Blue Starr Gallery

Back Burner

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:28:00 +0000

Several folks suggested I make some free standing shrines, here's the first one. I plan to glaze this one rather than using colored slips. After seeing Anna's post about her pit fired pieces she has in her garden I thought one of these shrines might be nice pit fired. The interior is empty except for a few leaf impressions, so the recipient can add what they wish.

Here's how I held the front of the roof till it firmed up a bit. I broke a chopstick to length and sandwiched it between two dry sponges, and used some painter's tape around. This shrine is much deeper than the others I've made and it seems quite dark inside. On future pieces I may add some skylights or windows to let in some light. If I added a chimney and left it open that would add some light. Ha. I might try that. Or maybe a fireplace at the back with those flames I wanted to try.

When I was traveling in my motorhome I talked about making clay buildings. I knew they would never survive traveling so I put my idea on a back burner [put aside for the time being, to be activated later]. Then I moved here and I made the church above patterned after this church I saw in Toyahvale Texas. Then I fell ill, so I put those ideas on the back burner again and forgot about them. Now that I'm doing better I remembered those ideas. I plan to revisit my journal sketches, from what seems like so long ago, to see what else I may have on a back burner. What about you, do you have anything on a back burner? Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Pit Fire Results

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:04:00 +0000

At first glance I thought all the test pieces we fired in the pit fire were black, just black. But look at this pinch bowl, after washing there is some gold and blue. This bowl is red stoneware with Florida clay slip applied around the perimeter and bisque fired beforehand. We used citrus fertilizer, miracle grow, and salt sprinkled liberally over the wares before firing, nothing else.

Keep in mind the pieces we fired are test pieces. This one is what I call a brush holder, open at the top and bottom. This was fired green, no bisque. Amazingly it did not crack or break. Food for thought.

This pinch vase was bisque fired beforehand and got smokey color and one tiny spot of copper color. Why? I have no idea. We placed pieces of copper inside the pieces, but I think the copper was too thick to melt and produce the color we were looking for.

This flower form was bisque fired beforehand and only has carbon colors showing.

These are the two pieces Fran included in the pit firing. Notice the piece on the left has a leaf pattern which is visible. Fran embedded the leaf in the clay during construction, using a delicate cypress leaf and firing it green. The oblong leaf was also fired green. Although we didn't get the colors we hoped for, we now know we can fire green and get the same results. However small it may be, this is progress. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Teriyaki Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:09:00 +0000

I know you're waiting with bated breath to see the pit fired pots, but I got caught up here yesterday and couldn't go over to Fran's house to get the pots. Fran said they didn't get much color. I strayed from my usual preparation process so I wasn't surprised. I'll go there later today and take some photos. In the meantime here is a recipe for Teriyaki Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts. I had these at a holiday party and ever since then I was craving their wonderful taste. So I finally gathered the ingredients together to make them.

You'll need two cans of whole water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce, one pound of bacon, one can of sliced pineapple in it's own juice, and toothpicks. Normally I don't eat bacon because of all the nitrates, but I found some at the grocery store that didn't have preservatives. Marinate the water chestnuts in the teriyaki sauce for two hours. I made my own teriyaki sauce, (that's what the pineaplle juice is for), and marinated them while the sauce was warm which I think helps to permeate the chestnuts. Look back to my Simply Scrumptious Salmon for the recipe of how to make the teriyaki sauce, it was two posts ago. For the teriyaki sauce you'll need one shallot, fresh ginger, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce.

After they are marinated take one water chestnut, wrap it up with a small piece of pineapple, and half a slice of bacon and stab it through with a toothpick to hold the bacon on, and place in a baking dish. When all the chestnuts are wrapped drizzle the left over teriyaki sauce over the prepared water chestnuts. Bake in the oven at 375 F for 45 minutes or until the bacon looks cooked through. Oh these are so delicious. I know you expected a photo of what they look like cooked, but they were so good I forgot to take a photo. Gary and I just pigged out. Ha. If you want to be the hit of a party take these. Back real soon with the pots from the pit firing. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Pit Fire Pictorial

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:34:00 +0000

My friend Fran and I did a small pit fire today as a preliminary test. After the wood turned to coals and the fire was smoldering, we banked soil up around the edges and covered the pit with a piece of steel sheeting. Results coming up soon. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

What Do You Think ?

