2017-08-06 - Sunday - Handsquatch pot

I collected some pots from the latest firing and one of them was a "handsquatch" pot. It features my hand print that gets stretched out during the process so it looks huge. It's so stretched that a lot of people don't even recognize it as a hand print until I point it out to them.

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2016-06-08 - Wednesday - Flowers and fires and clay

Wednesday I stopped to check on our Rose of Sharon hibiscus. It's very happy and blooming quietly in the corner of the fence. Not bad for a volunteer. I really like this plant. The blooms only last a day but there are hundreds of them. It's a very happy plant.

In the evening I was at Clayworks. I know, go figure.

Greg was firing the raku kiln and I caught him standing behind the flame. He looks like some sorcerer casting a spell. If you've seen any of his raku pieces you know that's a pretty accurate description.

I went inside and threw a lump of Pure Catawba clay from STARworks. My friend John Freeman gave me a piece to try and I really liked throwing it. The way it held the texture and got crackly without having to use sodium silicate was surprising. I may have to purchase some of this to explore it further.

The little guy was made from the trimmings of the large one. Waste not the dirt.

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2016-02-16 - Tuesday - New pot

Tonight I trimmed and carved the two snorkel pots and threw a new crackle pot using sodium silicate. Instead of a garlic pot this time I threw one with a more formal rim. Since I couldn't get my hand inside I had to stretch it with my throwing stick, which is a wooden spoon. I normally use my finger to make the ribs so this time I had to use the handle of the spoon for the ribs on the corners.

It's good practice since it's harder to feel the thickness of the clay when using a wooden tool instead of your fingers. By changing things up it allows us to stretch a bit.

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2010-10-07 Thursday - New direction

I am exhilarated by the new directions my clay exploration is taking me.  I am still doing the slip/sodium silicate process, but now I am using phoenix and black slip and pushing the clay to it's limit (and sometimes beyond).  I call these pots my "balloon pots" since they are so thin.  Sometimes just taking them off the bat is dangerous.

As you can see in the pictures the teapot form was so thin it  just collapsed straight down from its own weight.  I was thinking about tossing it into the slop bucket when Greg told me I should make it a teapot.  Thanks Greg!  I think it came out pretty well.  More to come.

Heady times, these.

 New batch.

 Sometimes form trumps function.

 Meteor strike.

Alien?

Somewhat more subdued.

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2010-09-18 Saturday - Studio time

I went to Clayworks on Saturday and got into a groove making crackle pots.  These pots take several steps:

1. Throw a cylinder
2. Set it in front of a fan to dry the surface
3. Paint on some slip
4. Set it in front of a fan to dry the surface
5. Spray it with a water/sodium silicate solution
6. Set it in front of a fan to dry the surface
7. Push it out from the inside
8. Throw the rim

I have found it helpful to put a wet paper towel on the rim while the pot sits in front of the fan.

I decided to try dipping some of the necks in white slip as a variation.  It could offer some interesting possibilities for glazing and decorating. 

I will spray these pots with some oxides and usually a very light spray of glaze such as amber celadon or temoku or even alfred blue.

I was very pleased with the three on the left with white slip as they are very light, possibly the lightest pots of their size I have ever thrown.

"Crackle" pots.

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pots 2009-02-11

Here are some pots I made on Wednesday (2/11/09). Still playing catchup on posting.

Five juicers and a slap tray.

I sutured this pot when it developed a fissure.

I also added a sprig from one of Adrienne's pots.
(I Lenzoed it. :^)

My biggest pot to date.
I painted the cylinder with white slip,
sprayed it with sodium silicate,
dried it with a heat gun,
and then stretched it from the inside.
Greg helped me straighten out my cylinder.
Rae let me use some of her sodium silicate/water spray.
Joe lent me his heat gun.
It takes a village to raise a pot.

Detail of the surface.

Joe is always surprised at the
depth and breadth of our glaze palette.

Make stuff. It's great.