Frustrating

I haven't posted in so long because I have nothing to show. Not for lack of drive or desire, but my right arm is hosed. Today I go for a ghastly test where they stick needles into my nerve and shoot electric current in so they can determine where and how much my nerves are pinched. I already know I have carpel tunnel, cervical stenosis and ulnar band constriction. But which one is giving me the nerve shivers, no one can tell. Hopefully this dreaded test won't be in vain and they can pinpoint what's wrong and where and then fix it! I want to make more pots!

Polly

Polly, or Pillbox Polly, as I think of her, is the latest in my Bag Lady Teapot series. She sports a tailored look with a flashy feather.

Blue Ladies

The latest additions to my Bag Lady line. This one is Petal.

Another pot

I'm off to Florida tomorrow for the Halifax show in Daytona. I'll be taking this.

If you haven't voted in the Art in the Round Contest go here https://www.artintheroundcontest.com/bb/aitrsystem.nsf/jury.html to be on the jury!

Happy Halloween!

Here's a caldron for you!

Bag Lady Teapots!

If I've been a bit absent here lately it is because I was accepted into every single show to which I applied for the fall. Gulp. So, it's been nose-to-the-grindstone or wheel for me. I made these sweet teapots over this weekend to replenish my supply of crazy ass pots that people seem to love. I have to admit I enjoyed making these ladies and I don't think I'm quite done with them yet. I still have ideas! Obviously, these have not yet been fired. I will add touches of color here and there and glaze them with more subdued glazes so as to not make them completely over-the-top.

Gotta get back to work!

Crazy Ass pots

My entire line of crazy ass pots is gone! I sold one teapot at a show and a gallery took the rest. These are probably my least favorite pots but if I can sell them I intend to make more. Now that I can throw again I can assemble them from extrusions and wheel-thrown pieces. I like them better that way. I'll post some pictures once I get a few done.

In process

Here you see a large pot I made in my usual way: I threw a base and then added coils, throwing each as I went along. I threw the top separately and added it last. Arranged around the pot you see some natural stuff I've picked up here and there. The large jar contains ponderosa pine ash from the lodge fireplace at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon! My daughter secured it for me just this past May. I intend to formulate a blue or green ash glaze with it. I will run some tests to see which I like better. I've never used any kind of pine ash in my glazes, only hardwood ash, so I'm curious to see what it does.

The ridges on this pot I made by coating the freshly-made pot in slip and then combing it with a kitchen utensil I have. I like the deep ridges it creates and the undulating pattern that is not rigid at all. These will catch the ash glaze and create a more interesting surface.

Also shown are some very old broken bottles I dug out of a downtown street. The city is putting in a new street and uncovered an old dump, probably dating back to around 1900. The neat thing about the glass made back then is that it tends to melt at a higher temp than the more energy-conscious glass in modern bottles, which can run right off a pot. I can grind this to make a glaze or use small pieces on selected areas of my pots.

I'll post more on this as I go along.

It's an election year

So vote for me! I've entered the "Art in the Round" competition, which is online. You can view me on it at http://artintheround.wordpress.com/learn-more-about-the-artists/rosemary-forrest/ and follow the links to see the other artists as well. Even better, YOU can be part of the jury, just by signing up! How's that for democracy?

March of the Lil' Guys

I make these for my two-year-old granddaughter, who carries them around in a pouch, lines 'em up, assigns personalities to 'em and generally loves 'em. So I'm making more to sell. They are amazingly sturdy for ceramic items. She is not gentle with them and takes them outside, knocking 'em around on the sidewalk. Though one or two have dings, none has broken. These are greenware, made while I watched the Olympics. I'll use underglaze on some and each will be different. I think what she likes about them is their individuality. She actually calls them by their glaze name, which I find exceedingly funny. "Where's Shino?" "White Bird is first." And so on.