2018-03-09 - Friday - Empty Bowls and loading kiln

Friday we unloaded some bowls for Empty Bowls. I was pleased with the slip transfers.

Later I went out to Lawndale to load Hal's kiln for the next day's firing.

Hal in his kiln.

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2018-02-28 - Wednesday - Many things

The May Apples are starting to pop up. I'm always pleased to see that they like it in our yard.

Wednesday night I went to Clayworks and did the slip transfer on the cut rim bowls. Not too bad. I may have to do more of this in the future.

On the way out I noticed that tree again. I checked; it is a Bradford Pear. I'm not a fan, but it sure did bloom nicely this year.

I stopped at the store on the way home and was completely grossed out (again) by the latest Oreo flavors. Please make it stop!

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2018-02-27 - Tuesday - Josh Copus workshop, day 2

I wasn't planning on attending the second day of the Josh Copus workshop, but I couldn't resist going back.

Tuesday was more of the same high energy presentation with lots of fun stories thrown in --and pizza!

I want to thank Josh for the workshop, Denny Gerwin for the program at Queens and Molly Bloomer for heading up the art club and inviting me to the workshop.

Josh demonstrating decorating bricks.
(Molly is taking photos, top left.)

Denny manning the pizza oven.

Lots of goodies.

Denny's got the dough.

Josh is going strong with a new group of students.

That evening I went to Clayworks and made some larger Empty Bowls with cut rims. I'm planning on doing some slip transfer on the rims.

When I was leaving I noticed this tree out back. I'm not sure what kind it is; it could be a Bradford Pear volunteer, but it was striking in the artificial light.

I mean, just look at it.

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2018-02-13 - Tuesday - Small batch

On Tuesday I did some slip transfers on a very small batch of Empty Bowls. One of them was my first attempt at a cut rim bowl. I need to explore that further.

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2018-02-07 - Wednesday - Empty Bowls process

Wednesday I got the first batch of Empty Bowls back from the kiln. I thought they came out pretty well. Now to get the rest of them done.

I also did some slip transfer work on another batch.

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2018-02-06 - Tuesday - Slip transfer painting

Tuesday I did some more painting of slip transfer designs in underglaze. I will use slip to transfer the design to my Empty Bowls.

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2018-02-01 - Thursday - Slip transfer

Thursday I used some of the new designs on the Empty Bowls. I really like the way the designs pop when I pull the paper off the bowl.

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2018-01-31 - Wednesday - Slip transfer

Wednesday I worked on some more slip transfer designs for Empty Bowls using underglazes. I am really enjoying the slip transfer process.

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2018-01-21 - Sunday - Slip transfers

Sunday I went in to work on more Empty Bowls and start playing with slip transfers. I've watched Greg Scott work with the process for quite a while and decided to try out what I'd learned from him.

There was a whole lot of glazing going on when I got there.

Students glazing their work.

I settled into the third classroom to try out some slip transfers with underglaze designs I made. I was immediately taken with the process as the designs really popped when I applied them to the bowls.

Let me back up and give you a bit of the process.

First I paint designs on newsprint paper. I start with the black as an outline and apply color afterwards. Since the images will be reversed, the black is on top when applied to the bowl.

Next I cut the designs into strips and apply slip to the bowl and the strip of paper. I then place the paper, slip-side-down on the slip that's on the bowl, and burnish it with a soft rib.

 Finally, I peel the paper off the bowl and the underglaze design is transferred with the slip. As you can see, I played with applying the design to raw clay, to a fully-slipped bowl, and to a half-slipped bowl, using the transferred design to delineate the sections.

I see more experimentation in my future...

Speaking of Empty Bowls, tickets are on sale NOW. If you'd like to attend this wonderful event, please hurry to the website and get your tickets before they are sold out. I'll be there, and you should, too.


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2014-07-14 - Monday - Binkley, the cat, and pots

On Monday when I let Binkley out there was a cat in the backyard, but he never saw it.  If you look in the photo below you can see it to the right of the raised black beds.  That cat spends a lot of time in our yard, but apparently it's just a resting place as there are more chipmunks than ever.

Sometimes I will see it and crouch down calling to it without result.  It usually just stares at me and when it gets bored, just casually walks away.  100% cat.

Later I went to Clayworks and made some crock-type pots.  I need a new one to hold my wooden spoons and spatulas since the one Karen bought me about twenty years ago recently cracked.  I'm not sure what I want to do with the surface of these.  I might finally try my hand at slip transfer.  We'll see.

I also further pushed out some of the crackled pots I made earlier.

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