Off the Porch and Growling

And lo, the sub conscious mind of the potter said "let there be flowers"

and there was ...

Today was a very busy day, and you will see multiple posts about it. Firstly, I finished the first flower (sunflower) pot I did back in the beginning of June. You know,  the one I folded like a tri-corner hat.

As always the outside is red-iron oxide and soda ash. The inside liner glaze today was "Ellen's Blue". The flower's I uses red iron oxide for the centers and then red, orange and yellow under glaze. Everything got soda ashed, except the Ellen's.



All ready to fire

More sunflowers coming out boss! For whatever reason, I am in the mood for flowers - maybe it's because it is getting close to Summer, maybe it's - well for whatever reason I kept rolling with the theme.

I did two differing styles. The first is a simple cylinder approximately 4 lbs of miller 65, I say approximately because I cut roughly 2 inches off the pot due to warp. My fault I wasn't paying attention and got a twist in the pot which buggered it up a bit. No harm, no foul.

As with the previous weeks pot, I finished the base with the ever popular 15.00 tool (in todays market its a 17.00 tool) Anyway, I folded one edge and then modeled the flower directly on the pot versus creating the flower and then adding it to the pot.

For the second style of pot, I used the same amount of clay and started
similarly, however; I went for a more bucket shape e.g. wider at the top versus the bottom. Like the other tool it is finished at the base. With this one I folded two sides, and on one side I modeled the flower and the other I created the flower odd the pot and then added it for the juxtaposition.

I was trying to see which way gives a more organic look. I have to say I think modeling on the pot wins hands down.

I have to say I am quietly impressed, this turned out well from initial conception to completion. Last week I showed the "steps" and tried to describe somewhat the process I use when approaching the "finish" of a pot. Some might look and say meh, and that's okay - really it is. We are all different people. I assure you however; it has taken me years - literally to arrive where I am now.

To the left is the full on view of the Goblet/Chalice, I say goblet because
chalice makes me think of King Arthur, and the Round Table. This is not your Daddies Chalice, you'd never see an Arthurian Knight fisting this. A Viking? A Barbarian by any other name? Sure.

I also zoomed in for a top down -ish approach so you can get a better view on how I laid things out. The top ring is slip applied with a brush to give a differing texture.

Lastly here is a zoom, zoom on a pair of the horns at the top of the cut handle. I really like what the red iron oxide did here.