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:19:00 +0000

Blue Moon

7.5 x 5 x 2.5 inches

Here's two more of the shrines from the last firing. I've been trying to complete these shrines and I couldn't decide what would look best for these. I think I know why. For the shrines to be complete there'd be a conversation between the maker and the one who uses or receives the shrine. The recipient or user of the shrine would make the piece complete. If you don't like the word shrine you can call them whatever you like.

Night Owl

8.25 x 5.5 x 2.5 inches

There are many ways to use shrines. To burn incense, a small candle, place a favorite item. The mementos, additions, or embellishments are what complete the shrines. Perhaps you, your daughter, your son, your parent, your friend, your lover, your boss feel the vibes or karma, have thoughts or feelings about these shrines.

So let's have a conversation, I invite you to suggest something for one of my shrines. If you purchased one, what would you use it for? Where would you place it. Maybe you'd hang one outdoors and put a small bowl of bird seed inside. Who would you give it to? Maybe you'd give one to your mother, your wife, your neighbor. The choice is also yours of what you might add to one of them. I've posted a few ideas I have, but I'm sure there are hundreds more ideas. Tealights will fit in these two smaller shrines but I think a votive candle will fit in the taller ones.

What do you think, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you. Perhaps you have an idea for a different type of shrine I might make, please let me know. Maybe a different size, a different roof line, a different shape. Maybe you think the shrine should be as it is without any embellishment or addition, left to the imagination each day. Maybe you have an idea of how someone else would utilize these. What do you think, I'd love to hear your thoughts, your feelings?

Your ideas, your thoughts, your feelings are unlimited. You don't have to be an artist, a potter, a painter, a lover of the arts but you could be. This can be really fun, enlightening, and a way to bring folks together for a conversation no matter where you live. If you're a reader here and haven't commented, please join in and make a comment today, I'd love to hear from you, just say hi. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Simply Scrumptious Teriyaki Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:16:00 +0000

I made teriyaki salmon a few nights ago for dinner and Gary said this is his new favorite recipe. He says that about all my recipes. He just wants me to keep cooking for him. I told him when people get older they tend to like salty foods because their taste buds diminish and aren't as discriminating for the more subtle flavors. So we have to be careful not to eat too much salt. Not that we're older mind you, but we're older than we used to be yesterday. Soy sauce has a lot of sodium I think, I'll have to check the label.

At the grocery store the other day Gary was in line and he happened to be wearing his Vietnam Vet baseball cap. The guy in line behind Gary said he shouldn't wear that hat since he wasn't in Vietnam. Gary asked him how he knew he wasn't in Vietnam. The guy said Gary wasn't old enough to have been in Vietnam. Gary asked the guy if he wanted to see his identification and the guy seriously said he would. Gary told the guy he wasn't his boss and he wasn't showing him his ID, then Gary paid for his groceries and left the guy standing there. I guess Gary looks younger than he is, so that's a good thing. I'm sure it must be my cooking that keeps him looking young.

Anyway I digress, here's how I made my own teriyaki sauce. I sauteed a shallot and two tablespoons of chopped fresh ginger in some butter, then I added 2/3 cup of gluten free soy sauce, 1/3 cup of pineapple juice, and a 1/4 cup of brown sugar and turned the heat up to medium high, stirring while cooking the sauce till it thickened. I had already started the rice to cook and readied the snow peas in separate pans. Meanwhile I sauteed the salmon in another pan and when the rice and snow peas were ready I put them on a plate and drizzled the teriyaki sauce over the top of the salmon and some on the rice too. It was simply scrumptious. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Leaf Plates

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:32:00 +0000

There are a couple of leaf plates new in the etsy shop, they can be used decoratively or functionally. I try to make them in three sizes, small medium and large. I need to add an even smaller one to the mix. This brick red leaf plate is the medium size at approximately 10 x 9 x 2 inches.

