(painting by my hero Beatrix Potter)
You know Easter is in the air. Bunniesbunniesbunnies! I am thinking about bunnies indeed, and just love her painting up there. As you see below, I wanted to make a bunny having tea too, it either sits on the table or hangs on the wall...after glaze firing it would, anyway. I was making the bunny and noticing, as I never do, how filthy and crusty my workspace is. I always laugh my head off when potters talk about spending the morning cleaning their studio. I do a little bit, but when people ask when I last cleaned my wheel or tools the answer is "I never have!". Some of my tools I have been using 29 years too, and the wheel here for 17 years....
you should see the studio of the guy I apprenticed to: now THAT is a crusty place! It absolutely does not matter if there is clay on tools, but if there is too much I will scrape a little clay off and into the drip tray down there in the picture, and then the clay in the drip tray is turned into new pots. People who wash their tools in the sink everyday are wasting clay and clogging their pipes.....
One thing about this bunny---looking at it today, i want to make the next one with different eyes, these are too expressive....anyway, have an awesome day!
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8 comments:
I've started on clay rabbits as well as the sheep!!
I wash my tools off in half a jug of water, then the residue goes in the throwing slip pot in the morning....far better than having dry clay around! (and far safer...dust/ small tools lost in the reclaim, etc)
Far be it from me to critique the true artist in this endeavor, but I think the eyes work better on the sides of the head with bunnies...They sort of have to have an "Asian" look a la Beatrix Potter...
I am still contemplating my pottery order, Gary. Too many nice ones to decide...
She's a cutie for sure...but I agree, something about the eyes. I've enjoyed finding Potter's (Beatrix that is)other stories as an adult. On clean-up, I use a bowl of water for hands and tools, cause I frequently switch colors of clay. But I kind of thought you were crusty anyway.
I love Beatrix Potter! I also really like snooping into your studio via your photos....crusty or not.
I am loving your little sculptures, the bunny is awesome!
your bunny looks like he's drinking Red Bull - not herbal tea! But he's cute none-the-less.
I wash my tools in the slop bucket, that way the crusty clay ends up in the recycling bin and isn't wasted.
I like the expressive eyes.
Crusty workplace? *shiver*
I love bunnies!!
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