Please yourself!

It's been a week since I've written. I've done a lot of thinking but not much putting pencil to paper.
I am doing a two hour webinar for Fusion Canadian Clay and Glass this Sunday June 14th so I have been thinking about preparing myself for my cinematic debut.   You can join me for a minimal contribution to Fusion and you don't have to be a member.. For less than a lane of bowling you will get more than your monies worth. https://www.clayandglass.on.ca/page-1864018?fbclid=IwAR1zNrwcDeLoyzCI5iEa1EzgTXM4eDx8GruvrlX40fqSWFjyI5jgqtMc5i0
I've been doing a lot of textured work of late and funny thing I keep seeing it in temmoku. Is it that I am being absorbed in the Black Lives Matter narrative. I don't ever want to capitalize on this important moment in history.  I want to support it, call it out, act on it , but not capitalize on it. When my Dad died I also went to the temmoku glaze for over a year. How does our subconscious mind work?
Last night I phoned my ole buddy Ron Roy the master of temmoku for some pointers on how to get it just right. What would be the specific gravity of the glaze? How would I know if it was going to be brown or beautiful black breaking to rust. Ron answered he just knew.  He also said please yourself. Yep, I get it! Learn to use the glaze, not dozens of glazes but one that you just know. I did that with shino for over 15 years. One glaze, many slips and all kinds of colours. Thanks Ron you have been a hard task master for me over the years but guess who I keep coming home to? Ron also took the clay body I was using and tweaked it to make it almost bullet proof. I make, I put it out in the sun, I trim, I handle and finish in a day. No covering with plastic, sheets, putting in a damp cupboard and singing Kumbuya for hours on end.

Paddled yunomi with lug

Stamped yunomi with lug

I don't normally make yunomi's as I love to pull handles on cups. I also don't normally make vazzzes either but for some reason these past two days I have been a Contrarian. I've taken to my garden and am anxiously awaiting the next month when my garden will come into full bloom. The first week in July is show time for my assortment of day lilies, clematis, rose of sharon, black eyed Susans, hollyhock and other assorted flowers. My neighbour the garden fairy came over and planted impatience in between my ferns and hostas for a little bit of colour.

Double handle

My bullet proof clay thanks again to Ron Roy