Ann's new work in the studio..

Ann, throwing a small, skirted mug on the potter's wheel

Here's a short video of me, throwing a small, skirted-foot tumbler (or mug, once it has a handle). I'm using the red, earthenware clay which fits the maiolica glaze. Meghan is on break for Memorial Day---we hope everyone enjoys the holiday! Ann

Thursday, Meghan's second week---

Meghan removes her clay form from the plaster mold which she made earlier in the week,

and cuts grooves into the backs of her tiles, so they will adhere well to the mastic as they are set into the fireplace surround.

Meghan's post, with photos to follow-----

--After a nice weekend, I was excited to come in and see how my "test" tiles came out. I was really impressed with them...and after showing my mom the results she hinted at needed a new backsplash in the kitchen. One job at a time, mom! I have to say, it was a nice change to see a finished (glazed) piece look just as I wanted it to. In other studios, I haven't had the best luck with the glazing process, but there's hope!

Wednesday I finished up working with the plaster that Ann and I worked with yesterday. I was able to take apart the mold we made and clean it up so that once it dries I'll be able to use it. I cast one of my mom's casserole dishes (it's fine mom! Don't worry) and now I can make my own... After I finished with the plaster, I had time to cut more tiles from a slab I rolled yesterday, and tomorrow I can work on cleaning those up.

Before and after the glaze firing for Meghan's tile:

Below are the two tiles that Meghan
decorated with colorants on top of the
unfired maiolica glaze. To the right is Meghan holding the tile on the right which has been fired up to cone 2 in the glaze firing. The colors (in addition to being shiny) are now deeper and more intense. It's with this feed back that she can now continue to decorate future tiles. (p.s.: the small tile with the lemon, below Meghan's two 6" tiles, is mine, and can be seen, after the glaze firing, on the post below.

Meghan's tile decorating: before the glaze firing.

Friday we started out doing some glazing and decorating. Ann had me work on the tiles I dipped on Thursday so I can see how the colors turn out after they're fired. I like how they looked when I loaded them in the kiln, so we'll see how I did once they've been fired! After I finished a few tiles, I got back to work on my fireplace tiles. They're coming along nicely...and they're even starting to look like real tiles!

This coming week we'll try taking some more videos of the throwing and decorating, and we'll have some before and after shots of the decorating. Here is a demi-lune done for a show in February:

New work in the studio..

I've been doing a catch-up glaze firing so that I can test a new batch of glaze, and try out some patterns, as well as fire Meghan's first two tiles (which I'll post tomorrow). These are two variations on the "french pear" background, with lemons.

It's Sunday, and a day of work outside the studio.

pictures of ongoing work are being uploaded, now--some of you have wondered what I have been doing while Meghan has been making tiles. (It isn't all about petting the cats.....)