What a Mess!

I an effort to get another firing off in mid January, I have been glazing my work and making a terrible mess in the studio!  Tomorrow I will be out there again and I plan to clean-up a bit before I continue!

The following pics are of my call for artists  piece.  I am still working out the remaining glaze scheme.  Of course, it will look different once fired; making it somewhat of a surprise!  In addition, I will be adding reflective beads and wire elements to the piece once it is glazed...

Call For Artists - Illumination/Reflections

I am considering creating a piece of work for a local call to Artist event at the Prescott Center for the Arts.  The application and entry pictures are due February 3rd, probably my biggest barrier since I will need two firings to get the work completed.  I have considered staining and painting the piece instead of glazing.  That would save time and require only the bisque fire.

It is a very challenging subject for ceramics media.  It involves illumination.  If I have interpreted the "call" correctly, The piece must be able to reflect natural light.  Hmmmmmmmmmm.  I already have ideas, but it involves me learning how to use my airbrush.  And that means I have to buy a compressor!  Even if I can't get a piece ready to submit, I will have at least tried new process!

il·lu·mi·na·tion n. 1. a. The act of illuminating. b. The state of being illuminated. 2. A source of light. 3. Decorative lighting. 4. Spiritual or intellectual enlightenment. 5. Clarification; elucidation. 6. a. The art or act of decorating a text, page, or initial letter with ornamental designs, miniatures, or lettering. b. An example of this art. 7. Physics The luminous flux per unit area at any point on a surface exposed to incident light. Also called illuminance. re·flec·tion noun 1. the throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it. "the reflection of light" 2. serious thought or consideration. "he doesn't get much time for reflection

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

How to Create Intricate Colored Clay Patterns

I need to get some Manson stains and try this technique!

Let's Unload My Kiln

It wasn't until 4PM that the kiln was cool enough to unload and even at that the lower shelves were still very hot to the touch, but it is hard to wait!  Below is a shot of the before and after, interesting...

Pre-fire

Post-fire

I think I have decided that I do not like the look of the darker clay bodies especially with the the glazes that I currently have.  They do much better on a lighter surface.  Luckily I do not have much more of the dark colors.  The darkest brown gets almost black even with a clear glaze.

I feel like the under-glazes on the greenware did well in the bisque fire.  I just need to keep them lower in the kiln where the temps will be lower.  Now I wish I would have glazed more.  One of the drawbacks with glazing on greenware is that they are the most fragile at this stage.  And I tend to make fragile pieces!

Below is my second nested ball - "Quail Run".  I added clay balls on the inside so that it "rattles".  I need to create the "nest" out of sticks on which it will sit.  And of course, I still need to add glaze and quail tuffs. Right now the quail look like ordinary birds... 

For the sphere shape I slumped slabs of clay over a plaster of paris mold I made.  For the first nested ball the one with houses I created the sphere using the pinch pot method.  It is a less refined method, but has lots of character.  LOL

Just went out and found some dead branches.  This is the nested ball concept.  

2 Hours of Troubleshooting!

Yesterday, I spent 2 hours trying to figure out why my blog no longer accepted photos or videos.  I was not the first user to encounter this problem.  Perhaps a "pop-up" box issue?  Well, according to Blogger it was a "browser" issue.  When I thought all was lost, I realized that on Tuesday I upgraded my Adobe Reader.  Sure enough a bunch of junk programs were loaded with it!!!  When I deleted all of the programs that came across on Tuesday (there were 4 unwanteds!) the blog began to work again.  Phew!  So today I will post the results of my firing, including photos!!!

Toasty!

Got up at 4:00 AM this morning and checked the kiln.  Completed in 12.39 hrs. and the temp was dropping 1733 deg. The studio was a toasty 80 deg even with the garage door and a window cracked.  Should be a pleasant temp in the studio all day today for creating!  No need for a sweatshirt. Kiln will probably not be cooled enough to unload until this evening...

All Fired Up!!!

At 3:05PM today I fired up the kiln for only the third time!  Perhaps not the most efficient load.  I had one tall piece, but no quarter self.  So there is a lot of wasted volume.  Not even sure if I can get a quarter shelf.   Anyhow, the picture below shows the load.  I added a few more flat pieces on the top that are not in the photo.

It is mostly greenware, but there are some under-glaze pieces and a few low fire glaze bisque pieces.  I am firing to cone 04 bisque.  In Hawaii the instructor loaded both greenware and low fire bisque glaze ware in the same firing.  I hope it works for me too!!!  I guess I will know late tomorrow or early Wednesday when it is cool enough to unload.  In the meantime I am working on a couple new "crazy" pots this evening...

Ceramic Tile Making

Simple process yet a very sophisticated outcome!

New Works in Greenware

I have been making some more "crazy" plant pots.  I want to get several made so that I can try to sell them on Etsy.  Not sure if they will sell, but they are relatively easy and fun to make.  Not sure what type of glazing I will use. I would love to try and spray on the glaze, but I need a compressor first!  LOL

Cary Weigand

Found this ceramic artist while researching some images on the web.  She was named "Emerging Artist of the Year 2011" by Ceramic Arts Daily.

Beginners and Creativity...

I found this video by Ira Glass on another's blog.  I like it and wanted to share...

Bisque Fire

I am hoping to have a full kiln in a couple of weeks.  And I hope to do a bisque fire  before Thanksgiving.  If all goes well then I can glaze pieces and glaze fire before Christmas.  At times I think my kiln is a tad too large for me.  I guess I just need to start making larger pieces!

Back in the Studio

It has been sometime since I have worked in my studio.  I was concentrating on my house and travel this summer.  But, fall has hit the air and it is time to get back into the studio.  I continue to sketch ideas; one of which I call "Nested Balls".  I do love to come up with art titles sometimes even before the visual idea!!! The prototype for this series is ready for bisque.  I do need to perfect the sphere building part of the project...  I also intend to build a "nest" for the sphere out of manzanita branches keeping the branches red color.  The sculpture can either sit on a table or in it's nest.  Hopefully the nest will work!

PS I need to find a better place and/or back drop for taking photos of my work!!!

Crazy Plant Pots

I got interested in creating  plant pots for succulents while taking a ceramics class at the local Community College.  I start out with a pinch pot, then add textured slabs and coils; kind of like a "crazy" pot.  It is fun and I never know how it will turn out!  The pictures below are my first few in greenware.  I need to make many more before I bisque fire and then there is glazing!  Back to the Studio!

Centering on the Wheel

Skutt Kiln

I ordered a Skutt kiln form American Ceramics in August 2012.  It was a big expense.   However, I could not find any local artist to rent me kiln space and classes at the College are high fire and close to $300 per semester.  As a result, I decided to buy my own...

I fired my Skutt Kiln for the first time in August 2012 with excellent results.