Since getting my bargain wooden salad bowl from TKMaxx, my husband has hated every salad in it.
So rather than buy a new one, I thought I'd make my own.
I booked into my first ever pottery lesson with local ceramicist & potter Viv Ayres, with my salad bowl design in mind, and set about crafting one.
Her pottery studio was built at the end of her garden at home.
And as her garden is filled with apple trees, I also came home with a sack of cooking apples from the day.
I wanted a 1950's kitchen feel to my salad bowl, and thought mustard yellow, lime green and orange-red would work.
With hand painted wobbly lines.
The other ladies at the studio suggested using masking tape to get my lines perfect. But I wanted it to look more rustic and home fashioned.
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| roll out your clay and smooth into bowl mould |
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| create the footing & attach to base |
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| paint your design |
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| give it one firing |
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| coat in the glaze & fire a second time |
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| a dishwasher proof hand made salad bowl |
And my first 2 pots, on the wheel. The centrifugal force is a powerful thing to master, but I made it.
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| my first pot |
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| my 2nd pot |
I can recommend local pottery lessons to anyone.
And if you are in Cheltenham, these classes can be found at:
Viv Ayres
Mayfield
49 Haywards Road
Cheltenham GL52 6RQ
http://cheltenhamopenstudios.org.uk/artists/vivien-ayres
tel: 01242 570846
27 comments:
Wow, it looks fabulous, Gill!
Good morning to you Kavey.
And thank you so much. I'm rather pleased with the results, which have cost me £25 for the day.
& just think, no more moans from Tony when I bring the salad out to the table.
Lovely bowl Gill! At this rate Tony will want salads every day. ;) I'm also looking into pottery classes and hopefully I'll be able to make a few things as well.
I'm using "anonymous" again because your blog won't accept my Google comments. Humph.
Elisa
Hopefully Blogger will fix that bug Elisa.
They seem to come and go.
And you're right about Tony - he's commenting favourably on the salads I make again.
Good luck with those pottery classes. You might start a new line in jewellery :)
Blogger is very grumpy these days, sometimes it is easier to post as name/url and just leave out the url. (No it doesn't want to play tonight, I'll try one of the others) I think you held out in all the right ways there Gill, love the handpainted lines and the fifties look! It's a beautiful bowl :)
Joanna
good morning Joanna.
And thank you. I'd better look after the salad bowl. It is stored in the lounge under the walnut cabinet.
To keep it clear of knocks.
When you flick it with your fingers, it rings like a true antique with no cracks!
Watcha Grillers......!
That's a mighty fine looking bowl & good on yer for the pottery class!
I used to do pottery classes at the local art school many moons ago when I was very arty-farty & loved it - I still have some of my 'creations'!
I dare you to try the wheel next - it's great fun & surprising how quickly you get the hang of it - tho' I still remember my first attempt - too much water, the wheel spinning at 1000mph & clay everywhere - but mostly over me!!
Go on.....I dare you!
Lush!
Why am I not surprised you've had a go at the pot-pot-potters wheel.
Nice wee story there too.
I'm having my first go at throwing on Monday.
Can't wait, me.
Grilly, you are sooo creative! I love this, especially the wobbly lines. It really does have a retro feel to it. I'm very impressed it's dishwasherable..
Good morning Celia.
I haven't tested it in the dishwasher, and never will I should think.
It seems heavy duty though.
Thanks for the creative comment. I do sometimes have a good idea that comes off well.
Haha.....! Now this I have to see - make sure someone takes pics of you - I want evidence!!
Make sure your nails are short and no jewelery.
( Best take an overall, a headscarf & wellies too :-))!
You're going to look gorgeous!!
I did mosaic classes alongside of the pottery - nice & relaxing, but not half so much fun - unless you count cutting the tiles & watching a piece go shooting across the room nearly inpalling someone.......
I bet they have to wear safety gear now.....!
Ha ha.
I can just imagine the perils of being near Lush when she's in her creative zone.
I'll try my best to keep it all contained.
Great idea - so nice to have something you've made in the kitchen that also looks great!
Hello Anne.
How are you feeling these days?
And yes, that's exactly it. It does feel rather rewarding each time you use it.
Well come on, come on.......How did the throwing go? I've been looking in for a report - but nothing!!
Are you in shock?
Or are you still pinned to the wheel.....? :-))!
Good afternoon to you Lush.
Ha ha ha.
I'm sort of in shock. It's not the easiest thing in the world to master.
But I got me 2 little pots, that I shall paint next week.
Somewhere to keep both sets of false teeth
I've added them to the bottom of the post.
Hey I missed those.......!
One for both yours & Tony's gnashers!!
How many misshaps did you have to begin with Lol!! It's good fun!
Those pots of yours are very symmetrical which is very difficult to achieve at first, it's usually wobbly lines & thickness everywhere - well done you - glazing next week?
It certainly focuses the little grey cells doesn't it - will you be going back for more....?
Oh yes, His 'n Hers.
It's great fun int'it.
Not too many mishaps, after watching a master demo by the ceramicist Viv, first off.
I had 3 lumps of clay to work, before I got kicked off by the next eager potter.
The first went really high before it collapsed.
Then I managed to fashion these 2 rustic beauties.
Have you got lots of pots round your house?
I have as it happens Gilly - but not mine, all bought! It was centuries ago that I did the pottery classes & I gave a lot away but I kept my first attempts - they're up in the loft - a pot about two foot high - straight up with sloping shoulders that go into a neck and then a collar - kinda Alibaba-ish except that one shoulder was higher than the other......and I glazed that in a uniform tan..... couldn't part with that could I?!
It lives with a multi coloured plate about 40cms across with many small rings of different coloured glazes around it which was my colour experiment - boy it's bright - & for years I used it underneath large plant pots - but it's such a heavy piece of pot to move around it too now lives in the loft!
But I wouldn't part with it - sentimental - me?!
Gill - Love that salad bowl and well done you! I think I might have to start looking into doing something like that. Sounds like fun.
Snazzy!!!
2 foot high!
I don't think I know how to create anything like that.
Your pottery pieces sound fantastic.
Maybe you should bring them down from the loft one of these days.
Morning Lucinda!
Ta!
Let's hope there's something local that you can go to.
Free time's valuable when you are as busy as you, but you won't be disappointed.
Morning Grilly!
I took those classes for the best part of a year & scraped a lot of clay of me before I managed that 2foot pot!
I also did 'coiling' before I got the hang of the wheel - that's rolling the clay into sauseges & buiding up into a pot - it's a good way of getting used to working with clay for beginners.
All this talk has brought back the smell of that artroom - wonderfull stuff....!!
Get yourself back in there, Lush.
I'm making a coil pot next up. I think I can make a tall enough one for my paint brushes with a bit of care and thought.
lovely pottery and all that Gill but came on here to see any hols photos.... :(
That's a gorgeous salad bowl. Love the colours and the design and it's so satisfying to make something you like from scratch.
Hi Azelia and Choclette.
The bowl is getting a lot of use, so it's a success on that alone in our house.
I might make some more things in that design.
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