For those of you who have been following along on the Twelve Days of Christmas saga, this is year three, which equates to Three French Hens.
For the hens, I had our chickens model for me, which was not easy, but eventually they settled down long enough for me to admire their feather structure. I did take some artistic license in using our Dominiques; they do not really come from France, but from a French colony, known today as Haiti. But it wasn’t the actual hen I was after, as much as the technique of early redware, that being feathering, or combing. The Dominiques have such a beautiful feather pattern that was just perfect for this technique. Lines of wet slip are trailed out, following the body parts of the hen. Then, the tip of a real feather, turkey in this case, was dragged through the wet slip, mimicking the feather pattern of our hens. The raised clay gives a nice depth to the hen, and no one’s feathers really get ruffled.
So, as we near the Christmas season, (I personally think it starts the day after Thanksgiving), we are beginning to put the song together. I leave you with:
Three French Hens,
Two Turtle Doves, and a
Partridge in a Pear Tree.
You’ll have to go back to other posts to see what the pieces were. Now for next year…Four Colly Birds, yes COLLY. For that explanation, you will just have to wait for next years’ Christmas season post. Although, if you are a Facebook user, Like my page, and you will be able to see it, around June 2015. This series is really beginning to take shape! Only 9 more years!
DearMr.Wintczak, We missed seeing you folks at the rendezvous in Vincennes this year, I have ought one piece of your pottery every year since you’ve been coming up here. I was interested in seeing the chicken plates if you still have any and what do you charge for them? If you have time please let me know. We ‘d like sometime to see your shop . Thank You, Terri Birkofer
Hi Terri!
I missed everyone too not doing the Rendezvous….I had to make some hard decisions about the number of shows and inventory for the studio and special orders. I was getting stretched pretty thin. But I am still making and have an open studio in Posey County and you are welcome for a visit anytime I am here, evenings and weekends included. I do have a show at Shaker Village near Lexington the first weekend in August, and then I’ll be on vacation until the 20th of August, but most of the other time I am here. Let me know and I will send you directions.
As far as the Hen plate…it is part of the 12 days of Christmas series. ‘Three French Hens’. The plate is 12″ and the Hens are feathered clay, using an actual turkey feather. The price is $175 and includes an iron stand.
They are made to order pieces, but I am firing kilns about every three weeks.
Thank you for your support over the years, and I hope you can visit….I think you’d enjoy. I work in a 1850 log building, surrounded by flower and vegetable gardens.
My phone number is 812-985-9847 if you’d like to connect that way.
Thanks again,
Tom