BY WAY OF NH

I have had this covered jar up on the top shelf of my storage shelves since they were built all the way back in New Hampshire. To be honest, I didn't keep it because I thought it was some stellar example but rather to remind me of trying to be flexible and as adaptable as possible. Neither the clay or glazes were something that I had ever used before but I was invited to work with another potter and this pot and several others were the results. If I remember correctly, the stoneware clay body came from Sheffield Pottery in Western Massachusetts and the white glaze was a Val Cushing oxidation white glaze with the decoration being purely my own thing, I took the leap and just mixed up three different colors normally used with my majolica hoping they would work out okay. As you can see in the photos, the colors worked rather well over the frosty white glaze that has hints of titanium crystals and the cobalt speckling from the firing further adding to the surface. As I said, not my clay, not my glaze but I did my best working with unfamiliar materials and for just winging it I can't say I wasn't totally displeased that it didn't end up some horrendous mess. Now every time  my wife confronts me in the studio for not being very flexible or adaptable I just reach back and point to this covered jar which illustrates my point by way of New Hampshire.