This is a platter I made a month ago and it sold..But I have a request to create an octopus holding up a bowl over his head. This one I dried flat then I glaze glued it to the platter. These are difficult to sculpt as is because I keep breaking the arms off. Any ideas on how to get it lift the arms to dry so I can attach a bowl after bisque. Sponges and lots of them , or hang it upside down and try to slip and score his arms in a bowl shape? Any other ideas to hold up the bowl?

April is here (almost), and with it comes that little shift that gets us outside again, into the light, into the fresh air, and a bit closer to everything around us. Nature is waking up, and so is our creativity! 🌸✨ This month, we are taking our inspiration straight from nature. And yes, that includes pretty much everything you can think of. Flowers, plants, and organic shapes 🌼 Animals and all kinds of creatures 🐾 Landscapes, textures, and the little details you suddenly start noticing 🌊 Your task is to create something that reflects what you see or feel when you step outside. Or even what you think you see when you stare at a cloud for a little too long 👀 It can be anything you like. A sculpture. A functional piece. Something painted, carved, printed, or fully experimental. 🎨 There are no limits here, only your interpretation. 🌱 One important rule Your piece should be created in April. Not something you pull out of your shelf thinking, “well, this kind of fits.” Nice try! 😄 Just like spring creates something new, this is your moment to do the same. You can also challenge yourself a little. Try something you have not done before. Go for that idea that once felt a bit too tricky. See what happens if you just give it a go. And of course, you are very welcome to share your ideas, your process, your progress, or even those moments where things are not quite working yet. That is all part of it, and honestly where the good stuff happens. Let’s inspire each other, learn from each other, and maybe surprise ourselves along the way! 💛 By the end of the month, we will hopefully have a whole collection of pieces that show just how much creativity this season can spark. Now go out, look around, and then get your hands dirty! 🌿✨

I am so happy I finally found this group! I was fortunate to be given a large 22 year old large, Cress kiln and a pottery wheel along with all the tools to go with it two years ago after my friend's dad had passed. I had no idea what the kiln would do, but since I knew it had been fired once a year. I took a chance and hit the start button on my first bisque load and it all did fine.. then moved to glaze fire and all went fine..but then it started to overfire each load. I had nobody here to ask. I named my kiln lovingly Mr. Doubtfire from that point on, and just watched cones from the peeps and stopped the fire. Cone 6 was falling at Cone 3 setting. Then it underfired one day and I knew it was way overdue to replace all the parts and coils.. with AI help we did. I'm at the point, I want to create different and unique ceramics. I don't sell a whole lot here where I live, and have not branched to online sales yet, but I am way overstocked with pottery. Now I am using AI for glaze combos and artistic idea feedback with some interesting results. Just wondering if anyone else uses AI for inspiration?

I’m curious to know - what was the first piece of pottery you made? This is a picture of mine sitting on the railing of my deck. I found it the other day when I was trying to clear a shelf in my studio. I made it probably 34 years ago. A local college offered a 4 part class with yoga and raku. I’d never done either so everything was a challenge. Luckily we made pinch pots but I was hooked and started taking classes at the local community college. After I finished this piece I filled it with wax to use as a candle. What was your first piece? Do you still have it? If you can, please post a picture of it.

I made a ceramic house sculpture, inspired by a cardboard house made by the creative at NerdForge. This house took 63 lbs of clay, and final glazing yielded a height of 32 inches. It is installed in our front yard, with solar lights that show through windows and doors. It took me weeks to make, each roof tile was made individually.