Back in the Saddle

[caption id="attachment_667" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="raku birdhouse"][/caption] I'm back from a short break, spring break, as it's called.  Hope to start working on raku clay, to do some raku firings.  This old birdhouse was made & fired during a Bob Smith workshop.  The colors & textures are amazing.  A bit burned on the top rim of the pot, markings from the straw we used, the unglazed lower half.  I tried once, to fire a piece of metal clay with raku glaze on it.  My kiln at the time was firing strangely, and the entire piece melted into a blob in the bottom of the kiln.  Still have the jar of glaze.  Will use it on some raku clay instead. The metal clay experiment was an expensive blob!

[caption id="attachment_663" align="aligncenter" width="378" caption="Found art, Winter Park ski area, Colorado"][/caption]

Came across this sculptural piece of art in the woods today.  I'm calling it "found art".  As you can see, a ski patrolmen is skiing by.  I'm not sure who shimmied up this tree trunk to place the antlers & skulls there, will have to do some research, I guess.  Glad I had packed my camera in my backpack.

It was a good break, no TV, no internet, had to travel to see a few of the NCAA tournament games.  Must get back to the work mode now.