New Pots & Dunedin NZ meets Dunedin Florida!
Lidded jar with crystalline glaze, height overall about 5.5 inches (14 cm).
The lidded jar has a crystalline glaze inside too! This is the first lidded jar that I have glazed with a crystalline glaze. Crystalline glazes are very fluid when they are being fired, and I have been carefully learning from each firing about, just how thickly to apply the glaze, and how far they will run. It can be a bit difficult glazing bowls or things with lids, because of the way the glaze moves and pools, but I was pleased with how this one turned out. There was enough glaze on the lid, but not too much, and the glaze on the inside of the pot worked well.
Small crystalline glazed vase, about 4.5 inches high (11.5cm). 
Detail of the crystals. Note the dark outlines and the growth rings. I am experimenting with every crystalline glaze firing that I do. I am growing the crystals for about 6 hours now and am putting little dips and spikes into the growing temperature to make the growth rings in the crystals. This crystal growing part of the firing is done after the kiln has cooled a little way from its peak temperature.
Crystalline glazed bottle, 16 3/8 inches tall (41.5 cm).This is one of the biggest crystalline glazed pots I have fired so far. It took up most of the space in my electric kiln, so is not a very economical way of producing pots, but I do like the physical presence of a bigger pot.
Detail of crystals over the shoulder of the bottle. 
Detail of crystals about mid way down the bottle.
Low down the crystals became gray and almost black, with an "oily" look to them.
This cat likes to sit in boxes.... she also made a "nest" in this unfired planter. 
Being an intelligent little cat, Nigella likes to act out the process by which the pot was made...here she is imagining the rotation of the pot on the wheel!
To summarize work place activities ... I have thrown about 7 or 8 small pots, done a firing of some pots that I had glazed but not fired before I went away, I have bisque fired my new pots, and designed a pamphlet, and ...
...if I am honest with you.....
..it has been a frustrating couple of weeks.
I had been recovering quite well from the ear problem that had stranded me in Auckland, but 3 or 4 days after my return here, I started to feel unwell and the unwell feeling got worse and wouldn't go away. Sadly the ears would appear to have been bleeding inside again and have fluid in them and I am entertained by a constant whistling sound. I am back on antibiotics, and have times in the day when I get extremely tired and cannot work.
But..., I refuse to end this post on a low note!
A special event happened this week. I had a visit from Wilson, and Marti, a lovely couple from Dunedin, Florida. Marti is a musician, and Wilson is an engineer who loves making crystalline glazed pots. Wilson is the first crystalline glaze potter that I have had contact with, and it is really fun that Wilson and Marti are from Dunedin, Florida. The meeting came as a result of my joining a crystalline glaze forum and one of the potters on the forum, Glenn Woods, arranging the contact. It was most encouraging being able to talk pottery, and crystalline glazing in particular as I have been very much on my own here with this branch of pottery.
I'll put a few more trip photos up next time.. I'm probably boring some of you with them, but
it is fun for me to relive the trip (and you don't have to read this.... you really don't!).
And for those of you who have read this far, here are some flower photos to finish off with.
...if I am honest with you.....
..it has been a frustrating couple of weeks.
I had been recovering quite well from the ear problem that had stranded me in Auckland, but 3 or 4 days after my return here, I started to feel unwell and the unwell feeling got worse and wouldn't go away. Sadly the ears would appear to have been bleeding inside again and have fluid in them and I am entertained by a constant whistling sound. I am back on antibiotics, and have times in the day when I get extremely tired and cannot work.
But..., I refuse to end this post on a low note!
A special event happened this week. I had a visit from Wilson, and Marti, a lovely couple from Dunedin, Florida. Marti is a musician, and Wilson is an engineer who loves making crystalline glazed pots. Wilson is the first crystalline glaze potter that I have had contact with, and it is really fun that Wilson and Marti are from Dunedin, Florida. The meeting came as a result of my joining a crystalline glaze forum and one of the potters on the forum, Glenn Woods, arranging the contact. It was most encouraging being able to talk pottery, and crystalline glazing in particular as I have been very much on my own here with this branch of pottery.
I'll put a few more trip photos up next time.. I'm probably boring some of you with them, but
it is fun for me to relive the trip (and you don't have to read this.... you really don't!).
And for those of you who have read this far, here are some flower photos to finish off with.
Quince flower.
Laura, Ginger, and the Quince tree.
Tulip.
Daffodil.
Pasque flowers.
The Head Gardener.
Comments
The pictures and your travels are a treat- get better!
