Catherine "Kater" Cheek is a writer and artist.
Catherine Cheek
Author's posts
Sep 26
Glass Porcelain Charms
My friend and pottery mentor Bridget Harper made this special porcelain that vitrifies at a low temperature. She warned me that it wasn’t easy to work with, but I was able to roll out thin sheets by using a pasta machine. I stamped these with commercial rubber stamps, then trimmed them to 1″ square. They …
Sep 25
Broken Bowl
I think the crucial flaw in this bowl was the temperature at which I glazed it. It was in the upper hundreds on glazing day, and the pieces absorbed thick layers of glaze. I tried to feather some of it off by rubbing it with my finger once it was dry, but it wasn’t enough. …
Sep 23
Oak Leaf Pendant failures
This is a second set of oak leaf pendants I made, using a different sprig mold. I didn’t clean them up well, figuring that I could do it once they were bisqued, but that’s turning out to be not feasible. I can’t stand the sound of dry sanding, and I’d rather make all new ones …
Sep 21
Oak Leaf Pendants
For ten years, I wore a carved oak leaf made out of antler as a pendant around my neck. I wore through at least one cord, and eventually the pendant itself wore through. I was heartbroken. I loved that pendant, but my attempts to fix it proved insufficient. I decided to make a new pendant …