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Friday 19 February 2010

The Eagle has landed!

I got a couple of days in on my seat this week. I really love making big things, although it feels a bit indulgent. When I was at college I was forever making enormous pots. In those heady days we had maintainence grants and materials were FREE! When I set up my own pottery I had to learn to throw properly and scale down somewhat, with the occasional giant pot appearing now and then for treats. The trouble is I have got the large scale bug back, and there is so much that I want to make.


I struggled with the head. I was going for 'essence' of eagle in general, but the head was in danger of becoming a bit overworked. I had already taken it off once and re-positioned it, but today I nearly took it off again. I think I improved it by cutting out the eyes, so it has had a reprieve.

The talons presented an even greater problem. How to consolidate those wide 'legs' with some sort of representation of the talons. I thought that perhaps I could get away without feet at all but that didn't look right. My initial attempts were too small and insignificant, so I resorted to using a tube.There is something about bending an extruded tube especially with some ridges in it, that gives a great vitality.


I eventually made a special extrusion for the shape of the wing tips. Even then I ended up cutting and insetting but I do like the thick sturdy looking result.

So, nearly there. I am just lining out ideas for the glazed areas and then it will be a long slow drying out, with fingers crossed.

Meanwhile the gallery/showroom has been quite busy this week with half term holidays. When we were stock taking I put a whole lot of 'bits' of old stock in a box, not exactly seconds, but pots which have never really breathed much life and I have had no real desire even to have on display. We set up a 'sales' table, which has been going great guns. I've been topping it up every day and have just about got rid of all the poor old undesirables.
BARGAINS! I should be happy to have the money in the bank instead of cluttering up my shelves, but there is something rather depressing as well. Here I am striving for perfection, but how many people really care as long as they have a bargain!

9 comments:

  1. Wow!!! That seat is amazing. That first picture just likes it is soaring.

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  2. oooh yeh...v cool i love your ceiling too.. great details like the head and the talons... would this be an exhibition piece? unfortunately folks do love a bargain and it does keep the cash flowing when things could be tight so i think its ok...

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  3. Hey Christine....fab bird! I look at sales as a chance for people who can't afford to spend much on handmade work buy something (i include myself in this category)....it's an 'inclusive' thing not just bargain hunting.
    A x

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  4. Wow that seat is amazing Christine. Make time for the big stuff - it's important.

    Your 'swimmer with dog' is in the window this week. We've been getting a lot of Half Term visitors too.

    Zx

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  5. Ok, a bargain, but an extremely well made bargain by a craft potter rather than some old slip cast tat from a supermarket.

    How about dressing up the back legs of the eagle? This looks very monumental tho' and impressive - like the real thing!

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  6. Yes, you are ALL right about the bargains. I will hunt them out myself, and it is perfecty fair enough for folk (like me) on a budget. I really don't mind so long as I feel that the other pieces are being LOOKED at. It is just when there is an immediate almighty rush for the sales table I feel a bit cheesed off.

    Oh and yes, Griffin - the back legs of the eagle. Thanks for your comment. I was going to
    leave the glazed areas to do the job of breaking them up a bit, but I did consider cutting into the outline as well. I spent some time pondering this yesterday, but it seemed too drastic when I was unsure whether it would work or not. Still under revue as to whether I should add something to dress the trailing edge of its jodpurs, but it may be getting too fussy again. Hmm, big pots need big decisions!

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  7. Oh, I love the eagle! Reminds me of the sea eagles in Vancouver. It took me a while to discover why you occasionally saw dead salmon in the forest!

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  8. You might get inspiration from Jeremy James' work for the eagle. He's done some fabulous crows/ravens.

    www.jeremyjamesceramics.co.uk I think.

    An eagle without jodhpurs (that's it exactly!) wouldn't quite be the same, but then this is a different type of bird. It's not a lifelike model of an eagle but an artists representation.

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  9. That sit is awesome! My mum woul'd love this.

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