Finishing up some thrown pieces today in the studio. I’ve had pieces to trim, engobe to carve and a bowl that was awaiting a scalpel. Following are some photos of bits and pieces of pots I was finishing today.
These bowls are a bit tricky in regards to controlling the drying process. Too wet, and the clay won’t carve cleanly; and too dry, and it becomes too hard to get the blade through. I need to wrap the rims in plastic while waiting for the rest of the bowl to dry equally. I carve the designs with a #15 scalpel blade. Later I will soften the edges a bit with a damp sponge so they are not too sharp.
This flat rimmed bowl has a victorian green tinted engobe painted on, then the design is carved out soon thereafter. I will often work out designs on a sketch pad ahead of time while I’m sitting down in the evenings, however in this case, I just made some light pencil lines as guides and kind of winged it as I went along.
The last pot I decorated today was kind of a freeform graphic design. Not something I usually do, but thought I’d give it a try just to see how it comes out. The ‘pink’ on the pot within the circles is an engobe with a lobster red stain. I haven’t used this before and so will be interesting to see if I get a red from this colorant mixture. I have my doubts.
Good news of sorts! Yesterday I was informed that I got into a juried craft show that I really did not plan on being accepted to. I thought surely they would return my check with an ‘I’m sorry but…’ note. Although I was quite thrilled, I am also somewhat apprehensive. There will be other potters there that have been going to this event for some time and have many, many more years experience than I with clay. Not only will I have to come up with some stellar pots to compete, I will also need to step up the game with my booth display. My tables & apple crates aren’t going to cut it for this show. Time to come up with a professional look, I think!
Lastly, I am somewhat of an obsessed woman when it comes to viewing stats for my website. I like to see where the people who are reading it found out about it, what pages they read most, what they searched for that made them arrive at my website, and what geographical area they are located in. There seems to be someone reading my blog for the past few days from the Republic of Moldova. Yes, I find this fascinating. Moreover, I’d love for this person to leave a comment telling me what type of pottery they make and what they are most interested in. If you are reading this and you are the person from Chisinau Moldova, I would really like to hear more about you and your pottery!
I operate a working pottery studio in Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania specializing in wheel thrown and altered functional stoneware pottery. Stoneware clay is durable enough for ovenware, yet just as beautiful to display. My pots are created with form, function and beauty in mind. The glazes you see are hand mixed and formulated for food safety, as well as being microwave and dishwasher friendly. Current pots may be purchased through the store or local pickup, and custom orders are encouraged.
How cool to be able to see where your following is from! I have never done pottery but find it fascinating to watch! You do beautiful work!
Nancy.. I like the free form carving!..and the tea pot on the Feb. 21 post is beautiful!!
Cheers, Trish from Alberta
Thank you! With the exception of the dogwood flowers in the center, the sgrafitto on that pot was ‘winged’ as well!
Hello, I happened upon this site through a link that had “Moldova” in the headlines. I’m not your Moldovan stalker but I do like your pottery. I was trying to find my friend’s site but couldn’t remember the name so I ran a search for Moldovan pottery and this link came up. :0) I’m currently in Bucharest but live in Chisinau, Moldova. Your work is pretty awesome. Keep up the good work. I hope you find your Moldovan stalker. LOL :0) Have a great day!
I came across your name while viewing one of the groups I belong to in Yahoo groups “Pottery Basics, Pottery Basics 101″ “A album of pots by Nancy Gallagher”. I then searched your name and found this blog. I really enjoy reading potters blogs, especially those that don’t hold onto potter information and allow those reading to learn little tricks and tips. At about the age 10 I made a ceramic sugar and cream bowl and had always wanted to try again. After working with Polymer Clay for several yrs, and not getting the same tactile feeling I bought 25 lb of earthenware at a local supplier, cut off a chunk and slammed my fist into it’s center and haven’t stopped. Along with reading everything I could online. That is why these blogs can be a lifeline to learning. About 1.5 yrs ago my husband bought a very old used kiln (as old kilns go it could never fully reach it’s correct temp), eventually I bought a small Paragon 3″ brick kiln. I keep praying that one day the kiln fairy delivers a kiln large enough to bathe in. That would be awesome. Where I live there aren’t many places to learn and classes can get expensive.
I have really enjoyed your blog and viewing everything you have created. I have RSD in my hand and am unable to throw but I can work with slabs, thank goodness for slab rollers! Keep writing and creating, your work is inspirational.