Upside Down Cube

The inverted cube began as a slab experiment.  Along the way, I learned about the importance of building slab projects from a template (plans) as well as properly joining the pieces of clay.  Instead, to get proper adhesion, I had to "slap" the edges of the "top" with a wooden paddle to get them to merge.  This tended to round the edges... a nice effect!

The clay was impressed while wet with a circular pattern from a place mat.  Two coats of PC55 Chun Plum were employed as glaze.

Name: Upside Down Cube
Size: 4 x 4 x 4
Date: July 2009
Clay: (unknown)
Glaze: Chun Plum

Sea Urchin

Once again, working with the SC 213 clay, I hoped to form a bowl by drapping the clay over a form.  I then worked the folds into 8 symmetrical points.  A tool was used to create the vertical lines and a ballpoint pen point used to create the holes.  The piece was glazed by dipping into Glossy Clear.

Name: Sea Urchin

Date: August 2009

Size: 6D x 2

Clay: SC 213

Glaze: Glossy Clear (dipped)

Open Cylinder

Receiving some new clay (Highwater P5) I was anxious to try a cylinder form impressed with a piece of rubber sheet from the steps of an old lab stool. The lines were run criss-cross and produced a nice pattern. Glazing was done by dipping in Peaches and Cream.

Name: Open Cylinder
Size: 3D x 4-1/2
Date: August 2009
Clay: P5
Glaze: Peaches and Cream

Bunnies Rest

First, the story behind the art. This past year, we lost two beloved members of our family. The first was our dear Dwarf Holland Lop Tortise Shell rabbit "Zinka". Zinka was our "Fairy Princess" and our loss is still keenly felt. After Zinka's passing, we brought two Lionhead rabbits, one black (Bijoux) and the other white with ruby eyes (Meringue). Bijoux passed during her spaying procedure, which obviously made the year even more heartbreaking. In our garden, we have a special place where our beloved friends lay in rest.

The Bunnies Rest marks the shaded mossy area. The sign shows the sun and moon which daily rise and fall. The background is Cherry Bloom Pink, the moon is Caribbean Sea Green, The sun is Glossy Yellow and the lettering is Magic White. The clay is (possibly) #112.

Name: Bunnies Rest

Date: July 2009

Size:

Clay: (unknown)

Glaze: Cherry Bloom Pink, Caribbean Sea Green, Glossy Yellow, Magic White

Blue Spagetti Cone

While on the subject of "spagetti", let me present a project composed entirely of spagetti clay. The garlic press was working overtime as I pressed the globs of clay into a drinking cup pretreated with Pam as a release agent. After a little drying time, I removed the spagetti and tapped the bottom into a cone shape. The cone was glazed with Kathy's Opal Blue. Perhaps this glaze was not the best as much of the detail of the spagetti was lost in the thick creamy glaze. Worth another try... perhaps with a white clay treated with iron oxide and glossy clear.

Name: Blue Spagetti Cone
Date: July 2009
Size: 5D x 6-1/2
Clay: (forgot)
Glaze: Kathy's Opal Blue.

Spagetti Topped Bowl

What happens when you are building a bowl using the "pinch technique" and it looks a little boring... and you happen to spy a handy garlic press? Why you load in some other clays and squeeze out bunches of spagetti which you press into the top... and voila, you have a spagetti topped bowl.


The clays were of three different types... a light tan clay for the bottom, a darker red clay, and a porcelain (or more likely b-mix which is a white clay).


Whatever the middle clay was... it came out as dark as chocolate. It was an experiment... and we were trying to use up some odds and ends of clay... so what you get is what you get!

Name: Spagetti Topped Bowl
Date: July 2009
Size: 4D x 4
Clay: Several
Glaze: Perido Green (interior) and clear glossy (exterior) with iron oxide underglaze.

Kokapeli

A challenging piece... to be sure! In our yard, we have an enameled metal Kokapeli yard art (see above). The flat shape was the inspiration to trace the outline on a clay slab and the colors of the metal Kokapeli the inspiration to use a variety of glazes.



There were difficulties. As I worked on the piece, friendly comments offered by other members of the Pottery Center centered on the fragile nature of a flat clay piece so long and with such thin elements. Upon the suggestion of Ron (thanks!) I placed the wet clay on a kiln shelf so the piece could later be lowered into the kiln without risking breakage. Returning after the bisque fire, all was well.

Glazing was done at home with purchased glazes. Kokapeli utilized Lustrous Jade, Blue Rutile, Shino, Albany Slip Brown, and Oil Spot. Perhaps a few of the glazes were applied too thinly; this seems to be a theme to overcome. But in large, the piece is fabulous and now rests in our garden.


Here's the final result... compare to the top picture.


Name: Kokapeli
Size:
Date: July 2009
Clay: #112 Standard
Glaze: Multiple Amaco PC series

Turtle Crossing (Sign)

Another rainy day story. Here one sees a bigger success in terms of the lettering (although spacing is an art still to be mastered)... but that's what "adornments" are for. On the other hand, the glaze was tragically opaque and filled in the letters. Unfortunately, I can't learn much from this experience because I didn't record the glaze. So perhaps in the future I will "goof again".


