Some 'For me' time to create!

Unfortunately, I'm the girl who can't say No! Thus I spend my life rushing around doing things that are not exactly 'For me' although I have to say I enjoy it all or most of it.

Recently, however, I have found a little 'For me' time to make some exhibition pieces. Granted they were all made pretty last minute but I wasn't really rushed as I often am.

I even took sometime to think about what I enjoy making and also what I would like to make.

I have to honest and say I had made these two already but they are going to the exhibition so had to be included and also I enjoyed making these two very much. I think they are good friends!

Gallai hi lawio - It might rain

I'm going through a witchy phase - I've always been fascinated by witches, or more accurately by wise women or hedge witches. The women, who, through history have been in touch with nature and known plants and trees and have used these to cure ailments and disease (dis-ease!). So I helped myself to some 'arty' clay and made my own Mother Nature/ Mother Earth (Y Fam Ddaear). As you can see she's not happy. She has the word 'When' on her lips and she wants to know when we are really going to start to take notice of nature and what it does for us.

Y Fam Ddaear: Pryd? - Mother Earth: When?

My Mother Earth is randomly painted with underglaze colour (Spectrum Lime green and Sherwood green and wiped back) and unglazed. I think an unglazed piece is more 'arty' and more 'earthy' and I like the lack of shiny reflection. You may not agree! However, I love her! She's the first and she will have many sisters!

For my other pieces I returned to some of my favourite makes using the my tried and tested 'cone and hollow ball' technique. I just love when I do the eyes and they come alive!

Gwylan - Seagull

The is seagull is painted with underglaze colours (Spectrum dandelion/orange mix, light grey, with touches of Christmas tree red and black) with a clear glaze over and the Hare and Welsh woman with Amaco glazes. The clear glaze is Bath Potters Leadless transparent glaze which I find really reliable I have discovered that I can fire the clay (B17C grogged from Valentine Clays) as low as 1120 and firing at this lower temperature keeps all the underglaze colours bright and obviously saves energy.

Ysgyfarnog - Hare

I used Albany slip brown on the hare with some patches of Oatmeal (in the ears and on the front) and Ironstone (on the shoulders and haunches) beneath. The Welsh lady uses Obsidian, Deep Firebrick and Oatmeal. I dab the pattern on the shawl in Obsidian and Deep Firebrick and paint Oatmeal over. The face and hands are left unglazed.

I've been firing my Amaco Potters choice pieces to 1180 heating at 80 degrees celcius for the last hour or so and holding for 40 minutes. The glazes all seem to work well on this programme and again the lower firing temperature means a saving in energy costs.

Cymraes - Welsh woman

The owls I've made before have been based on balls so generally more cuddly in shape as in the image below. The owls are Barn Owls of course!

Tylluanod - Owls

I decided to use my 'cone and hollow ball' technique to create a rather startled owl. I didn't set out to make her startled but that's how she turned out! Ill be doing more like this and see if some turn out with a less startled look.

Tylluan - Owl

After carefully painting the owls eyes I like to dab underglaze colour (Spectrum Black, Walnut, Light grey and Mustard) on the wings, head and back and some I cover with a clear glaze and some not.