clay: pottery (birthday) party

On my actual birthday, I wanted to host a small group of family and friends in the community ceramics studio and teach them to hand build a mug.                                  

I liked that my brother who is in the trades, used the brick wall texture. His granddaughter (i.e., my grandniece) elicited an awww! when she said she wanted to inscribe something inspirational on her cup. I under glazed it in cerise pink and plan to use an underglaze black pen to draw a princess crown on her cup after it's bisque fired.

The other grandniece adhered something on her cup, which to me looks like a heart or a bunny head. I plan to draw a bunny face. And I love that my 90-something-year-old mother-in-law put the texture of waves and chose a glaze that will enhance that.

 

This abstract texture and leaf texture likewise will look great too.

I'll have to remember to tell my party guests that their mugs will be microwave- and dishwasher-safe.

I did suggest to a couple of the makers that I was going to add a another glaze. For example, Michaela said she wanted her daughter's pencil cup to be evocative of the ocean though she impressed a texture of leaves, and so I'll use a blue celadon and green glaze. Nicole's bird, I think will adhere Sky celadon too.