In my stu-dio...stu-dio...

Completed cloud bowl mold.

There is a lot to catch up on.  Apparently a week long vacation leads to lots of studio productivity.  First, I attempted to cast my cloud bowls.  In my experience, the first cast always fails.  Per example this one, but the second was better, and the third even better than that, after I dusted the mold with the powdered clay body.  Andrew Martin calls this calcined version Chinese dust; I didn't have time to calcine mine (fire the powered materials in the kiln to extract the moisture from the ingredients), so I just blended some cast scraps in my magic bullet blender and Voila!  America dust. :D  There are a few cracking issues in the 4th cast, but I figure that will resolve with time.

First cast.

Third cast.

Next on the agenda, to decant my white terra sig.  I found a siphon that Josh and I had used to change my break fluid and I thought why not.  It was magical; I didn't have to babysit the flow, I just set it and busied myself with other things.  I inserted one end into the orange bucket about 2/3 the way down.  The heavier particles of the EPK settle and take up the bottom 1/3 of the bucket, and I wanted to avoid picking any of that up.  I tested the white terra sig on a few pieces and it's a little different from the red.  It needs to be SUPER thin.  I applied it too thickly to the mugs that are in the picture below (beside the large bowl and vases) and there were lots of cracks in the surface.  I want to experiment and put stain in the cracks and glaze over them to see what happens.

EPK Terra Sigilatta

Eric Haagensen yunomi

In other news, I got two new mugs to add to my collection.  One from Eric Haagensen from Mudfire Clayworks.  I enjoyed some delicious Indian chicken and rice in the yunomi (I don't drink tea very often, so it's probably going to be a bowl for me).  Then another wonderful addition is from Michelle Harris, a wonderful potter from Canada. I've found this mug is perfect for my Keurig. (Big shout out to Michelle! Your cup is wonderful!) The handle is also very comfortable.  It carries the weight of the cup very well.

Michelle Harris mug

Now to the studio time...as you may know I am part of a group show in Roswell, GA, at the Roswell Art Center West.  I had one piece completed for the show approximately 1 week ago. My goal was to at least have 2 more new pieces for the show that was scheduled to open June 8, 2012.  Here is the progress that happened as I continuously worked:

Making image and carbon copy transfers for the inner wall of the pieces.

Inner wall of Caged Fruit Bowl (some leaf impressions; popcorn, daffodil transfers). I didn't have enough time to bisque and glaze, so I once-fired the pieces.  I used Mayco Overglazes to provide color to the transfers.

Opposite side of inner wall of CFB (dandelion and peach soda transfer).

CFB after assembly, before removal of outer wall and chains.

Inner wall of Caged Teacup, Saucer, and Spoon (cat, dandelion, and Bubblicious watermelon gum transfers). Sorry these are upside down.  I didn't want to remove the piece from the bat before assembly.

Inner wall of CTSS (fried chicken leg, Bojangles logo, and Eskimo spitz doggie)

CTSS assembled before removal of outer wall and chain.

Starting to remove the outer wall.

Outer wall removed, foot carved, and loops for chains attached on CFB

Chains in progress.

Waiting on pieces to dry before loading into kiln.

Caged Teacup, Saucer, and Spoon (There is a support of clay on the outside of one of the bars because it cracked.  Not a part of the final piece.)

Close up of Spoon.

Caged Fruit Bowl

I loaded these pieces at approximately 3:00am on Tuesday, June 5.  I could not sleep at all that night. I had terrors of clay cracking and terra sig doing things that was quite impossible for it to do (crawling up sides of the pots and exploding nonsense).  I really wanted the interior of the CFB to be glazed with clear, but I ran out.  I didn't realize this until early in the morning and I didn't have time to get any else where.  There was an image of a daffodil on the inside of the bowl that is a little visible.  Note to self: red terra sig will cover up image transfers.  The image of the magnolia flower that is on the outside of the cup didn't show up.  It was a little unfortunate because it was kinda cool, but oh well.

Needless to say, I unloaded the kiln on Thursday morning and all was well.  I rushed through applying the terra sig, so it was a little dry in some places (mainly on the chains).  Since theses pieces are more decorative than functional, I decided to do some cold finishing.  I took one of the failed spoons to Home Depot and they matched the color for me. I touched up some spots that needed it, and packed my work for the trip to the show!

After finishing 2 really complex pieces in less than 1 week, I was really quite proud of myself.  I was super excited to see what they would look like in the space at Roswell.  I will post images of the show in a later blog.

Studio tour and working with Terra Sig

I have officially moved back into my studio at my house. There are so many benefits to having a personal studio. I realized last night how much I enjoy working in my backyard. My wheel faces the door, so I can see squirrels and birds frolicking about in the trees and grass when I throw. The studio is not without its cons, like it doubles as a garage, I don't have running water or air conditioning, and the electricity is limited to a standard outlet. Fortunately, I have enough power to run the essentials: wheel, heat gun, fan, and stereo. :) Here are some images of my space. It is quite small, but it causes me to be more efficient. I only wish that I had my kiln hooked up so I wouldn't have to transport my work, but I currently don't need it (or the bill) because I can use SCADs.

Images: (starting top left) view of studio from my backyard, my studio upon entry, looking to the left, looking to the right, view from my wheel, and my friendly new pet Raul who was not harmed by my fan :D

Current projects: I am working on a complex teapot that I would like to submit to a juried show (deadline quickly approaching in May!), but I'm still considering how to finish it. We'll see if it will make it in time or not. Also, I am working on a Monopoly board made out of clay. I am kinda exciting about it, because I don't drift out of my functional mode often. The board is for a 50 year wedding anniversary. Apparently it's a new trend, because a friend of mine was commissioned to do one as well. It's kind of bizarre, but it's a project that pays. :) As well as all of these projects, I'm still trying to keep my gallery stocked. I'm working on some tumblers. I have also been using my terra sig and having fun burnishing on them. Here they are:

Terra Sig and S.P.A.C.E. show

In undergrad, all of my work was high fire. Since being at SCAD, I have transitioned to using terra cotta/white earthenware. Recently, I have been admiring work from Amy Sanders and Elise Pincu, and decided that I should try my hand at making a terra sigillata. Terra sig is a mixture of the finest particles of clay and water. When you add it to greenware, burnish it slightly, and fire the clay, you have a satiny shine. I like the softness that terra sig gives a piece over the high intensity shine of a clear glaze. So I did some digging and found a fascinating article by Vince Pitelka detailing the ins and outs of terra sig, so I set about to work.

I found that I was very impatient regarding the setting time, but I left it alone for approximately 4 days. I will soon test the result in a kiln firing coming up to see if all my hard work paid off.

I have been at SCAD using the ceramics facilities because my studio has been freezing. I can't wait to move back in during the Spring, but for now SCAD works. I have found that I am very prolific when I come in and focus on the weekends. I've been investing about 25 hours each week, while maintaining the 40 hr job at SCAD. I've been trying to prepare for a show at Savannah's Place for Art, Culture, and Education (S.P.A.C.E.) Gallery in March that is rapidly approaching. Meanwhile, my work that is in The Gallery has been selling, so I need to restock. :-O!