Valeria Out Loud

Hey WordPress! How are you?

I am doing pretty good. Spring is here! There are a ton of bulbs and plants sprouting in my yard, which makes me happy 😃. It doesn’t take much to make me happy. Heh

Before diving into pottery class, I want to take a moment to share that my husband is continuing to recover well. On Friday he had his stomach port removed and was cleared to drive and to return physically back in the office. So he started back in person yesterday, to a grand reception, which was super sweet. The sound of the stomach port being removed was not sweet, however! Holy big time gross. 😂

But seriously. It’s been a relief to see him feeling better each week and watching him getting back into his routine these past few days was a joy.

Now, onto the pottery!

It’s funny for me to think about how much I look forward to Monday night each week. Working on pottery has been such a positive experience for me. Last night was our last class of this session. So I will not be back until April. Next session, however, we have way more repeat students! I am so excited over this fact. A few women are moving their session days but the core group of us has grown up to eight women! Woo!

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In class yesterday, I worked on my chip n dip bowl. It shrunk a lot over the week drying but it was still cute. It weighs a ton but we don’t fat shame my pottery ok? Lol my pottery always weighs a ton.

Anyways. I had to sand the bowl down a bit to even edges and smooth walls. Prep it for glaze. Over the past week, I researched patterns and glazing techniques online, to find a design to paint on the bowl. I found one that I really like -modern peacock feather motif-and though it looks simple, will definitely be a challenge …but I am up for it.

Here is the inspiration:

I showed the class assistants this picture, they were excited and quickly suggested the best way to achieve the look. Underglaze. Underglaze – it’s a technique that involves applying a layer of color to bone dry clay surface before firing it. The glaze is matte, doesn’t change color much and is thicker, sticks better while damp -so it makes precision lines better than regular glaze. I applied three coats of white, which each had to dry before reapplying another coat. Then I worked on sketching a template so I could pencil the design on.

This was the most exciting part for me – I like the process of sketching out ideas and bringing them to life on the clay surface. I decided on this pattern because it’s both playful and sophisticated, and I can’t wait to see how it looks once it’s finished.

This part took forever though. It will take forever to finish this whole project, too. This is going to be a labor of love, is what I’m saying, guys.

I ended up taking my project home to finish drawing the pattern on this week and next. Hoping my very handsome, artistically gifted husband can guide me a bit w placement of the other details. Or make up my own!

I did have under a half hour left in class to paint up my lil fishy spoon too. It looked so sweet and cannot wait to see it all colorful after firing!

It was a successful Monday night pottery class -so much done even if it doesn’t seem so.

This session brought me a lot of joy – I’m reflecting. It’s been a reminder of the importance of taking time for myself – doing new things that I truly enjoy. Whether it’s pottery, learning to embroider, working out, or anything else that brings me joy, it’s worth making time for the things that make me feel alive. 😊

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Well, that’s all I have for this update today. I am hoping now that our family life will begin to normalize that we can go out and away or whatever so I can talk about more things I am doing …out loud. 😊

Have a great day and week ahead, guys! Spring is here and we have to take full advantage of the sunshine coming up.

Thank you for stopping by to read along. I always appreciate the support and chatting.

till next post. xo