Hector and me

plate with birds*

Mr. Cranky and the Florist both agree that I should be leaving the centers of my plate empty.  

That creates in me an urge to scribble. So that's what Hector and I did. I like the calligraphic feeling of our scribbling.

Their argument is that people expect the center of their dinner plates to be plain to better display the food. I think that may be true in restaurants where the food is plated in very specific and possibly ornamental ways, but not at a dinner in the home. I think the vision of the table set with beautiful tableware makes for an inviting, welcoming, happy-looking table. We often experience surreptitious plate-switching before everyone sits down to eat; we all have our favorites.

Hahaha, so take that Mr. Cranky and Grumpy** Florist!

*reminds me of Cinderella and the birds helping sew her ball gown in the Disney movie

**not really

Puffball for fall

Slip trailers

bulb syringe

This is the first slip trailer I ever used. The familiar bulb syringe, also known as an ear syringe, but known to parents throughout America as a required part of the arsenal of tools to save your baby's life should he or she accidentally aspirate whatever s/he may be in danger of aspirating while asleep. Don't ask me; I just bought one because it seemed like a good idea at the time. It does not, by the way, make for a very good slip trailer.

commercially available slip trailer from a ceramic supply catalog

This has been my trusty slip trailing companion for many years. I also tried wash bottles from a chemical supply house here in Portland, they have wonderful tiny little tips, but I ultimately lost track of the source. They were pretty good though.

slip trailer, lady clairol version

This became the slip trailer d'jour for many years as I seemed to have an unlimited supply (hello blonde!).

electric, air-powered slip trailer

Hand fatigue led  me to try this high tec slip trailer. I pretty much hated this one after an brief love affair with not having to squeeze the slip out all the time. It is easier on the hand, but it makes a noise and clogs quite a bit.

Hector!

Meet Hector, whom I love with a mad passion. I came across a video of this while trying to find a tutorial on making a ball mill using a potter's wheel. It is a demonstration of slip trailing by Charan Sachar where he demonstrates how to make this very nifty tool. 

parchment paper version

I though I would be extra clever and make mine out of parchment because I found the mylar difficult to work with when forming the cones. These don't work, the paper is too porous and the slip dries out too much. They would be great for drying slip though, very effective.

mylar slip decorating cones

I was having a bit of trouble with the tips fraying in use. Mr. Cranky thought they might work better if the tips were dipped in wood glue. Here is a batch, post glue dipping, drying on a hanger.

single use only

It is not practical to reuse these, which feels wasteful but which I secretly like. Nothing like a fresh clean new slip trailer ready to go.

I can't describe how much I love these. They fit right in the palm of my hand and warm up to body temperature, feeling like an extension of my fingers. It's like having a little animate being resting in my hand, alive. I dream about it.

ama~ women of the sea.

summer vignettes

local blueberries

A plate from our new hand-built series. I like how the border frames the fruit and the center pattern emerges as you eat.

chicken bones bleaching in the sun

Saving bones for Betsy's amazing artwork. 

party lights were on sale

I can't resist party lights. We have a string of christmas lights permanently strung up in the kitchen. These will go outdoors in the Wisteria. I wish I had bought all they had, only $7.50! Gone now, of course.

I am utterly addicted to Zoe Keating.

chicken tractors

baby chicks

Remember these? We got twenty-five Freedom Ranger chicks to raise in the French "label rouge" manner in April. Mr. Cranky and the Farmer built a chicken tractor for them to live in to protect them from the coyotes.

well, at least the setting is beautiful

you've heard of Rube Goldberg, I presume

curious and less cute

The Farmer hooks this contraption up to his tractor and moves it to fresh grass every other day.

electric fencing keeps predators away

The door opens so they can free range during the day, but it worried the Farmer terribly to release them.

they have a night light for warmth

They are closed in each night for safety and to  make it easy to move the tractor in the morning.

Nate and Salli and friends draw and cook

Animal finials

windowsill bear

I recently unearthed these pieces from a dusty box in the studio. They were originally intended to be finials for some huge lamp bases we were making. 

windowsill circus

I am curious about the ones that got away, so to speak. I didn't have a camera at the time, so I will never know what all the different animals were. I'll bet there was a camel.

windowsill elephant

windowsill wood duck

windowsill cormorant

windowsill bear

I like to think of them performing at night, when everyone is asleep.

Not your typical Dutch souvenir.

country life

baby goats

abundant plums

elk prevention

talk radio is the best deterrent

apples

Last year the elk ate every single piece of fruit in the orchard. They returned the next night to strip all the grapes. Finally, they ate all the leaves from the grape vines. We counted 91 elk last year, passing from the woods out to our neighbor's pasture one afternoon. It was thrilling, until the visit to our orchard. They first stripped our neighbor's garden, then came up here for dessert the next night. Our daily hike is mainly on elk/deer trails. They are back in our area until hunting season, when they make themselves scarce. I think they go hang out in the elk preserve near Jewell. Elk are crafty like that.

sunflowers from Judy

My favorite summer flower. In the spring it would be peonies. For fall, it's chrysanthemums.

sneak preview

dove luncheon plate

I am happy with these. Round, but not round. Soft edges. Hybrid Early American and Asian imagery.

flower dinner plate, little plovers on the rim

There will be more pictures to come when I am not so occupied in the studio; I am having so much fun in there these days.

I love the beach photos here; click on "beach lane".