Sunday, August 25, 2013

Stack Workshop #2

                           
Second weekend of stack piece making... a second weekend that started out cloudy, drizzly and with questionable weather. Lucked out again, tho. Had just enough sun to get everything cut out, made and finished and into the kiln to dry. 




They were still on the moist side the next day, but dry enough to glaze up. This group attacked the glazing with a vengeance of multiple colors on their textured pieces. 
Ann and Hester.
Susan takes a brief moment to contemplate.
Susan and Lynda.



Bold forms from Lynda Farmer

Whimsical marks and brushwork by Susan Pachuta

Texture Queen: Hester Coucke

Kid drawings have helped Ann Larh perfect her brushstrokes.



Friday, August 16, 2013

Two New Works

Finally finished up two new pieces to take to a new gallery end of the month. Both are with deliberate layered and sanded through glazes, but one uses a blue/purple color scheme that I snitched from one of my workshop students. Yay! for students with new ideas. I did tell them I was going to copy them at least...

"Unintended Consequences" 
"Unintended Consequences," Other Side 
Fake Tiny Barb Wire
Have long been fascinated by creating two pieces to work as a whole. This time made it one whole piece from the start. The two halves were envisioned as being even more distinct, but as I carved away they "twin-ed up."

Took this piece to my Critique Group with a single silver wire spanning the gap. The wire connecting the two sides was always part of the piece in my mind, but since both halves were connected as one piece it made less sense to everyone. Then someone had the idea to make it barbed wire. CLICK!! After wrapping and cutting tiny wire, a coat of black paint. Now the two sides are tied together even more -- but with a slight twist of irony that only some will catch.


"Time Will Tell" is a return to a favorite shape, trying once more to try and get it perfect. This looks good to me now, but whether it will hold up to future pieces...? Only time will... 

"Time Will Tell"

"Time Will Tell," Other Side


Monday, August 12, 2013

Form and Function Working Together


My Neighbor and OSU Emeritus Prof Michael Burgett gave me a quick tour of OSU's Honey Bee Hive Laboratory where a piece he'd commissioned from me is hard at work. (See original post.)

At the beautifully landscaped lab, they have working hives of many different designs, including my pottery hive, created to look like a Greek-style Hive used centuries ago and also today.


Underneath a marble lid you'll find rows of wooden slats.
Each slat is spaced the distance bees like to make their combs.
It appears they like using it. Comb in process.
Comb being filled with honey.
A couple other types of hives: European-style, and how the bees did it before we humans decided we would like to harvest some of their hard work... 



Saturday, August 10, 2013

Stack Workshop

Finished Works!


Experimental re-glazed piece and lil' monster peeking out from behind. 



Stack pieces made the day before, dried out overnight in kiln
Stack Toppers
The first Stack Starter Workshop held yesterday and today.

With the help of the sun, we cut out, dried out, pieced together and finished 3 simple shapes and a "topper" for a mini-stack. When the day started out drizzly--in AUGUST!--this workshop host was a little worried, but the sun came out just in time and dried things out pretty quickly.
Glazing Party: Annclaire, Alexis, Joni


Spent the morning flipping them and making sure edges were covered up so they didn't dry out too much. After lunch everything was dry enough to put together and finish up using ribs and surforms.

Everything spent about 17 hours at 175 degrees in the kiln over night and only a few cracks had to be filled in with paper clay this morning. 

Glazing party with Velvet and Duncan underglazes and everything back into the kiln to once fire up to Cone 6.











Annclaire, Alexis and M'liss