clay: slump molds

Last week’s ceramics club was super fun, for it had turned into coffee and clay. I added “and snack” as I was starving and wanting a veggie delite from Subway which then turned into a run for even more vegetarian sandwiches for other hungry potters.    

I mixed and poured three big bowls of plaster into forms and burned out from mixing and pouring so much before I could make myself a damp box. But we've got hump molds! I can start to make bowls to go with my plates. And I’m starting to survey what I’ll be selling at my popup next month.             

I may hold on to these Frida Kahlo mugs until I've completed another two for a set.

And I had thought I would've made many more salt crocks and bud vases. But I'm no production potter, and that's more than okay.

 

Yesterday I thought I was going to work out in a dance fitness class and swim laps, but Zan said hey let's do clay club since school will be closed this Thursday. Ironically, I was the only one in the studio that afternoon as everyone else was too busy or too tired. Which was all good. I've thrown away two of these Obsidian clay plates:( because of cracks, and so I need to not score so deep or use another tool to mark the back along with my signature. I'm determined to make a dinner set of 4 plates, and so I rolled yet another slab plate and filled in the one surviving bisque plate and a bisque spoon with white underglaze. I do love the detail. I will remain undeterred by my mistakes and will course correct.

While problem-solving, Zan brought out another tool bin and started playing with them on the rest of the dark clay slab of my plate, on which I wholly intended to pinch more spoons. I kept her clay play and wrapped them in plastic and will shape them today during my lunch break. The handles need to have a slimmer profile.

And as planned, I ate my Burmese prepared dinner, which I warmed first in my new nonstick pan. They're kind of a pain in the ass to have and use because you have to use an oil with a high smoking point instead of olive oil or butter or cooking spray which will burn or leave a residue in the pan that's difficult to remove. I can't even use the green scrunchy side of my kitchen sponge to remove those residues and have to instead boil water and then let the pan cool to room temperature. Patrick asked me what I planned to cook in these three Green pans instead of in our cast irons. Eggs, of course. My Korean kimchi fried rice. Quesadillas and tacos. More vegan and vegetarian dishes like the curries, rice, and noodle meals I'm eating from Thistle.

Freakin' delicious. I love how all the flavors of India, China, and Thailand meld together in a nation's cuisine. And because I didn't work out Monday or Tuesday and because I have Thursday off from work this week, I'm going all out on the dance fitness and swimming.

Funny but I find the small pool too hot almost to the point of heat exhaustion for lap swimming and love the cooler temp in the larger, Olympic sized pool, which I use when there isn't a lane available in the instructional pool. However, I'm treating my body physically like it's a novice and swim only 20 laps during a workout. I suppose in a month or so, I'll get bored or strong enough to want to swim more laps in water that's 5 degrees cooler.