Playing In The Clay...... Lord... Is This How You Do Us?

I pray everyone had a comfortable, safe and thankful Thanksgiving Day. We have so much to be thankful for and first and foremost is our salvation in Jesus Christ then the rest is whipped cream on the pumpkin pie (so-to-speak).

Hubby and I had a delightful quiet day, then dinner for two at the kitchen table with the parrots hangin' in their feeder cages over the bay window seat. The parrots ate too, (well one did) Mr. M. clucked while he was eating what we were eating. That was one happy bird, but I had to remind him he was eating "BIRD" i.e. Turkey. Then he had pumpkin pie while we had ours. Miss T........ she thought it was all repulsive and wanted her standard grains and veggies.

We would have eaten at the dinning room table but its being occupied with my artwork.

Click on the photos to enlarge if you want.

I am creating Christmas presents and getting ready to fire up the kiln later on next week if I can get all of the pieces cleaned and dry before then. Still need to roll out more clay and do some imprinting so I can cut out the shapes of what I am creating. Its a nativity scene from very old cookie cutters. They are so old they are very fragile and some have cracks in them. They were part of hubby's mom's things. I am still finding treasures in the boxes in the garage. I hope to make several sets but we will see how fast I can work........ I am so slow and a perfectionist....makes the job even more painstaking.

I first have to roll out the clay like you would cookie dough, do the imprinting, and cut out the shapes then carry the items to the dinning room table to dry for a few hours to a leather hard stage.

 

Once in that stage I clear off the kitchen table, set up my tool, grab some coffee or tea then begin the dusty job of sanding and smoothing each piece.

The instruments look painful, sort of like the ones the dentist uses.......OUCH! 

You can see how rough the peace looks before I start.

It takes time to sand with different texture of sanding sponges. You have to have a light touch or the item will crack into pieces. I lost one angel angel already for being too heavy-handed.

In the 2 photos above...

Once I am finished sanding I then start smoothing the piece with water and fine art brushes. Then its off to the drying table again to sit for up to 5 days to dry before they can be fired.

Once fired all these pieces will be porcelain white and ready for glazing.

I cant help but think this is how the lord works on us. We are in our lost sin nature state (rough clay shape). He picks us up with tender hands, working, sanding and shaping us. Then smoothing off the roughness with Jesus blood that was shed on the cross for  our sins. Then we are washed (fired in the kiln where the item comes out stark white) whiter than snow....