Pots, lots of funny little pots!

So I went to potting today and brought home my first pots. I didn't anticipate how much they would all shrink in the kiln, about 1cm in all directions, but anyway, here they are....

These three were supposed to be espresso cups, but they dried out too much while we were on holiday for me to put handles on them, so then they became beakers for the children. I made them into hobbit houses or something...

These two were a bit interesting, as I put white slip over the brown clay, and then did finger swiping to get a liquid-like effect. It worked well, until I but a barium glaze on the bottom half which didn't really show the movement so well...

First efforts!

Wonky pot with green glaze over brown clay pot with white slip on the inside, and green glaze over brown clay and my first pulled handle....

The jug was supposed to be a mug, but it went a bit wrong, so then became a jug.

This was ash glaze on the outside, and white glaze on the inside. 

Funny cup, which strangely is my favorite to use, hence the coffee in it...

This was supposed to be a mug too, but it went wrong, so became a small bowl. I like the swirl.

I really like to see the finger marks on my pots, and refuse to smooth them out as I'm supposed to. I love them all!

More to come soon hopefully!

Potting

I've always loved clay, and find absolute beauty in hand thrown pots. Far more than any made pot.

After our first was born I started an evening class learning all the basics, and I really enjoyed it.
When we moved here we saw an old kick wheel for sale, so we bought it and I had some happy hours creating various utensils on it. When I was pregnant with our second I found I couldn't kick the wheel anymore without my leg cramping up, and then after that my life has been rather busy, and even if I had the time, I would just want to sleep.
But over the last few years I have been able to dabble once again on the wheel. However, whenever the children see me on the wheel, they too want a go, and usually it has just been a fun session together.

We have even fired their little pots in the bottom of the bonfire....

Blackened, but waterproof. A pinch pot.

But now we have the two in school, and our youngest in preschool for a couple of mornings I have decided to join a class once again. I went this morning, and so much came back to me!
I made lots of wildly different (hopefully) mugs, and am able to try all sorts of glazes and slip techniques.

It was a wonderful morning!

I hope to either take my camera, or even bring some pieces home soon. The next month of Tuesdays is going to be fairly hectic though... I don't want to commit to too much, as I have over stretched myself before, and thats no fun.

But for now I hope to enjoy more classes, and make some mugs and cups and beakers, and bowls for our family to use.

In the future I can make things at home and they will fire and glaze them there too. Very exciting.