Crazy for Clay

Just another in the continuing series of updates from Starry Road Studio.... Needless to say, I have been knee deep in clay, relishing with joy the ability to work in this medium again after a so long a time away while transitioning from KY to NY over the past year. Yes, that's right, it has been nearly a YEAR since I packed up and left KY to return to NY. Most of my studio has been packed up in storage and only in recent weeks have I begun the slow process of getting everything set up here. I was dying to get my pottery wheel set up and thankfully I managed to throw a few pots this past week. I still have to get my spray booth set up for glazing, but for now I'll use some dipping glazes for these pots.

I am continuing to explore beads, creating a variety of new forms and ideas.

Continuing in my series of woodland-themed beads, I finally got started on a new design for "Camping Beads", based on sketches from late last summer. I blogged about it here.

I am having a blast playing with various textures. I am especially LOVING wood. This started with some woodland themed pieces (logs, trees, etc.). I am carrying it over into my line of ancient amulets and beads. I wanted to convey the sense of the ancient along with the wood texture, so I created a texture I am calling "Petrified Wood" (as seen in the dark brown pieces below). I love the mossy old stone (in the lighter, greenish pieces), and ancient wood look of these...

I plan to explore these textures in pottery. I can't wait! Here's an idea with a sort of plant form growing out of a "tree" base. I will throw this in porcelain and sculpt it after. I'll post pictures when I get around to it. And perhaps it will inform new designs for beads too. Stay tuned!

More of the Same for Me Please

After all that mayhem the festivities are over for another year and we're firmly ensconced in 2014. How are you feeling then...refreshed and revived and ready to take on a new year and all it's creative challenges? Or are you perhaps in need of a few quiet days to recover and regain a little focus...? I think I'm somewhere between the two but either way if you're anything like me you've probably found yourself pondering the year that's past and wondering what's ahead.

Creatively 2013 was a pretty good year for me. I got myself a new studio which gave me the space to try out new techniques like etching and more metal work. But the big highlight was to stop procrastinating and, with a lot of encouragement from my team mates here at AJE finally have a go at working with ceramic clay.

As regular readers will know I absolutely fell in love with it from the moment I took those very first glazed beads from the kiln...

I became completely obsessed with the array of gorgeous glazes available...

And had a whale of time putting them together in wonderful beady combinations.

And then I fell down the stairs and broke my ankle... This brought a halt to production for a while but I managed to get back on two feet again before just before Christmas and have since managed to glaze the first batch of stoneware bisque that came out of the kiln the day I fell.

Now the new year is here I'm raring to get back in the studio and start working again and although there are lots of new things I want to try, ceramics is where I will pick up since it's still such a new medium for me...new glazes, different types of clay...so much to experiment with.

One thing I'm very keen to do is to take some pottery classes as  I enjoy working with clay so much I really want to have a go at working on a larger scale. I'm not set up to do this at home so it may not lead anywhere but I really like the idea of working in a different environment from time to time and meeting other like minded people.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potter_at_wheel.jpg

 I always try to sign up for at least one course each year both as a way of broadening my skill base and as a little treat to myself for working hard. I was also lucky enough to be gifted some lovely books on this subject which are providing me with no end of inspiration.

So what have you got planned for this year..? further developing something you took up in last year...diving headlong into something completely different. Whatever it is make sure you join the AJE team for another year of creative, informative and fun posts - you never know, you might find yourself as addicted to all things muddy as me by this time next year!

All the best for 2014.

Lesley
The Gossiping Goddess