New Webpage

Alas, this web page has taken a hit from my getting a new catalog site up and running, "workinclay.wordpress.com."

Here is a piece from my last firing, already a month ago. These leaf boat bowls have been getting more and more refined but still have a bit of funkiness left to them as each one differs from the template and warps in its own way. The inside bowl of this set reminds me of lily pad flower petals for some reason.

Now need to crank up production for Ceramic Showcase, only two months away. April 30, May 1-2.

Back to Drawing Board?

Finally got a couple of the new covered dishes glazed and fired this week. The lid fits great on the second one, but the one on top is the one I liked better in the green stage. It is just still on the funky side when it comes to fit AND to feel....precarious and the raw clay showing isn't pretty. I guess the flange overhang is the way to go if I can figure out how to do it right...and add enough of a rim to feel like a good handle.

These two will get to be seconds at the spring garden sale...

Better?

Here is my day two attempt at a lidded vessel. The fit won't be tight but for a serving dish type thing, possibly ok. Think I need to get the slump a bit taller to make up for the sides of the pot being so high... This piece has a goofy smile.

On the drawing board...

These photos show my beginning attempts to make a lidded serving vessel via slabs of clay. Over the holidays I realized I didn't have any nice lidded serving ware to set on the table. The metal pot I'd cooked the dish in wasn't very handsome.

The top photo shows first attempt at modifying another form I make. The lid needed a flange on the inside to secure it on the pot. This pot has modest lump handles on the side that were an afterthought, so wasn't too happy with them. The first rolled handles looked clunky and the extra time it took to make handles more incorporated with the pot was too much.

In the second attempt I made a shape that should be fairly easy to pick up without true handles. I draped the slab lid into the pot to get a nice custom shape and left more 'overhang'. I'm hoping that the overhang will grip the shape of the vessel enough to forego a pesky flange on the inside. Wet, it fit snug enough without feeling like it was going to slide off. After the greenware drying stage it still fits nicely. We'll see how it goes after bisque firing. And, I'll have to make a couple more to get them a little less clunky. You can see I couldn't cut a straight line on this one.

Simple variation

I've been making small dishes from my scraps of clay for some time--simple ovals with corner darts cut out and clay brought together with seams. These bowl sized dishes are based on the same technique using the template I've been using for leaf plates. It feels nice adding to the leaf boat bowls with plates and now smaller serving-sized bowls. It'll be swell if they all stack together nicely after firing.

Back to Work

Why is it that after completing a couple of deadlines it is sometimes so hard to motivate back into the studio? Suddenly it's too messy to work in (tho it's been like that for months). The laundry piling up in a corner next door is yelling at you. The clay is too wet.

Just to DO something, started with four basic shapes and made myself play around with a bit with decorating. Nothing vastly different but possibly a start to something new.

A "Real" Artist for a Day

Attended the Sitka Invitational Opening on Friday. What a treat. Food and Wine galore, great crowd, beautiful artwork sporting many red dots. As an artist I was honored to be included in such a wonderful group. As someone who finds less and less time to be in the studio it took a bit of gearing up to "feel worthy" for it all.

Haven't been to the show in several years so spent most of the opening being amazed and inspired by the wonderful work being done throughout the state. My work nicely displayed (thanks Greg Wilbur for your muscles carrying them about). Was very happy to see a couple of those SOLD stickers on my new boat bowl sets. So many friends at the show and new artists to meet. Enjoyed talking with at least one gentleman who liked my sculptures and wished to know a bit more about them. Always nice to get a nibble on the bigger pieces!

Nice post-show article in the Oregonian after the show linked here. Hope our efforts as artists helped bring in the $$ Sitka needs to stay doing the work they do! I spent the $$ I earned on more artwork (a lovely print by Alex Chitty) so did my small part.

Earlier in the day had a very nice conversation with Sandy Japel at Beet Gallery and dropped off work to her. Over the holidays she will be showing a few of the woodfired vessels that have popped up on this blog. Nice having an opportunity to show work in her beautiful spot. Hope you can stop by to see them. Beet Gallery: 18th & Lovejoy, Portland. beetgallery.com