Community Challenge #4

[Rebekah Krieger 187]

Ben! Yours looks lovely!! It is quite fitting that you made the snake (ancient symbol of masculinity) and I made the vulture (ancient symbol for feminine - nehkbet goddess mother figure of the Pharoh.... Another identity of Isis)

I am very into the way you finished the glaze and texture of your snake.

[Sue Edwards 8]

Not sure if this will work, but here are photos (I think) of my progress in trying to do this in several pieces, as well as my notes for how to do it.  Now I'm off to check to see if things have dried enough to try putting the lid in the chuck.  I'm thinking I'll put newspaper over the lid before turning it upside down in there for trimming.  Wish me luck!

 

 

 

 

[Benzine 1,057]

Edwardss, great concept, and it looks like you have a great start.

 

Thanks Rebekah. I too am fairly happy with the glaze, minus the dunting. It actually got a bit worse.

 

Vultures are a feminine symbol huh? That seems a bit unfair considering their choice of food...

[Rebekah Krieger 187]

Haha! Yeah , I guess it's eat dead things or eat living things right?

[Rebekah Krieger 187]

Ed- ballet / dance theme is wonderful! My youngest daughter is a ballet dancer and watching her practice is very inspiring for some of my figure stuff.

[ChenowethArts 462]

You look to be well on your way to making this project happen.  Will you wait until the primary portions of the form are assembled before doing the figurative parts...or have you already started on the arm-handles and your dancing subject?  And thank you for letting us look behind the scenes on your thoughts for building/assembling your project!

 

Peace,

-Paul

[Bunnybaer 5]

Edwardss...it still looks wonderful, your pottery...the bowls are fantastic and the idea with the figures....EXELLENT !!!

[Joseph Fireborn 1,285]

Edwardss, I thought about doing the same thing before I finally figured out to use my blow dryer. Nice sketches. I can't wait to see everyone's final form.

 

Mine isn't going to have any special stuff attached to it as I don't have much hand building skills like these people with goddess, snakes, and rams. Pretty awesome stuff.

[Sue Edwards 8]

Thanks so much everyone for your comments!

 

I have to say that I am more than a little bit frustrated with the ease of use of this forum.  I don't know if it is my computer (old 2008 IMac) or the way it interacts here.  I can select multiple files to attach, but only one loads at a time.  So I hate to spam everyone with one at a time, but I'm not sure how I can caption photos unless I add them to my gallery again, but then how will you know which are the new ones?  And the gallery didn't upload in chronological order either.  So strange.

 

This photo is the chuck I threw to hold and trim the pieces on. I put newspaper on so that I could center the top more easily.  Pros are that it is easy to center.  Cons are that it moves easily!  lol.  I had to put lugs/bumpers on to hold the top from moving while I trimmed it.  I'll see if I can load that second.  I'm guessing it won't.  Sigh.  It DID!  The second image with the orange bat was the top being lowered into the chuck.  

 

I'll have to come back to upload the lugs and other bits.  My computer now seems to see the photos I saved to iPhoto now!  Yay!

[Sue Edwards 8]

Tried to upload a profile pic.  Can't do that it seems.  

 

I'll try to upload these photos backward and see if that works.

 

In who knows what order… 

• The chuck with lugs to hold the lid on
• the lid that I had to wire off twice and still use a fettling knife on because it was so wet (warning sign)  Other parts were firm enough, but this part was thicker and wet.
• The bowl on top being marked on the lid.  Where I slipped and scored both parts.
• The "mouse holes" in the chuck so that the neck would dry while I covered the bowl part
• The trimmed bowl attached to the lid upside down on the chuck.

[Sue Edwards 8]

Still random order.  

• Pot with bowl half covered and neck/top part getting air in my "mouse hole" chuck.  WHen I trimmed the lid right side up after initially trimming everything, it was too wet and the neck started to sink.  So I turned it upside down and let everything try to equalize, and then covered it this way for about 8 hours.  It did the trick!
• Uncovered pot upside down on the pot
• "finished" base pot next to two different size rolled oats container for size comparison.

Now I'm trying to decide if I want to put white slip on it first, or just do my ladies next.  Which would be somewhat easier on the same color clay body.  But white slip will be easier to do underglaze on… But maybe that will be another version of this…  

[Benzine 1,057]

Excellent progress Edwardss!  The form is spot on.

 

Would not not be easier to do the figures first, so you could slip them at the same time as the rest of the piece?  Otherwise, if you used the slip first, you'd have to touch up, where you attach the figures.  Or were you planning to leave the figures the natural color of your clay body, and use the white slip on the rest.  That would be an interesting bit of contrast.

Regardless, looking great.  I can't wait to see the completed piece!