This pale aqua turquoise leaf plate is the small size at approximately 9 x 7 x 1.5 inches. These leaf plates take up quite a bit of room in the kiln because of their odd shape, but folks really like them. I do too. I make some with the attached handle and some with the leaf handle. Either one works well for carrying the plates effectively.

Sadly the largest one which is kind of a reddish brown color that breaks to gold above, about 12 x 9.75 x 2 inches, has a couple of rough spots on it. I thought I remembered to sand the veins; perhaps there was some grit in the glaze. The large one below I fired before the holidays and it had a crack in the middle, too bad because the color came out really nice. There will be a smashing time in the studio today.

I don't have as many choices of leaves in this garden compared to my last garden. I might have to add a few plants this Spring. Perhaps some herbs. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Quinoa For Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Since I'm gluten free, I don't eat wheat based cereal any longer. Every once in a while I eat some quinoa for breakfast with some cinnamon and either a dash of brown sugar or a splash of agave nectar. Cinnamon is supposed to lower cholesterol, so I don't feel guilty if I use it liberally. Quinoa is cooked just like rice. For every cup of quinoa, use two cups of water. Although it is expensive, it fluffs up to more volume than rice and I think the nutrional benefits are worth the cost. Click the link above to see all the vitamins and minerals in this delicious pseudo grain. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Bittersweet Halava

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:01:00 +0000

We climbed a dark narrow stairway and walked down a hallway and my mother knocked on a door. We entered an equally dark apartment in downtown Chicago. There was a small wooden table in the room which was the kitchen. My brother and I would play while my mother talked to a white haired old man in a language we couldn't understand. The white haired man was my grandfather.

After a short conversation with my mother the white haired man went to a cupboard and retrieved a small package and brought it to the table. The package was about six inches square and wrapped in tin foil. The white haired man would open the package carefully. A cream colored block was inside; it was shiny and oozing with liquid. The white haired man called my brother and me over to the table.

My brother wouldn't come to the table, but I went over to see what the package contained. With me standing and him seated, we were eye to eye. I was about three years old at the time. I remember he had a slight build, a dark complexion, and a white stubble of a beard. His breath smelled strongly of garlic. He cut off a small section from the cream colored block and offered me a piece saying it was candy. I took it and tasted it gingerly. It was the sweetest candy I've ever tasted.

The only time I ever saw the white haired man smile was when I tasted the candy. He seemed pleased since my brother and mother didn't like the candy. Afterwards the white haired man would wrap up the candy in the tin foil and put it back in the cupboard. Shortly thereafter we would leave slowly descending the stairway.

When I was in my twenties I learned my grandfather on my mother's side was Greek, that his last name was Grivakis, and the candy I had back then was sesame halava. This is all I can remember or know of my grandfather. Today I had a piece of halava I bought at the grocery store a few days ago and remembered my grandfather.

(photos taken from google images)

Diversification

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:19:00 +0000

With jobs few and far between, and necessities of fuel, utilities, and food prices going up daily Gary and I realize we'll just have to keep working. Gary has been going to the local flea markets to sell things, but most items take up a lot of space and are heavy to repeatedly load and unload. We decided to try some diversification of products to sell. Eventually we'd like to narrow down our focus of items. We wanted to add items which will bring repeat business but wouldn't be too heavy to carry. We thought about selling food, like packaged nuts, but that involves licenses we didn't want to get into. Plus food is perishable and that's another drawback.

Since I work with clay I thought about selling items I could combine with clay. Gary already sells some of my pendants, but those don't bring the repeat business we're looking for. Soaps, lotions, potpourri, incense, essential oils, and candles came to mind. Since we used to have a lavender farm, we're well acquainted with the benefits of good quality personal care items. We love using handmade soap so we thought perhaps Gary could sell soaps along with some handmade ceramic soap dishes I'd make.

