Monday, March 25, 2019

Bird Designs

Sometimes making pottery is fun! Often, it's work, enjoyable work that keeps me challenged and interested, but still work. My 'Bird' pattern, however, has been fun lately!

Last Spring I didn't have time to make all my designs before the first craft sale (Maple Run Studio Tour) arrived so I didn't make any Bird pieces and I told customers who asked for it that Bird had gone south for the winter and hadn't returned yet. This year that would almost make sense as the winter is hanging on rather longer than we'd any of us like, but as it happens I have made a lot of Bird pottery. Here are some bowls waiting to be glazed:
stoneware bowls bird design
I'm quite pleased with them although I have to admit they are starting to look like fabric designs.

I make too make designs. If I just made brown bowls, I'd be able to get caught up and I'd always have whatever people asked for. If they asked for butter dishes, I'd have them. If they wanted honey jars, I'd have them. Plates, mugs, teapots, I'd have them. But am I smart like that? Noooooo, I have to make a line decorated with Pansies, one decorated with Tulips, one with Pine Branches, some in a reddish-brown glaze that I call Red Fox and so on. So I'm never caught up and customers are forever asking for something I don't have. Frustrating for both of us!

I have a hunch that if you only show blue mugs, nobody will ever ask for green ones, or red ones. But the minute you put out mugs in several colours, they ask for them in any other colour than what you have. Put out blue ones, pink ones, white ones, brown ones... and somebody will ask for orange. In my next life I'm only making mugs and bowls and all of them brown.

But for now, I'm pleased with my Bird pieces. Here's a nice Cream and Sugar set with Birds:
white porcelain cream and sugar bird design
Oh, and the Maple Run Tour? It's April 6 and 7, all around Pakenham and area. I'll be at Cedar Hill Schoolhouse. My Birds and I hope to see you there!