The lights are on

Yesterday was spent in the studio trying to make up for lost time. I got quite a bit done and left feeling less like a slacker and more like a rock star (a clay rock star...). I made some components for the next update but I also worked on some things for myself. (Very important for maintaining my mental health)



So, what's this, you ask? Can you guess?
It was the inspiration and tool I used to make....



...these giant, hollow beads. It's a nightlight cover, actually. I looked at it the other day and thought it had such a great shape and texture - perfect for pressing some clay into. I made each half and then put them together to form these very pod-like/organic/cocoon-ish forms. They are bisque firing right now and hopefully I will glaze them this weekend. I'm thinking matte, earthy colors... but I'm open to any other ideas.



This shot gives you an idea of how big they are. They will shrink a little after the final firing but will still be pretty substantial. The big question is how to use them. It's fun to make large, sculptural beads but what good are they if you can't make something freaking amazing with them?! That remains to be seen.



I made a nice big batch of large birds. Some of these will go into my next update, some will be for me. You can see a bit of the process that goes into them. These are birds in the rough. :)



This batch is kind of fun. Lizard skin texture and wonky holes go well together. Is it just me or does the prospect of having to deal with odd number, off-center holes in a component make you giddy too? Strange, I know, but I love a challenge.



Lastly, these are the test pieces I made from my stenciling experiment last week. I am curious to see how they fire and whether or not the black slip I mixed up stays black. Depending on the outcome some of these pieces might make it into my next Extra update. Unless they are wretchedly ugly. Then they will go into my archive of hideous pieces and never see the light of day. ;)