Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Well It's Tuesday.....So....

It's TIME FOR TEAPOTS!

This came out of the kiln about a month ago.  It's two sides of the same teapot.  When I tried it out the pour was terrible with water running down the spout to the foot.  Not optimal for tea!  Upon closer inspection I saw that a blob of glaze just was inside and spilling onto the outside of the pouring lip.  I had already decided that it would be a keeper, so I said "Why not?" and took my trusty Dremel to it.  I ground down the inside and reshaped the lip, et voila!!  It's not perfect; it still has an occasional drip, but it's definitely usable.  It holds about 16 oz. which is a perfect size for my afternoon tea.




I decided to keep it as I am not happy with my brushwork!  It just isn't right for this pot.  Also, when using commercial glazes you still have to be careful about getting them too thick, particularly in the little nooks and crannies.  There are several small crawls where the glaze collected.


What I do like about it is the handle and the spout.  The handle was deliberate after I bashed the spout while I was attaching it.  I like the way the dent in the spout gives it a more fluid feeling. For me this is a pretty funky handle on a thrown pot.  I generally save the funkiness for handbuilding.

We've had many birds coming to the feeders since the snow started.  The goldfinches have been abundant in their dull winter coats.  Today I have been very happy to see what is either a purple or house finch visiting us.  I haven't been able to get a good view of its back to make a better identification.  Purple finches are rosier with color going down their backs to the tail.  Just got a look, definitely a purple finch, although I am not convinced that they are truly two distinct species.  They have become quite rare in this area.  We used to have masses of them so it's nice to see a comeback.


It's a warm sixteen degrees out so of course it's snowing!  There is not supposed to be too much accumulation and the wind has finally stopped after what feels like weeks of it.

It's a day for staying inside.  My studio is warm enough for me to work today.  It feels like forever since I've been in it, actually three days!

As always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

14 comments:

  1. Oh I love the "looseness" of your teapot. I'm waaaay too tight in my throwing and decorating, so it's a good thing for me to think of loosening up more. Love the Purple Finch...I didn't know they had become rare, since I can't have a feeder here (bear visits). Keep warm! Keep loose!

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    1. Hi Barb.....Thanks. I'm enjoying a lot of bird watching these days!

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  2. Love your 'wonky' teapot and the brushwork matches the looseness of the form. You have had quite a winter -- spring is coming . . .

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    1. Hi Judy.....'Spring is Coming' has become my mantra. At least the days are noticeably longer!

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  3. I love the teapot and the brushwork, sweet little bird

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    1. Hi Linda....Thanks; I wish I had used a smaller brush.

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  4. Dearest Suzi,
    Love your teapot and that handle is easy for pouring it, looks like!
    As for the gold finches, we are feeding lots and lots of them by filling a typical feeder with thistle seeds. You see it go down in a couple of days time! One wonders how those little beaks can actually open up those tiny seeds and get the inside for feasting on. No hands... nothing!
    And we have hands and still have trial and error with certain things.
    Hope you remain cozy and warm and if you can use your studio; great!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Hi Mariette...For all its twists and folds the handle makes is easy to pour. With so much snow on the ground the birds are dependent on feeders.

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  5. Nice to see your teapot, and it is also true here: who can imagine 16 seeming warm ;)

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    1. Hi Gary....Thanks. It's 32 here. Yes I mean thirty-two degrees farenheit!

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  6. It’s a nice form, you should try again with a different glaze decoration. Your majolica would be great on this shape.

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    1. Hi Lori....I will do more. Probably three; I like to work in triplets when I am trying new(ish) things! also want the form to be more rounded and less bottom heavy!

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  7. I agree with Lori about doing another with your majolica.
    ... isn't the dremel tool the best invention? mine gets lots of use.

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    1. Hi Michele...I've actually been doing some drawing that might work. The step from working on paper to a round item is an odd transition.
      What did we do before dremels came along!

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