Ikebana Containers in Use

I made the arrangement above to showcase two of my pottery Ikebanas. The flowers for the arrangement only cost $4.00 at my local grocery and I already had the stones.


I love flowers and one day came across an Ikebana arrangement. It was love at first sight. It’s such an artistic way of arranging flowers that I was drawn like a magnet. Ikebana is the Japanese Art of Floral Arrangement where you use very few flowers arranged in an asymmetrical way.  It is now becoming popular all over the world.  Greenery and other materials such as branches are incorporated in the arrangement. Ikebana not only showcases the flower's bloom but also celebrates other parts of the plants like the stems and leaves. It is a minimalistic form and usually only consists of a few blooms in the arrangement. The materials in the arrangement are placed so that they are balanced which can be easily done once with little practice. The design is often made using a  triangular pattern. A triangular pattern is achieved by taking three flowers or foliage branches and arranging them so that when you draw an invisible line to each tip end it will form a triangle.

I enjoy the concept and I use the basic idea to make my own arrangements. I find it easy and inexpensive to pick a few flowers and some greenery from my yard, stick them in pin frog and I have a beautiful display. A small bunch of flowers at my local floral department can make a nice arrangement that is also very beautiful while still very inexpensive.
There are many types of containers and I offer some on my Ikebana page on my website, but you can also use many of the items on my "Open Vessels" page. All you need is a Kenzan (pin frog) which holds the stems in place. I send one along with pots listed on the Ikebana page. Please note that Ikebana containers that are tall and cylindrical do not use a Kenzan.

For more information go to this informative link: All About Ikebana

Mixed Stoneware Oil Bottles or Bud Vases

        To purchase these bottles click here.

Here are some new stoneware bottles made using satin glazes. The tall bottles I call "cylinder bottles" since they are tall and straight sided. They are versitile and can be fitted with a spout to be used as an oil bottle. (I include the spout upon request.) They can also be used as a vase and look great holding either a single flower or a few.


The bottle on the far right is an oil bottle that is made with several thrown parts. The cylinder bottles are hand built and made from several parts which are extruded, slabbed and thrown. After I complete each part they are carefully joined together to form the bottle that you see.

I also have a wide assortment of Sgraffito and Botanical Imprinted bottles available on the "Bottles" page of my website that can be fitted with a spout. Included is a swamp scene with egret and two abstract florals. See the link below.

To Purchase Sgraffito & Botanical imprinted bottles click here.
http://www.cnbpottery.com/

Two Pottery Angels Now Available

These are two pottery angels that I recently completed. One is a Powder Blue glaze with a patina and the other is made with a dark clay and glaze also with a patina. The process in which I make them is described on my website.

To Purchase Angels Click Here.

Stoneware Pottery Jar

This is another item done in a recent firing. It's a stoneware pottery jar with a wood fired look. It has an impression done with a hand made rose stamp. Available for sale on the "Pots with Lids" page on http://www.cnbpottery.com/. Go to my "Online Gallery" page to see everything listed for purchase.

My latest work

I'm taking this time to post an example of my latest work in stoneware clay. This is a wheel thrown and altered piece. It is made using speckled clay which is a clay that I love to use. I've impressed a small design on the lower right side. I have three similar to this that are added to my web site for sale.