around with a few new colors.  The glaze I developed for Highwater P5 has been working well on the Frost porcelain clay, which made me extremely happy.   Glazing is not my favorite pass time and I get a bit grumpy if things don't turn out the way the should.  Okay..  The way I think they should.  ;)

Took a glaze workshop with John Britt in St. Pete not to long ago.  I didn't get questions that I had answered, not that he couldn't answer them.  Its just the questions were a bit more advanced within the scope of the course.  I gathered this because the first question I asked he replied to the class.. "What she is saying in english.... "  I gathered form his comment that most of the others taking the workshop were beginners with no real understanding of glaze work.  So no questions asked unless it was basic to clarifying or solidifying a concept where I was a bit fuzzy in understanding. 
 I took a few good tips and some insights home with me.  So I felt it was money well spent.

Here is the opening...