Updates

A few weeks ago, I had pictures of the yummy pots that I'm making for Robyn.  Well, they have been bisque fired and glazed and they are ready for the next glaze fire.  I thought you'd like to see them in their present state.  

The one on the left should be yellow and the one on the right will be blue with some kind of purple at the top.  The glaze that I used at the top is one that really moves a lot, so I'm hoping for purple running down the sides of a blue pot.  We shall see.  

Do you remember the rectangular baker from a few weeks ago?  Well, it is completely done now.  

I was hoping for a little bit darker color on the glaze, but this isn't bad.  It did warp a little bit, so it doesn't sit exactly level on the counter.  That's how you know it was hand made, right?  For those of you who wanted to know how big it is, it ended up with about 9.5 by 11.5.  So if I do this again, what color(s) would you like to see?  

Candle Holder??

Here's another something new that I tried this weekend.  The inspiration for this piece came from a video clip that my dad sent.  (http://www.wimp.com/puzzlejug/)  While I'm not up to making a puzzle jug, I thought that  the interlocking circles were really cool.  

I threw the vase shape and let it dry a bit.  I think I should have let it dry a little more than I did, but patience is really not one of my strengths.  I measured the circumference of the vase and worked out what size circles I wanted to use.  I marked where the centers should line up and then used a compass to mark the circles.  

That was the fun part.  The not so fun part involved cutting away the pieces that I needed to remove.  I may also regret starting this when the piece is dry and I have to sand it to remove all the sharp edges before firing.  I tried to be as careful as possible and smooth off edges as I worked, but I am sure I missed things.  It was getting late and I was hungry - not a combination for me to do my best work.  

I am less than pleased with the triangles that I cut out at the tops of the circles.  I should have been more careful with them to make them more uniform (the late/hungry thing contributed to this issue as well).  Now that I'm looking at it today, I think I need some cut outs at the bottom too.  I was a little worried about cutting away too much too low and ending up with a piece that was going to collapse under the weight of the clay left at the top.  For a first effort, it's not awful I guess.  Sometimes I need to do something the wrong way so that I can figure out the right way to do it next time.  Will there be a next time?  I really don't know.  It will depend on how much "fun" I have with it from here on.  

For reference (in case you weren't willing to watch the whole video from wimp.com in the link above), this is the jug from the Victoria and Albert Museum that inspired this piece.  

Rectangular Baker

There's an article in the Mar/Apr 2013 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated on making a Rhubarb Crisp Baker that reminded me of a similar article in an older issue that I have read in the last year.  (I can't put my hands on the issue with the other article in it, so it must be an older one that Allen or Ronnie brought in to the studio.)  In both, the project consists of making a ceramic baker by throwing a large ring, altering it, and then attaching it to a slab.  This technique allows the potter to make a square, rectangular, or oval shaped baker.  

This weekend, I gave it a shot.  I took about 4 pounds of clay and threw a large ring.  I left it a little thicker on the rim on purpose.  After a few hours (I went home and took a shower and nap in the interim) when it was dry enough to handle, I cut it off the bat and shaped it into the rectangle that you see here. 

  

While the sides continued to dry, I worked on making the bottom.  I rolled out a slab, moved it to the wheel so that I could add the swirl design, and cut out the rectangular shape that I needed.  

Then I attached the ring to the slab.  The last step was to add the handles.  

For this project, I made this as big as I could.  Honestly I didn't even measure the diameter of the ring before I removed it from the bat, so I have no idea how large this is.  Sometimes I just jump in and see what I can do.  It will be interesting to see what size it is once it is fired twice.  Next time around I might be a little more careful and try to make something that is a standard size.  

Winter Blahs

THIS WINTER HAS BEEN YUCKY.  Maybe not everyone would agree with my statement, and that is OK.  You have the right to be wrong.  I've not been able to work on pottery much (nor have I been able to run or ride my bike regularly, but that's not a subject for this blog).  I've had yucky colds - TWICE now, and I don't usually get sick.  Between feeling crappy, the little bit of winter weather we've had, having a HUGE load at school this semester, and being distracted by family/wedding shopping trips that have needed to be taken, I've not spent much time in the studio.  When I don't go and work regularly, I lose focus.  When I do get there, I have no ideas.  If I try to throw, I'm out of practice and I can't center.  Blah, blah, blah, grump, grump!  

