Bowls of all sizes

This production has seen a lot of bowls, small bowls, mid size, big and bigger. I don't throw anymore because throwing is too hard on my skin, being a redhead, skin needs are considerable. Anyway, my bowls are pinched or coiled. This year, I have been cutting down the sides to facet or just chop at with a saw blade, other surfaces are scratched and scraped with other kinds of tools. The decor is first a swirl of iron oxide with a terrific new Chinese mop like brush. Sometimes the oxide is liquidy sometimes pretty dry, but always intense. Then comes an ash glaze, or a satin whitish glaze poured on, and lastly, wood ash swirled on top. The ash glaze I am using right now is turquoisey breaking to green, olive, sometimes with yellow crystals where it is thick. The white glaze is a very simple [ 2 ingredients] shino is tones of orange, violet, green where there is ash and white in the gaps. The sizes are from tea bowl size to 17" in diameter. Prices vary accordingly. Come and see them at my studio in Val David, EspaceKao, in Val David or at 1001Pots, also in Val David. Bowls are always a pleasure to make, the idea of containing, like cupped hands encourages thoughts of offering, sharing, even the gesture of holding a bowl is so beautiful. A bowl is the basic pot, we all use bowls.

preparations for 1001POTS

Today is the setup for this year's 1001 pots, a beautiful day, and I am looking forward to catching up with all the other potters and seeing all their new work. I have been working obsessively and really hope it will be well received. There are pots everywhere in the studio, we can hardly walk through without tripping over boxes, stacks of tea bowls, bowls, etc. Once I start working it is hard to stop, the process takes over and now that it's at an end for a while it feels like teetering on the brink of something else. Oh well maybe I will look at cleaning my very neglected house. Here are some photos of the last unstacking. The firings were smooth and the weather was cooperative staying not too hot, breezy, raining only in between firings. There is always a bit of trouble with air circulation toward the bottom of the kiln, but by putting bigger pieces at the bottom it is better. As well it seems one of the glazes does well a little cooler, it doesn't run as much at the bottom. At the top the same glaze was a bit of a disaster, running all over the place, beautiful, but often stuck to the shelf. Another job awaits, those kiln shelves need a little work. Come and check out my new work at 1001 pots in Val David, July 15 -August 14. There will be lots of potters to meet and lots of pottery to see and buy.