Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Little Alters


I am soooooo loving these pieces!!!!!! What a pleasant way to start my day. Gerry had a pot of espresso on the stove, he left early to go photograph Obama today in Raleigh, so I fixed myself a latte and headed down to see what exploded in the kiln, because there is always something that has exploded in the kiln. Sure enough I lost two small barns, but I think I can get them back together and re fire them. Their little bottoms fell off and one side blew out. Pretty much the usual. But these two pieces are wonderful.

Here is the moose hair from Denali that Alaska blogger Cindy Shake sent me. The red is reflecting from the roof, it's not really that color.
These are the first real pitchers I have ever made, I sort of like them, but of course there is the functional glaze hell that I must go through if indeed they are to be functional. However.... you could just put some pretty dried hydrangeas in them..... right now they are waiting on me to decide. They have just had one firing with no glaze or terra sig inside. I like the little squares on the front, I'm thinking these "windows" will be added to my barn pieces, instead of cutting out real windows. Sort of lighthouse looking aren't they?
Another bucket on a block of driftwood I found in Maine. These buckets are rocking my world right now.
and some little Maine cottages on a palette. They were going to be mounted on a piece of driftwood, but they look crooked, we'll see, I haven't decided yet.
So, happy day. Hope I didn't insult anyone with my rant about small stuff. Obviously, from these tiny cottages, I like small stuff. It's just the sitting in the studio, mindlessly making crap, that I have got to put an end to. I'm telling you, I have bowls full of things I have fired for no good reason. Time to put effort into these alters and barns, they deserve my attention!

16 comments:

Dennis Allen said...

I've heard about people making altered pottery.It makes a fine shrine.

pelos ceramics said...

Hi, Have a look at the work of an ex student of mine on her facebook, Stacey Clarkson.

Tracey Broome said...

Dennis :)
Pelos ?!?

Amy said...

Altars and barns.... they are simply gorgeous. Love the simple beauty about them. and that bucket too. I'm in Southern Pines. Will let you know when I'm coming your way. Would be fun to meet you and visit your studio... as I'm creating my own in November. Glad you're doing what you like doing. that's what matters most, I think. making our own style of pieces...

Anna M. Branner said...

Tracy. THESE. I love them. So glad you have found your voice. I envy you! Glorious.

Linda Starr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Laura Farrow said...

those pieces all look great, Trace! altars. YES.

Tracey Broome said...

Thanks everyone! Amy, check out the Thai place in Southern Pines, it's very good!

Anonymous said...

hi tracey,
this new work is beautiful. i'm curious about the terra sig, it looks like there's white ts on the pitcher on the right in the pic of two pitchers. it seems to have that sheen still. are you gonna glaze or leave the way they are and if you fire to ^6, do you think that satiny sheen will disappear or remain? i just peaked in my kiln (bisque) and saw that my white terra sig is still shiny too and am curious if it will hold up in the glaze firing. regardless the altar, barns, pitchers and buckets all look lovely

Tracey Broome said...

Hi Jim, thanks! I haven't fired ts to ^6 so I can't answer the sheen issue if it gets fired that high. I'm curious about that too, although I suspect it will flatten some. The sheen on this piece comes from adding about 4 very thin coats and buffing a lot. I have noticed that if I let the piece dry between each coat, I get better shine. My ts is very very thin, if you put too many coats on, it will start flaking off.... also the ts with added mason stains and oxides does not get as shiny because I don't go to all the trouble to ball mill my stains. It's ok though, I like some flatter surfaces.

ang design said...

awesome pitchers trace....so why are your pieces still blowing up??? have you tried joining with that magic water stuff....or are you just kamikaze firing :P

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Ang: there is no explanation that I can come up with for these seams coming apart. I use the same score and slip and I press the seams really well, some stay some don't. It's so random that I can't figure it out. Magic water doesn't seem to make a difference...The last two pieces I made, I took a very long time focusing on the connections and they stayed well, so all I can come up with is that I'm not taking enough time and I need to slow the process, as if it wasn't slow enough already!

ang design said...

:)) slow it is then...

pelos ceramics said...

I do apologize,very rude of me. I am a potter based in Cumbria UK. My blogs not up and running yet. Find me on Facebook.

just jody said...

LOVE the altars Tracey!

Tracey Broome said...

Pelos, sorry I don't do facebook..
Thanks Jody!