15. Spring Forward

Hello Potters and Friends,

Spring is truly here in England. Daffodils, tulips and our Magnolia tree (although still quite small) has caused quite a bit of jealous whispering and a few envious looks from our neighbours.

Do I look proud? I bought it as a small stick from the green-grocers 10 years ago.

And here is another proud gardener in her garden last summer.....

Rosie's roof-top garden.

Keeping up the family gardening tradition, our daughter, Rosie, has transformed her concrete roof terrace into a beautiful vegetable and flower producing garden.

If you've ever had the urge to grow your own veg' then follow her lead and turn a bare space into a thing of beauty.  Read all about it on  www.Rosiesrooftopgarden.blogspot.com  Starting from this spring through to winter.

But back to the plot.....or rather, move on from the plot!

In my last post I promised to show you the results of my clay throwing technique. 

The before.....

...and when glazed (right) plus one other.

As I predicted the glaze beautifully emphasised my finger marks.

Also last time, I showed how I overlapped my tenmoku glaze with a white satin to produce a strong ochre band. Well, I experimented with this idea.

From the kiln this week.

I used an ear-drop syringe from the chemist (plus gravity) to create the runs, by holding the pot on its side.

I think I might have also invented the drip-catching rim on the bottom. But who knows, maybe not.

So, the kiln has been getting a good workout recently, and as I stay out of my basement workshop when it's on, I took this opportunity to get back to some painting.

Acrylic on American Ammunitions Box. (The Lid)

A local second-hand shop has the most surprising things piled-up in the doorway. 15 ammunition boxes from the USA suddenly appeared last month. Who could resist them and just walk by? Not me. I was at the counter in a flash buying two of them. My plan was to take them apart and paint the flowers from my garden on them. 

Not so easy. Ammunition boxes are made to carry a great weight.        ALAN!!!!!

But even Alan had to get down the hardware shop and buy a new crowbar. But, after blood, sweat and tears and a hundred long nails later, I set up my paints on the kitchen table - my favourite spot for painting - and settled down to it.    

Nasturtiums on the end panel.

Daisies on a rough bottom.

Happy Potting and Painting Folks.