Obvara Firing Technique

After reading Ang's design blog about Obvara firing I wondered what it was. Ang has a video on her blog about Obvara firing. After researching all about Obvara I wished I had my raku kiln here with me. You know I'd be trying it right away. Working with clay is fun. Even with all the mistakes and failures it's the fun and the experimentation that keeps me sticking with clay. The yarn bell above was made by Cathi Newlin and is available on Etsy.

I researched on the net and learned Obvara Pottery has it's roots in Eastern Europe from the 19th century Belarussian. It's a technique of firing pots and then scalding them to seal their surface. Through the process some interesting surfaces are achieved. Kelsey Schroeder has a wonderful pictorial on her facebook page showing how Obvara pottery is made. The pot above was made by Kelsey.

I'm loving the earthy surfaces this technique achieves and it reminds me of sepia tone photography. Above is a photograph I took of a blue heron in Florida and I have applied the sepia tone technique to the photo. Sepia tone brings a soft and nostalgic look to contrasting objects in photos.

Here is the original photograph without the sepia tone applied.

Pots fired using the Obvara technique should have the ability to take thermal shock so raku clay or a clay with a fair amount of grog should be used. The pots should be bisque fired. Meanwhile the Obvara mixture should be made. In a five gallon bucket mix 2.6 gallons of warm water with 2.2 pounds of flour, one tablespoon of sugar and 2 packets of yeast. Allow the mixture to ferment for about three days stirring frequently. The calla lily pots above were made by Gail Scuderi.

Then fire the pots again to about 1650 to 1750. Remove pot from kiln with raku tongues and plunge it into the Obvara mixture and swirl it around in there. Next plunge the pot into a five gallon bucket of water and swirl it around in there. Keep the tongues on the pot and don't let go in either the Obvara or water. Set the pot aside to cool. The goose above was made by Janice Chassier. She said the pots come out smelling like pizza or burnt toast. Ha. All I need is a new studio to try this technique out, hopefully sooner than later. Today I am missing clay; can you tell? this post is part of Mud Colony what's happening in the studio. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Down by the Pond

One of the folks camped nearby us has bursitis really bad in her hips and is pretty much bedridden so I took some lavender buds over hoping their fragrance would relax and cheer her up. I'm reminded I only have to look around to find someone else worse off than myself.

While I was out I decided to take a walk down to the pond at the RV park where we're staying. I sat on a bench nearby and spotted some ducks resting in the shade. It had rained earlier and the air was heavy and humid (not as much as Florida though).

Nearby was an outdoor fire pit with a pile of birch logs. I was half wishing it was cold so I could start a fire, but it wasn't even close to cold.

The birch logs were filled with woodpecker holes. I was thinking the logs might be difficult to keep lit since they are so thick but perhaps by winter they'll be good and dry.

Drooping out over the water was a tree loaded with berries. I went over to inspect the tree. I think it may be a flowering crab apple tree, which are grown more for their flowers and foliage then they are for their fruit. There are lots of varieties of flowering crab apples.

Seeing this tree reminded me of some blooming crab apple trees near our home when I was about ten years old living in Maryland (sometimes I can't believe the things I recall). One of these days I'd like to have a crab apple tree in my yard; they're beautiful in bloom and spread out nice and wide providing good summer shade. And some crab apples are good to snack on.  Some days I miss gardening and some days I miss working with clay, today it was gardening. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Creeping Crack Cure & An East Indian Meal

We had a small seeping leak at the corner of a window in our RV and try as Gary might he couldn't find the source. He remembered a product called Capt Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure; we picked some up at camping world in Hendersonville. Not every place carries this product which is made in London, England, but it does the job for many applications. It's good for hairline cracks or hard to reach places that may increase in size if not fixed. I just love the name of it. Ha. Hum, wonder if this stuff would work on pottery?

Previously I got some ground lamb at Ingles grocery (by the way this grocery has everything you could want to cook with) and mixed it with one organic egg and some gluten free bread crumbs and rolled them up into one inch balls.Then I put on some rice and sauteed the lamb meatballs in butter till brown on both sides. Then I covered the meat balls and cooked them on medium heat till cooked through. Meanwhile I mixed up some Indian red curry paste and some ketchup (I didn't have any canned tomatoes which I would have used). and I thinned it down with a little water and put it in a bowl.