How interesting to meet some one from with the same style, same name of city, from another country.
Loved Nigella's pics. Has she stopped gassing you like Minnie? Minnie is back to her old tricks.
Please take it easy Peter, I have a feeling you push yourself too hard. See if you can get some of that Wellness Forumla at a health food store or vitamin store, it is a caplet filled with viatmins, herbs and minerals and might just give your immune system the boost it needs to get you well. Gary swears by it. Be well.
The flower/Laura/cat photos are beautiful. How nice that your Spring is arriving; we had freezing temps last night.
Just wanted to say how sorry I am that you are still suffering from the ear problems. Hope those antibiotics work.
Take care big guy.
I am so sorry that you are having ear problems again ...I do hope they can get to the bottom of it ...basically its just too easy to just say that there is an infection... still I bet Nigella keeps a smile on your face.
How pretty that quince blossom is ...cheers one up as we head into winter here....I hate the short days and the overcast skies that start about now ...the lights seem to be left on most of the day to make up for it.
http://theendofhistoryshop.blogspot.com/2010/10/distressingly-gorgeous.html
I like the matt background color with crystals. Hope you are doing well.
Hi Patti, I still feel as happy as a kid looking at pond water with a magnifying glass for the first time when I look at the crystals close too! One thing I wish I could show in the photos of them is how they shimmer in the light as you move the pot around...
It is a bit like "smell TV" something that hasn't been achieved yet...! And maybe not such a bad thing when it comes to our cats! Sorry that Minnie is still "entertaining" you by removing all breathable air from your room.. Nigella still can do that, but is much better than she was. Ironically, I think that special cat food for Kittens is the worst offender for her. As she must be now 10 or 11 months old, she probably doesn't need much pampering anyway so mostly has "adult" cat food now.
Thanks for your second comment too..., the "big guy" is taking care and actually managed a really good walk down to the beach yesterday evening (at impressive speed... I almost kept pace with someone who was jogging which amused me no end!)
Hi Linda,
Don't know if I can get the Wellness formula here or not, but I'll have a look when I am in town. Glad you liked the photos, thought it would be nice to sneak one of Laura in there somewhere!
Thanks too for the link. Those pots are really interesting and different, and I'll do some follow up as to how they were done. I hope to play with some matte crystalline glazes later myself.
Hi Pat,
Sounds like winter is on the way... I didn't realise that you got so cold at night in Arkansas. Do you have much frost in winter? Your "fly on the wall" comment makes me think that I must try another video of a pot being made. It would be fun to try to put one together with all the stages of the production. I'll have to see what I can do.
Hi Angie,
Glad you liked the quince blossom. I was rather hoping that some spring flowers might bring some cheer to you all in the parts of the world where the days are drawing in and winter is approaching. I liked looking at garden photos when things were chilly here too. Although... some of the wonderful seafood and tomato photos that appeared on American blogs made me hungry...! Ironically, seafood is very expensive here and we have had trouble growing tomatoes in our garden as we are in a little dip where the frost collects!
Hi Ang,
I appreciate the "nanna moment", I am booked in to see a specialist on 16 November.. They are very few and far between in this part of NZ so it takes a while to get an appointment, even if seen privately... (with a great wad of cash). Glad you enjoyed the cat motion photo, she is a real character that cat, and keeps us amused... even if she is rather destructive of work on my drying shelves!
First I hope you are better now, have you seen a ears specialist ? Hope you are healed and dont need any antibiotics yet. I wanted to tell you that Matthieu worked a lot on crystalline glazes too. He made crystalline lamp bases and they are some on the shelves. He was a good seller of his work before becoming a teacher and worked a lot with plaster molds as a base. So he didnt have to turn his pots and produced a lot.
Love the lidded jar and the blue crystals on yellow background.
Beautiful flowers too, Quince and Pasque flowers are my prefered ones.
Nice to see the cats, Nigella really looks like my Miko.
Have a good sunday
Really nice to hear from you. Kind of you to write, as I know you have been busy and tired too.
I will see a specialist on 16 November. Sadly I am needing antibiotics still (my third course of them), there seems to be an infection that is hard to get rid of.
That is interesting about Matthieu. Lamp bases could look nice with crystalline glazes. The crystals would reflect the light.
Glad that you liked the flowers. I think Pasque flowers are specially beautiful. Nigella has a very friendly nature, and is developing into a lovely cat. I think that Ginger is starting to like her just a little bit now... this has taken time!!
Kind Thoughts,
Peter, Laura, Nigella, and Ginger