Packing Up Again!

Getting ready to fly to Blenheim in the top of the South Island of New Zealand, for a national porcelain exhibition and a school being tutored by Andrew Orr from Vermont, U.S.A. I shall be away a week.

Packing is a difficult task! I am trying to get my grape vase (the one with the hole in it, and which is in the box in my hand), the paper bag full of stands for our club's porcelain pieces on the exhibition display table, together with a box of painting gear (under the black sweater you see in the suitcase) all to fit into my suitcase and still leave room for a few clothes! I already have a carry-on bag packed, with a 12" purple grape plate, the plinth for the grape vase, some china painting supplies and the paper work for AGM's, workshops etc.


So watch this space . . . for I shall post the plate of Hollyhocks as soon as I get back from the school.

These are Poppies!

This is a fun plate! The bottom part of the plate has matt white paint sponged on, then I scratched out some poppy buds. After firing I covered the whole area plus the white stripes with mother of pearl ... this made the little buds show up with the mother of pearl. The black was sponged on and then the lines scratched out.

The yellow stripe I painted on and although you can't see very well in the picture it has little irregular white base for gold dots on it.

The flowers are paint and pen work.

'twas fun to paint - and hopefully fun to view!

Poppies

This vase has always been a favourite of mine, and won "Viewers Choice" at a recent exhibition. It was exhibited again in Creative Tauranga Gallery for our club's exhibition 2 weeks ago, and to my pleasure someone purchased it.
Although I don't like to part with what I paint (I seem to get attached to my work!) I am always encouraged when someone chooses to buy a piece I have painted. This vase is 18 inches tall.

The Blenheim Trio!

The trio of pieces have been painted for a New Zealand national exhibition to be held in Blenheim which is in the top of the South Island, during the last weekend of April and the beginning of May.

The picture is a little small to see any detail, but it gives you an idea of what the trio looks like.

I have two dark wooden shelves on a wall in our bedroom that these will be displayed on when they come home from the exhibition.

Grapes

This lovely vase has been painted especially for the exhibition in Blenheim. It was very difficult to paint the grapes which you can see through the hole which is bordered with gold - I held the vase upside down and painted the grapes upside down and then touched them up a bit with the brush through the hole. I nearly twisted myself inside out to do it! But I loved the result.

There are matt white stripes with base for gold bunches of grapes on the top border, and mother of pearl between the matt stripes.

'tis one of my favourite pieces!