When the meatballs were cooked through I put them in a bowl with the curry and tossed them to coat them and then served them over the rice. You could do the same with mixed vegetables if you wanted a vegan meal. It was really good, not overly hot, and today for lunch we'll have the leftovers.

We took a drive over to Hickory and Lenoir yesterday and when we came back I spotted this old lumber mill stack being taken over by vines. The sunlight was at the wrong angle for this photo but I do love the shape of it. Inspiration for a nicely shaped canister with a knob on top. Today we're going to drive a Waynesville direction. Our home base is an RV park in the Village of Flat Rock. This post is part of Mud Colony. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Strange Things & Chai Pani in Asheville

After eating at Chai Pani in Asheville the other day, I now find myself smitten with East Indian food. Today I purchased three different East Indian condiments to try cooking something similar at home. At Chai Pani I had red chicken curry and Gary had Sloppy Kai (Keeme Pav) a lamb hash burger with a side of shoestring masala fries. Both dishes were wonderful. The red curry has heat which comes on slow. They serve it with a yoghurt cucumber sauce on the side which will calm the heat on the palate if need be. We both had a lime rickey to drink, a combination of raspberry, lime and soda water. We happened to go to Chai Pani because my friend Amy mentioned it was her favorite restaurant in Asheville. I've dubbed Asheville a little San Francisco complete with steep streets, lots of shops and restaurants, and trolley cars. Gary wanted to get out of town quickly; he hates cities and all the traffic. I'll have to go back without him real soon.

Just finished this mystery about strange things happening in the Applachian Blue Ridge area. Didn't know it was about that area till I started reading it. Ha. Strange happenings indeed.

Out my RV window I spotted this beautiful but strange looking dog with perfectly marked black and white feet. Apparently the dog was born blind and is also allergic to grass so the owners put socks on him when they take him for a walk. My photo isn't the greatest since the dog kept moving but I thought all four of his paws were naturally black and white till I knew about his allergy. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Sushi and Sightseeing in North Carolina

This week we're sightseeing in Western North Carolina.  The photo above of the lap sided home was taken from my car window in the Pisgah Forest near Hendersonville. I don't think the building leans quite as much as this photo shows. I was sitting in my car on the road and a car was coming so I had to move quickly. Gary was rolling his eyes and mumbling 'photographers'. My photo editing program is different on my laptop so what you see is what you get.

Sad to see vintage buildings with such character deteriorating. I just know I could use the metal and wood for a sculpture or piece of furniture with rustic charm. I don't think I've ever been anywhere in the country as green as it is here. Trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses in so many shades of green. Lilies and hydrangeas blooming everywhere and dogwoods and Japanese maples to die for.

Today we drove around outlying areas and later had lunch at Umi, a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar. I had red curry shrimp and Gary had several sushi rolls. No it's not your imagination, the plate with red curry was overly large, but delicious non the less and the sushi was fresh. We picked up a pamphlet on green building here in the mountains and have been dreaming of building ahome with energy efficiency in mind. We never know what our future holds but it's fun to dream and research all the possibilities. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Car Carrier Ships Near Sidney Lanier Bridge

Back tracking a little bit, leaving St. Simons Island we crossed the Sidney Lanier Bridge.  The bridge was completed in 2003 and replaced the original bridge which was struck and damaged by ships which were too tall two different times.

The Sidney Lanier Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge which spans the Brunswick River in Georgia. To see a longest cable-stayed bridge check out Penny's post about France and the Millau Viaduct. The Georgia bridge is 480 feet tall and is named after the musician and poet Sidney Lanier. As we drove over the bridge we felt like we were going up in the sky. To read my 2010 post about this bridge click this link.

As we were driving over the bridge we spotted some huge ships going along the waterway about to pass under the bridge. Seeing the size of the ships I could better understand why the bridge was constructed so tall. Years ago Gary used to haul cars out of Benicia, California and so he knew these blue and white ships  passing under the bridge were car carrier ships. Probably hauling imported cars from Europe or Mexico or even Japan via the Panama Canal.

