getting down to it

okay, so it's not really winter anymore...spring around the corner, daffodils in full bloom, blossoms snowing down in the wind, the peas and broad beans peeking up...
so its time wake up from my mentlal hibernation and get down to it, making of a more productive sort, or a more regular routine. this week was mugs, egg cups, juice cups, tumblers, and platters!
here's shots from the afternoon...

BEFORE (platters off the hump molds, with rims finished):

DURING (stencils chosen and placed around, not yet attached):

AFTER (slip poured over stencils, then slip trailing, sgraffito, text, etc...and stencils pulled off)

hoping to load the platters and everything else in the kiln tomorrow!

Art Show

if you are in Victoria come and check this art show at the Gage Gallery in Oak Bay. It's a photo show, and i have a couple of ceramic pieces (seen in process a few posts ago) in it : sgraffito platters based on my dad's photos:

playing with sgraffito

while i have been working on the large sgraffito platters from my dad's photos, i also took the down-time opportunity to work on figuring out dimensions for a pasta bowl. something wider and deeper than my regular bowls…so used some of the white clay (CKK6) and used them as sgraffito "warm-ups" for the photo pieces…

here's a couple of the bowls:

crow

quail

i enjoyed these. they were just fun, no pressure….

adventures in sgraffito

well, as much as i should be making mugs to restock after a fabulous xmas season… i am working on some large platters in WHITE!! clay. my dad asked if i would like to put some pieces into a photo show he is having at the gage gallery in february…so i said why not? and then i said what am i thinking? my work doesn't really mesh with his… and so after much pondering i thought to try some sgraffito pieces based on his photos. and so that's what i have ben working on and here are some process shots

this one is in process...

this one is finsihed and bone dry, ready for the bisque

this one is my finished test piece. you can see i was testing some colour on the bottom with a wash. still pondering whether to finish with colour on all pieces, or keep black and white, or some of each.....

black and white

here's a quickie of something i made at work. i don't usually work with white clay, and rarely in my studio as everything is stained stained stained red. and i don't get much chance to work on things at work either, although i feel it's professional development to once and awhile experiment or build on techniques.
so a litte vase i threw on the wheel standing up (i have on wheel raised on cinder blocks for everyone to try. i haven't spent enough time on it yet to determine whether it's better ergonomically or not). black slip and sgraffitto. nica and simple. i quite like it.

hot off the presses

fresh, warm from the kiln. wouldn't it be lovely if they also smelled like fresh bread...?
some new works for spring.
bringing back slip trailing and raised dots
working in more simple line drawing.
feeling pretty good about it, a little nervous. funny how simple things can feel risky.

holy hummingbirds!

yes the hummingbirds have been buzzing busily about searching for nectar. the fuchsias really just finished a week or two ago (really!). i managed to sketch a few before they were done and combine a sgraffito version with some hummingbird stencils. having fun with it. the white bowl was the first piece i made, and some of the underglazes burned out a bit, weren't think enough, so i made sure to apply 3 or 4 coats of slip and underglaze on the platter.

i am hoping to play with some basic washes over the winter. try them as a kind of watercolour over the slip. been using a mix of 1 part stain or oxide with 1 part gerstley borate, mixed with water, and they come out nice and vibrant. keep you posted!

a few small experiments

sometimes at my job (as technician in the ceramics studio for the camosun college visual arts program) i get time to do a little experimenting (i call it professional development) and play around a bit. the students are selling art and goodies at the upcoming college craft fair, so i said i would contribute a few mugs to the cause.
just played with a little sgraffito, and basic images. i have been using more sgraffito in my own work and trying to become more confident with freehand drawing. although i still often trace images on over the slip and then incise through the tracing. i'm attempting to be more playful, as sometimes i feel my work is a little tight. it's easier when it's not work that i am expected to ship to a store or gallery!
here's two of the mugs. i'm really loving the handle on the squirrel mug: