Detour

Anyone who knows me knows I am one determined woman when I have a goal and want to get something done. My Polish family's motto is "Think like a hammer"!

I wrote a few posts ago that I was once again going to try silk screening on clay after taking a very inspirational workshop from Forest Lesch Middleton. I bought the screens, prepared the slip, made the screen medium, created the image on my computer, burned the screen and got set up for a new great adventure full of raging hope and optimism. I screened my newsprint. The medium totally clogged the screen, I changed mediums to one I had seen Leslie Baker demo (using under glaze with wallpaper paste). I skillfully applied the slip to my thrown cylinder and waited until it wasn't shiny anymore. Carefully I transfered the newspaper image and waited a minute, holding my breath. I removed the paper. Guess what...it was a mess...little or no image transferring. I tried again, this time holding my breath a little longer...then again a little longer.

This is exactly what happened before when I attempted this transfer method. That time I gave up and screened directly on a slab - no slip, no transfer. This worked but limited me to to handbuilding. I was hoping for the wonderful effect that happens when you are able to transfer on to a thrown form and then push out the piece. I love the way the pattern becomes part of the piece as opposed to just sitting on top. So to make this long whiny story short... I GIVE UP! I was not meant to spend hours, days years learning this technique...it got me...life is way too short and there are way too many things left to learn.

That said above is a picture of some new work and a new direction for me. They will be part of a large series. I am calling these "The Gossips" - they are canisters that open with red interiors.They are thrown hollow like my vases and pitchers but just used from a different perspective. Call me a baby but it feels great to be doing something I have a little skill doing.