Catherine Daniel Ceramics

Hello and welcome to my blog where I share some of the thought processes and textile/quilting inspirations behind my ceramic art, and occasionally other random topics!
For more details and pictures of my ceramic creations, please see my website -

catherinedanielceramics.com



Wednesday 28 March 2012

Little and Large



These are the little ones - five inches square little plates, each depicting a very simple, unadorned, quilt-block pattern.  Top left, going clockwise, we have 'Bow Ties', 'Washington's Puzzle', 'Windmill', 'Party Hats', 'Nelson's Victory' and 'Waterwheel'.  They're bright and fun and together like this they make their own little ceramic sampler quilt!
They are some of the smaller pieces going to the National Trust shops, along with the larger pieces like this one below, fresh out of the kiln today, if I can bear to part with it.


The meeting last week with the other local suppliers was good fun. There was a jams-and-chutneys lady, a locally-produced-chocolate chap, an infused-oils lady, and so on.  Lots of food tasting going on, and to be honest I really wasn't sure about the chocolate at first.  It took several mouthfuls morsels, before I decided that it was, in fact, quite delicious.


The Trust people were lovely hosts, and gave us all lunch and a guided tour of parts of Oxborough Hall with magnificent sunny-day views from the top over the surrounding countryside.  
And what about this glorious sunny weather though!  I'm now suffering the same motion-sickness I had last year from lying on the garden swing seat too long - I obviously need more practice til I get used to it!


But it's odd that I should be so attached to this particular piece really, when you realise that its block-pattern is called .....  'Contrary Wife' ! 
Who me?  Never!   Well, I suppose you'd have to ask Mr PotterJotter about that one.  Second thoughts, no, don't!  

Contrary - a lovely word for "inclined to oppose stubbornly", according to the dictionary.   Maybe there's a 'Contrary Hubby' pattern waiting to be designed by someone out there!  Hmmm!



Cathy

Thursday 15 March 2012

In a Blue Mood

So I know you've been wanting to see how the blue, brown and cream piece in my last post turned out.  I think I really like these colours together, especially the way the brown glaze varies in tone.


It should come as no surprise really as blue and cream has been pretty much a classic combo thoughout the history of ceramics!
Can you guess how I made the all those impressions of holes round the border?  All highly technical - I used a Lego building base from when my kids were little. 
(Yes - we still have thousands of pounds worth of Lego stashed in the attic, along with Thomas the Tank Engines, and Lord knows what else!).


It's also not my usual traditional patchwork;  it's all gone a bit contemporary.  But it was nice to do something a bit different for a change.


Then back to the traditional quilt-blocks but staying with the blues. This one's called 'Right Hand of Friendship', though it's probably got several different names - they all seem to!

Anyway - I'm not feeling at all blue really cos the National Trust rang yesterday to confirm that my pieces had got the go-ahead.  I am now invited to meet other local suppliers at Oxborough Hall next week - I can think of worse places to go for a meeting!

Bye for Now

x Cathy