January 2011 new work

I've managed to create a few new pieces lately, in spite of my nagging wrist pains and my torn rotator cuff which have slowed my production down considerably. I just finished up a large asymmetrical vase that stands about 20 inches high and is about a foot wide that I necked down to an inch and a half. The neck area was starting to crack all over so I abandoned my plan to try to neck it down to less than an inch. It still needs a patina as do three of four other smaller pieces that I've finished with the hammering. I'm mostly using my newest hammer, which was made by a gifted blacksmith in Portland. It's made from tool steel and doesn't deform from impact. But I have also realized that I have a need for more variety of hammers, smaller, narrower, etc., so I am looking into ordering a few more. I'll post pictures after I get patinas on the newest pieces.