We have tentative plans to partner with an organic soap maker. We'll do a market test selling soaps at the flea market over the next few weeks. Candles are another item which could increase repeat business. Maybe some soy candles are in our future. In the meantime we're testing soaps and I'm designing and making soap dishes. Stay tuned for more about diversification. This post is part of Artists in Blogland weekly share about what's happening in the studio. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Warp Speed

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:29:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was running at warp speed in the studio. This week I've slowed down to a crawl. I guess I have to face the problems of the last firing before I can move ahead. Here's that big sunburst platter, it's fourteen inches across. Yep, unfortunately it warped, badly. My carving shows up nicely though, and I like the recessed foot. Not even a hint of a crack either. Darn.

I could use it as a wall hanging if it wasn't such a yucky color. The red clay did something weird to this color which is supposed to be a shino but looks like a clear. When I opened the kiln I saw one side was almost flat and luckily it didn't stick to the kiln shelf, that's how flat it was. Maybe I'll try this platter with a different type of clay after I get over this disappointment. Maybe I should make the foot taller next time.

The other thing I did with the firing before this last one was I put the cones on a cone pack which I thought cleared the top of the kiln. When I opened the kiln they were broken off and landed on the top shelf. Those didn't stick either, thank goodness.

I need to slow down a little and take stock in where I am going next. More about a few ideas I have later. This post is part of the Mud Colony sharing for this week, click on over to see what's happening in other pottery studios from around the globe. I have some smashing to do today so I can finally mail a package of shards. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Happy Accident

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Pair of Cardinals

8.75 x 9 x 1

Here's the pair of cardinals after firing. Not sure if you can see in the photo, but the birds, branches, leaves and berries are sprigs attached on top of the background. The gray frame is also dimensional. Two berries fell off and I found one but don't know where the other one is. The berries were round and were barely attached, but I wanted them to be round like a real berry. Next time I'll make extra berries and fire them separately and then I'll have them. One set of leaves is loose but I can glue it down. The birds came out so nice I'm planning on doing more pairs of birds. I like the multi-colored background to this wall tile.

Ram's Head

8.25 x 8.5 x .5

Here's the ram's head wall tile I did months ago and finally fit it in my kiln. The slip and stains came out just like I wanted. This wall tile is thin enough to set inside another frame which I think would enhance this ram tile.

Tattered Leaf Pendant

I have put some pendants in my Etsy Pottery Shop, some leaves and some hearts. This brick red leaf is a bit tattered on the edge just like it might be in nature. I use real leaves when I make these leaf pendants so no two are exactly alike.

Reversible Heart Pendant

This heart is a happy accident. I was going to put a clear glaze over the underglaze and I accidentally glazed the reverse side with a rosey pink glaze, so now this heart pendant is reversible. One side is pink and red and the other is glazed.

This is the other side of the heart pendant, kind of cool. Now I plan to make more reversible pendants. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Opening Doors

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:18:00 +0000

Adobe Door with Gas Light

8.5 x 6 x 1 inch

The gas light in this door looks so realistic I can't wait to try creating more pieces with flames. I'd like to make a fireplace with flames and see if I can make the flames appear just as realistic. I like the blended colors for the adobe. These doors might look good framed in frames but maybe not. I originally intended them to hang on the wall as they are which might be better.

Rusted Door in Brick Wall

9.75 x 7.25 x 1 inch

The bricks are almost too bright for this rusted door. I did tone them down with underglaze before firing, but the red was much more dominant during firing and overpowered the lighter colors. Not sure if I'll add some acrylic over the top of them. That's a risky business because once the paint hits the fired clay I'm not sure I can remove or adjust it. I'll have to make more test tiles to perfect those techniques. When I showed this piece to Gary he remembers where the door is in the desert. One of these days we hope to do some more traveling to any ghost town left here in the United States.

