Let the Beauty of what you Love be what you Do...
~Rumi

Monday, October 1, 2012

Bears & Pots~ Works in Progress...

Thought I'd squeeze out a quick update for friends who have been asking why I haven't been updating my blog. Well... you know... the usual~ I've been busy! In between clay classes & work, I really haven't had time for much else. Still working on that "balance" thing, & have to admit I'm not even close to mastering it. Lately it seems I am anything but balanced & my current obsession with clay is taking any spare time I might have. It's just that I feel this hunger to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can, and to do this, I feel I really need to put in hours. So, any time I am not at work, I am either in the clay studio, or working on clay at home. Things like blogging, grocery shopping, even my beloved hiking has been placed on the back burner. Anyhow, this is what I've been up to in my hand building class~


Project #1
22 inch coiled vase, using the template I made as guide. It was a fairly rough start...



but it shaped up nicely. It has since been bisqued & is waiting for me to glaze it.


Project #2~
Self-Directed Coil Project
(You knew I'd make a bear, didn't you?) There are things I liked & things I didn't like about this one, but overall I'm pretty happy with it. I haven't gone quite this large with a coiled piece before, so there is definitely a learning curve. This one has been bisqued & glazed & is now in the Soda Kiln... anxious to see how it turns out next week! 
(Fingers Crossed!)


Project #3~ 
Another Coiled Bear. (My plan is to keep working on these until I can reach some level of consistency & mastery on how I want them to look with different postures & poses.)


I really wanted the head to be turning to look behind him... and that proved to be quite a challenge on a larger piece!


While it turned out differently that what I had envisioned,
I am pretty much in love with the curves & lines on this piece. It just went in the bisque kiln today... again, fingers crossed!
(Project #4 is still in progress & will likely have a post all it's own. Challenge is an understatement: think 100 pounds of solid clay. I have already put in somewhere around 20+ hours & not even close to finished- Good grief!)

In addition to my hand building class, I have been hard at work in my latest Micaceous class as well.
Various Pots in Progress~


Water scraping~


Sanding~


Polished Pots~



And bisqued pots awaiting either Pit fire or Raku... I'm not sure yet how the firing schedule will go, but am hoping to get at least a few pots in the Raku Kiln.


I've only got about 9 pots finished this term... not a lot considering I started 3 of them before the semester started. This class is only once a week for 8 weeks & there are only 2 classes remaining, so I won't really have time to start any more this time around, so I've just got to be happy with what I've got.
:)
Hoping to get some actual finished work posted in the next week or two.
Until next time...




8 comments:

Barb said...

Becky, I've been wondering about you, but I see you've been VERY busy creating. These large bisque pieces are quite different than your other work. Much more sleek in design,not to mention HUGE! I hope they make it through the process. I love that large casserole (with lid) on the back table. It looks like you put a design on it. We expect some snow here on Wed. Fall is already waning here at altitude.

Anonymous said...

Your 'busy' produces beautiful things! I look forward to your posts, and always come away from the page inspired.

Lori Buff said...

The coil pots are looking great. I love the bears, you're right about the curves and lines in them being beautiful. How big are they?
It's best to work in sets when you are trying a new technique or form. You teach your hands how to make that piece by repetition, you also learn to work better and faster.

Tammie Lee said...

it is so wonderful to see your art of pottery evolve. each piece is a joy to see!

Randy said...

Becky, these are just amazing. I love the bear with the turned head. I'm really anxious to see the finished product. Mid-terms are here and it's going to be stressful. I have to build a website by a week from tomorrow. I tried to start it today and I am just not getting it. Hopefully tomorrows class will clear some stuff up for me. I hope the golden leaves are still there for you to see.

Kate said...

I feel like such a slug after viewing your post and hearing of your activities. I continue to admire how you set priorities and stick to them. Hoorah for Becky!!

clairz said...

Becky, I always learn something new about your art when I visit your blog. However, I am finding more and more that as I scroll down I find something that just takes my breath away. So here I am, still in my nightie, no coffee yet, with a big "Ohhh" still hanging about in the room. It was the big bear with the head turned that did it for me today! WOW!!!

marianne said...

What beautiful creations! I see the progress in your bears and how you've been able to keep going bigger with them. You must be so pleased. Thanks for the update!