I have another glaze firing underway. Tomorrow I will see what happened this time. Yes, I still have expectations. You can hardly paint glazes onto something without a some idea or plan. Each time, I learn a little more.  I know what I didn’t like last time, and the time before and the time before that. 

I went with bold color again, but this time, against a white background. The colors are applied more in dots against the white. I was thinking of flowers. One plate is particularly flowerful. Inspired by the Flowered Dress on Olo’s surface. A mystery. 

I just need to learn how to let glaze be glaze!  It’s not paint!  It acts like glaze, and simply refuses to be something it is not. Maybe there’s a lesson in it for me. 

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” – Carl Jung

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word “happy” would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. Of course it is understandable that we seek happiness and avoid unlucky and disagreeable chances, but the more you deliberately seek happiness the more sure you are not to find it. It is therefore far better to take things as they come along, with patience and equanimity. ~Carl Jung

I recently got my wheel out, and have been throwing pots for the first time since moving to this house.  We’ve had some beautiful days, so I’ve been taking advantage of the sunshine.  My dog and I spend hours out back together.

For years, I’ve had this idea… a dream, really, of glazing ceramic pieces in a way that is similar to my acrylic painting style.  Well, glaze isn’t paint, and I really need to understand that!  What ends up happening over and over again, is that I am disappointed with the results.  It’s because I had an unrealistic expectation.

My friends see the final pieces and say they are beautiful.  It takes me a long time to come to terms with them because I can’t let go of the initial idea.  At the same time, people who don’t know this, tell me my cups and bowls look like my paintings!

So it’s a learning process every time.  And I’m a slow learner.