Door Sixty One

9.75 x 7.25 x 1.25 inches

I have a real respect for finish carpenters after making this door. This piece has close to sixty one pieces in it and I even mitered the door sections just like a carpenter would. I've been meaning to get one of those wire bevel tools, I think I may order one. I used a needle too to cut my bevels and the bevels would be much neater and easier to cut with that wire bevel tool.

I feel like I'm opening doors with my new work. Might as well open them up and see where they lead. A conversation, more shrines, and wall tiles coming up next. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

All Fired Up

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:51:00 +0000

Mountain Cabin Shrine

9 x 8.75 x 2 inches

I'm all fired up about the shrines, doors, and tiles I just unloaded from the kiln. I once fired all of them in one load so I was on pins and needles till now. The roof of this mountain cabin shrine which I patched with vinegar slip held during the firing. The patch can be seen but that's what happens when imaginary trees fall through roofs and people like me who aren't carpenters patch them. Ha. I've made a note to keep trying new things with clay because I'll never know unless I try if they'll work or not.

Autumn Tree Shrine

9.25 x 7.25 x 3.25 inches

I was worried about the crisscross pattern of the slip for this one but I like it on this piece. I hope I can repeat the look.

Winter Tree Shrine

11.75 x 8 x 3.5 inches

Slightly wonky sides to this one. I can see a Spring and Summer Shrine coming soon. I might find a tree to observe in four seasons and do a four season set of tiles. Maybe a dogwood tree.

Raven Shrine

11 x 8.5 x 2.75 inches

The raven hasn't quite landed on the branch.

I don't work from templates but intuitively so there is an asymmetrical primitive feel to these pieces which I want to keep. I originally planned to hang these on the wall, but now I'd like them to be free standing. But the backs are plain clay and not stained and I'll need to make the bases wider to make them more stable. I like the tall narrow look of them though. Perhaps I can make a base out of wood or metal. Maybe a base with a drawer. I'm thinking of making small bowls for incense, smudge pots, or to hold a votive candle to set inside these personal shrines. Lots to think about. More fired work of shrines, doors, tiles, and others coming up as soon as I can take the photos. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Can You Feel Him

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Can you see him,

look closely,

he's hiding among the leaves and berries.

Can you see him,

look closely,

he's hiding in your mind's eye.

Can you hear him,

listen closely,

he's chirping in the tree.

Can you hear him

listen closely

he's chirping in your inner ear.

Can you feel him

look closely, listen closely

he's all around you.

One day the bird above was hiding in the tree outside my studio window. Every once in a while he would peck on the window. I think I've mentioned we have reflective film on our windows and often birds think they see themselves or a rival in our windows. I have the benefit of observing different birds close up without them knowing. It's as if each one is telling me something when they visit here.

I wanted to show you him hiding among the berries and wondered if you'd see him. As I typed the title to this post, this poem came to me. This may seem like a religious poem and that's OK. But if you know anything about me, you'll know the poem is about what I believe, about one of my passions - a feeling for, a respect for, a desire to live in peace and harmony with the universal god of nature. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Green on Green Shrimp & Pots

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:03:00 +0000

For eons blue was my favorite color. I never wavered I just knew I liked blue, not green but blue. Never cobalt blue, navy blue or dark blue, but pale blue, sky blue, silver blue, turquoise blue, and so on. Years later I began to like a few greens. Never grass green, dark green, kelly green, or olive green, only pale green, mint green, chartreuse green, leaf green, and so on. I saw a subtle pattern in my likes, not saturated colors or warm colors, but muted cool colors were my fare.

The moat container in the first photo is 8 x 6.75 which includes the width of the moat which adds about an one inch to the width. It's layered with different green glazes, olive, mustard, blue greens, a dash of brown, and then some blue glass melted in the moat surrounding the bottom of the piece. I especially like all the greens layered together on one piece of pottery, the texture and the blue in the moat may distract from the piece, so I'd like to make another without those. The background green on the fern vase fired nicely; I was a bit worried at the look of the color before firing. Check out the surprise bottom to the vase. The vase is 9.75 x 7.25 x 3.5 inches. Unfortunately there is a bit of unglazed portion inside this fern vase, darn.

