Hand Painted.......

When one hand paints a ceramic plate it is not a simple thing to do.  The glaze doesn't always look the same color as it would if you were using a  pigmented paint. The colors have to be fired to turn the mineral and water glazes into the colors on the ceramic piece.  So as the layers of colors show between firings the artist has to keep adding colors to create the art work.

 

It is sad when you loose track of the owner of the plate but I think this might have come from my mom's china cupboard.  When you pack up various things from a cupboard you know that it is a good piece to keep but there were a lot of good pieces to keep.  I just lost track of where it originated. I do know there were years when I would see something like this at a garage sale that and for a buck it helped me add a plate to the buffet in the dining room.  

This piece was done for decoration purposes as the molded plate has two holes in it to facilitate it being hung on the wall.  It doesn't have any cord in it but I am sure it would make a great serving piece as the artist created a great bouquet. Because of the holes in it I think it isn't extremely old in comparison to had painted things from the late 1800's. 

The artist has signed the plate but that isn't anyone that I know.  I do have a former student of mine who does a lot of ceramic work but I don't own any of here work.  Cheryl is her name and she actually paints flying pheasants and leaping deer on things like ceramic toilet bowls or porcelain sings. Some people customize all of their bathroom fixtures with fish jumping out of the water depicted on the back of a toilet. 

 

Hardy Geranium

We have been getting much needed rain throughout the night and in the morning today.  It has rained a lot and I am sure the soil will soak up every drop of it. We didn't get the windstorms like they received south of us but we did have a lot of rain and thunder.  The dogs had me up a couple of times even when the sounds of thunder were coming from a distance away from us. 

Button wanted to go outside in the middle of the night and we finally got that accomplished about 2 in the morning when there was a temporary break in the storm.  He still came in soaking wet as the sprinkles just soak into his fur like a sponge collects water.  I picked him up and he got my shirt all wet.  He was happy that he finally made it outside.

I was called in today to be a High School science teacher.  I will see many students today for physical science, Chemistry and also for physics. Thanks for stopping by today.