How I throw a bowl on the potters wheel. For lefties!

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This video was short but i thought it was cool. There is no narrative, Just me making a bowl. I am a lefty, so I do have an unorthodox throwing style. I live in a right handed world, and have just adapted. I use two mudtools in this video. Sorry I was not very descriptive, but this was a self shot video using my phone with clay to hold my phone in the right angle…

These are the ribs I use:
http://www.mudtools.com/product/platter-ribs/
http://www.mudtools.com/product/shape-4-polymer-ribs/

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DSCN8150Sunny ceramic mixing bowl

Making wheel thrown ceramic bowls that depict nature has always inspired me. This bowl was made to depict the sun. The vivid color will certainly add some pop of color to any room in your house! Impress your friends and family by serving your favorite dish in this!

I made this bowl on my potters wheel. I then used some slips mixed mason stains to create the color and design. There are two techniques I used. One is called slip trailing and the other is called feathering. after the first firing, I applied a clear glaze on the inside and a yellow and orange glaze to the outside and fired this bowl again.

All materials used to make this are non toxic and food safe. It is also safe for microwave and dishwasher use. It measures 10 1/2 inches wide and is 4 1/2 inches tall. Thank you for looking!

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I have a bowl in Sunset magazine right now!

I have been fortunate enough to have a bowl featured in August’s issue of Sunset magazine! It is of one of my sunset bowls. I was fortunate enough to have worked with Michael Lucero, who turned me onto this bright color scheme. That was 20 years ago, and am still fond of it today! Here is the link to the article. http://www.sunset.com/home/decorating/color-scheme-00418000083597/page12.html

My 27 acts of random kindness

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My 27 acts of random kindness

Here is my first blog post ever! It is about how I felt and what I am doing about that horrible day this month in at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, CT.

When I woke up on that day to watch my morning news for a little bit. I was in shock, and one of the few times i have ever wept watching a newscast.

I have a 5 year old daughter in school right now, and see the beautiful shiny little faces of my daughter’s classmates every day when I drop her off at school. The most wretched evil I would not have ever imagined destroyed many people’s lives that day.

I decided this day that i was going to do something about it. I wanted to take all that built up anger, grief, and despair I had and turn it the other way. To take that energy and use it to help heal. I truly believe the Lord wanted me to do this. I wanted to use my talents in pottery to make this happen.

I have made many custom vases in my day. I put ceramic photo decals on a vase for people for wedding, anniversaries, birthdays, and memorials. I have sold many, but also have given them away to people to help with a loved one’s loss.

I decided to make 27 vases. 26 for all of the victims in that school’s families, and 1 for the school or city hall. 26 of these vases are going to have the individual victims faces on them, and the one for the school or city is going to have all 26 victim’s pictures on them in a photo collage.

I have prayed on each ball of clay when I throw it on the wheel head. I pray that will find the right home, and that it will help heal. I honestly feel like I have been closer to God out in my shed than ever. I will think about all kinds of things making them. How cold my shop is being one of them, LOL!

I have 12 vases now made for this project. Unfortunately I ran out of clay. The local clay supplier is closed for the holidays and will open on Jan 2nd.

I plan on finishing these vases pretty fast once I get more clay. This is what brings up my next task. Finding the right pictures. I can find some good one on google, but would be really awesome if I could get the families to send me one that they would like.

So many things I hope to figure out in the next couple of weeks before I need to finish these. If anyone has any idea of how I could improve this project, please let me know. I could really use the input anyone has!

I will keep everyone posted on any progress I have made.  It is about time I use this website that I need to put more time into, and that time is now!