The turquoise leaf platter below is 8.5 x 7.5 x 1 inch and is one of my favorite blue colors. But when I compare the color of the leaf platter to the moat container and the fern vase, the blended colors seem more appealing to me now.

When I think about the colors and flavors of food, brash colors and harsh flavors have never appealed to me. I didn't want in your face colors, or in your palate flavors. Subtle blended flavors of various spices and herbs in the usual combinations; these complementary flavors and colors appealed to me over the years. Flash forward to recently. I've branched out, experimented, and blended glaze colors, and blended food, spices, and herbs in offbeat ways. I'm getting some satisfying results like the moat container and the fern vase and developed another new recipe which may be my best yet. I know I say that for every recipe, but sometimes when I let myself go with colors and foods groups I stumble upon wonderful.

Take one pound of fresh shrimp, clean and butterfly them and set them aside. Melt butter in a sauce pan and chop some cipollini onions and saute them till very soft Add the shrimp and saute them till pink on one side.

Flip them over and sprinkle generously with ground cumin, add 3/4 cup of canned tomatillo sauce, 2/3 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro and sprinkle a little Jamaican hot sauce over the top. Not too much, just enough for flavor.

Cover and cook till a fork inserted in the shrimp comes out easily. Serve with your favorite wild or brown rice, you need the rice so you can drizzle more of this green sauce over it. Add a refreshing side. In this case I've cut up some fresh juicy (green) cucumbers. I served the meal on one of my new speckled green plates just out of the kiln pictured above and below. The speckles come from the iron in the clay. I have a set of four of these which are more of a salad plate size of 6.25 inches square, but I wanted to combine more greens just for fun.

This plate is a different green, subtle, and not quite matching the food fare, but complementary just the same. Green on Green Shrimp, there you have it. If only I could get royalties for my recipes, yes some of those green ones. Oh and if you're a vegetarian, this sauce would be good with tofu and rice, don't you think? When I recover from basking in these colors and flavors, I will post more photos from this firing. In the meantime I'm going back to see if there's any sauce left in the pan, yes it really is that delicious. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Chicken Little or Henny Penny

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:08:00 +0000

The other day Meredith of Whynot Pottery posted some chickens she made. Her chickens were so endearing I thought I would try making a chicken myself. I made this chicken sculpture today with an unconventional sculpture technique. The sculpture is 9 x 8 x 3 inches.

I cut out two chickens, a front and a back, from slabs of clay and put the two together, then puffed out the form. Then I slathered on a thick white slip every which way and let that dry a bit. Next I layered all different colors of slips, stains, and underglazes. It was great fun slathering on the slip thickly and adding all the different colors. While I was making the chicken I really wanted to push and dig my fingers into the clay. I may try another one with rough making marks left showing in the clay.

The chicken sculpture is open at the bottom of the base; do you think I need a hole at the top somewhere for air to escape while firing? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. After I made her I remembered the story of Chicken Little or Henny Penny. I remembered reciting the phrase, 'the sky is falling', when I was a kid. Maybe I'll make another chicken sculpture and make the beak open slightly and after firing I could glue a penny in her mouth

When Gary got home we went on an errand. I try to bring my camera wherever I go and sometimes it really pays off. We saw some pigs in a pasture and I begged Gary to stop. I got out to take a photo and called the pigs closer. They ran up to the fence to greet me, snorting all the way there.The second I saw these pigs I thought of the commercial with Maxwell the pig. The pig seems so happy. I know it's silly, but I love this happy zip line pig, he always makes me smile.

I think this brown pig was the big mama of the group.

When I got home the light wasn't right for photos of my recent fired work so please come back tomorrow for those. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Pendants and Which Handle ?

