Great Raku Day!

pondering if the glaze has melted

adding paper to the reduction can

cough

I was able to raku fire twice this week! All the pieces turned out amazing....we got some really cool colors and, thanks to Billy and Lisa Davis, some great pictures of the raku process. 

This is one of my favorite ways to spend a day!

digging through the ashes

a lovely finished piece!

A Heavenly Host

I've been blogging from my phone and the challenges have been extreme ...mostly adding pictures....oh and spell check seems to have a mind of it's own...anyway ...here are some of the finished angels I've been working on lately .....I'm quite pleased!

Very, Very Hot Shed!

Firing the kiln in 98 degree weather...not so smart!

I have a little fan but all it's been able to do is blow hot air on me. I made a few small dishes and some beads...the clay was drying out too fast from the heat to make anything more complicated....alas, nothing with a raffia base....or an attachment. I also glazed today...never my favorite pastime...oh! the stick wings made it through the bisque fire....we'll see how they do Thursday when I raku fire them....I'm thinking pink bubbles that they turn out amazing!


Sweet Rufus always hangs out with me no matter how hot ...or cold....the shed may be :)

Birdnest Angel.....With Stick Wings

This angel is holding a nest with a little bird on it. Her wings look like branches with a leafy vine twisted through them and several nests with eggs sitting in the branches....I'm going to Raku the wings this week...the angel isn't quite dry enough yet....I hope the wings make it!

Broken Wings

Sometimes things just don't work...lately, a lot of things haven't worked...I suppose it's because I'm trying out some new ideas...it always takes a few tries to work the kinks out....I try to tell myself it's just dirt...but it was such pretty dirt...can't you see these wings all shiny and raku magic?

Four Wee Trees Of Life

More getting ready for the upcoming Christmas festival at Saint Anne's. After these are Raku fired I'll add some beads and charms. I like making the tree boxes.....they always turn out with the coolest colors.

Perhaps it's the size.

This Might Help Clear Things Up

Ok...here's the "something completely different" project... unstacked. It's going to be really cool...don't know what quite yet but something amazing will be hanging from the branch....can't wait!

And Now For Something Completely Different.....

This is a surprise...it's hard to tell from the picture because it's in pieces.....it's a box with a tree branch in it and two doors with hinges. All the bits are stacked on top of each other in the picture but it's going to be fantastic!

Hamsa Hands

Three finished hamsa hands....I love the colors! I think I'll do these again...if I can remember what glaze I used....I really should keep better notes!

Bird Angel

Today was a great Raku day! Everything turned out the most wonderful colors, nothing cracked or broke and we didn't start any unwanted fires!
This is the bird angel I made a few weeks ago....I really like the colors on her....the glaze looks like it would be velvety to touch but it's very smooth...the egg, in the nest on her shoulder, is a metallic pink with a blue line running through it...like an Easter egg!
I love Raku....it's always such an exciting moment when I pull it from the ashes and see what magic the fire chose to add to the piece!

New Wing Angel

This is a new wing idea...I've broken several the past few days but this one might make it...I think it will be really cool once it's glazed...probably the hammered copper glaze.....the leaf in the angel's hand will burn out in the bisque fire and leave the imprint in the clay.

Goddess Icon Boxes

Today I made four goddess icon boxes. They're for a gallery in Cartersville called Divine Oddities....rather fitting for my work....I also found an all girl indie art show in Oklahoma City in November....I think I might try and get into it.
I started the kiln this morning but it generated so much heat that I've decided to blog awhile in the a/c ......I'm doing all this from my phone...this is amazing for me...and rather time consuming...at least I'm cool!

New Pot

This is a new technique I've been working on.  It's a small lidded bowl to put small treasures in.  I hope it makes it ....I rather like it.

Well, I Just Don't Know What To Call This....

...possibly "The Brain of Jenny"
(you would need to be a fan of
Pooh to understand).
I kinda like it..... although I have no idea what it is...'twas certainly fun to make!
...glazing will most likely be tedious...hmmmm....