I Spy Something White

I spy, with my little eye, something that is white!  A small flock of ornament-like, ceramic birds landed in my flower gardens this week.

I’ve been sprinkling the 4-5” birds amongst the shrubs and garden accessories.





Shooting the photos for this blog post was a fun photography challenge.  I planned several shots in advance but I never imagined these bees (I think they’re Eastern Carpenter Bees) would make a cameo appearance!

Nor was I expecting this Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) to steal the show.

Anoles are tree-dwelling lizards native to the USA Southeast.  We often see them around our porch and garden and, because they eat a wide variety of insects and spiders, we’re glad to have them.  They’re fun to watch especially when the males extend their throat fans, called dewlaps, in a bold display of territorial ownership.


The idea to scatter a collection of birds throughout the garden originated from an exhibit at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens in Nova Scotia.  The exhibit was created by artist Shauna MacLeod of Black Crow Pottery.   As explained by the artist “For this exhibit entitled “Bird Watching” in 2013, I produced 32 ceramic birds to commemorate the 32 years the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens have been open.  They have been placed in the Gardens on the branches and stems of the trees and shrubs along a pathway for visitors to search for and enjoy.  Every year we add one more bird to commemorate another year passing.  I pose the question: are you watching the birds or are these birds watching you?”
I chose to make my collection of ceramic birds all the same.  They’re made from a slab of clay in a half-knot design and glazed with a glossy white finish.   The knotted ceramic birds are surprisingly easy to make—here’s how it’s done.
The first step is to prepare a paper template.  I’m sharing my template in this linked download file: Knotted Ceramic Bird – Complimentary Download.  Simply print directly or download to print.
You’ll need a slab of clay, about ¼” thick, big enough for the printed template.  I use the slab roller at the OCAF School Street Pottery Studio where I participate in open studio days but you can create slabs by hand or with a rolling pin.

Simply lay the paper template on your clay slab and cut out the bird.  I usually compress the clay with a plastic rib.

Cut out a small hole for the eye with a hole cutter or other suitable tool.  Smooth the cut edges.  Keep the clay moist by covering it with plastic while you’re working.

The next step is to form the knot.  I’ve learned that covering the clay with damp paper towels prior to this step makes it more pliable and prevents the clay from cracking as it’s twisted into shape.  Work slowly and follow the three steps described on the template to tie the clay bird into a half knot.  It will look like this.

Allow the knotted bird to dry for an hour or two.  Then cut a hole on the top of the bird’s back—this is where the hanger will be attached.  Carefully smooth any rough areas.  Let the knotted bird dry for the bisque firing.

The knotted bird can be finished in a variety of ways.  I chose to dip mine in a glossy white glaze.  After some trial and error, I learned the trick to getting an even coat is to hang the bird from some wire.  Insert a piece of wire through the eye hole and bend it into a ‘U”.  Then holding the top end of the wire, quickly dip the bird into the glaze.  Hook the top end of the wire around something sturdy and let the bird hang to dry.
Another factor to consider is how to position the birds for the glaze firing.  The standard rule in a pottery studio is any part of a piece that makes contact with a kiln shelf must be completely free of glaze.  This is normally accomplished by leaving the bottom of a piece unglazed.  These birds, however, have an irregular, non-flat bottom and won’t sit on a shelf.  Typically, pieces like this are placed on stilts in the kiln.  The kiln stilts worked OK but they left noticeable marks on the bird’s side.
I decided to try a different approach by building a simple bisqueware rack for the final firing.  As shown below, the bird is suspended in the rack by its beak and the tip of its tail.  The beak and tail must be left unglazed to prevent the bird from becoming permanently attached to the rack.  I used a pencil to mark exactly where the bird touches the rack and then waxed those areas before glazing.  With either approach, these birds require a little extra care when being loaded into the kiln. (Special thanks to Louise, Cameron and the other folks who load the kilns at the OCAF School Street Pottery Studio!)

To hang the knotted ceramic bird, insert a short piece of wire through the hole in the bird’s back.  Use pliers to twist a small spiral knot into the bottom end and pull into place.  Have fun finding the perfect spot for your new knotted ceramic bird and let the I Spy games begin!

More Info

You can download the project template here: Knotted Ceramic Bird – Complimentary Download.
Check out the Black Crow Pottery website to learn more about the talented Shauna MacLeod and her gorgeous artwork.
The Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens are located in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada.  “In a beautiful setting overlooking a tidal river valley, the Historic Gardens is a premiere Nova Scotia attraction showcasing gardening methods, designs and materials representing more than four hundred years of local history.”  I’ve visited these stunning gardens a few times over the years and welcome any opportunity to stroll through the 17 acres of natural and historic beauty.
You can learn more about the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) on their website.  Classes and workshops offered at the Watkinsville, Georgia, USA location are also listed.  OCAF’s School Street Pottery Studio hosts open studio hours for those with clay experience.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Display small art objects in multiples for impact.
2. A knotted ceramic bird is a great project for learning to work with clay.
3. Consider tucking away little surprises in your garden to add a sense of discovery.