Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Life of Pelicans

When I'm in the Humboldt Bay
I love to watch the Pelicans play
They dance on water thrashing about
diving head first water on snout

In the fog you can only hear the splash
of the pelican diving in for the catch
No tern, nor skimmer could make such a sound
as the pelican diving heard all around

At the marina, where dinner is had
the pelican is circling-- and then a crash! 
It appears to be gone but is really swimming near
a beak full of minnows and water running rear.

Then it pops to the surface 
growing rings made from flapping wings
the pelicans of Humboldt are
One of those happy things.

Aaron Murray, 2014

Pelican 2014, coil built at Kirkland Art Center using LF-06 earthenware, majolica glaze, rutile, brown and black underglazes.  81/2 inch tall



Pelican 2014,  Coil built using Vashon White clay with grog, fired to cone 6.  Mayco Alabaster glaze,  various stains and under glazes


2 pelicans made in January 2014,  Coil built using same glaze and clay as above.  Note: one pelican has a hand-pinched fish in it's beak.


Pelican with fish, 2014, coil built,  10 inches tall, 15 inches in length

fishy

detail portrait

Pair of Pelicans, 2014.  

More Coil Built Pelicans of various sizes

Swimming Pelicans, extruder and slab constructed.  These are my latest invention,  Creating pelicans from an extruded clay tube.  These are 5 inches tall and about 7-8 inches in length. I used a mix of vashon brown, ckk 6 porcelain, and vashon white clay.  Made in February 2014

detail

Extruder Pelicans

pelican portrait


Standing Pelican

Pelican Portrait

Porcelain Pelicans, These are some earlier pelicans.  The large one is coil built.   The smaller ones are pinched.  I try to make them in various poses to give them personality.