Out of the Kiln!

FAB and ZOOM

It took longer than I thought to finish the FAB pot, but here she is in her raw state. I always underestimate the finishing off, I think it is going to take a few hours when actually it takes days. The lid was a nightmare as usual. Below the Zoom Vase finished in the raw too.

The Zoom Lolly Vase

                            

The Zoom Lolly Vase after 5 days of painting. The whole of the lower half of the vase is covered in slip now, there was a technical nightmare with the ever decreasing circumference of the vase to deal with. In the end each peace sign had to decrease very slightly in size to fit into place. Heaven knows how I am going to deal with the tapering neck and the flaring lip tomorrow.  

                                               

Love and Peace

Originally designed for the British nuclear disarmament movement, the peace sign is a commonly used symbol for peace, turn in over and it looks completely different however.

I am working on the FAB pot (see last post) which is now filled in with black and each lolly has an acid yellow corona around it. My idea was to place the peace symbol behind the lollies, but after a few practice runs I have decided to do something different on that pot. I have ABSOLUTELY no idea what yet though!

I always have ready a board of demi-tasse cups slipped, cling-filmed and bagged for trying out complicated colours or pattern backgrounds on. I can never be sure until I see them on the curved surface and it is a big mistake if I do it and I have got it wrong on the actual piece. So the little cups came out today.

First little cup shows the peace symbol painted black on yellowy cream, I am very happy with this. On the second cup I turned the symbol upside down and was astonished at how the intensity of the design changed, it became a flower and although the right way up is not threatening, it does still have nuclear warheads inherently linked to it. Funny.

Together they vibrate in an agreeable way. The big pot is going to be tricky though I have some varied contours to deal with and the illusion mustn’t break to the eye. I need wider circles for the shoulder ad down to tiny ones for the foot of the pot. But this is not going on FAB, I have another pot in the making that is bigger which I will show you as soon as it is decent.

Is this why it vibrates in such a different way? This symbol is one of the basic Viking Runes and it means this.

The Higher Self, Spiritual Nature, Duality, needing care in approach to important matters In many ways Elhaz is the most difficult rune to understand, for it is given several interpretations, perhaps because there have been different images used to express a complex concept. The Old English name, "elk-sedge" is a kenning for sword.  It represents a two-edged blade, that like the two-edged sword mentioned in the Book of Revelations, coming out of the mouth of the Son of Man, signifying on the one side destruction and the other salvation. It is easy for the user of a double-edged sword to injure himself and yet it is a very powerful weapon with double the power of a conventional blade. The rune shape is taken as a splayed hand held out ion defense or the horns of an elk, another translation, both of which can be used in attack or defense  The four sacred elks lived in the World-Tree, eating its leaves.

FAB

I am working on a new collection of jars. FAB was the best lolly in the whole world once upon a time, I loved the way those hundreds and thousands got stuck in your teeth. And they lend themselves perfectly to slipware.  

The background it going to be…. no wait and see!

New Exhibition June 2014

       

This is the courtyard to the gallery Cidi Hiaya in Granada where I am going to be showing some work next year as part of a group exhibition called "Perspectivas Britannicas".

It is a very beautiful old Carmen in the heart of Granada city, the exhibition space is good and seems to be very well lit with an abundance of while plinths. There is a permanent exhibition area that I recommend for a visit, the art work there is good and the prices are not too high.

The courtyard is policed by two identical black cats with yellow eyes that revolve around the glass fronted window seats halfway up the Carmen. I couldn't manage to catch them with my camera (wrong camera and they moved too fast). This area is clearly their garden and they were very suspicious furious about anyone in it without them being there.

I will keep you up to date with what I intend to make for this space, but my initial feelings are to produce Ginger Jars.

Butter Dish

There are a few hot coloured pots coming out of the kiln this week ready for Christmas. These just go in between the bigger work and give me inspiration when I am over whelmed by the *Win or Lose* Jars that I am working on right now. Nothing like a bit of normal service to center the mind!

Finished