Little Pig Tea pots & Other addictions

Descend in deciduous decay.

The ground is dark--almost sticky
It is a thin carbon skin
Dressing Ordovician limestone.

Not much is happening in the bed of Elk Creek.
The water is barely stumbling
Over her flat stones and she is telling

That it has not rained in some time.
Yet the trail seems not to know
It is slippery underfoot and in places
Hides beneath a coat of moss.

I go gently up that green trail
Through the softening litter of oaks.
Also there--I find the moldering
Children of the hedge apple

Still clinging to mother tree are one or two
But most are on the ground—going pale.
They are such characters these lumpy orbs
And they form a magic circle--calling for me to step inside.

I am caught now—in the web of looking
There is little to hear
Just the persistent cry of a bird I do not know.

I want the perfect one

Large and well formed without undercuts.
These hedge apples--I think they are my friends
I call them brother fruit
I mean to tell them
That they--are a magnificent ruin.

Jean Ann Bolliger 2009

by **Littlepig2** » Dec 10th, '09, 22:46

Re: Little Pig Tea pots & Other addictions

by Littlepig2 » Dec 10th, '09, 22:46

Yesterdays kiln opening netted a few tea bowls--all were stoneware and most were somewhat disappointing. It is a new thing for me to have the light to white interior and I am finding it to be a more difficult learning curve than anticipated. Here is the one child that I found pleasing. It was a second glaze fire.

The inside glaze got lively and interesting with the second firing.

Am I going to send the ones I am not so happy with back to the kiln? You betcha!

by **Chip** » Dec 10th, '09, 23:03

Re: Little Pig Tea pots & Other addictions

by Chip » Dec 10th, '09, 23:03

ooooooooooooooooo....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, love the interior (and exterior too)!

by **Geekgirl** » Dec 11th, '09, 02:02

Re: Little Pig Tea pots & Other addictions

by Geekgirl » Dec 11th, '09, 02:02

that interior turned out lovely!

by **Littlepig2** » Jan 3rd, '10, 10:15

A quiet January Studio

by Littlepig2 » Jan 3rd, '10, 10:15

In mid December it gets very quiet in the art center studio I work for. The building is closed and everyone is away doing their holiday thing. That means I pretty much have the place to myself.

I leave you with an image of a few porcelain bowls waiting to go to their biscuit fire.