We got to New York and back over the weekend with only minor delays in Chicago the Sunday before Christmas, whew! But I’m very glad to be back into the normal routine.

Here’s one more cute photo of Kit in the snow, and then I swear I’ll stop! We’ve gotten 2 snow storms in about 3 days this week. He just goes out there and lays in it; doesn’t matter how cold. His other name is now “frosty face”.

Here is how the Eberl “Valentin” bone china glazing came out:

Last week was definitely my week for glazing lustrous deep brown coat colors you could drown in! Yumm! I wish everyone could hold that bay silver “Optime” that I finished last week in their hands, and turn him around in the light. My photos just didn’t show show all the rich reds and shades of bay going all the way to mahogany, that are in there.

The key I found is applying and firing layer upon layer of each actual shade of color. (No cutting corners here like just mixing one mid-tone color and applying it lighter in the light areas and heavier in the dark places all in one firing.) It may seem like all those layers will just be getting covered up. But they don’t: they are under there and due to the transparency of the glazes they provide the deep dimension in the color! I think the best-painted bay horse colors remind me of dark wine or other dark liquids in a glass. Especially in the glossy ceramic finish, ooh aah!

He’ll be on his way to owner Kim Knight of Chicago next week. Thanks for being such a loyal “patron” of my work, Kim!

I just love this color and I think I will be glazing a “Boreas” in something like it; I’ve been casting around for a “keeper” color on a “Boreas” to glaze for my collection and this is it!

So what’s on deck for January?
Well, in booked glazing commissions I’ve got:

• A dapple grey “Heart of Darkness”.

• A very exciting very-matte finish large-size Boreas in dapple grey. Exciting because I’ve not yet glazed a “Boreas” in the very-matte finish. I call it “very-matte” to distinguish it from the “satin” finish a lot of ceramists use. This is definitely not that! I fire the overglaze paints right onto the bone china bisque; it is just like colored bisque but a little smoother with no “shine” at all (except for the glossed hooves and eyes).

• An Optime in very-matte rose dapple grey—the first “Optime” to be glazed very-matte, too.

• Lastly, a “Meribel” in black pinto.
I have another week-long trip coming at the end of the month, so I may not get all of those finished!!

Non-glazing-wise, I should complete the Keeshond tile sculpture (and then on to: figuring out how to mold/cast it myself in ceramic, yeeek.). I also plan to sculpt a Quarter Horse head tile (while I’m in tile-sculpting mode anyway), and of course spend time on the new 3-D sculpture too. There are no deadlines on any of those, but gee I guess I’ll be keeping myself busy—that’s only January!