Friday, July 6, 2012

busy week(s)

Last week and this week were quite busy.  (too much busy is in our lives, certainly in my life.  have you read this?  Food for thought).  BUT my little kiln is up and running, thanks to Mike, who finished the electrical part of the job after I replaced the elements and discovered that my rip-roaring case of "Lady Hands" pretty much ruled out a career as an electrician.  Could not make the crimper crimp.  Last night I ran a full (small) glaze load in air-conditioned comfort and have a full bisque load (full of chicken cups, by the way!) ready to go maybe on Saturday evening.  I still try to fire in the evenings, not at peak hours, because it's been so terribly hot, and my utility bill will be through the roof because of a leak in the basement and watering my garden in addition to the constant air conditioning.  But I'm grateful for it all, grateful for the means with which to pay for it, and grateful for the promise of solar cells that will plug into the grid and eventually offset my electrical use- in another few years.

Last weekend we went to a few estate sales- some so-so, some exorbitant, and one MARVELOUS.  I bought 10 interior shutters to shield my west-facing studio and south-facing bedrooms from the punishing sun for a song, but more exciting, I found a lovely transferware platter that made me put down everything else I'd been carrying.  It is quite large, unmarked, blue and white, and decorated with birds and flowering branches.  I just fell in love with it.  It's price made me wince a bit, but it was a case of knowing I'd never see another again.  When I pulled out my checkbook and only had my business checks in it, I realized that I could adapt the images to use in my own work, which, as you can see above, I happily and immediately did.

I'm a long-time blue and white china nerd.  My dream is to replicate "flow blue", so we'll just see how that goes.  I'm looking around for bees on transferware, too, though they're rare.  I'll bisque this piece and one other this weekend and see how the flow-y experimentation goes.

Happy weekend, friends.  I hope you're able to stay cool.


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