[Sue Edwards 8]

I found out this is called Scorpion pose

Turns out this is as well!

 

I didn't like the arms stuck down the the side with the side handles, felt like the balance was off. (gravity and all)  So I'm going to cover it and wait until the morning and see what I want to do.  I might have to break the arms and add them down the side.  Maybe have the other leg grow out of the pot, and the hand and arm stay dangling.  Not sure.

 

I may change my original idea for the front post too.  Not sure how it will work now that the neck is longer than I had originally planned.  Funny how the sketch can change with reality.

 

Things to ponder...

[drmyrtle 52]

Pics of greenware ewer & hydria. Doubt I'll keep the hydria, tho it might be interesting to check the functionality with the air port. I think the port is too low, so....

 

Ewer is a keeper so far.

[Sue Edwards 8]

 

Instead of my original sketch ideas, I have decided to add this instead.  The way the pot turned out in reality was different than what I had imagined with my sketch pad.  Funny how that happens.  So the feel is very different with this little one, but I really like it.

 

I decided that they side handle ladies needed to have their arms down the side of the pot.  I wrapped their arms in very wet paper towel and then plastic bag for awhile and then smooshed the arm down to the pot with some slip added to the join.  I was against it at first attachment, but after walking away and coming back, I didn't like the arms not following the pot profile.  

 

 

Today I'll attach the little girl.  Then I'll have to tie my hands behind my back so as not to keep playing with it.  I keep seeing so much more that I want to do with it, but part of my vision is also to let the adult ladies stay more symbolic, not so detailed as the child.  Once attached, the very slow drying process will be hard to wait through.  I hope that nothing cracks.

 

Interesting thing I discovered after picking the poses due to the aesthetics that I wanted, it turns out the names of the poses are both Scorpion.  Hmm.  

[oldlady 2,335]

all of these posts are great.  what a good idea you had, joel.  thank you.

[Tyler Miller 435]

My baby loutrophoros-hydria.  It won't be done in time for the end of the challenge, but I thought I'd post something.

 

[ChenowethArts 462]

These in-progress images are inspiring!

 

@Sue Edwards The major handle on your piece makes such a strong statement!  Would you consider doing something more understated for the side handles?  If you did any sort of texturing or sgraffito (in the traditional/historic hydria sense) to accent the elegant handle it would be plenty (that's just a thought, not a criticism).

 

@drmyrtle I am intrigued by your treatment of the mouth of your vessel. It has a sensual quality that is just super cool!

 

Peace,

-Paul

[Evelyne Schoenmann 264]

I just had a look at this thread again and, boy, I am completely in awe what you all are doing with the Hydria idea. Kudos Kudos all around! Can't wait to see the Final Entries. Only 6 more days left (including today). Hurry!

 

Joel: absolutely great idea. Thank you!

 

Johnny: how is your hand/wrist coming along? My two carpal tunnel surgeries went well. I think I can participate in the next community challange again. (Whisper to Joel: what's the theme?)

 

Evelyne

[Rebekah Krieger 187]

Gah!!! I better get firing it quick!!

[Joseph Fireborn 1,285]

Gah!!! I better get firing it quick!!

 

Yea. I have had mine drying for about a week or so now. I threw it in the bisque tonight. I guess I will glaze it tomorrow and fire it. I hope the bronze green comes out cause I haven't tested it yet. 

[High Bridge Pottery 681]

Let me know if you are planning to enter and need a few more days. I have no problem extending it a few days/ 1 week.

 

Better start thinking up the next challenge 

[Benzine 1,057]

 

Gah!!! I better get firing it quick!!

 

Yea. I have had mine drying for about a week or so now. I threw it in the bisque tonight. I guess I will glaze it tomorrow and fire it. I hope the bronze green comes out cause I haven't tested it yet. 

 

 

I didn't test my glaze combinations, and they turned out well.  Of course the combination ripped the bottom apart, but that was more of an application issue, on the part of the potter...

 

Let me know if you are planning to enter and need a few more days. I have no problem extending it a few days/ 1 week.

 

Better start thinking up the next challenge 

 

OHHHHH NOOOO.  The rules are the rules, no exceptions...hehe

[MatthewV 259]

I like the whooshing sound deadlines make (and my entry is back on page 4!)

[ChenowethArts 462]

Yesterday was the first day that my hydria project was completely exposed to the air for drying purposes. I doubt that I'll get this into bisque before the weekend....and won't glaze fire it (assuming there isn't a bisque disaster) until my 4 Feb firing schedule comes around.  I did get into the game a little late and completely understand that we have deadlines for a reason.  I am OK with that...it has been a solid learning experience for me...you know, like a challenge!   

 

Peace,

-Paul