Name: Turtle Crossing (sign)
Date: July 2009
Clay: Unknown
Glaze: Unknown

Rabbit's Lair (Sign)

Into each life, a little rain must fall... or so it is said. In pottery, there are successes... and there is room for improvement. And so it goes with my first attempt to make a sign for the garden. The lettering was achieve with difficulty (I won't tell the story about having the letters impressed come out "inverse"... something to do with Asperger's). But after the bisque firing, things were very promising. The central area was smooth and glazed with Chinese Blue Green. The outer area was impressed with a piece of wood with a high degree of grain (actually, this wood was past prime and some actually adhered to the clay). The outer area was glazed with Green Shino.


The Green Shino was quite acceptable (the grain was visible in many places, nice brown and green effect) but the Chinese Blue Green completely filled the letters and was so opaque that it was "leveled". (Also, I need to remember to check for holes!)

Name: Rabbit's Lair (Sign)
Size: 10 x 5
Date: July 2009
Clay: Likely #112
Glaze: Green Shino and Chinese Blue Green

Once In A Blue Moon

To help with a large project my wife is working on, I was enlisted to prepare "tiles" with the name "Once In A Blue Moon". These were one of my first attempts to manufacture "lettering" and the results were quite good. While the clay was still "wet" I used a "scoop blade" and a lettering template to make the letters. Followup glazing was done with a white glossy fill and Kathy's Opal Blue.


The "Blue Moon" was a rolled slab cute with a circular bowl and scored with a straight edge to form "mysterious canals". Glazing was done with a variety (unknown now) of glazes to achieve a "patchy" effect.


Name: Over a Blue Moon
Date: July 2009
Clay: Unknown
Glaze: Multiple

Wacky Bowl

Now for the wacky bowl... which is NOT (as I first thought) a very wacky looking bowl... but rather a bowl that's formed by "wacking" the clay with a stick or whatever. So, starting with a rolled slab of clay, one places the clay over a flexible spherical form (like a foam ball) perched atop something to hold it off the table.


Then after a little "hand shaping", begin "wacking" at the bowl to leave an impression (like the line one gets when using the edge of a square piece of wood). Mostly I had no idea what I was doing but the "wacking" was good exercise.


A little footing to allow the rounded bottom to be secure... and a week spent drying out. Glazing heavily (Kathy's Opal Blue in this case) and after a vacation in the kiln, out comes a pretty decent "wacky bowl". I might try another!!


Name: Wacky Bowl
Date: July 2009
Clay: #112 Standard
Glaze: Kathy's Opal Blue

Fish Head

The third class project of the class was a pinch pot. Starting with a largish blob of clay cut in half, two balls were rolled and eventually pinched into hemispheres. These were joined at the equator and "encouraged" by slapping to merge into an air filled sphere. What was going to be a face more and more resembled a "fish head" so rather than fighting the clays wishes, I added fins, etc. Of course, that doesn't explain the pinched clay "hair" that was applied. The glazing was effective in highlighting the major features! "Fish face" currently resides in a place of honor in our bathroom.




Fish Face
Date: July 2009
Size: 6 x 5 x 4
Clay: #112 Standard
Glaze: Raspberry with Blue (Hair)

Mushroom I

Photographing mushrooms has always been an interest so it was natural to try my hand at fashioning a mushroom. After rolling out the clay, I impressed "bubble wrap" to create the mushroom's cap. Then the cap was slumped over an inverted small bowl to allow the cap to take it's shape. The base was made of a slab that was rolled around a plastic form and then "mashed down" into a more natural shape. A diamond edged scraper was used to create the texture on the stem. The piece is a favorite... with me and with friends. One improvement: many mushrooms have a more "pointed cap" and I want to have a future attempt reflect this feature.




Mushroom I
Date: July 2009
Size: 8 D x 4
Clay: #112 Standard
Glaze: Falls Creek Shino

Leaf Bowl I

The first pottery class at the Opelika's Armory Arts Center (Pottery Arts) was an eye-opener. I expected to have a small lump of clay placed in my hands and to press out a pinch pot... but instead we were directed to the slab roller and moments later I was rolling out the impression of some huge leaf into Standard #112. A week later, I was sanding down some rough edges of a slumped leaf bowl, and the following week (after bisque firing) I was ready to learn about glazing. Another amazing experience. Glazes, as I found out, are NOT paints, and although the glaze was brush applied, it didn't flow or behave like paint. The leaf impression was first painted with Spanish Iron Oxide, mostly washed off, and then three coats of Peridot Green. Another week, and there it was, sitting on a table next to the kilns... my first creation. And surprise, it was remarkably attractive.


Leaf Bowl I
Date: July 2009
Size: 10 x 12 x 3
Clay: #112 Standard
Glaze: Spanish Iron Oxide under Peridot Green