February is the month

[morgaina]

I am spending all the time I can in the studio. I'm going to be gone so much in March, April & May, that I'm trying hard to get ahead.

I finally came down with a head cold that a lot of people around me had been hacking my way. But thanks to the beloved elfreda who suggested 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D3, it was gone in a day!! Seriously. I'm still amazed.

the University's Jazz Festival is about to happen and they are bringing visual arts as well as musical arts this year. So there is a smaller "Art Walk" which they say isn't an Art Walk which means they don't have to have Openings for us :-p The Potter's Guild is showing in one store and the PWA has a show in the Hospital. I have plenty of work for both settings.

The kiln is firing and I hope the kiln gods are smiling. I have been working on maiolica apothecary/abarellos for Eduardo. It was wonderful fun to make them, but now it's up to higher forces.


Before firing, all dry and chalky. You can see the pencil marks where I drew the design on first. (Naughty potter, it should have been ponced)

This holds a little more than a quart. I mixed a low-fire maiolica glaze without the lead base.



The smaller jar is the other side of the jar above. The larger abarello holds a bit less than 2qts. You can see it is intended for Strutto.

These are earthenware, to stay closer to period. I have been doing more firing of period dish and cook ware at earthenware temperatures. Because of the porosity there has to be a difference in how foods store and how earthenware pipkins, cauldrons, etc. cook foods differently than higher fired ware.

Comments

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what beasties those are??? Dragon like things. The complete word is "Strutto" (the "o" was hidden in the pic) and means pig fat. A much prettier term than pig fat.
I plan to be at June Fair.

[elfreda.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, lard!