clay: air planters

I started and then squashed and began all over these two votive candle holders. I made the slabs attached to the base much thicker to be the main support or stability for the whole structure.  

 

Nearby my clay mate Melissa built a teapot set I absolutely love. 

And Melissa said I could borrow her template and texture mats. And I noticed the paper cups she used to maintain the roundness of her cups. And she used strips of newspapers to line the inside of large cookie cutters to maintain the roundness of her teapot. I can't wait to borrow her teapot and texture mat. But first the projects I already started. Yesterday as the votive holders dried, I discovered the slab was slightly separated from the cutwork piece. And so on my next visit to the studio, I'll bring vinegar to mix with shredded toilet paper and dry clay bits for slip to repair the dry green ware.

 

Here are the houseplants and orchid I had intended to make pots for,  but never got to because of the votive holders. That's okay as it's giving me time to ponder if I'm going to add texture to the white stoneware and to also decide to make drainage dishes for them. Everyone wants drainage dishes for their planters. My air plants arrived, and I already promised people air plants and planters for them. 

 

Per care instructions, I completely submerged and soaked the plants in clean, room temperature water (the water in which I boiled my canning jars the previous night) for 20 to 30 minutes. And then after soaking, I gently shook off the excess water and let them dry completely before putting all of them in the various vases already on my kitchen windowsill.

And Lordy there were a lot of air plants and some of them bigger than I thought they'd be.

I installed the tiniest air plant into my air plant shelf and love the whole installation.

But yah, lots of plants to make vases for, and I've been collecting images of air plant pots and displays, giving me even more ideas. I've driftwood that would definitely be a lovely display for a few of my air plants. And I did start some wall pots similar to the one below.

I love this pot, but would much rather hang on the wall with a nail hole or just leave it small enough to sit on a windowsill.

It's also high time that I sculpted a hand.

I think I could pinch pot this planter and then use the tiny loop tool to create the ridged surface . I'm leaning toward just matte and gloss white for glazes.

I'm loving the striped and swirled texture mat that belongs to Melissa and can't wait to try it on these kids of pots

I've a 3-week Saturday afternoon break from my parks and rec ceramic open studio as well as the outrigger canoe club 2-month break from practices after our last local long distance race around Angel Island next week. I very much want to immerse myself in the other clay studio I joined before my throwing lessons in September. These planned air plant planters and a tea set are the perfect projects for that "down" time.