Friday, November 23, 2012

Potty about Owls


I've finished the surface decoration on my owl and I'm quite pleased with how he looks so far.

Owl front

Owl back

Owl side
He's taking an age to dry out though so he won't get fired until next week then I've got to glaze him so there's a lot can go wrong yet!

Just look at this stump - doesn't it look like an owl's face?  It's part of an old stump at the end of a hedge.  We see it every day but yesterday I saw it with fresh eyes.

Owl stump
In other pottery news, here is a bowl I've just finished.  It was made using a method called 'coiling' and I've carved a pattern into the surface.

Side view

View from above
The other thing I had fun making was this leaf dish.  I used a leaf from our beautiful Fatsia Japonica bush.  This is a descendent of a plant we had in our very first home and each time we've moved house I've taken a cutting with us.  I love its architectural shape, it's evergreen with beautiful glossy green leaves and it has beautiful flowers in October/November followed by berries in the winter.

Fatsia Japonica
Delicate flowers


I pressed a leaf into the clay then cut around it.  I then scratched into the clay to emphasise the lines of the veins.
Leaf dish
The pot and the dish went into the kiln on Wednesday so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll come out OK so I can glaze them next week.  There are only 2 more pottery lessons to go and I've got so much to do.

Sadly I won't be able to continue with the next term as the weather often gets too bad to be trekking out at night.  I'd really like to go back later next year though as I really enjoy working with clay, although it does irritate the arthritis in my hands

Knitting and crochet bits

Christmas knitting continues apace.  Crochet snowflakes are multiplying.  My woven crochet blankie is finished and just needs his fringe trimming then I can wash it and store it away until summer (which seems an awful way off at the moment!).

I'll take photos of the finished blankie in the next few days.  It was a very simple yet effective technique.  The only reason it's taken me forever to complete the weaving is that I can't bend over for very long before my neck hurts (the result of a car crash nearly 3 years ago).

I'm already plotting another blankie project using some of my plentiful supply of Rowan Summer Tweed................will it be knitted or crocheted?  Don't know yet!

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