Click this link to see an article in the NY times which shows the cars coming off the ship.  The article says up to 8500 cars can be hauled on one of these ships, amazing. According to the Georgia Port Authority, Subaru has chosen the port of Brunswick to receive five models of their cars. It's a global world out there. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

South Carolina Botanical Gardens

Get your walking shoes on because today you'll want to follow in our footsteps. We visited the South Carolina Botanical Gardens on the grounds of Clemson University. Luckily the weather cooled down and made our trek through the various sections so much more enjoyable. The gardens encompass 295 acres; we didn't see it all but we did make a small dent on many of the trails.

Truly a garden worth visiting if you are in the area.  Along the many paths we had the pleasure of viewing several nature based sculptures. Also within the garden confines is the Fuller Gallery and Gift shop with it's own gardens including a reflecting garden and the Bob Campbell Geology Museum which houses an impressive array of rocks, minerals, fossils, lapidary objects, gems, geodes, mining artifacts and more along with interactive displays and a research library.  The gardens and art gallery were free and the geology museum had a $3 entrance fee. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Fort Frederica National Monument

olive jar imported by colonists

James Oglethorpe decided to build a planned community, a place to live and work for the people trapped in debtor's prison in British. Oglethorpe chose people with various trades needed in a self sustaining community he envisioned.

To protect the skilled laborers, artisans and farmers a fort was built surrounding the town as a way to ensure the safety of it's inhabitants from regiments of British troops.

In addition to immigrants from Europe, Oglethorpe forged alliances with the indigenous native Americans living in Georgia at the time.

Artifacts from the planned community are housed in the museum telling about the history of the early inhabitants in Frederica.

Scottish Highlanders were a large group of immigrants who lived at Fort Frederica. It was fascinating to learn of a planned community from so long ago.

We got the transmission fixed on the motorhome. Apparently the previous garage had tightened the drain plug so much that the threads were stripped and the seal was compressed beyond repair. A new section had to be welded into the pan of the transmission and a new drain plug and seal installed and new transmission fluid added. So we're off for more adventures. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Christ Church Frederica

There isn't an architecture more lovingly constructed than that of a church I think. It's definitely true of  Christ Church Frederica where worship has been continuous since 1736 and is probably the oldest church in Georgia.  The church was established at Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island by English colonists under the command of General James Oglethorpe.

The present church rebuilt in 1808 and again in 1899 is gothic in style with a tall belfry and narrow stained glass windows. Deacon Anson Green Phelps Dodge, who later became rector, built the new church as a memorial to his first wife.

Many of the stained glass windows were given in memory of loved ones. Others depict religious scenes. One of the stained glass windows in the church has been authenticated as an unsigned Tiffany.

The church is surrounded by ancient and present day graves marked by large and small headstones of granite, alabaster, and marble. 

The extensive grounds are carpeted with green grass and huge oaks hang heavy with Spanish moss. A few shrubs of azalea, camelia, and others dot the landscape. Several large gardenia were in bloom their scent held in the heavy air.

The oldest graves in the cemetary are unmarked ones known to date from 1796. The oldest marked grave located thus far is dated 1803.

We walked the grounds in the early afternoon not the best time for photographs due to the overhead sunlight.

My favorite headstone was this small gem with a sweet puppy perched on top, surely made in loving memory of someone's young child. I've told Gary I want to be cremated but after seeing this I wouldn't mind my ashes placed under some small sentiment at the base of an ancient oak.

Many old family plots were surrounded by low or high tabby walls. Tabby is a building material like cement made with lime, sand, water and crushed oyster shells.

To show you how large the oak trees on the grounds are I took this photo of Gary standing next to one. Gary is 6 foot 2 inches. I planned on Gary taking a photo of me but we forgot most likely fuzzy in our brains due to 98 degree weather and almost the same humidity. 

Remember I mentioned getting the transmission fluid changed in our RV?  Well it's leaking at the drain plug so we have to get it repaired and filled again. Since were half a day away from the first shop, we'll have to pay again for someone else to do it. Ugh. Luckily Gary noticed it leaking. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.