working, or trying to

This week has been chaotic.  Last weekend I did my day-long bee course (it was wonderful!) and began dealing with the aftermath of a dear friend's stroke, which ate up most of my working week.  My time's been spent more on care-giving than creating, and in the end, that's worth much much more than a kiln full of ware.  Pottery is important, but I know where my priorities should be, and that's with people.  That said, I did get a load glazed and fired and took some chances with a few pieces on making my own versions of my beloved English (and Chinese) blue and white china:

I have to say that I'm delighted with the results.  The chicken cup was green- raw, unfired.  I really like how the stain (a mix of mason stain and water) soaked into the interior of the cup and clung to the exterior in patches, as well as in the areas I drew into).  The hope cup and small platters (as well as the large bowl in the background) was bisqued, so the stain didn't permeate the whole surface.  I'm SO pleased with this, especially on the greenware.  I'm not ready to roll out these pieces, but I like them enough to continue working with this idea.

That fluffy-bootie chicken, by the way, is a drawing I did of Merigold, my buff orpington hen who passed away- suddenly and without illness- yesterday.  We had a very solemn chicken funeral yesterday after school.  My little boy insisted on laying her in the grave and covering her, fashioning a cross marker (Merigold was an Episcopal hen) out of sticks.  She was an old chicken and served us well. 

I am looking forward to a full day in the studio today, and getting ready to take a pottery class next week.
If you've ordered tumblers from me, I'm sending out the first ten this weekend.  The others are in progress and will go out the first week of March.

Have a peaceful weekend friends.  Love on those closest to you.