a little playtime

i was lucky enough to spend all of last week at the Metchosin International Summer School for the Arts, I took a one day class with Samantha Dickie, on making paper-plaster molds, and a 5 day class with Deborah Schwartzkopf experimenting with combining handbuilt pieces and thrown pieces.

The mold class was great because what i really needed was some time just making holds! this is really going to let me help students at Camosun better when they want to make molds... and i the paper adde to the outside layer plaster is a positive step forward for mold making - lighter & stronger!

Deb's class was challenging in a fun way. While i handbuild & throw in my studio, i rarely combine them; those kids of combinations don't come naturally - obvious from my level of frustration some days! i took the class really, to just find some ways to subtly alter a few of my forms and/or find ways to make some things i've been meaning to make but haven't quite envisioned yet. so i came away form the class with a few pots that i made, a long list of things to make & try, and less fear of cutting things up! today, after throwing mugs for a few hours, i even managed to make a little new something...we'll see how is comes out in the end.

of course another great thing about these classes is hanging out with other folks interested in the same things and all the chatter that goes on while everyone is working. met some great folks!

i did have my camera with me all week....but kept forgetting to take photos! i was on a pretty tight schedule & did feel more like working than photoing...i had to leave right on time each day in order to pick up N from the various friends and grandparents she was hanging out with everyday.

so these are few photos i took of a couple things that were made. perhaps they will reappear in later posts as finished, fired pieces ( i did make them with a clay that i could high-fire in the gas kiln).

i just unloaded the kiln to see i lost the bottom on the vase...wah.

Clay Connects

I will be making a rare appearance outside the studio this weekend. Come find myself & many other talented potters from the South Vancouver Island Potters Guild at Clay Connects....

when things don't quite work

of course it happens, and yes usually when working with a deadline...like when the kiln breaks down two days before an upcoming show...or the slip was too thin and a whole kiln load looks washed out...
i was making some pieces for the "Musically Inclined" show at Artzi Stuff and it took me awhile to figure out what i wanted to make. so i lost some time and yes finished them within a week of the deadline (which means not enough time to make something else)...i made record plates. perhaps not the most original idea? although i haven't seen any kicking around...in any case i was happy with them & the process. ACDC Back in Black, the Police Synchronicity, and the BEst of Fats Waller...




as you can see they came out brown instead of black! ack! and while i know that there is coloured vinyl out there, we have some in our collection, but not quite what i was going for .....but good enough to ship off. i really have to tweak that "black" slip! and if you need to have an ACDC plate...the show opens April 13, 7:30-9:30 in Nanaimo. check out the website for directions.

on a more positive note, i have a new gallery here in victoria! Side Street Studio is now carrying a selection of work. check it out if you can!

spring is in the air

finally back in the studio after short hiatus from my very wintery (meaning cold, damp and dungeon-like) studio...
a few new things in the air...more sgraffito, some loose swirling trailed lines here & there....
also have some new stencils in the works! and they are looking good...will post as soon as the tests come out, but for now, a few quick snaps from the first kiln load of the year...

ending the season

well yes, the end of the season....it felt less stressful than past years, slightly. maybe getting better at knowing what i am capable of of producing? not doing shows sure helps, although doing a couple of shows would probably be a good thing....but managed to ship everything out the door early last week! thank goodness for the greyhound bus delivery service!
so the gallery is pretty much empty. what a great feeling. and just a few projects for presents sitting on the studio shelves.
looking forward to a new year of perhaps a bit more scgraffito, maybe hand drawn decals, playing with defloculated slip transfers...we'll see how much play time i get in that chilly studio of mine.
here's a view of things as they were going out the door....

show mugs

just thought i'd toss out some mugs for a show that's been on this month at the BC Gallery of Ceramics in Vanocouver - "mug shots" is the name of the show, so i made some animal mug shots. each is one of a kind with a different animal and different coloured dots. i coloured the bottoms as well. was fun to make a different shape, do some more drawing, and am really happy with the way the handles turned out.

new works for fall

some new piece for fall:

an extra large round platter with bike parade. who doesn't love a bike parade?

an extra long platter for all those lovely cookies we'll be baking once the rain starts falling....

been starting to do a few feathers here and there....