taking time

well, about a month ago i was blessed with the opportunity to spend a week at the Metchosin International Summer School for the Arts (MISSA). Wow! a whole week just to make new objects, learn techniques, play, and visit with others potters and artists - how luxurious!

the course was hand-building with paper clay with Cory McCrory.here's one of Cory's fun pieces

 

the absolutely best thing i came away with was using lino cuts for surface texture. and i had the chance to sculpt, which i never do! most of the class worked on mermaids. i made a mermaid in a bathtub. what a challenge, but great to have Cory walk through the various stages and the things to think about. as i make largely functional pieces and some wall pieces, thinking in 3D was really fun.

naturally, a few days in, i started pondering if and how i would use these ideas in my own studio practice. finally in the last hours, as i worked on a teapot, it came it me. at least a place to start. will post images in days to come of the first pieces i have made and fired.

in the mean time here are some pieces i made on the first day. raw, then with underglaze. still need to take photos of the final products...

and here are a couple of the mermaid, raw (still haven't painted her yet!)