Sunflower - pottery

I made this sunflower shaker ball a long, long time ago. I painted the glaze on one Saturday morning at Space Studios, when I was doing a whole bunch of glazing, mostly on shaker balls. I remember this sunflower was one of the last things I was working on that day. I forgot to wipe it clean before I applied the glaze, and I didn't remember that until it came out of the kiln from the glaze firing... the glaze was chipping off it all over it. Wiping the bisque piece before applying glaze is very important. An important step I will surely never again forget.

So I touched up the spots with more glaze, and it was eventually fired again. Still chipping. Kathy Space suggested touching up the glazing again where it had chipped off, and then covering it all over with a specific clear glaze, which I did. This 3rd, and final, glaze firing was mostly ok, but still a couple of small spots where it was chipping. *sigh* Each subsequent firing, a total of 4, is more difficult on the piece, so yet another firing really wasn't an option. At some point you either take it as it is or give up. The remaining small spots of chipping are as good as this piece is going to get. The center of the sunflower used to be very round, and now it's leaning a little... not quite oval or anything, but not totally round now, either. Which, actually, is very sunflower-like.

I made this shaker ball for my sister, Janet, because she likes sunflowers. Even though it was far, far from perfect, I decided to give it to her. She was happy with it, and she'll touch up the little spots with some acrylic paint and some glue.