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Watching Sunrise Along Salish Sea The theme of nature and interconnectedness runs through all of Thompson’s work. It is the artist’s calling to make visible that which may otherwise be unseen.

Thompson Art Studio is nested between two state parks on a small island North of Seattle, Washington, USA. The studio abuts the edge of the Camano Island State Park forest and is located on a bluff overlooking the Saratoga Passage and Olympic Mountains. The beauty of her local view embeds itself into many of Thompson’s paintings.

Featured painting: “Trees Watching Sunrise Along the Salish Sea”, oil on canvas, 36″x12″.

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The Kiln is On, Glazing Trees Today

This is my second glaze firing in this kiln. The photo here shows how the trees look unfired with glazes. I can’t wait till I see what they look like fired.

There are also some bowls in the kiln today. Painting with glazes in my studio is bringing the relationship between my ceramic work and oil paintings and ink drawings to a new level for me.

I will keep you posted.

Next Kiln Load Includes Clay Forest

Susan Cohen Thompson prepares to test glaze colors creating forestI am very excited to arrive at this design for my glazing test tiles. These little trees, still green (unfired), are made from my favorite Christmas cookie cutter. After 5+ years working in the wonderful Stanwood House Ceramic Studio, I am attempting to work with clay in my painting studio and firing my work in the kiln Kathy Hastings loaned me, which is in our garage below my studio.

I have tried various other techniques to test glaze colors. It was glaze testing that lead me to making ceramic pins, which I proceeded to sell and with them went my test pieces. I think these test tiles will work and it will be fun for me to enlarge the forest over time. My kiln is small and I needed something upright. I have 18 new glazes, all yet to be tested. I have signed up for a few ceramic exhibitions, so I am on a deadline. I have a dozen carved pieces waiting in the wings without glaze and I need to figure out what my new work is going to look like.

Out of the Kiln

Bowl by Susan Cohen ThompsonKiln load was successful!