Marcia Selsor
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Posts posted by Marcia Selsor
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Just back from NCECA. I wanted to say thanks to those who stopped by after our panel to say hello. It is always nice to add a face to a name.
I thought it was a good NCECA and I enjoyed seeing so many OLD friends. We are getting older every year and it shows. I had three friends
commemorated in the Past Masters sessions.
So until next year....
Marcia
Babs and Up in Smoke Pottery reacted to this -
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When NCECA was in Seattle there was a show of the 10 wood kilns of the area. I think , if you must fire it, you should contact one of the owners of these kilns.
Marcia
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Pres, where is the ceramic Arts Daily reception or is it the same as the ICAN?
Marcia
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I think there are also calls for volunteers for locals to works registration and other things.
Old Lady, I wish I knew you were working in Tampa. I want to meet you face to face sometime. I did get to hang out with President some some of NCECA.
And worked with him on the Potters Council Board jurying the K-12 show. It is great to meet social media friends face to face. Also met Glazenerd in Pittsburg.
Marcia
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I'll be part of a panel on low firing process called "How Low Can You Go?" with Paul Wandless moderating, Russel Fouts, Judith Motzkin, and Ken Turner Friday at 10:45 Auditorium C.
I have been attending NCECA since 1971. The programming is overwhelming with 6 or more talks, panels etc going at once, plus the Fab Lab, trade show, exhibitions etc. I have presented on panels and given lectures from the history of Architectural ceramics from Central Asia to Spain and my partner, Stephanie Stephenson continued Part 2 with Architectural Ceramics from Colonial Mexico to Hollywood. This year, the Honoring Masters, those we have lost this year, include 4 of my friends. That's what happens if you stick around long enough. There are constant demonstration,
NCECA is an amazing event and travels around the country. This year in Minneapolis, the Mingei Woodfired influence will be prevelant but so will many events emphasizing community and inclusion. If you live in the area, just trying to see the exhibitions would keep you bust for at least 2 weeks.You may not need the day pass for the shows except for free admission to the museums. The crowd is made up of about 6000 clay enthusiasts, professionals, educators, hobbyists, etc. There are lively clay talks in all the lobbies and bars. The trade show offers discounted books, tools, materials equipment, etc.
It is worth the price of admission. I have been going over the bus routes for the shows, the program and talks for several days. Check out what is happening here.
Marcia
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it looks a lot like my wood fired raku kiln from the 70s except I had a barrel on pulleys lined with fiber.
It was made of scrap bricks and was torn down regularly by neighborhood kids. The drawing of the design is in "Raku ; A Practical Approach , 2nd edition
p 113.
We split 2 x 4 scrap to fire. It did fire fast once we got the temperature for the first batch. My classes fired all day. The barrel sat on top of the cylindrical brick chamber. Mine was more tapered.
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there used to be an additive called "plasticizer" . maybe it is still around. Vee-gum is also
a plasticizer.
Marcia
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Robert Peipenberg had a short video of trash can smoke firing using sawdust , wooden sticks , charcoal briquettes, newspaper, copper carb, etc. Holes in the sides at strategic places. Picasso of Loneliness mentioned the upside down can.. I had a guest artist, Tom Fresh, demonstrate this about 30+ years ago He said the magic ingredient for the black was a chunk of horse manure.
Meanwhile, I think your goals are sawdust saggar firing like Peipenburg did. One woman whose sagger-fired work I admire is Sinead Fagan of Ireland.
Another is Judith Motzkin who will be on our panel at NCECA http://www.motzkin.com/ceramics.htm
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I have 2 friends , at least, who make a living with ^6 electric. Here are links to see their work: Sue Tirrell, Montana and Anne Fallis Elliot, Manitoba
when Anne lived in NYC she sold at the Guggenheim gift shop among other place. Shereturned to manitoba after 30+ years of producing in NYC.
Sue's work was recently on the cover of ceramics monthly. She retails her work across the US including shops at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Visions West in Livingsto and Bozeman , Montana, online galleries like the red lodge clay center.
Marcia
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I took a workshop with him in 1968 where we fired raku...my first time. Met him on several other occasions. He was a fun guy.
Thanks for sharing those photos.
Marcia
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Just a reminder that NCECA is coming soon. Mar 27-30. I am presenting during discussion panel on alternative firings , "How Low Can You Go?' Friday, 10:45 Auditorium A
If you are interested in lowfire experimenting, you will find this very interesting. Please say hello if you come by.
Marcia
Panelists: Paul Wandless. https://www.facebook.com/studio3artcompany/ is moderator,
Russel Fouts, http://users.skynet.be/russel.fouts/
Judith Motzkin, http://www.motzkin.com/ceramics.htm
Marcia Selsor https://www.marciaselsorstudio.com
Ken Turner. http://www.kenturnerpottery.com
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My wheel is a Bailey that I got about 20 years ago. It is my 4th studio wheel since 1971. It is slower than Brents. I like that. Most important to me is the control of the form. I have been throwing some larger orbs. I had several go catty-wompus (sp?). I took them off the wheel, jiggled them to straighten and hung them out until they stiffened a bit. Then put them back on the wheel and and continued throwing. I do give up on some and just re-wedge them. Very excited about my new work with soluble salts.
