If I were Captain Ahab, my Moby-Dick would definitely be this glaze.  You would think that making the perfect white glaze would be easy.  I mean, there’s no color right?  Well, there are about one billion shades of white out there in the world.  Check it out for yourself the next time you pass the paint aisle at your favorite home improvement store.  Yes, it’s about a billion - or just as overwhelming!  In ceramics, color is only half the consideration (or in my case, the battle) when it comes to developing or finding a new glaze recipe.

The tough questions that had to be answered were:
1. How would it break over the texture?
2.  Would my very detailed work look best encased in a gloss or matte finish?
3. Will I be able to read stamped text?
4. How would it look using a wax resist technique?
5. What would my white stoneware clay body look like under a super white glaze – yellow, ecru or white?
6. How would it look layered over color?  Should it be layered over color? Would it like that or would it give me a tough time?
7. Does it like being thick or would it crawl (unevenly break and produce bare spots in areas)?
8. Will it show my finger or dipping tong marks?
9. Is it too runny?  Will it ruin my kiln shelves?
10.  How many f-bombs will this particular glaze produce?  (THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION!)

After about a year of testing and refining, I finally think I have it. I think I have achieved the perfect balance of gloss and matte without it being too garish.  I’m very excited about this new glaze!!!  BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE NEW L-ROD (thanks to A-Rod, this is what people now call me) WHITE ON WHITE COLLECTION THIS SPRING!  I’ll probably tweak this crazy recipe for another year or so because, of course, I need to achieve sparkly too!   “There she blows!” – Melville

P.S. – These photos are bad mobile uploads, but better pics soon to come. 

Come find your new favorite mug, bowl or any number of pieces graced by a curious little bird at these two great events this month!

1. Gift from the Heart – Saturday, February 4 from Noon to 5 at 122 Western Avenue, Studio A208, Lowell, MA

2. SOWA Winter Market – Sunday, February 5 from 10 am – 3 pm at 485 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA (also get some fresh goodies for your Superbowl Party!)

I grew up in Brooklyn so I’m excited to be participating in Brooklyn Craft Central’s 4^thannual Holiday Market this Saturday 12/17.  This will be my last show of 2011 and then afterward I get to relax with my family in NY through Christmas – as much as you can relax with wild and crazy one and three year old nieces – OY!  Um, I mean JOY!  The truth is that I can’t wait to see those two little girls – totally worth the sleep deprivation! Come check out this fabulous show!!

Liz Rodriguez Ceramics will be there on 12/17 from 12 - 6!

I’m so excited to be a vendor at the 2nd Annual Hingham Shipyard Holiday Market! Please join me this upcoming weekend, November 26th and 27th for what promises to be a fantastic show loaded with 75 of the most talented indie crafters and artisans  in the area!

For the past 15 or so years, friends and I would go to Paradise City Arts shows and gawk at all the amazing arts and crafts.  To the great dismay of these poor but angelically patient people that accompanied me, I would ask excruciatingly detailed questions of each exhibitor like, “what is the secret to your success, how do you make your product, where do you work – at home or in a studio, do you do this full time, are you able to support yourself through your art or do you have a sugar mama/daddy?”   Each and every year I would say, “one day I’ll be an exhibitor at Paradise” and then would laugh a maniacal laugh as if it would never happen.

This year a seasoned artist friend said, “You can apply but it may take up to 5 years before you get in because competition is steep.”  “Holy crap! Five @%# years?!?!?,” I bleated. “Yep,” she said.  “They have to get to know you before they accept you.” Not even a few months later and CRIKEY IT HAPPENED!  I’m in – AND my on first shot too! When I received my acceptance letter, it was like the 5 stages of grief.  At first, I couldn’t believe it – I mean, I actually couldn’t  wrap my mind around the fact that I was going to be an exhibitor – at Paradise!; then I was angry that I didn’t apply years sooner and wasted years of my life wondering “what if” in my office cubical;  I bargained with God to get me through the yeoman’s work load it would take to prepare; shortly following I was depressed because I didn’t believe that I could meet the demands and expectations of such a show; and finally I was just  giddy with laughter and told anyone who would stand still long enough that I was to be an exhibitor at Paradise City, the third top ranked art show in the country!  Actually, I think I mentioned it multiple times to the same people – my apologies to those people, but I just couldn’t help myself! J

With only 15 days to Paradise my studio suffers a power outage in the Halloween weekend snow storm – aaaaahhh – but I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, excited, and so so soooooooo honored to be going to Paradise!  Maniacal laugh- ha ha ha ha ha!

Come and visit me at Paradise at The Royal Trade Plaza at 181 Boston Post Road Route 20 West in Marlborough, MA on November 18, 19 and 20th in booth #206!

I’m very excited to be participating in my first Lowell Open Studios this weekend -  October 1st and 2nd!  With over 150 artists participating, it’s sure to be a good one!  Stop by and say hello!  I’ll have my studio/showroom ready for visitors at Western Avenue Studios, 122 Western Avenue, Studio A208, in Lowell from 11 am - 5 pm on both days.

I was very fortunate to be an invited artist at Black Crow Yoga’s Open Studio: Spotlight on Artist’s in the Community last night. The night was filled with art, music, food and wine. The owner, Dean Milite, and his team were delightful to work with and to simply be around. There was great energy in this lovely serene space which I appreciated as a yogi myself. I met some great folks and it was also a good opportunity to get to hang out with fellow Western Avenue Studio Artist, Stacey Piwinski of Art Turtle Studio. She has an infectious smile and her work is amazing – we are pictured here in front of her hand-woven scarves.

 

I was happy to recently drop off some of my “Flights of Fancy” bud vases to Brooke Pickering of Bancroft and Friends Gallery .  Only two blocks from the ocean, this adorable little shop is located in a delightfully quaint and historic shopping and dining area of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Be sure to drop by and check it out!