I could be in the Studio

I am not in the studio.  I am in my living room reading ART & FEAR by David Bayles & Ted Orland.
"Working within the self-imposed discipline of a particular form eases the prospect of having to reinvent yourself with each new piece."  An approach I could well use.

I don't throw for a while and when I do sit down at the wheel I find that I have to back up a bit and relearn the mostly automatic movements that lift a cylinder and thin a wall.  When I do 'get it' again I think, 'Yes, that is what works for me'.  When I do spend time making mugs or bowls I do relearn what it takes to make a mug or bowl.  Sadly I move on to making something else using some other technique and need to relearn what it takes to 'do' that technique. 

It would be best, obviously, if I could/would stay with one method or technique but that does not seem to be me.  At 70 I am beginning to realize that this is who I am...not neat, not focused, not disciplined, but the opposites whatever they are and that is okay!  I mostly have fun being me not that other person I always thought I would grow up to be.

Useful and Unusual

I have something of a reputation at the Guild for making wacky things, pancakers is the last idea.  Today I worked on Yarn Bowls...didn't even know about them until last week when I wandered into a yarn shop and there they were.  So when I got home I sat down at the wheel and threw three to test the idea out.  They are just bowls with a curly cut down the side, you drop the yarn ball in the bowl and run it out the curl.  It keeps the yarn ball from rolling away and it is Art!!!

As I usually say - pics to follow!

New Cone 6 glazes

Last week I did a bunch of testing, new glazes, old glazes, one glaze under and over another glaze.  And! I got some pretty inpressive results.  Much more impressive if I can recreate the results on real pots not just test tiles.

This is Black Licorice under and over a white matt.  Hard to tell from the picture but it is a nice green/brown.

 This is the white matt with some red iron oxide over and under another matt glaze.  Another sort of brown/tan glaze. 




These are the matt glaze in the above tile on the right and on the left tile the same white matt in the above tile with an ash glaze under and over it. 

It is interesting to see the effects of layering glazes.  Lots of possibilities.

 I'm looking forward to throwing some mugs to test these glazes on 'real' pots!  Will post pics when that happens.

Here are a couple of styles of salt pigs or salt cellars.  I am anxious to fire them to see how the sizes are.  Bisque next week and high fire when I can find someone to fire with.  It is tough to get enough pots for a kiln load.  Maybe I can get them into a salt fire at the Arvada Center.  That would be great!

Here piggy, piggy!

Yesterday I cleaned up the five salt pigs (broke one) and threw five different - more pig-like - salt cellars.  They need finished later today AND I trust I will get the camera out and document the work.

I also started the process of getting a Kickstarter Project ready to submit for approval.  Check out the site  www.kickstarter.com to see how it works.  I'll be posting more information about our project in the next few days.  But! it is exciting!  Another new thing for me to start!  Hopefully, the rest of the guild members will step up and help finish it...I know they will.

New life into an old blog

I have rediscovered my blogs and the need/energy to begin posting again.  I am working in clay again after a long break.  I've changed studios and in the process rediscovered old projects.  I spent quite a lot of time reorganizing all of the detritus and did a pretty good job of it.  And unlike the office at home, I AM going to keep it that way (she says with a hopeful tone in her voice).

Yesterday and today I worked on salt pigs - containers to sit by the stove so you can grab a pinch of salt when you need it.  For some reason that sounds to me like "a stitch in time".  Hummm.  I'll post pics when the pigs are farther along - really I will.

ANOTHER new project

Starting something new is just so much fun!  DSK found this info for me on the web and we just had to try it!  It's call Oogoo and is a molding material made out of silicone and cornstarch and a bit of paint.  It's quick, messy and so fun!  I can imagine lots of ways to use this with all the kinds of clay I play with.