Marcia
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Been firing some more tests soluble salts and consecutive followups on good leads from tests. Pots on the left were fired at various temperatures in saggars and foil saggars. pots on the right were retired at 1700F. Additional coats on salts were added.
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Doug Baldwin , long time educator at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, passed away in Red 2018 also. Below is the piece from MICA newsletter as it appeared on the NCECA blog. Doug was born in Missoula, Montana and retired to Missoula. He continued working at the Clay Studio in Missoula.
Marcia
http://blog.nceca.net/remembering-doug-baldwin-1939-2018
Magnolia Mud Research reacted to this -
Tis article was in the Billings gazette promoting a few local potters. There are many more in the immediate area. https://billingsgazette.com/entertainment/community/a-livelihood-in-clay-local-potters-carve-out-space-to/article_54a9e213-721a-53dc-bcf4-b418cab194e2.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
BTW my husband is home for the holidays teleworking. He retires in 279 days.The article makes it sound like I left him in Texas. What comes across in the articles are common ideas of the versatility and satisfaction we find in the clay and our sense of community, curiosity, and joy. Happy Holidays everyone.Marcia
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I had taken art classes beginning at age 11 in 1960. During the 6 years of Saturday classes downtown , I was exposed to great museums including the Pennsylvania University Museum with a great archeology college and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Rodin Museum, Natural History Museum, etc. Once in Art school at the Philadelphia University of the Arts ( formerly Phila. College of Art, formerly before that The Phila. Museum College of Art) I majored in Industrial Design after the Freshman Foundation core. My elective in Ceramics changed that. I too, like Pres, found the touch of clay and was hooked. My teacher, Bill Daley, was great in getting us involved in firing, clay mixing , hand building. We attended a workshop with Paul Soldner at a local Art Center, built a kiln in the snow and fired. Afterwards we built a raku kiln on the "campus" in downtown Phila. Paula Winokur was brought in to teach us how to throw. The rest is history. I feel blessed to have had such a great exposure to the Arts and specifically in Clay.
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It took 3 months to get centering right. I was a 90lb weakling ( really 87 pound). I thought my forearms developed Popeye muscles after 3 months. As for learning to throw, I think I am really getting pretty good now, and that has taken 50+ years but I don't usually end up fighting that lump. I have a plan and execute it. Without struggling.
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I have to agree with Mark, Pres, Lee, and Neil regarding formal education. I was sent to Sat. Art classes at age 11 . I had been drawing all the time from a very early age. I later went to Art School for a BFA where I discovered clay. I was able to minor in Art History and write papers on ceramic topics in my Art History classes. I love learning about ceramics from all over the world. Taught college level ceramics for 25 years. I provided special topic courses in the summers and winter interim classes. We did kiln building, Tile workshops,Primitive pottery including searching for and processing clay.I taught glaze calculation, throwing, hand building, kiln building, mold making, glazing and firing during the regular course work of the ceramics program. I retired because the physical work of loading and unloading kilns was hurting my body. When tuition kept rising and students had to work more to pay the tuition, they had fewer hours to hang out in the studio and help me. During my final year my pain was interrupting my sleep 23 times/minute according to a sleep test with probes everywhere. I stuck it through til I hit 25 years and retired. Now I have been working my studio for the last 18 years learning more and more. Ceramics is a never ending quest for understanding the material, firing processes, chemicals and glazes. Never ending. I love it. It is my passion. I don't think people need a formal education but it does provide more access to learning things like glaze chemistry, especially if you are fortunate to have good teachers who can direct your passion. Some people can learn well on their own and some benefit from good direction of teachers. I am very excited about what I am discovering in clay after 50+ years of working with it. It has been a wonderful life for me. This morning I had a studio visit from the current teacher where I worked and 5 of her students. It was fun to show them what I am doing and discuss it. Since they had been doing studio and gallery visits all morning, I prepared some food and refreshments for them. They were continuing across Montana, picking up work for a Montana Clay Invitational. What a great opportunity for these students to visit studios and the Red Lodge Clay Center, The Archie Bray Foundation , and the Missoula Clay Studio. We have rich resources in Montana as well as good programs in the Colleges and Universities. Montana Clay is a statewide organization of ceramic artists and potters. It promotes clay people across the state. I am happy to be back in Montana after working in Texas for a decade.
Marcia
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There was a great little display decades ago in the Smithsonian Museum of Industry of 6 plates of a similar size and similar (very similar ) motif manufactured in 6 different countries in Europe and Asia. I have no idea where the motif originated.
I wish that museum would reopen. I have been trying to revisit that display for a long time.
The Ultimate Culture Wars might be the pottery Wars between Korean and Japan.
Marcia
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I used them on the kilns i built at the university over 25 years. I liked them and adjusted the arch bricks when needed by tightening the threads on the rods with the springs. just one of those things you either use or don't.
I like catenary arches but sprung arched are my favorite to build.
Best wishes to you, Mark.
Marcia
NCECA March 27-30, Minneapolis, MN
in Ceramic Events of Interest
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Got to meet Chad of Up in Smoke pottery at our panel . And Rebecca in the bar bar at the Hilton. Sorry to miss the rest of you who went. It was a busy NCECA.
Marcia