Ceramics

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Going to veer away from knitting for this one. For the last few years I've been going to a ceramics class every Tuesday morning with my mum-in-law at Brushstrokes ceramics at Waltham Windmill near Grimsby.

Thought I'd share with you a few of the projects that turned out well.

First is the Christmas present that I made for Jim; he has a huge shed out in the garden which he near enough lives in, (which presumably most men do!). So I thought I'd make him a name plaque for it. It was a lot of fun because normally we just stain or glaze the pots but I made it all mushrooms and leaves etc from clay myself. The glazing turned out well too (it can be a little temperamental; you don't often know what it will look like until after it has come out of the kiln).

I've also been doing a few plates with my own artwork on the first was an Islamic inspired plate that is glazed:

Since I was 18 I have also been to a local botanical watercolour painting class (slipped a bit recently - oh well) though I still do a bit at home. So I thought I'd paint a plate covered in clematis; found it a bit odd using acrylics instead of the usual watercolours but I think it turned out well:

I have quite a few clematis in the garden; it's such a beautiful versatile plant, this is photo of one my sister-in-law bought which is flowering this week.

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