Summer is in full swing, but fall is right around the corner, which means it’s officially time to start making fall pottery! This year I’m planning at least two different ghost designs, and I have another idea waiting for when I switch back to darker clay....assuming I don’t run out of time. There’s never a shortage of ideas, just hours in the day.
This first batch already makes me smile, although I’m a little nervous about those tiny pumpkins and hats. Here’s hoping they all survive the bisque firing! I still want to give each ghost a little more personality by refining their expressions, but they need a bit more time to firm up before I can do that.
This batch also includes a few smaller pieces that are already in the bisque. I used a lace texture on them because, obviously, ghosts deserve to be fancy too.
This past weekend I took a workshop with Sarah Gromek at the Jersey Clay Society. What a fantastic workshop at a great location. Sarah was showing her techniques on how to make work that looks like leather. Here are a few of her pieces.
I purchased this tumbler because I really loved the template.
I ended up choosing to make the tumbler as a part of the class. I feel like my tumbler is pretty decent, but my stitching is terrible! The stitching is definitely the hardest part of this and one I am not sure I will incorporate into my work.
The leaf globe and vase turned out beautifully. I’m a little irritated that the flower glaze ran on one of the vases, but the more I look at it, the more I think it gives the piece a bit of extra character.
I’m also expanding my cup line with new cat and Bigfoot designs, and I’m really happy with how they’re coming out. The black cats, especially, have become a favorite. I definitely need to make more black cat pieces across all of my different forms because I love the way they look.
Have a couple of pieces in here that will be on display at the Newark Arts Alliance until August 14th. Finally had enough tall things to fill the top shelf. Still have so much more glazing to do, but I want to take advantage of my time at home so my plan is to spend more time making.
While I was making a batch of pieces—including my crab bowls—I decided to experiment with a ghost bowl. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I think it came out super cute! It’s always fun to try something a little different, and I love how much personality this little ghost has.
This is part of my last batch using this clay before I give the studio a deep clean and switch back to my white clay. I have so many ideas I’m excited to try—especially some lavender-inspired pieces. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
I think this is the most soup mugs I’ve ever made at one time! This is also the first time I’ve made my alien soup mugs. I added a new stamp for them and went with the Big Dipper—it felt like the perfect fit. I also made a few blank mugs so I can have some fun getting creative with decals.
I was making more cat trinket dishes this weekend and, once again, wishing I’d found the perfect dog cookie cutter to make a matching version. Then I spotted my chicken cutter and couldn’t resist giving it a try. They’re super cute!
I finally had a chance to get back into the studio and try out a few press plates I purchased from Shayla Marsh. There are two different styles, and the first is a true press plate system made up of two pieces. The outer piece is used to cut the shape and acts as a guide for centering, while the inner piece is used to press the form. Working with these has me dreaming about buying a laser cutter so I could make custom shapes of my own. Every time I start looking into it, though, I remember both the cost and the reality that designing all those forms would probably turn into an entirely new hobby.
So here I am using the outer templates to lay out and cut the shapes from my slab. I used a needle tool to carefully trace around each form before removing the excess clay.
Here are all of the cut pieces laid out on the board, ready for the next step in the process.
This photo shows the two pieces together on top of the clay shape. The outer guide allows the inner press to be positioned perfectly in the center. Normally I estimate placement by eye and use my thumbs as a guide, but this method is much more precise and gives more consistent results.
Once everything is aligned, I carefully remove the outer guide, making sure not to shift the inner press off center.
Next comes the fun part. I press down onto a piece of foam, which allows the clay to sink and form the raised edges of the plate. This particular piece of foam is my dedicated dark-clay foam. I keep a separate one for white clay to avoid any unwanted staining or contamination.
And here is the finished piece, freshly formed and ready to begin the drying process.
Some fun new pieces came out of this firing, along with a few restocks.
The moon bowls/trays turned out especially well. I suspect it’s unlikely that someone will want all six, but they really do belong together as a set. I’ve been trying to figure out how to display all six at a show. I’m bringing them with me to the Frederick Festival of the Arts this weekend, so hopefully I’ll come up with a creative solution.
The first batch of bird ornaments also made it into this kiln load. I quickly discovered that, because of the size of the birds and the ornament/jewelry hanger I use in the kiln, I can only fire four at a time. I’m happy with how they turned out, but I think I’d like to make another batch using a smooth white clay body instead of the speckled clay. Most of the time I love the extra dimension and character the speckles add, but on these birds I feel like they compete a little with the design.
I’m also still experimenting with glazes to find the best way to highlight the crochet textures. I made a large batch of test tiles and have already found a few favorites—more on those below.
Posts