So, all that aside, I managed to do some good stuff this weekend.  I actually had a good throwing day on Friday, and there was much rejoicing.  (Yaaaay!)  I made the two yummy pots that were featured in my last blog post and threw the pieces for a covered casserole dish.  

That's a 4 pound bottom, three pounds for the lid (much of which will get trimmed away), and somewhere around 3/4 of a pound for the knob.  I did a really big knob this time hoping for something that looked really cool and was also functional - easy to grab even with oven mitts on and big enough to support that large lid.  My plan was to do some large handles for the sides of the pot to sort of balance out the over sized knob.  

Here it is all put together.  I'm not sure...the knob on top might be a little big, but I'm going to reserve judgement until after firing when it has shrunk down.  As it is right now, I'm imagining the need to remove all the extra racks from the oven if one needed to cook with the lid on.  So maybe the over sized handle on the top is not such a great idea, but it was so nice to feel productive again!  (Somebody please notice that I've learned how to put a watermark on my photos.)  

What's a "Yummy Pot?"

I don't know what a Yummy Pot is but I'm trying to make some.  This is another project begun as a favor to a friend.  

Above is one of the pictures that my friend Robyn sent so I'd know what she was talking about.  I didn't crop this one because it shows off not only the yummy pot in the foreground but also a dish made by my friend Vicki Halloran in the background.  I think this is just neat.  I'm also showing off Robyn's BEAUTIFUL counter tops and cabinets.  Seriously folks, take a moment to "ooh and aah."  (The guys at Martin Cabinets do wonderful work!  They also did my kitchen a few years ago, and I am very happy.)

I threw two things this weekend that I hope will someday reach yummy pot status.  Once they are fired, I hope the size will be about right.  I'll try to remember to update you on how it all goes.  I really enjoyed throwing them, so if I'm able to get the size correct and can get my hands on some recipes, this might become something that I do on a regular basis.  

Getting Ready for Treasures of the Earth

It seems that I was visited by the shelf fairy after all!  Thanks to my mom who found folding shelf units and to Amazon and free shipping, I am the proud owner of two new sets of shelves that sit nicely on top of my 6 foot table.  

I'd hoped that they would be wide enough to "fill up" the whole table, but they weren't.  We happened to have a small set of similar shelves in our basement, so I'm "borrowing" them.  I am pretending that I'm not bothered by the fact that they are a different color.  What I DO like is that the shelves in the middle  are on different levels than the others.  I think that looks more interesting.  We shall see if I still think that after I have pottery on them.  

My new lights are also shown in this picture.  You may pause now to "oooh" and "aaah" if you wish.  I seriously hope that the shelves and lights will give my set up a slightly more professional look.  Seriously, does this make you think: "Wow - cool stuff over there - I must go buy some of it"?  (Grammar Alert: I think there's something wrong about that last sentence with the quotation marks and the question mark, but I can't figure out how to make it right.  Please forgive me and continue reading.) 

If you are wondering what is going on here, I'm trying to figure out what pottery will go to the Arts Council this week.  Set up for the show is Tuesday, and I'll go over after my morning class to take care of that.  That means that I need to spend time this weekend getting everything picked out and packed up.  So of course, I'm updating my blog instead of doing what I am supposed to be doing.  

I'll share more pictures later.  For now, back to work.  

Happy New Year!

I don't get excited anymore about going out and celebrating on New Year's Eve.  In fact, I am pretty sure that I was in bed shortly before 9pm last night. (I'm also pretty sure that I fell asleep on the couch before that.)  Guess that means that I've gotten old.  It also means that I was up and at 'em this morning bright and early.

Today was my last day of vacation before going back to school to finish up the Fall semester for my high school class and beginning the Spring semester for my college classes.  Confusing, I know.  I just hope I remember to go to the right place in the morning.  But I digress...

On this, my last day of vacation, I got some work done in the studio.  Treasures of the Earth will be here before I know it and I need soup bowls!  And chip and dips and napkin holders and casserole dishes.  Over the past couple of days, I've worked on a couple of chip sets, a few soup bowls (I have promised to donate 10 to the Arts Council for Bowling for Dollars), some napkin holders, and a few other little things.

I've also ordered some new lights for my display.  They are back ordered and I HOPE that I'll have them in time for Treasures.  Next on my pottery related wish list is a set of shelves to sit on top of my table, but that will definitely have to wait until after this winter.  I just don't see being able to get moving on that soon enough.  Who knows though?  Perhaps the shelf fairy will visit me.