samedi 1 février 2014

De grandes pièces / Big pieces



Ce sont les plus grandes pièces que j'ai faites, à la plaque, elles auront tout juste la place de rentrer dans le four. C'est une façon de travailler qui est certainement plus douce pour le dos que le tour. Mais j'ai envie de laisser tomber la couleur et de travailler un peu plus dans la texture et les tons de terre et de blanc. Laisser tomber aussi les arts de la table et faire des pièces plus sculpturales.

These are the larger pieces I made, slab built, they have just the place to go in the kiln. It is a way of working that is certainly easier for the back, than the wheel . But I want to drop the color and work a little harder in texture and earth tones and white. Also let down the tableware and make more sculptural pieces.

J'ai vu beaucoup de belles poteries sur le web et elles m'inspirent, peut être un peu trop, il faut du temps pour trouver son propre style, mais mes pots passeront-ils l'épreuve du feu ? Nous verrons bien.

I saw many beautiful pottery on the web and they inspire me, maybe a little too much, it takes time to find ones own style, but my pots  will they pass the test of fire? We'll see.




 Toujours du mal à me concentrer sur mon travail, toujours des allées et venues entre Belle-ile et le continent et le souci pour la santé de nos proches, les derniers moments avec des maladies graves, les voir souffrir...

Une grosse houle est annoncée ce week-end et les liaisons risquent d'être coupées, il a énormement plu ces derniers jours, les champs sont inondés. Avec près d'un mois d'avance, le mimosa de mon voisin est en pleine floraison.

La dernière photo a été prise il y a un bon mois, le temps était sec et ensoleillé, les grandes marées ont vidé la plage de ses galets, ainsi que les torrents d'eau qui coulent du vallon. C'est là que j'avais ramassé  du gros sable que j'ai ajouté à la terre. Je garde toujours la cendre du poêle, mais cette année c'est du saule, l'an dernier j'avais fait des tests avec de la cendre de pin.

Still struggling to concentrate on my work, always back and forth between Belle-ile and the mainland and concern for the health of our loved ones, the last moments with diseases, to see them suffer ...

A big swell is announced this weekend and the ferry will stay in the harbour, it hugely rained the last few days, the fields are flooded. With nearly a month in advance, my neighbor's mimosa is in full bloom.

The last photo was taken a month ago, the weather was dry and sunny, now the tides have emptied its pebble beach and water streams flowing from the valley. This is where I gathered coarse sand that I added to the clay. I always keep the ash from the stove, but this year is the willow, last year I did some tests with pin ash.




6 commentaires:

Peter a dit…

"Le soleil brille plus radieux après la pluie !" (The sun shines brighter after the rain), that is the French translation according to Babylon's online translation attempt! Yes, the sun is shining here, and it does help to have blue sky above at last..., and some warmth! I hope you have some sunshine again soon.

The photo of the the blue sea and the cliffs is lovely, I do like the way that the shadow of the path leads from left to right, then back into the picture again, it is a nice composition.

It is good to see that you are finding ways to work with clay. I am glad that you are finding slab work is possible for you to do, and it will be most interesting to see it fired.

I really must try to incorporate more local materials into my work, reading of you gathering sand and ash reminds me of what I should be doing myself!!

Little NS is standing beside me as I write, and she says "Meeow, meeow!" I am not sure if it is really a message for you, but I send it anyway. I suspect that an accurate translation is "Food,Food, give me fish not chicken!!", but I will have to put "Meeow, Meeow" into Babylon online translator and see if it will translate from NZ Cat!! :)

The music of Denez Prigant and Lisa Gerrard Gortoz is sad, so sad, and very beautiful. Thank you for including it on your last post.

Kind Thoughts to you and your family from us. P, L & NS

Armelle Léon a dit…

Hello Peter,

Baylon's translation is good, the sun is shining here today, temperature is very high for the winter, sweet. And yes the air is quite clear and the colors are bright. Finally the high tide was bad in the North Brittany, and we didn't see 14 meters waves running against the coast, here.

For meow, you can say 'miaou', Our Miko, says miaou early in the morning, for food, and I am not so happy, I would like him to be a good cat and to go away to his needs rather than in the bathroom.
I am sure that Nigellea is more polite and thank you for her meows. We are trying a new game with Miko, 'Cat's launch' in the garden....

Glad to know you like the last photo, today we went for a walk and we discovered the sea took away the clear sand and let a more heavy and red one in a beach called 'les grands sables' 'the great sands'.

I am doing my best with clay, and I hope I will be able to make a good glazing, not so easy with big pieces, well let's see if the bisque firing is good.

Best wishes to all at home

Peter a dit…

Bonjour Armelle,
Lovely to hear from you on my blog as well as this one. Miko and Nigella both appear to enjoy the early morning! "Meeow", "Miaou", I like it that Nigella has a NZ accent, and Miko French, I wonder if they would understand each other? :)

Glad you have the sun today. It is interesting how the sea can give you clear sand, or red sand, depending on its mood!

I hope you are able to have success with your glazing of the large pieces. I am finding that pouring is good for most of my work. I used to be afraid to pour, and would brush glaze, but pouring done quickly works very well (but can make a mess everywhere else!!).

Now I must go and make myself coffee..., Laura still asleep.., Nigella Stopit has probably returned to bed now that she has been fed!

Happy Glazing!

Armelle Léon a dit…

Thank you for your comment Peter,

Sure Miko and Nigella could understand each others, Miko was so afraid with the bad weather yesterday, he went to sleep under the stairs. Finally he decides to go outside by himself, late in the afternoon.
Gales and swell are doing a lot of disasters, all around Brittany, this year. We are up on the plateau, high enough not to have windows destroyed and stones in the garden by the strength of the waves.
Today bisc firing, and I have to find somebody to help me cutting a shelve.

Here is a link you could like : http://www.philrogerspottery.com/shoji-hamada/

Kind regards to Laura, and everybody at home

Aude terrienne a dit…

Je viens juste prendre de tes nouvelles.

Armelle Léon a dit…

Bonjour Aude, et merci de ton passage, pas facile en ce moment, souvent bloquée sur l'ile, les bateaux ne passent pas, pas d'inondations chez nous, mais beaucoup d'eau.
J'ai émaillé mes grandes pièces mais cela n'avance pas très vite, du monde à la maison, ambiance surréaliste, on attend !!!
Vivement le printemps !!!