From July 2017

“Petting The Cat,” ceramic vase in progress by Bea Garth

Of course I had to try making a large piece with this new low fire terra-cotta clay I got–plus have fun with all that white slip (looks blue green in the pix–will turn white in the fire).  I am really starting to enjoy this clay! And the slip. Will likely add some underglaze for more color when it gets a bit drier before it is fired.

Generally I have stuck to sculpture, since perfect regular forms and I don’t do well together. However I think maybe this is OK since this “vase” being hand-built, is obviously not meant to be perfect, even though in the end it will be able to hold flowers. It still is in its way sculptural.

So yes I am calling it “Petting The Cat,” since all the figures in this piece  are focused on this activity.

"Petting The Cat" vase in progress by Bea Garth, copyright 2017
“Petting The Cat” vase in progress by Bea Garth, copyright 2017

My plan is to go to Eugene next week and fire this and a couple more pieces I’ve made over at a good friend’s house. She has two kilns! She makes ceramic sculpture too. Likely we will have a blast.

If I really get going this weekend,  I will make a plaque too.

“TestVase,” scraffito on slab-built clay by Bea Garth

Am trying my hand using some new-for-me lowfire red clay. Its been quite a while since I have worked with clay. I finally have a studio that is big enough for it, plus I have been exercising more and getting stronger again. It feels so good to be getting back to myself again!!

"TestVase," white engobe on red low fire clay, by Bea Garth, copyright 2017
“TestVase,” white engobe on red low fire clay, by Bea Garth, copyright 2017

Fortunately this clay has grog already in it! My idea is to do scraffito with it. So I put white engobe onto the red clay, and carved through it. This is in the leather-hard stage. It has yet to dry enough to be fired. This is a test piece, small enough for my little test kiln. Will be setting up my big kilns likely sometime later this month or in early August.