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!