I think about making pots all the time.Everything I do somehow seems to lead back to ceramics.I will be doing the laundry and the swirl of the soap bubbles will spin me off into a daydream about decoration. When we bought my new combustion stove home last week, I was thrilled to discover it had a slidy-outy ash tray thingy. My first thought on seeing that was, “Oh yeah! Now I can really get some good, pristine ash for a glaze.”
It is the same with my photographs. I was cloud watching the other evening and as I was photographing the sky my brain was busily skipping along on ceramic tangents.”Mmm a bold orange streak on a blue background, now that would work.Why didn’t I think of that before? Look at those colours, they work beautifully together. Oh look is that a dragon,why do I see dragons all the time? The Chinese made cool dragons,I wish I could make a dragon. I must make a ceramic horse as well, I wonder if I could slipcast one? And on and on it goes. The inside of my head is a very busy place.
The spouse will see me photographing the sky and draw my attention to a cloud he thinks I will like, but he isn’t privy to the racing torrent of ideas that fill my head with ceramic dreams.He thinks I just like clouds.
I borrowed a book from the library a few weeks ago on Innuit Women Artists. I didn’t get much of a chance to do anything other than skim through the book, quickly glancing at the photographs of their work. But a thought occurred to me and it richocheted loudly around in my head for days.These women make what they see, their art is inspired by what they see everyday.
Finally everything has started to fall into place for me artistically.I have started to make some large bowls and platters that have some guts, that work, that I actually really like and enjoy making, simply because I haven’t been making against my nature. (yay)
The piece of firewood inspired the large bowl that is shown next to it.
Here is a dragon in the sky, also this is similar to the orange and blue colour combination that I mentioned earlier.
I really like this photo because it is pretty but also because it inspires me to make a bowl with wibbly edges, all curvy and roundish.
This final shot of the moon could inspire a whole series of its own.
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Wow, I like the fireball.
Kim, thank you for sharing how you move from idea to creation. Some years ago I went to a talk by a painter whose work was all abstract. He demonstrated with photos and sketches how he went from the actual inspiration to the abstract. It was fascinating.
How lucky you are to be surrounded by beauty and even more to appreciate it so much.
It’s so great when, as an artist, you find your center and are able to work there. Because the work will reflect creative part of you that lives there.
It is such a wonderful thing to know that things have fallen into place artistically for you. I know firsthand that is an amazing place to be. I’m happy for you. And beautiful photos too!! Thank you!
Cheers
The bowl is beautiful…
I’m glad you found your inspiration and are using it. I keep telling myself to bring my colored pencils with me to Chicago to try to recapture that feeling, but somehow, I never manage.
Just as long as you don’t put spare cats in the kiln to see what sort of pretty glaze you get 😉
That’s the first cloud dragon I’ve seen that is poking its tongue out. cool!
I was thinking it would be so nice if you had a little ceramic store around the corner from me but then I would probably go broke!
Brilliant post.
Clunk – that would be the sound of my jaw hitting the floor. How did you get that picture of the water?
I love your dragon too. That colour combination is amazing.
Absolutely amazing pho
oops, photos.
In one of your other posts you mention that it was the first time you’d had your camera on hand in weeks. So glad you have it on hand again. Your photo’s are lovely. I love the way you relate them to your ceramics. Nature is surely the best place for inspiration. Looking forward to seeing what you do with some of those colours you’ve captured so well in your photos.
Stunning, simply stunning . . . all of it!
I know nothing about ceramics, how is the ash used in a glaze? Wouldn’t it be gritty? I love the orange and blue there.
Oooooooo, yes!
I can see where the inspiration is, absolutely beautiful, each of them 🙂
OMG – Barium blue glaze with that amazing orange – how can we get that orange? Chromium> Iron?
OMG!
Weather doing my head in too – although its sunny today – but we lost an enormous branch on a beautiful 100+ year old evergreen magnolia
how did you fare with the gales?
wonderful stuff!!
I LOVE the dragon!!!
Must be an artists thing lol, I see patterns and think of making artworks out of them, and my mum sees a photograph before she takes it.
I love inspiration.
After seeing your photos, I never look at the sky the same way anymore.
I see a triceratops in the dragon cloud.
beautiful , i liked them , go on