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:16:00 +0000

Here's a couple of new pendants designs I made recently. I want to make more of this bird's head pendant and leave off the hole and use a bale

This one I call hang five; I might add some polish to the toe nails, what do you think, red?

These will need bales added. What do you use to glue your bales on with? I've used two part epoxy but that's so messy. By making multiples of pendants I'm improving my technique each time, these are nice and thin. Sometimes I curl up the ends of pointed pendants ever so slightly so when they are worn they don't poke into the person wearing them.

I took a quick photo before Gary packed them up for tomorrow morning at the flea market, otherwise I wouldn't have a photo of them. Folks are asking for them there now. The dark red leaf ones are really nice, but too shiny to take a good photo. And the satin clear glaze came out just right on the patterned pendants. There's a few hearts in there for valentines day coming up. I have I made some of which I'll be adding bales to the backs.

Check out this etsy treasury called Linda Linda Linda, just what I needed for a pick me up this week. Thank you Linda K Design for including my mystical feather tile.

I have a ton of driftwood I collected in California and want to use it up, so I plan to make more buckets or other pieces to utilize the driftwood. For fun I thought I'd post different pieces of driftwood handles in this water bucket and ask which handle you think looks best. Disregard the first photo since that's a side view of the next one. There are five choices of handles following. This is the water bucket I almost couldn't get the form out of , but the seams held, sometimes my luck amazes me.

I have a couple of favorites, which handle do you like? Stay tuned for more pieces from the latest firing, some good, some not so good, and one crazy screw up. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

In My Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:18:00 +0000

Sometimes I hear them crying in their sleep.

I strain my ear to listen

in case they're nearby and need me.

As I lie there I can see their legs twitching

running from I know not what.

I stroke them gently easing their strife

they're lulled into a gentle sleep

now all I hear is their cries.

Real or imagined their cries are unbearable,

unbelievably just out of reach.

After what seems hours hearing their cries
they're nearby when I need them

I'm soothed into a fitful sleep
Once again I awake from a dream

arriving amazed in a new day.

Tree of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:20:00 +0000

SONNET #30
by: William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

HEN to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thought I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:
Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancelled woe,
And moan th' expense of many a vanished sight.
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoanèd moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.


My friend Connie passed away on Sunday in Porterville, California; she wasn't much older than I am. Too often the plight of those of little resource and unable to speak for themselves is so sad. Try as I might getting through to the hospital and rehab facility was a futile fight, much as it was when Gary's father was hospitalized there years ago.

The tree of life in the first photo was made by Connie; the tree is about 15 inches across and was made to hang on the wall. The bluebird was also made by Connie. Connie and I met at the local college where we used take clay classes together in California. Connie is at peace in clay heaven now.

More Squeezable Goodness

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:05:00 +0000

Here's a rough exploration of a one piece pillow form for a future serving platter design. The other evening I had one slab of clay I had to use up quickly before making dinner. I decided to play with the clay. The piece reminds me of pastry dough, smooth and rounded. I simply rolled under the top edges and pinched the sides together and this is what I got. I didn't bother to smooth the edges. Sometimes I just make a form to see how the clay performs, then I set the piece aside to think about modifications.

I can think of several ways I can modify this form to make a more functional platter. Sometimes I let myself play with the clay and a form emerges which isn't usable or what I want. If I study the form I see ways to modify the form to make it appealing or functional. The edges of this form are thick which makes the form fairly heavy. A thick sided heavy form like this might be beneficial, perhaps the sides would keep a baked dish warm longer at the table by radiating heat back into the dish. If I made the bottom double walled that would increase the radiant heat. A few ideas to mull over.

We have more squeezable goodness courtesy of our neighbors, lots of grapefruit. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

No Cracks or Mishaps

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 07:30:00 +0000

No cracks or mishaps this time. I've had less problems with seam separation since I started using apple cider vinegar on all my seams. Even the bucket I had such a time with held at the seams, I am truly amazed at that one. First I brush slip on scored seams, then I dip a paint brush into apple cider vinegar, dab it off a bit so it isn't too moist, then I paint over the slip before I attach the seams.

