white space

spare border

Mr. Cranky remarked "it's all about the white space" when I consulted him on how to treat the borders on my new blue & white plates. I have a penchant for decorating the hell out of anything that is not nailed down, so this advice gave me pause.

such restraint!

I really had to grit my teeth on this one, but just look at how I held back. Mr. Cranky still thinks the half flowers on these are a bit large.

white space

If you think this is still a pretty full border treatment, see at how I have done it in the past~

pedestal dish, intense decoration

I have backed off from this level of density in my recent work, but still, I had to really try to restrain my impulse to totally fill the borders of the new hand-built plates. My old, complex style would work against the soft undulating rhythm of the new plate form, stiffening and ordering the edges to form an overly tight frame around the image. 

I spy a hummingbird 

Mr. Cranky is always right in these aesthetic discussions, I already know that, so I just go with it. I'll put up pictures when these have been glazed and fired, and you will see what I mean.

banksy!movie!excited!!!

Ooooh, can't wait.
I've talked about Banksy before. I love his manifesto:

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle.
Then I realised God doesn’t work that way, so I stole
one and prayed for forgiveness.


Champagne top chairs.

heat wave

Yes it is.

My new favorite photographer.
(via Bliss)

the best things about summer, part three

summer tables

We eat outside for all our meals during good weather. It's amazing how clean the house stays when all the food is consumed outdoors. The only downside is rushing to bring the chairs under cover in the middle of the night when it rains. Of course, the proximity of the summer bed is a plus when that happens.

mine is on the left, Mr. Cranky's is on the right, food goes on the extra one

The table tops are developing a nice patina through use. We are thinking of pouring hot wax on top and melting  it in with a heat gun to make the surface buttery-smooth. We have five or six of these tables, so we are set for guests as needed.

the best things about summer, part two

summer bed, new location

I'm trying a different spot for the summer bed this year. It is a bit more sheltered, but I can still see the stars and sky (my favorite part of outdoor sleeping).

I got new linens from Ikea, I just love the pattern. So cheerful!

I put up a screen to create a sense of privacy, even though there's nobody here but me and Mr. Cranky.

The owls set up a symphony/cacophany last night. A lonely (?) owl nearby started calling out repeatedly, finally getting a response from far away that seemed to satisfy her and they conversed for awhile. At around 5 AM, all the birds get going. Fantastic! 

No World Cup Soccer to get me out of bed this morning; I slept in until 9. :)

Love these songbird sculptures.