Fall Show – Set for Spring
My fall show, as many of you have asked, is not happening this year. I am sad to say so . This little guy has been keeping me super busy and has become my number one priority. Andrew and I had so much going on this fall between caring for Noah, work and lots of traveling, I had to be realistic and not plan for a fall show. I am however, hoping to have it in the spring instead! I am thinking sometime in April. Perhaps mid-April. I had so much fun at my first-ever fall show last year, that I wanted it to be an annual event. Life happens in unexpected ways and plans had to change. It was definitely a good decision. As soon as we made that decision final, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I would not have been able to produce the amount or quality of product that I would have liked to have in time for October. Plan to see me in Maryland this coming April for a spring show and then again hopefully in October of 2013! I am also hoping to add another show to my schedule this year in New York! This one will be hosted by my wonderful in-laws. They have been very supportive of my business and my artistic endeavors and are looking forward to hosting a show for me at their home. I am excited to expand! Those details need to be hammered out more, but perhaps a spring or early summer show would work well for New York. We shall see.
If this ruined any holiday shopping plans, you can still purchase from me on my Etsy Shop. I have a lot of new things that will be added to my shop in the next few weeks, including jewelry, so stay tuned and be checking in! I am also working on and taking commissions. Keep in mind all custom orders need to allow for 6 to 8 weeks for completion. Gift certificates are also available. Send me an e-mail: akpottery@gmail.com.
Flour, Sugar & Rice – Oh My!
I have been wanting to make a canister set for a while now. As I work on commissions and building up my Etsy shop, I have been able to tackle some of those projects that have always been in my mind – a canister set being one of them. I really wanted to make a canister set with jars big enough to actually hold their contents well. I wanted the largest jar to be able to hold a whole bag of flour and for the next size down to hold a whole bag of sugar. I think these will do that! If not, they sure will come super close. I have a canister set sitting on my counter that I LOVE. It is also a four-piece set like this one. In mine I hold, flour, sugar, brown rice and cream of wheat. They do not have a rubber seal around them, but I have never had those little bugs you sometimes get in the flour, ever appear in my jars in the three years I have been using them.
Hopefully that will ring true for this canister set once it is fired and completed. I definitely want to make more sets of these with slightly different silhouettes and handles. I can’t wait to see how this set will look once it is glazed!
My favorite part about this set are the handles to the jars. I wanted something a bit different and whimsical. I have done this same double-loop on some of my mug handles and teapot handles as well. I think it adds a lot to the piece. Any suggestions for what glaze I should fire this set in?
Sorbet Cups & Caramel Plates
I am not officially back to work full-time, but I am going to ease back into my work as I can. I had said I was not going to do work the month of June, however, I have kiln firings to keep up with. Yesterday, my husband and my dad came over to the studio with me to help move my greenware pieces out to the garage so I could load them into the kiln to bisque. It took about an hour to get everything sanded for the firing, moved to the garage and loaded into the kiln. I was starting to feel a bit stressed about the work I needed to get done within my tight timeframe. It feels good to have that firing going.
Anyways, this little set came out of the kiln before Noah was born. It was originally a commissioned set. When they came out of the kiln, there were hardly any crystals that had formed and four out of the six bowls had broken. It was pretty upsetting to open the kiln and see that, but these pieces that survived have really grown on me. I love their caramel color and subtle turquoise crystals that sprouted occasionally. I am thinking of posting them for sale on Etsy because they are in great shape. The crystal formations were the only thing that didn’t come out as hoped. My favorite pieces are the little bowls. They are the perfect size for sorbet! (In fact, I made homemade lemon-berry sorbet which is in those little bowls. Very yummy!)
See, aren’t they a great size for sorbet? They also make a great rice bowl. I have since, remade this order and delivered it. They look a lot different, but they are the right glaze and what was originally desired. Maybe you will see these pieces on my Etsy shop soon. Poke around on there if you would like! I hope your weeks are off to a good start!
Taper Candle Plates
Candles, candles, candles. Maybe I have blogged too much about them. I just love them, though! Especially color drip candles! (They are my new favorites.) I did a whole post about them. If you didn’t get to see it, you can check it out here. These candle plates were made especially for them. I wanted to make a taper candle plate that could allow the candle to drip and catch the ever-changing coloring wax. These were what I made. I could not have been happier with the way the crystals formed! Part of me doesn’t want to let the candle wax drip onto the plate and cover up any of the crystal formations…but then again, it is just wax. It does come off. If you are interested in these, they are up on my Etsy Shop. You can find them here.
I am 39 weeks pregnant today, so I have one more week to go. (Hopefully sooner!) I was actually hoping to blog my baby bump post today, but I need my hubby to take a good picture of my profile. This is the end of the pregnancy after all! You can be looking for that post tomorrow…unless I go into labor tonight. I am totally ok with that happening by the way. Hope you all are having a great Tuesday!
Ivory Crystals: A Pitcher
Pitchers are one of those classic pieces of pottery. I really enjoy creating them. They have enough surface area to really show off some great crystal formations and growth. I also love seeing how people use pitchers in their homes whether for beverage service or to display a fresh bouquet of flowers. This particular pitcher was glazed in ivory crystalline. It is not a glaze I have showcased a lot of, but it is definitely one of my favorite glazes. The ivory crystals really formed quite beautifully against the steely light gray background. This glaze looks completely different on a flat surface, like a platter or in a bowl. It is simply stunning! This pitcher is a pretty good size, too. It stands about 9.25″ tall with a rim diameter of 5.25″ wide. It holds about 56 oz (7 cups). Perfect for that cold pitcher of lemonade or iced tea! You can find this pitcher up on my Etsy Shop. Stop on by.
Glazing in Prussian
This weekend turned out to be a rather productive one in the studio. I am happy to say that I have officially completed my commissions, so I am ready for baby to come! I unloaded the kiln this weekend and was able to cut off all pedestals and grind down the bottoms of each pot for a smooth and finished look. (Only had two pieces break, so that was pretty good!) I will be posting about what fired in the kiln throughout the week, but I wanted to share with you a bowl that came out. As I continue to experiment with new colorants in my glaze recipes, I am always excited when they turn out successfully. This bowl was glazed in prussian crystalline. The exciting element used in this glaze is Nickel. Nickel is what helps give you turquoise crystals against a warm amber background. I really love the contrasting colors in this glaze and the way the amber tones turn a deep caramel color as it pools in the bottom of the bowl. I have used this glaze several times before in this past year, but it is not one that I have been glazing with consistently. Sometimes it doesn’t always come out the way I want it to. I still have some fine-tuning to do with this one, but for now, here is the bowl in prussian crystalline. You can find it available on my Etsy shop – click here.
All That Glam!
Time to bring out your glam and get yourself organized. Well, at least get your earrings organized! I have three new earring trees that are now for sale on my Etsy Shop. Two of them are glazed in Rutile Crystalline. I love this glaze because of its peach and seafoam colors reminding me that spring is right around the corner! The other one is a cobalt macro-crystalline. Each of these hold between 60 and 62 pairs of earrings! Check them out here.
Hand-Crafted Pottery by Arryn 