I Won! I Won! I Won! - and unfinished pieces

Yeah, I know this is a little bit of a delayed reaction, but I won something for the first time in my life! I won this beautiful scarf made by Queeny - the Queen of Craftiness! Oh... er... I mean crafts! Check out some of her other work as well, including this fabulous guitar painting! Thank you so much Queeny!


There is not a lot new to report here. I go back to class next Monday and I can't wait! I feel like I have so many half finished projects hanging around and it will be nice to get some pieces fired and finished and out of the way before I start on my whale. Also, just to have something to show for all my efforts, y'know? I feel like I haven't accomplished anything because I have no finished pieces.

I have another reason to hurry up and get things moving... As I am a member of the FPAA I have the opportunity to exhibit some of my work at the local exhibition at the beginning of June, so I don't have long! I've never actually exhibited with them before, and Stella is the only other member who regularly exhibits ceramics and other sculptures with them. So it's likely that it will be just us two! (with sculptures I mean - there will be loads of paintings)

One of the pieces I have been wanting to get out of the way for a long time is this plant pot that I made a billion years ago.


Well, ok it wasn't quite a billion years ago, it was December last year! But because it has holes in the bottom for drainage it needed a little dish to sit in. For ages I couldn't decide how I was going to make it - whether to slab build it or coil it, and whether to use lino cuts or slip trailing. In the end I went for slab building and lino cuts, the same as the actual pot.


I made two attempts - the first one came out far too big! I just hope the second one fits ok once it has dried and shrunk. They're different colours because of the different drying stages of each piece. And they're wonky. I love wonky - when it's someone else's work. I'm trying to love wonky with my own stuff too.

So that's really all I have produced since my last post. I'm having a complete confidence crisis again, but I really don't understand why. I have to say that I found the making of my last piece (the Tree Fairy Vase) very enjoyable and relatively easy.


There were no major challenges at all with this piece, so I decided to make another one in a slightly different design, but when it came to making the face I just couldn't do it. It's so silly, because I know I can do it! I've done it already! I feel confident about the whale, but I feel reluctant to move on to that until I have this second vase finished. In the mean time I'm trying to keep the half made vase moist.

Of course, then both of those pieces will need to be fired and glazed. Other pieces that need finishing are my Mum's mug (which I will probably make again, hopefully tomorrow, in case the re-glazing goes wrong) and the ivy vase.


And of course, Swanee and Polo! How many unfinished pieces is that? I've lost count! Have I missed anything out?