Glazing Studio

Last week I switched over to my glazing studio. I am a "process person". To me this means that I like to be making, then glazing, then I decompress, and then I start over. I think that a lot of potters in some kind of cycle. For me sometimes it's hard to take days off because I feel a looming guilt that I should be working, but at the same time I feel that it's important for my mental sanity to do that once in a while. I'm sure that people around me appreciate it too. Since graduating from college and learning to balance teaching, working, and creating I have found that re-arranging and cleaning my studio in between my processes makes my working process more efficient. It helps me set a clear beginning and ending to each phase. Here is a shot of my glazing studio all ready to go.

You might be noticing my fabulous Shimpo banding wheel. Lucky for me my boyfriend knows the value of a good tool. This is an essential in my studio that I use in every part of the process. I also love my stacking porcelain trays I got in China for mixing stains in, but I still use my ice cube tray from the dollar store too! This glazing load is a little small for me, but I'm trying some new things and also testing some new colors.

There are also some new forms in this batch for me which I am excited to see. I decided to leave my tulip bowls simple and glaze them in a similar fashion...for now. I also made a new vase form that I took a little further in the decorating process which has led me to a new conclusion and direction. This "new" direction is really a continuation of my work. If you know me you might know that I love dressing up, or you might only see me in dusty clothes at Atlantic Pottery Supply
I restrained myself in decorating my bowls, which led me to feel a little detached from them. So, I am going to be working an a series of "dressed up" forms, inspired by tulips and lotuses, then embellished with sprigs, slip trailing, stamping and maybe some sgraffito. If I can't wear a dress to work everyday at least my pots can! Of course once I got through my technical difficulties and finished this post....my kiln is downfiring right now, and I'll soon have some results. Check back for more.