2009-05-12 Tuesday at Clayworks

Tuesday night I went to the studio to finish up my shelf supports for displaying my pots on the table. It was a quick wax and a glaze dip or two or three.

I also found my first large pot in a sorry state. I had re-wedged the clay and re-thrown it after it collapsed the first time and apparently there was some air in the (very) thick bottom of it. Trapped air does not do well in the bisque kiln. Oh well, live and learn and on to other projects. It makes a great garden pot, so I will grow something inside it in the garden.

Shelf supports with mystic moss, ryoko cream, and/or white.

First really large pot
after bisquing.

Upside-down. Oops.

Julie was kind enough to leave me a note inside it.

Hiding in the pots...

pots 2009-02-11

Here are some pots I made on Wednesday (2/11/09). Still playing catchup on posting.

Five juicers and a slap tray.

I sutured this pot when it developed a fissure.

I also added a sprig from one of Adrienne's pots.
(I Lenzoed it. :^)

My biggest pot to date.
I painted the cylinder with white slip,
sprayed it with sodium silicate,
dried it with a heat gun,
and then stretched it from the inside.
Greg helped me straighten out my cylinder.
Rae let me use some of her sodium silicate/water spray.
Joe lent me his heat gun.
It takes a village to raise a pot.

Detail of the surface.

Joe is always surprised at the
depth and breadth of our glaze palette.

Make stuff. It's great.

Thursday

Joe and I both missed class on Wednesday, so we came to the studio on Thursday night and threw two large pots. Large is the word recently.

Joe's pot (background)
and mine (foreground).

Throw, throw, throw...

Tuesday

Following the new "Throw big or go home" motto, I made some largish pots again. I have been working on an "accidental" bowl (left), and now I made a canister with some lids. The thing I've discovered about throwing large pots is that you use your clay up faster. Another one of those "duh-huh" realizations.

I want to make larger pots than these, but I might have to use a heat gun to achieve that goal. I've never used one to this point, but hey, whatever works...