Loot from the Conference

I saw so much over the last few days, my head is swimming with ideas - which I guess is the point of NCECA. I took a bunch of photos, but I need to go through them and attach the correct names to the works, and then I can share them.

Seeing work. Watching demos. And let's not forget SHOPPING! Part of the fun of the conference is getting some new tools that send you back to your life dying to make something with them. I got:

1. A couple of sprig molds from the Marvelous Molds company. I do prefer to make my own sprig molds but these looked so much like something I would have made, I couldn't resist. I'm saving the link because I'd like to get some for soap, also.
2. A roller from MKM Tools! Again, I make myself tons of rollers, and I don't love most of those wooden laser-cut ones - the patterns read as quite mechanical. If you use them sparingly, though, they can be a nice counterpoint to a squishy or wonky pot, in the same way the a tight, architectural thrown rim works when you then twist and bend it out of round. This roller had a delicate floral pattern that I thought would work well with some of the bolder, slip trailed floral stuff I've been doing.
3. Underglaze chalk - I got three colors. I had a black one, which I got from Portland Pottery, and I was impressed by how well the detail of a soft charcoal-like drawing is preserved under a clear glaze. I had been meaning to get more colors to test out, anyway.
4. Brushes - some fine line camel-hair brushes, and a set of acrylic-bristle brushes to use with latex. There is nothing special about these brushes, except that the set of six brushes was only $2.Latex resist destroys brushes pretty fast no matter how careful I am, so it's good to have some cheapies.

I have lots more to say about the conference - what worked, what didn't, best moments - but I am firing the kiln load right now that got delayed due to high winds last Sunday, and I need to go and peek at the cones. I'm also getting the house ready for our Central Maine Clay Artists group to come over, where we'll divide up the mugs to be distributed for Mug Season, our annual fundraising event for local arts programs.

Aaaand, cone 3 is flat so I better start mixing up the soda salad.