A Ceramic Distraction

Over the holidays, I had several fun artists play dates with a good friend who is a potter. Melodie specializes in tile mosaics, but she also produces a lot of ornaments, especially around the holidays. I was invited to make some ornaments of my own.

Of course, I used the copy of my bird journal that I took for her as the model for my carvings. I started with a flat slab of clay that Melodie provided, sketched on it lightly with a pencil, then cut around the outline. I filled in the details with a carving tool. After firing, I returned to add glaze. Although intended to be off-white with some faint color details, I obviously didn't apply enough glaze. Even so, the thin coat leaves the details really visible, so I think they'll be perfect hanging in my studio.

Hand-carved tile mosaic by Stickhorse Studios

To check out Melodies' amazing work, visit Stickhorse Studios. I'm lusting after a pillar for my new garden addition, with some of her birds.