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

Revisiting an older form

At a customer's request, am trying to make a 22" long boat bowl with feet. Haven't made one of these in years and haven't checked shrinkage in awhile either. This started out over 23" and after the bisque it is already down to being under 22" long. Guessing it will be under 21" after the glaze firing... so would need to make a 24-25" piece to end up with one 22". 

It's got two hairline cracks on the other side from stress pushing it to dry fast and one inside, so now I'm doing what I tell my students not to:  spending time trying to do a patch with glaze, sanded clay particulate, and Apt II to try and fill in the cracks, but knowing my luck they will only open up and get worse in the glaze firing... It's only time and clay and gas to cook the mess. Oh dear.

Short Stack

Friend has been prodding me to make a short, smaller version of my stacks for some time because they might be more appealing size and price-wise. Finally had some time and inclination.

Found a little broken red lamp base at the Rebuilding Store that seemed like a perfect start, but the color red can be tricky. (See tiles below for these glazes post firing.)

Left a bit of surform texture on each of them for a second contrast color to sink into after I bisque them. 

Trouble with this is that the little small pieces take almost as much time as a large stack piece, just a lot less finish carving and glaze to paint them.

Greenware pieces, Cone 5 fired tiles.