You can’t hold back Spring.

Spring has arrived and there’s so much to do. I haven’t been making much for the past few months because of the house renovations ( will it ever be finished?) but I have had to make time to do some clay work as the Spring flowers are in bloom and they won’t wait. So be it when you work with the seasons.

The snowdrops have gone over now but I got these made a couple of weeks ago. I’m waiting until I have a kiln load to bisque fire them.

I made these ceramic hearts yesterday with daffodils, catkins, prunus blossom, brunnera and pulmonaria.

Also some trinket dishes.

Art tiles, I love seeing these all together, they look great in a group on the wall.

The days are getting lighter and the weather has improved so I have been out walking more. I’m doing a virtual Lands End to John O’Groats walk, a total of 874 miles. This is one of my favourite places, I’m going to have to paint this scene one day.

While I’m out I find lots of inspiration, also pocket finds, I can’t resist picking things up. This treasure trove was found on a walk up the lane. You don’t have to go far to find something inspirational.

It’s almost time for my next ecoprinting endeavour, April’s post will be about old and new foliage.

Happy Easter

Hello,

I hope you are enjoying the lighter nights, I seem to get so much more done when the days are longer.

Everything in the garden is growing so fast, so not only do I want to be out there working in the garden and enjoying the spring flowers but I also need to get my clay out and set to work making plant tiles. The thing with working with the seasons is you only get one chance at making something so I need to act before the flowers go over.

Here’s some of the plants that are flowering in my garden just now. I love my woodland border.

I have used all of these flowers in my ceramic tiles, some are in the kiln already and some are still drying. I was lucky to get some blackthorn in flower as the wind blows the petals off almost as soon as the blossom opens.

Enjoy your Easter whatever you are doing.

Snowdrop Ceramic Art Tiles Finally Finished.

The weather hasn’t improved yet so still no raku firing, so I’ve had to adapt, it’s rained every day so I have contented myself working indoors staining up the snowdrop tiles and these ceramic hearts.

I love how rustic these look, I think that’s down to the choice of clay and the colour. I like how adding the colour reveals the delicacy of the snowdrop flowers.

I took a slightly different approach with these pulmonaria wall plaques, leaving the speckled stoneware as it is then using a very small brush I painted in the pinks blues and greens of the flowers and foliage. The process reminded me of my china painting days. These pulmonaria  flowers are dear to my heart, they remind me of my Grandpa’s garden, as a child I was in awe of these pink and blue flowers on a single stem, how could that be?

Here’s a closer picture of one of the tiles, you can see the tiny details in each flower petal. They still make me smile today. I think pulmonaria, or lungwort as it’s also known are one of my favourite plants in the spring border.

The light hasn’t been so good for photographs this week so I will leave the ceramic hearts and ring dishes for another post. To see more photos of these ceramic tiles click to go to my shop.

Now I’m off to glaze some soap dishes, what are your plans for today?

Enjoy your Sunday.

Working with the seasons – trying to keep up

A lot of the work that I enjoy doing involves working with the seasons, using the leaves and foliage available at certain times of the year. Last year I only got a couple of hosta pots made before the leaves fell victim to the frosts. So this year I patiently waited for them to come into leaf. But then we had a couple of trips away so it’s only now that I have had the time to make some more pots. I made some small incense stick holders and tea light holders, or they could even be used as a ring tray.
I made some ‘fossil’ tiles too, but I missed the buttercups and late spring flowers that I wanted to use so I tried some new ideas like clematis and lavender as well as seed heads.

Another thing about working with the seasons is the weather, it’s been quite hot so I’ve worked in the garden, playing mud pies and recycling some clay.
It’s firming up nicely now.

I took some time in the shade to make some fish, hares, and soap dishes for my handmade soap. I think I need to make a few more for the shop. I had to work quickly in the heat and keep everything damp while I was working. Handling the clay kept me feeling cool, I love playing with mud on a hot day.

I’ve been out collecting leaves for eco printing too, more on that later.