raku food

raku food you say???
it all started when i came home from the wine shop with a nice bottle of southern beauty sake. jeff brown and i decided we needed to cook some asian influenced food to go with it. we spent the evening chopping veggies and seasoning chicken. jeff was the chef and i was the assistant (just like when we raku together!) as things were prepared the table filled with bowls of assorted veggies. the table was a visual feast with all the different colors displayed in so many beautiful handmade bowls...

recognize the makers of any of the pots pictured above? represented are john zentner, jeff brown, brian gricus, john glick, kurt heinzmann, dan comte, cornwall bridge pottery.

i likened the experience to raku firing because the prep was so much fun and then throwing it all in the skillet, hearing the sizzle, the steam rising and the scent of the herbs and spices infusing the room....mmmm....and then it was finished and we enjoyed the results immediately! the results were delish...but the prep was the most fun.

...and the sake was great too.

new wood fired work

jeff brown fired these for me in a wood kiln in londonderry, nh...i wish i could have particitpated in the firing but i was out of town that weekend...

small cups - white stoneware

sea fan - stoneware

remember the cake stands? this one slumped when drying...it was fired upside on seashells (see the impressions the shells left?) the wood kiln twisted it in a cool new direction!

small bowls with wheat glaze interiors - white stoneware

the clay is pugged!

mmmm...just like new (almost)

...i spent a few hours in the studio tonight finishing some oval bakers that i started at the beginning of the week. it felt good to be there in the evening...it was raining here in new hampshire and the sound of the rain beating down on the studio roof was a comforting.

there was clay on the plaster bats that was ready to be pugged but it was getting late. i wrapped it up in plastic and should get to it by sunday afternoon... i promised pictures so i will try to deliver.
i am getting closer to being able to do a glaze firing in the gas kiln.

now that is exciting news :-)

a day late...BUT FINISHED!

what a relief.

this month's art journal is done. the theme is "what does your favorite color say about you?". i can't say i have a favorite color...so i painted with the colors that seemed right to me on that day...after all i am a chameleon.

the cover of this month's journal - created by vicki