My new website is up and running! To check it out, go here. I'm pretty jazzed about it.
This means this will be my last Blogger post, but I will continue to enter Friday 5x5 and other various ceramic related things in my new blog on my website. Please come and visit as regularly as you would like! I plan to continue following all of my Blogger friends, I just won't be posting anything here.
Thanks!
mitzi's.functional.ware.house.
a ceramic artist's experience
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Friday 5x5
This week:
I'm going to be honest, I actually had to push myself to complete the 5x5 this week. I'm kinda disappointed that I did not complete the mishma on those other 3 tumblers from last week, but I really do have a good excuse. I'm running a 5k this weekend with a group of my friends where we get pummeled with colored corn starch as we run by checkpoints. Check it out here. My friends and I decided to amp up our outfits, so this is what we've got. :)
Combine the white tutu with a white tee and we have an outfit ready to be colored! I think we're ready to run tomorrow and hopefully after this I can finally finish those tumblers! :D
These are the tumblers from last week with a little window underglaze and Forbes wax resist. They are ready to be carved and mishma-ed! |
Adding the slab bottom. |
5 new forms ready to be decorated. |
Crazy awesome leg color. |
Safety first! |
Can you guess what this is? Yup, 6 yards of tulle! |
Thursday, October 18, 2012
La Maison Basse and website
I finally finished my website and I'm so excited about it. I am waiting to get my domain name transferred and then arrivederci Blogger and buongiorno Wordpress. (I am starting to learn some basics of Italian...more on that later.) Yes, I will be leaving this blog site, because well, I am using Wordpress, I might as well start blogging there. I think it might be more convenient and I'm really digging their setup.
I also received images today from the event of La Maison Basse. I gotta say, my cloud catchers look pretty killer and the table set up ain't too bad either. ;o)
I also received images today from the event of La Maison Basse. I gotta say, my cloud catchers look pretty killer and the table set up ain't too bad either. ;o)
Friday, October 12, 2012
Friday 5x5
I decided to continue working on tumbler forms. While those from last week are cool, they don't allow me very much room for more surface decoration. I want a simpler form. I was inspired by Martha Grover's demo she does for Ceramics Arts Daily. Martha's pots are very fluid and unique, and to construct them she throws open forms and attaches a slab base. I wanted to explore creating unique bottoms for my work as well. I really enjoy the bottom of #1 the best because it looks like a little cloud took up residence on the foot. I think this is something that may be incorporated in a lot of my work from now.
1, 2, 3 |
#4 |
#5 |
Also, meet my handy studio helper. It's quite wonderful to look down and see his face when I'm working.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Shrinky Dinky
I've been needing to do this for my cone 6 casting slip for a long time, but since I have cone 6 clay (and I need to screen/blunge my casting slip), I decided to go ahead and make a shrinkage test with what I have. Very simply, all you have to do is take a wet slab of clay and draw a 10 cm line. Measure the line once it's bone dry, then after it's been fired in a bisque and glaze. You will be able to determine how much your clay shrinks at each stage. So if your clay shrinks to 9.5cm between wet and bone dry you will know that your clay almost shrinks 5%. See below.
10cm-9.5cm=.05cm
.05cm*100=5%
The Formula
Where x is the measured distance in centimeters at any given stage of dryness/firedness, and z is the percent of shrinkage for your clay:
10-x=y
y*100=z
On another note, I may be leaving Blogger for Wordpress. Don't worry, I'll still be blogging, but I am revamping my website because I don't like my current host and Wordpress is a blog site. I'm pretty excited about the new website, but it's taken a bit longer than expected because I need to sit down and concentrate on rewording my artist statement and about page. Here is a little sneak peek:
Enjoy!
10cm-9.5cm=.05cm
.05cm*100=5%
The Formula
Where x is the measured distance in centimeters at any given stage of dryness/firedness, and z is the percent of shrinkage for your clay:
10-x=y
y*100=z
Clay at wet stage. |
On another note, I may be leaving Blogger for Wordpress. Don't worry, I'll still be blogging, but I am revamping my website because I don't like my current host and Wordpress is a blog site. I'm pretty excited about the new website, but it's taken a bit longer than expected because I need to sit down and concentrate on rewording my artist statement and about page. Here is a little sneak peek:
Friday, October 5, 2012
Some finished pieces.
I mentioned I was glazing some pieces to test my new cone 6 clay body (my casting slip recipe without deflocculant). I think the results were fairly successful! All of my new 5x5 tumblers were made with this clay. I also finally finished one of the cloud pieces, which I haven't gotten around to remaking the mold of yet. :)
My Clay |
Helios Porcelain |
My clay |
My casting slip |
Friday 5x5
Here it is! The first of many 5x5's. My goal this week was to make a few different tumbler forms. I also wanted to incorporate my new stamps into the design.
#1 and #2 I started producing as a result of a Scandinavian mug I saw. I think those both need some more work. Those evolved to #3 and I thought about adding a foot. I like the addition of the foot on #4 and result seems familiar to me, but I don't remember where I've seen it. #5 is a keeper. Annnnd #6...I honestly didn't want to post this one, but it's something I want to continue working with. I tried using the stamp of my raindrops, but those were unfortunate, so I slip trailed the drops and I liked that a lot better.
Group shot. |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
#1 and #2 I started producing as a result of a Scandinavian mug I saw. I think those both need some more work. Those evolved to #3 and I thought about adding a foot. I like the addition of the foot on #4 and result seems familiar to me, but I don't remember where I've seen it. #5 is a keeper. Annnnd #6...I honestly didn't want to post this one, but it's something I want to continue working with. I tried using the stamp of my raindrops, but those were unfortunate, so I slip trailed the drops and I liked that a lot better.
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