Tag: school (page 3 of 15)

Changing

Jennifer Michie Fox Bowl

I’m sitting at my kitchen table tonight, getting together my ideas and finalising my game plan for a class I will be teaching this term. This little fox is staring at me while I work. Which is appropriate as I am sketching out a patterned fox design as an example of what I would like the class to do.

The past two mornings it has been chilly outside. The light is changing, the shadows are lengthening. There was dew on everything this morning as I stepped outside to walk to the train station.

Fall is coming, you can just feel it. Summer will leave us soon and Autumn will wrap us in a carpet of crunchy leaves, frosty mornings, rainy days, lavender-blue-gray skies and the first bite of chill. I’m waiting.

Back To School

Newport Beach, California, student Lenore Reday crossing the street and kinda looking like she “can turn the world on with her smile.”

Newport Beach, California, student Lenore Reday crossing the street and kinda looking like she “can turn the world on with her smile.”

We have been on a whirlwind trip this summer. I can’t believe it’s over! Back to reality this morning. I don’t think I’m ready.

{Image found HERE}

Drying Out

Jennifer Michie Drying Out

Here are all my finished pieces. At least the ones I decided to keep. I practiced my turning technique on pieces I wasn’t too crazy about. Above is what I have to show for a week’s worth of work, a lot more ended up in the reclaim pile.

They will now dry out for about a week, then get bisque fired and then I will return to glaze them. So stay tuned, I’ll let you know how everything turns out.

Pieces

Here are just a few of my pieces, I thought I would share with you. I made a small vase this morning “off the hump”, just to get warmed up. My tutor showed me how to make plates and bowls today, she makes it look wonderfully seamless as her hands move in, out, across and around. It doesn’t always look like that when I try, However, this afternoon, I made the perfect bowl.

The stars aligned, the sun shone from the heavens, the angels were singing, because everything went just right! I pulled the clay up perfectly with no issues and used my metal kidney to slowly start to form a bowl and little by little the shape took form. Once, I was happy, I called it a day, because you don’t want to mess with a good thing. The bowl I attempted to make after that, turned out fat and slightly off, but who cares? I got one right and it felt so good.

Tomorrow, I’m turning all my pieces out and glazing till my heart’s content.

Jennifer Michie Pottery 1 Jennifer Michie Pottery 2 Jennifer Michie Pottery 3

Day Three

I’ve moved into my third day of pottery class. Yesterday, I learned to throw “off the hump”, which means I created objects (a pot, mini bowl, egg cup holder and candlestick) all out of a single piece of clay that I formed into a cone like shape and worked with it from there.

There’s still a few things I need to work on, but I’m loving this process. I work alone in the afternoon and the time just flew by, I was so lost in what I was doing. I couldn’t believe when my teacher appeared with a mug of tea for me that it was already after 4 pm. I had been steadily working away for over two hours. Incredible!

Today, I worked on throwing jars with separate lids and had my first go at turning some of my pots from my very first day, which are now leather hard. I’m getting there, slowly but surely!

{Sorry there are no pictures, I was so busy throwing, I forgot to snap a picture of my growing collection}

Pottery 101

Jennifer Michie Slip Testers

I’m taking a summer class to learn how to throw pottery. So, come September, I can start teaching these techniques to students.

Today was intensive, but I feel that I walked away with a good foundation. I can confidently bring my clay up into a cone and work it back down into a ball/dome shape on the wheel. I can also make the opening for a pot and bring that back up into a dome shape and begin to form my desired object.

Although I made a pot, a mug and a planter today, I need to work on refining my techniques. A lot more of my pieces ended up in the reclaim tub then on my board to dry out. Oh well, back to the wheel tomorrow!

Jennifer Michie Wildflower Garden{A gorgeous wildflower garden I passed on my way to class, it was buzz, buzz, buzzing with big fat bumblebees and that made me happy!}

Through Different Eyes

The past few days I’ve been planning for a class I’ll be teaching in September. I have my own ideas about this project and where I want to take it, but I also don’t want to hinder anyone’s creativity.

Everyone sees the world differently through their own eyes. I’m excited to see how each person approaches the task at hand and what their final outcome will be.

School’s Out For Summer

Phone Call Pink Phone

“Oh, Doris! Did you hear?”

“No, Joni. What?”

“School’s out for SUMMER!”

“Whoopee!”

The students have officially left the building and even though I’ll still be working for a while longer getting things cleaned up and ready for next year, it will be done at a less frenetic pace.

{Image found HERE}

The Darkroom

Jennifer Michie Darkroom

Today is my first darkroom day of the week. I was working with a few different classes doing pinhole cameras. While waiting for a group to come back and develop, I snapped this photo. I love the glow that the red lights were giving off. I was bathed in almost a pinkish hue. I love the fact that the camera on my phone can’t quite compensate for the glow and you get this wild almost surreal photo of the light.