Saturday, January 24, 2015

The Art of the Cake

 My sister surprised me with this lovely gift you see on the table before me. My family had gathered together for an event, which happened to be  on my birthday weekend.
 I was asked to come over to the table to see what was inside this lovely wrapping. I wished I had been the artist to have created this out of clay. Alas no, it was an entirely edible and delicious cake! Turquoise icing with a big white sugar ribbon.There was chocolate and raspberry, and white cake in layers. Boy did it taste good.
Art comes in many forms, and the mighty baker who made this had certainly taken the art of making a cake to a new level. Birthday cakes have been around a long time.This is the new cake. Alas, I had to get on a plane, and leave a bit of it with those who stayed behind. That's O.K. Art needs to be shared.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Blue Bowls

Just unloaded the last firing of the year, and out came these two small, blue bowls.
I love the look of this  glaze. It is a warm blue, a shiny glaze, which the porcelain clay I use shows off at its best. This is different from the turquoise mat surface that I most often make. I feel I can fall into the mirrored surface of these bowls. 
They are smallish is size, about six inches wide and three inches tall. I always like to add some distinctive decorative touches. Here are coils on the outside, and  circles to add some distinction to the rounded edge. There is also the contrast of the rough iron oxide stain compared to the smooth, sensual inside. Everything here is totally lead free. As I always say about my ceramics , " it makes the food taste better".
My sister once said to me" you have a style, you always like to add something to your pots." I guess she is right.  There is my blank slate just waiting for just a small intimate touch to make it mine.
The bowl is a lovely use of clay to my way of thinking. It is an ancient form. It can be a container and have a function, or simply the graceful circular form we can relate to.  My goal has always been to take something we think we know all about, and make it special.