I took the step...

It has taken me a while to get the courage but with the unbeknownst help of a new friend I am finally putting my work into a shop. Up until now my work has been gifts or purchased by friends or friends of friends and it has been very exciting realising how much people like my work.

 So recently my husband introduced me to a work colleague and he asked if we could give her one of my pieces which I happily agreed to. My dear husband would show people my work via photos on his mobile phone. And this particular friend always took a keen interest in my work. When we presented the gift to her she was very complementary of it, which was lovely. But unbeknownst to me she took it to a gorgeous local artist run gallery gift shop in the Adelaide Hills Stirling by the name of Milan Rouge Contemporary Craft And Design - (This is a link to the Facebook page)  - where our friend knew the owner and showed her. Well the rest is history so to speak, she sent an email to my husband and told him that the owner really liked it and that they would like to meet me and see more... I went to the shop and was greeted by the lovely Rose and Alison. They informed me of a reinvention of an event Mugs Day that they were bringing back and that they would like to have my work involved in it... So over the last couple of weeks I madly have been making and decorating and over the last couple of days firing and glazing to get my work ready for delivery... So needless to say I am a little excited and nervous as this is my first time having my work in a shop... Below are some photos of what I have been doing for the Mugs Day event and the shop.... There is still more in my little kiln waiting to cool and one more glaze firing to do of the teapots. Fingers are crossed for good results....

                        

                     

     

Below is a photo of the teapots prior to dipping in glaze. As I have a different inside colour to the outside I use this little technique where after glazing the inside I blow a balloon up inside the teapot and then I can place my finger in the spout and proceed to dip glaze the teapot... Only minimal clean up is required and the inside colour stays free of the outside colour... 

                         

                      

Thanks for popping by I hope you enjoyed my post...

I'm heading over to Mudcolony to see what everyone else has been up to in their studios.... Come and join me and have a look... 

 Annie-Jeans Pottery Facebook link

Photographing my work...

Do you take photos of your family, your holidays or your hobbies?  I do, I don't go anywhere without my camera. And yes I'm sure I drive everyone nuts snap, snap, snapping away lol. But for me it is so important to help me hold onto my memories. And it also helps me follow my progress in my art. So today's blog is about how I am trying to experiment taking photos of my work with my new graduated backdrops. I don't have all the bells and whistles just the back drop papers that are graduated in colour.  I'm amazed at how it makes my work look. I will eventually work towards the lights etc.. but its all money and one step at a time and I'll make do with what I have...
So here is a few photos of some new under glazed mugs, teacups and saucers that I've been working on this week that are ready for a bisque firing and then onto a glaze firing. And they have been taken with the graduated backdrop.....

All of the mugs/ teacups and saucers in these photos 

are in a green state (unfired) and decorated with under glaze. 

So a bisque firing and then a clear glaze firing to finish and the colours will

All pop much brighter... The owl tea pot is finished with its final glaze coat.

So this is just the start of my experimenting with taking photos of my work and I will have to look into the lighting Side of things next. But I'm finding it very exciting trying new things out, there is always something new to learn....

Thanks for dropping in to see what I've been up to...Mudcolony is my next stop. That's where we all share our studio happenings, come on over and say hi....

Facebook Link - https://www.facebook.com/anniejeanspottery 

Oh Yeah.... :)

Have you ever had one of those years where you wish you could start all over again? Hmm well it' s been a little bit like that for me this year. Don't get me wrong there has been some memorable moments in between but those curve balls come at you from left, right and centre. But amongst all of it I kept potting. It sure is my therapy/sanity saver. I can sit and just drift off into another world and create, make and decorate to my hearts content and it just feels so damn good....

So I want to share with you my latest firing that has me grinning from ear to ear. The bright colours and the quirky designs just make me smile and the fact that they turned out with no issues has me jumping with excitement.... So here they are, I hope you like them as much as I did making them...

Owls are just a Hoot to paint...

The Owl pendant I hand carved and I am going to make a mould out of.
A wee little owl dish and a few stamped pendants...

My brightly coloured tapestry teapot...

And finally my white picket fence and garden tea pot....

Thank you for stopping by. I'm heading over to pop into Mudcolony  to see what all the other muddies have been up to... why don't you come over to....
Facebook Link - Annie-Jeans Pottery


.

I got mail....

New toys and more underglazing...

Wow I think I blinked... This week has just flown by.... But it has been a good week, so I'm happy with that....

So in my studio this week I got mail :)...... I made a decision to renew my trimming tools. My old favourite one had been over sharpened with the file and well it was just time. Online I went and placed an order for some new underglaze for painting and a couple of new trimming tools. Then while on there I started gazing at books, and one book I have been wanting for quite some time came up. It is The Ceramic Spectrum by Robbin Hopper. It's been out for a while but I was pretty impressed to find The book Depository in the UK had free shipping world wide. So, you got it, I ordered it and I am now a happy owner of the book and looking forward to sitting down with a cuppa to immerse myself in all of it's contents on glazes... 

 

 

Also on the bottom left of the above picture you will see the blue bulb. Something else I have been wanting since I did a workshop in Perth two years ago. It's the Xiem Studio Tools Presicion applicator. We used it in the workshop with underglazes and it can be used with a very smooth slip. Have you got one or ever used one? I would love to hear from you if you have any tips on using one...Time to have a play and experiment I feel with my new toys... :)

I am still painting my teapots that I posted in last weeks blog. Three down two to go... and a little splash of coloured underglazes on some mugs... So that is what I've been up to this week in my studio. What have you been up to?

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, I'm popping over to Mudcolony to see what everyone else has been doing. Why don't you click on the link and drop by too.... Have a great week!!

