Oh, are these babies going to be popular poplars! I made one last year and had to keep it for inspiration. I have made four of them this year. Will I make more? I don't know.
Another design that was new last year- hollyhocks. I think I made three of them last year. I've made four so far for this year.
Now here is something I have been lusting over and have finally started making. These 10 x10 porcelain tiles with frames are going to rival Rookwood's . Except mine will have custom ceramic frames. These are going to be paintings. A larger model is also in the works. The challenge is making something like this that will survive at the temperatures I fire up to. I have way to many days in this particular one for it not to work when fired. I have yet to fire one so the jury is still "out" so-to-speak. But I have high hopes.
Over the years, I have unloaded the kiln and had some pots that looked so special that I put them aside rather than glaze them. I did not know why at that time. Well this year, I made some molds of a couple of them. Now I know some people will say, "Cast pots. Yuuk!" These are all pots I have made in the past and no longer make. No longer want to make. And these pots were not made to be cast. They were meant to be glazed. So there is a host of problems making a mold of such pots. But I have been successful. A fellow up in New York rose to the challenge and made me some molds. Some have to be redesigned but I will get them to work.
For example, here is a grape vine pot sitting in the mold. I made two of these pots. One, Greg bought and the other I kept. I don't want to make any more of them, so the one I kept is the model for the one I will cast. This design will only be available as a cast piece. (Aren't you glad you got the one original, Greg?) Anyway, I'll see how it works out. I have made cast pots before. My first bulbous topped Dragonfly was the first I ever did. I made maybe 12 of them. I have no idea how many of these I will make. I only have the one working mold and when it breaks down that is it. I am guessing I'll get 15 of them. Certainly I will not be making a "limited edition" of 500 pieces. The piece should be a bit cheaper which is good.
And fear not, the top-o-the-line singular pots will be the mainstay of my work. Like these waiting to be bisqued.
Now what could I be making these little baby pots for. Hmmmm...
Just for the heck of it, since I had them on my desktop, here are two pictures of sculpture waiting to be made. This is titled "Inviolate." 10K to make it. One of these days....
And this is the "Constructivist Ideal." Never knew I had such constructivist leanings, did you? (Constructivist sculpture deals with hard edged, architectural, basic shapes and concepts.)
And of course, the backyard....
