Jump to content

What Are You Working On?


Recommended Posts

I got my wheel head resurfaced and new bearings and am loooooooving it. So excited. It spins for like an hour now! And the grooves cut into it really help with centering beyond what I thought it would. Once I feel myself getting "scared" of the clay, it means its been too long and its time to sit down and make something. I wanted to share what I'm working on currently. A bowl with a very gentle rim at the bottom that will catch glaze runs and pool the color that I put on this one when I fire.

 

10514095_432899856851555_64165091_n.jpg

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 113
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I fired a Raku sculpture a couple weeks ago.  I haven't been doing much since then.  

 

I did make a plaster slab to reclaim some clay, that has building up for months.  So once that's ready to go, I guess I'll be reclaiming...

 

I also have a medium to large sized bowl to make for a wedding gift.  I should probably get going on that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was persuaded to make my own prizes for my Lady Captain's Day at the Golf Club and it's now 2 weeks away! This needed 17 prizes of varying 'values'. I've been 'playing' with clay for the last couple of years, but haven't got beyond the - 'gifts for friends and family' stage, so this has really focused me and I waiver between feeling v proud of my work so far and mortified at the prospect of the glazing going wrong and not having prizes for this big day!!! have enough pieces made and need to do one more bisque fire (small kiln!!!) to ensure I have spares for when the glazing is not acceptable or breakages.

 

I have some test pieces ready (underglazes, oxides etc) and now need to fire them and then use a matt and shiny transparent on each to help me decide how to finish the prize items. As I haven't mastered glazing, this is potentially where the plan goes pear-shaped! Dip, pour, spray, brush on? Glaze tongs or finger grips? Wax bottoms or wipe? Oxides under or over base glaze? While I've made quite a lot of pieces over the past 2 years, I haven't yet got to a position of confidence with colouring and glazing.

 

So......tomorrow is final bisque fire day and a good clean up in the studio. Then I have Saturday & Sunday clear and must bite the bullet and decorate the first few pieces - oxide brushed on & wiped back on one, sprayed on another and underglaze painted into carved areas on a third, then transparent glaze over, but dip, pour, spray? Decision, decisions - it's making me nervous just posting this. Brush on has been the most consistently successful transparent glaze to date, but I don't have glossy brush on and haven't yet tried the matt. Also I WANT to develop my dipping, pouring, spraying skills and get right away from brush on glaze. Perhaps this project isn't the time to be brave...or perhaps it is? In case you're wondering...I DON'T have a back up plan! If I think about it and have the time, I'll post some pics - successful or otherwise, of the finished items. Wish me luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brian,

 

Raku was originally created, in Japan, for the purpose of creating tea bowls.  However, the Western form of Raku firing,I've seen pretty much any type of form done; vases, jars, bowls, platters, etc.

 

In regards to "better" glazes, that's completely dependent on what you are looking for.  The metallic copper, that you get from Raku, are pretty popular.  If you have other low fire glazes, nearly any of them can be used for Raku, with some surprising and interesting results. 

When I do Raku, with my sutdents, I give them the option to use some specific Raku glazes, or any of our general low fire glazes.  I made a sectioned test tile, with most of my standard low fire glazes, that I fired Raku, so they would have some idea, how they would turn out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really want to know about today-well its been a duzy

Glazed a car kiln load-transported greenware in a truck 10 miles-unloaded an electric bisque load and reloaded another greenware load into it and started it-unloaded a small gas kiln glaze kiln load and reloaded that kiln with another glaze load-trimmed some bowls-picked up one of our cats from the vet (at same time I got the greenware)

waxed up a load as well-taking tonight off-my feet hurt

I think I moved a 1,000 pots today but it may be only 800.

This is all for some summer gallery orders and an upcoming big show next weekend 1000 miles away

!st weekend in August is usually the largest show weekend I know of in the western states-meaning the most shows on same weekend.

Got my second wind and priced and packed that glaze load from today.

washed our cat (do not ask why)

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chores done, about to go to shed and tissy up echidna additions to soup bowls. An order and they're nearly ready to bisque. Keep looking at photos of these little critturs and wondring.. Video on CAD re mammal heads makes me want to do it again differently. Echidnas are monotremes not mammals , also going to collect some echidna skeletons from Earth watch centre so get to know these little beasties better, wierd back legs.

Clean up other pots to bisque then reclaim clay for the weekend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was persuaded to make my own prizes for my Lady Captain's Day at the Golf Club and it's now 2 weeks away! This needed 17 prizes of varying 'values'. I've been 'playing' with clay for the last couple of years, but haven't got beyond the - 'gifts for friends and family' stage, so this has really focused me and I waiver between feeling v proud of my work so far and mortified at the prospect of the glazing going wrong and not having prizes for this big day!!! have enough pieces made and need to do one more bisque fire (small kiln!!!) to ensure I have spares for when the glazing is not acceptable or breakages.

 

I have some test pieces ready (underglazes, oxides etc) and now need to fire them and then use a matt and shiny transparent on each to help me decide how to finish the prize items. As I haven't mastered glazing, this is potentially where the plan goes pear-shaped! Dip, pour, spray, brush on? Glaze tongs or finger grips? Wax bottoms or wipe? Oxides under or over base glaze? While I've made quite a lot of pieces over the past 2 years, I haven't yet got to a position of confidence with colouring and glazing.

 

So......tomorrow is final bisque fire day and a good clean up in the studio. Then I have Saturday & Sunday clear and must bite the bullet and decorate the first few pieces - oxide brushed on & wiped back on one, sprayed on another and underglaze painted into carved areas on a third, then transparent glaze over, but dip, pour, spray? Decision, decisions - it's making me nervous just posting this. Brush on has been the most consistently successful transparent glaze to date, but I don't have glossy brush on and haven't yet tried the matt. Also I WANT to develop my dipping, pouring, spraying skills and get right away from brush on glaze. Perhaps this project isn't the time to be brave...or perhaps it is? In case you're wondering...I DON'T have a back up plan! If I think about it and have the time, I'll post some pics - successful or otherwise, of the finished items. Wish me luck!

 

As Mario Andretti once said ... if everything appears to be under control, you are not going fast enough!!

 

Good Luck!! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The new gift shop mgr. would like a set of four double walled coffee cups with pierce work on the out side.

They're made with 3 lbs. clay, centered, caked, divided into, with the inside pulled first, then the outside pulled and

joined at the top.  Then trimmed, pierced, bisqued, stained, and glazed.

She would like a set of Medieval nesting mixing bowls size 3 lb., 5 lb., and 7 lb. and another set of

6lb., 8 lb. and 10 lb.   They'll have lug handles on each side and bosses applied around the rim and

around the base.  She has tried selling French butter bells/keepers but said the butter fell out of the lid,

so she would like some British butter dishes where the butter stays in the dish when the lid is removed.

     That should keep things busy for a while but in the spare time, I'll make some 2 1/2 lb. coffee cups

as gifts for the local Police and Fire depts.

  I'd post photos in the gallery but the computer says the image is too large?

Keep potting,

Alabama

Link to comment
Share on other sites

considering the best way to use the new "mold" i made with leaves and dragonflies.  took everything from the kiln last night and found so much stuff that suggests new uses.  it is always this way, more things to do or try than time.  hope my reach always exceeds my grasp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Echidnas are monotremes not mammals

Their class is in fact mammalia, while their order is monotremata.

 

Thanks for that, well knew that somewhere in the brain as they produce milk and are warm blooded. Interesting creatures which can retract their heads, oh if I could do that! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.