Loaded the kiln at the Manley Art Center today, a bisque load.  I've got a bunch of orchid pots and some little dipper dishes for sauces and pinches of stuff.  A few new twists on the orchid pots, I did this batch with Laguna red clay (some Hawaiian Red and some Red Calico) so these I'll probably just stain with Iron oxide.  So far that look has been very popular!  a few of them are like I've been doing with triangles and shapes of clay stuck together, but I started with some variations on a few.  A few I took the shapes and 'bent' them so the lines are not linear, they're biomorphic and flow around the pot like vines.  Thin tips on the triangles are spiraled, and I'm pretty excited about them!  A few others are made from a clay that I textured, then painted with contrasting slip before I finished rolling them out.  They have a wood texture, highlighted with white (Porcelain) slip.  I'm really excited to see if the porcelain pops or fades, but either way it'll add a lot of visual interest on the pots I used it on.  I also did some little do-dads with the scraps, a few pendant pieces and a small tray.  Weeeee!  Forgot I had the camera with me or I'd have taken some before pics! 

I also made some plates and a bowl that could end up serving dishes or Ichibana pots, I'm not sure which yet.  Fun stuff! 

Had a great day at the studio today, so I decided its time to try something new!  Nothing too exciting, this has sort of been percolating for a while, but I finally got up the guts to start a blog and gallery site.  Obviously its still under construction, when does THAT ever stop?  But here it is! 

Anyway, got 3 new orchid pots built today, all of them new variations on the pieced work I've been doing.  I'm happy with them!  Also used a bunch of scraps and made some cute little bowls that might turn into something for the store, and a few little pendant bobs that might lead to some more button type stuff for the store... beads or components, I guess!  :)    I was also thinking the little bowls would make a great upsell item for the orchid pots... trays to put candles in to make them into luminaries! 
 
OH! I also loaded the kiln with a bisque load, so in a week or so I should be able to finish off the luminary I built a few weeks ago!  Might have to sneak back to the art center for another chance to play in the clay tomorrow  :)