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



Friday 23 November 2012

Sunflowers and Dogs

This was a commission which I made a few weeks ago for two little boys to give to their mum for her birthday.  I enjoyed making it as there was nothing in the 'brief' that presented me with any real challenge.

You may remember that in the past with these kind of personal pieces, I've been asked to put racehorses, tortoises, packs of playing cards, piles of books, you name it, onto them.

But this was just .... sunflowers.  
Nice and easy and straightforward.

I spoke too soon though.  The next one was a Christening plate and they wanted ..... Dogs!  Not just any dogs.  Their dogs - to be done from photos of their dogs! 

I have done dogs before, and I can tell you, they are not as easy as sunflowers!  They ordered Olympic Rings and the County symbol for Essex too, but they were fairly easy.

But dogs!  Why do I keep getting asked to do dogs?

And, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I am ....  how shall we put it ..... not really much of a dog-lover. 

There. I've said it!  So shoot me.  I do know that in this country, that's not a popular thing to say.

I'll stick to creating them out of clay for now!



x Cathy

14 comments:

  1. Love the top plaque, Cathy, then scrolled down and saw your challenge! Wow! You have got an artistic eye, whether or not dogs aren't your 'thing' (my 'un-thing' is cats, and really, if you don't love cats in Blogland you are beyond the pale!!) you have captured those two to a 'T'! Well done you. Lx

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  2. Hahahahaha! That top one is gorgeous Cathy..have to agree about the dogs though, but you have done them proud. Lynne- we'll have to drum you out of the Brownies for not liking cats!

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  3. Loving the sunflower piece Cathy, just beautiful. People must keep asking for dogs because you do them so well!
    Victoria xx

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  4. They are beautiful pieces - shot yourself in the foot though, as the others have said, your dogs are beautifully done as well - so people are going to carry on asking for them. :) How are you are Italian Greyhounds? My sister has two of them, lovely little dogs, and I was thinking of making something for her with them on it !!!

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  5. Love your sunflowers.What a special gift.You are so talented!

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  6. Well, I think your dogs are mighty fine dogs and what a lovely plate for a mum to receive. I am sending Maggie over for a cuddle ;)

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  7. Perhaps folk ask you to do dogs 'cos you're quite good at them?!
    Love the first plate especially, what lovely thoughtful boys.

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  8. And there's me happily commissioning whippet pieces where'ere I go :) I've actually begun a collection of things in different media that commemorate our dogs, mostly because it's fun! So I think your dog plate is luverly, just saying.

    Oh, and I'm like Lynne, I don't do cats!

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  9. I suspect the creating them from clay will have made you less fond of them - as you say, difficult creatures to reproduce!

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  10. Your work is so beautiful!I am with you on the dog thing I am afraid...as you say very unpopular, as it seems everyone has a dog these days...
    Are you still happy to have some New England style goodies in my giveaway-I am preparing them now....Warm Wishes,Callie x

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  11. How lucky you are to be so talented. The pieces are very good.

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  12. Oh so refreshing to find someone else who also is not a dog lover! I love the sun flowers though.

    Eleanor xx

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  13. They are both gorgeous Cathy! The colours and the details, all wonderful!
    Being the proud owner of the cutest little poodle (to me!)in town (or country!) I love my own little "boy" but cannot say I am a true dog lover in that I am enamoured of everyone elses necessarily, so can empathise with you!
    Gill xx

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