 

My Facebook Link : https://www.facebook.com/anniejeanspottery

Handpainted Tea Cups.....

Happy Thursday everyone!!

I have had a very happy week this last week. Firstly my little kiln was fixed by her original maker and she fired up to bisque and a glaze firing like a dream. And my Dear Husband came home after 3 long weeks away in the UK... and prior to that I think he has only been home for two weeks since the start of January with multiple work trips that take him everywhere, so it is very nice to have him home...

With my little kiln back up and running her first load was the Tea cups that I had handpainted with nature and animal designs with underglaze...

 

I used a pale turquoise translucent glaze for inside and a clear glaze over the outside....

 

Below are the results and I'm pretty happy with them.

 

Below is the full set of twelve which are an order about to head to their new home in Queensland....

 

This one is a spare, a little smaller in size to the other twelve but I do like the design...

 

So that's it from me this week. I'm off to get onto my next project painting these Teapots .... Happy Easter everyone, stay safe and eat lots of chocolate!! :) God Bless!

 

 

 Mudcolony is open and ready for your studio news for this week.... So if you've been busy making and creating hop on over and share what you have been up to and check out what everyone else has been up too......

My Facebook Link  :  https://www.facebook.com/anniejeanspottery?ref=hl 

Just a slight Hiccup...

Must soldier on....

The weather here in Adelaide Australia has taken a much needed change. The Temperatures here have been in the toasty mid to high 30's (Deg cel.) this past week or so and today has bought a crisp morning and a top temp of 26 has been predicted...
This basically has meant that in my studio ( garage ) it has been over 40 so this little chicken has not ventured out to the beloved wheel... Sighhhh...
Until Yesterday Yayyyy... It was a lovely moment throwing that first piece of clay on the wheel... arrrrr to feel the wet clay between my fingers, that extra sensory feeling of touch. Needless to say I loved it and off I went making 5 teapots and their components... Felt so good...  Handles to be pulled today and attached...

I mentioned a hiccup... Well last week I filled my little kiln with an order of Teacups....

 I then set the cones, plugged in my little kiln set the kiln sitter switch and turned my little baby on... with a whimper and a flash of light and a jump in the beat of my heart the little girl had nothing, thats right nothing, Nope, Nudda, zero, zip, over and out... Oh my it was the moment my heart sank.... Big SIGH....... :(  So I am still awaiting a kiln tech to come and have a look at my beloved little kiln... So here she sits waiting, waiting, waiting... :(

 

But as my close Friend Marika at Made by Marika  and I say          " Onwards and Upwards"  yes we must soldier on... My orders are awaiting to go into the kiln now, so my fingers are crossed that this little hiccup does not turn into a major hiccup and that the Kiln tech can fix her... All Prayers to the kiln Gods are very welcome and appreciated!! :)  So onto the next making project and painting...

Thank you for popping by I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been up to over at Mudcolony ... So go and check them out too... Have a great week everyone ....

Facebook - Annie-Jeans Pottery 

2013 New year and New Goals....

New year, new ideas and more fun with Mud...

Hello everybody!! I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones and a safe and Happy start to the new year...

This was at Cocoa beach Orlando...

My family and I had the most amazing holiday season driving across the United States of America... WOW  what a time we had. From LA Hollywood to San Diego, Palm Springs and Yucca Valley, Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. Tombstone and the O.k Carrel to Tucson Arizona. Elle paso, Texas, Houston. Mississippi, Alabama,New Orleans, Fort Knox. Orlando Florida where we celebrated Christmas at Disney World and Universal Studios. Cape Canaveral and Cocoa beach. Jacksonville, Georgia, South Carolina, Charleston. Virginia and onto Washington. Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York .. Phewwwww!! Yes we drove the whole way and what a way to see such an amazing country...

Above Washington DC at the Abraham Lincoln statue....

I have been so inspired by so many things I experienced and saw while in the USA. This came to me from other talented artists I met along the way as well as from the landscape as we drove this vast country. The people and patriotism that make America what it is. The Native American Indians and their amazing arts and crafts. The architecture everywhere, even the highways... The list goes on. I have come home exhausted but exhilarated by our trip but with a mind overloaded with design ideas, patterns, and colour combinations that hopefully I will be able to get my head around and put to use within my making process... Below are some photos of things that inspired me while on our Road trip across America...

The Grand canyon at sunset an awesome sight....

Below are buildings and homes in Charleston...



New Orleans victoria Square...

Nuts I say.... :)

Above and below are some of the stunning sculptural decorations that decorate the Disney Wilderness lodge Foyers...

In Tucson Arizona i found a Mexican pottery and Garden Centre... The colours are just fabulous...

Foelber Pottery in Houston Texas. Here I met Judy and John and they so kindly showed me around their working studio and gallery. Above is one of John's pieces just beautiful... And Below is some of Judy's sculptural pieces...

 Below Hillyer House is in Ocean Springs on the Gulf Coast, the most beautiful little town. This Gallery and shop was outstanding in so many was. It's display of  many  talented Artists in pottery , Glass and Jewelry was stunning... I could have stayed here for hours ....

 

Below a painting one of about 14 that were all around our apartment in Charleston

To the left Capitol in Washington... Amazing Architecture..

A hotel in DC, the architecture in Washington amazed me...
Below at the Grand Canyon the Native American Indian Road side stalls and in the watchtower gallery the work of the Navajo Indians...

I hope that you can also see the inspiration that I saw when I took these photos. And every time I look at them it will bring back so many wonderful memories... Now to organize the ideas in my head and get back in to making....

Thank you for stopping by and please stop by  and www.mudcolony.blogspot.com.au/  what everyone has been up to in their studios....  

Facebook Link   http://www.facebook.com/anniejeanspottery