Block Printing

I have been block printing fabric to make napkins that coordinate with cups and teapots.



I have been wanting to do this forever but I was finally inspired to get going by this fabulous book:


Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps,Stencils and Silk Screens by Lena Corwin

Glazed Over

These beautiful fall days I have been glazing the work I made all summer. GLAZING...UGH...not my favorite part of the pottery process. It represents the end, the finale, and a commitment to finishing the pieces I've worked so hard on. If I screw up a piece after it has been thrown, altered, dried, fired, sanded, tweeked, waxed it just kills me. Often it seems like I am prone to messing up. I have, however, discovered the SPRAY GUN. What a gas to load up the can hook up the sprayer, turn on the noisy compressor and spray away. It makes me feel powerful and professional. It seems like just when I get in the groove I'm finished. Today I will load my final glaze kiln load and then it's back to creating once again. YEAH!

Here is a pic of some new work that made it through the glaze process in good style!

Temptation

(birds and bowl bisgue waiting to be taken out and glazed...completely cooled)

It's great being home in Berkeley. It's a bit of a culture shock with the parades of people and cars instead of the quiet forest.

I headed back to my studio immediately. I had forgotten how great it is...open, light and inspiring with the most perfect studio mates (even though rae is on her honeymoon her presence is still all around me). Yesterday I did a firing of all the rose pieces I did this summer. I won't be able to open the kiln until tomorrow. How tempting is it to crack the lid before it's cooled, to take a peek, to risk hearing that exasperating PING? Christa's friend Andrew Martin has just completed a glaze firing in Christa's kiln. It was great to see this very experienced potter prop up the lid and take a look inside at pieces way too hot to handle. It made me realize we all share the same fascination, the same kid like obsession with what's in the box that we're not supposed to open.

Yesterday was our local farmer's market. Look what's in this box. If my firing comes out half as beautiful I'll be thrilled.