The big platter did fine without propping the edges. Yippee. Only thing is I carved lots of texture into the platter, now I need a good transparent type glaze so I don't cover up the carving.

The slip colors are getting better and the layered slip experiments turned out like I wanted. This tile has a light gray background slip; not easy to see in this photo.

I like the painterly effect of the overlapped slips on this next fern leaf vase.

The small wood nymph sculpture and oak leaves are destined for the garden shrine. Also I fired a few heart pendants for valentines coming up.

Now to examine things more closely and think about glazing for the next firing.

Here's Gary and Binky at the computer in our utility room turned into an office. When we bought this house the washer and dryer connections were in the garage. I found some used kitchen cabinets and installed them in the utility room to make an office. What a transformation the cabinets made to this small space, so much more usable and more storage space. Thanks for all your encouragement and comments.

Sheepshead, Bisque, Raku Courage

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:05:00 +0000

The latest fish we tried from Shelley's Seafood in Homosassa is sheepshead fish. (photo courtesy of wikipedia). Yummy. A little more firm than other soft fleshed fish, which I like because it doesn't fall apart when I serve it. I took the fillets, patted them dry with a paper towel, sprinkled them with thyme, chives, paprika and a light dusting of sugar and set them aside. Yep, it was sugar I used, please keep reading to see why I've used sugar.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan I melted some butter and sauteed my standby shallots and fresh ginger. When those were softened and just browning on a medium high heat I gently placed the fillets of sheepshead fish in the pan browning them on one side and then gently turning them over to brown on the other side. A minute or so later I lightly sprinkled some soy sauce over the fish. As the soy sauce hit the pan and mixed with the sugar it started to caramelize and thicken, that's why I used the sugar. When a fork inserted in the fish goes in easily the fish is cooked through. Serve immediately with your favorite side dishes; we had a baked sweet potato with the fish which was delicious.

Meanwhile I have a bisque cooling down. I finally fired the large sunburst platter I made months ago; hope it doesn't slump or warp. Also firing the bucket pot I had to rip the paper template out of, hope the seams hold. Plus other experimental pots are in there too. I might have enough pots ready to do a raku firing, can you please send me some raku courage for my first firing? Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Cardinal Couple

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:07:00 +0000

The other morning I saw a vibrant cardinal outside my kitchen window and then I saw his mate in the nearby shrubs. He seemed so lively hopping here and there; his bright red color was a cheerful sight to me. So I was inspired to make this cardinal couple. This wall plaque is about 9.5 x 10 inches.

I've got to get organized to do a firing real soon since work is piling up in the cabinet. I just hate to quit working to do so. I've got more birds on my mind. I better hurry though because pretty soon the robins will be coming and that means Spring will be just around the corner. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters

noreply@blogger.com (Linda Starr) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:07:00 +0000

Several of my ceramic wall hangings are now on display at Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters newest location at 541 N Citrus Avenue in Crystal River, Florida. Look for Boy In A Straw Hat on the wall as well as others. A big thank you to Cattle Dogs for supporting local artists in Citrus County Florida. Stop in to Cattle Dogs for great coffee, sandwiches, and pastries and to see the many other fine pieces of art on their walls at both their locations.

Cattle Dog Coffee Roaster's original location is 2416 North Heritage Oaks Plaza in Hernando, less than five minutes drive from our home. Coming soon to Cattle Dog's newest location in Crystal River two evenings per month will be local music on their spacious enclosed patio to the rear of the store, check back here for information about those happenings.

Stay tuned for more locations to find my art coming soon. In the meantime, feel free to recommend places you'd like to see my art. Or if you're looking for local art to purchase, display, or sell at your location, please contact me; I welcome all inquires. I have wall art and functional pottery suitable for your needs. Thanks so much for supporting my art and for all your comments.