New Ceramics

Ceramics class is sadly over, but I'm really happy with what came out of it. I came a long way from the too-embarrassing-to-post pots I made the first week. I still can't really throw anything that isn't slightly uneven, but a good glaze will hide anything.

This is the only piece that came out without a single lump or uneven side, because I had a little help from the instructor. Looks pretty good!

The pots with holes are hanging planters: I'm going to tie some string through the holes and add a spider plant that has been looking for a home.

This one is one of my favorites; I used woodblocks from India to print into the clay. I made a whole series of them, but the other ones went missing in the kiln, so this is the only one I was able to keep. I've been eating lunch off of it every day.

A little succulent planter.

So that was it! I really loved taking a class and trying something new, and now I have a new set of homemade dishes in my kitchen. I'll definitely be taking another ceramics class in the future, it was so worth it.

Some Finished Ceramic Pieces!

Last week was crazy. An earthquake, a hurricane warning and several 16-hour days led me to end the week on a very stressed-out note. We stocked up on water, snacks and movies for the weekend to get ready for the hurricane, but woke up on Sunday to one of the most beautiful days of the year. Instead of sitting at home and watching 13 Going On 30 while the sun was shining, we decided to have a barbecue and ran to the store to get chicken, zucchini and peaches. The predicted storm actually turned into a really fun weekend. Even though the storm passed us by here in DC, there was still a ton of damage in a lot of places, including Vermont where several old covered bridges were swept away by the flooding. I hope everyone reading this is OK!

Last week I got my first ceramic pieces back from the kiln (actually, the second, but the first round was such a disaster that they will never be seen again). I made three bowls, three small vases, a little teacup and a planter. I tried several different glazes to see what I like best, since there is really no way of telling how something is going to look while you are glazing. My favorite is the patterned bowl on the top left (I do love pattern) and I have already glazed a few more pieces with the same design.

This little bowl is another of my favorites: it's a transparent avocado on the inside with white on the outside and the rim.

I made this little teacup that I made to match a mini teapot I bought in San Francisco earlier this year. They don't really look alike, but I still really like this one.

That is just the first round, and there are a lot more pieces in progress. Sadly our class is almost over, so I am rushing to get everything finished up. On Saturday morning I got really in the zone and threw eleven bowls in two hours. So now I have a ton of bowls, if anyone wants to come over for soup.

I'll share pictures of the next batch when they are finished!

A New Creative Outlet: Ceramics

One thing about turning your hobby into your job, is that you no longer have a hobby. I used to come home from work and make prints just for fun, but now that I do that all day, I no longer want to spend my free time printmaking. So, I needed a new creative outlet, and signed up for a ceramics class.

I took ceramics in high school, and spent a few hours in the course of four years doing it in college, so my skills are minimal. I was nervous before the first class that I wouldn't know what I was doing (it's geared towards people with an above-beginner skill level), but it is kind of like riding a bike. Once I had the ball of clay in my hand, it came back to me.

A selection of pots I made during the first class; some bowls, some flowerpots, and some undecided vessels that will find a use once they make it home.

At first my goal was just to relax and make a few pots, but now I have a long list of things I want to make, from pitchers to noodle bowls. There are a few being fired right now, but the best part isn't having a cupboard full of new ceramic bowls, it's having a creative outlet at the end of the day, that isn't for sale, isn't for work, and is just for fun.

On how to spend $500

Today hasn't been my most productive day ever. Let's call it "research," but I spent the better part of the morning drooling over the plates at Anthropologie. Now all I need is an adorable cabin in the woods to decorate with whimsical yet pricey ceramics.

Looks like it's time for another visit to the ceramics painting studio to finish painting the pitcher I enthusiastically started three months ago.