Taking a Technology Break...

It's been months since my last post... I cancelled my internet in July as a cost cutting measure, (that 50 bucks a month could be better spent on groceries & clay!) so I'm rarely on the internet these days, and I've realized it's good to take a little technology break here & there. I've considered quitting the blog, but I'll keep it up for now... who knows~ I may get back to it at some point. Anyhow, leaving you with a few photos from my backpacking trip in Yosemite this summer.

Enjoy!

:)

Alternative Firing Workshop, Reglazing, Student Art Show & lots of Great News!!

Pardon my lack of blogging lately... life has been busy as usual & I've placed the blog on the back burner, but I just wanted to get in a "catch up" post before taking a little break for the summer. Below are a few images from the Saggar Fire Workshop I took at the Community College in May. Our clay club brought in Lee Akins, a wonderfully talented local ceramicist to do a full day workshop on Alternative Firing techniques. (click on his name above to see his amazing work!) We all brought in a few bisqued pieces to work with & fire. With this technique, you take bisqueware brush on Iron Chloride, along with various combustibles such as coffee grounds, wood chips, banana peels, dried tea bags, copper wire salt & so forth.

I had never done anything like this, so I tried a combo of the above ingredients on 1 medium & 2 smaller bears.

All the ingredients are held close to the pieces by wrapping them in aluminum foil, which are then placed in the Raku Kiln for firing.

The pieces are then brought up to a temp of roughly 1360 degrees & left overnight to cool.

Excited classmates pulling pieces from Raku Kiln

Below are the 2 small bears after firing, which I quite liked.

The results on the medium bear I was not so crazy about... I just didn't feel the technique fit the form... it felt too harsh to me.

So, always up for a little experimentation, I reglazed the piece using the Satin Mint Modified glaze & it was Salt Fired to Cone 11 in the Soda Kiln.

I thought the results were much more pleasing the 2nd time around. It retained some of the effects from the Saggar Fire, but added a less harsh tonal variations, as well as gaining the crystallization effects around the face of the piece.

But the BIG NEWS of the Semester is this!! I had entered the piece below (you may remember this piece from this post, or this post) in the Annual Student Art Show. It's a juried show, so I was pleased of course, just to get in. 

"The Guardian"

 The Best News, however, was that not only did I get in, but I won Best in Show for Ceramics (which means I also got a gift certificate to New Mexico Clay- Yay!) AND I was this years recipient of the Dean's Purchase Award!!! 

This means that the College not only bought my piece, but it will become part of the permanent art collection at Santa Fe Community College! I could not have asked for a better end to wonderful semester! This semester was full of "firsts" for me... my first ceramic sale at the Red Dot Gallery, (I still don't know who purchased that piece, but if they should stumble upon my blog I am sending out a huge thank you for your interest in my work!!) my first group show, and, needless to say, my first Dean's Purchase Award! 

(This also gave me the encouragement & positive feedback I needed to keep going with the clay. I have to say, it hard sometimes to be a middle aged art student! I have often wondered what the heck I am doing... while other's my age are working for retirement, during the semester I am essentially working just enough to pay the rent & support my clay endeavors!) 

Anyhow, here are a few more shots from the Visual Arts Gallery at SFCC~ the show will be up through summer, so if you get a chance, stop on by.

:)

I'm also pleased to announce that the piece below (my first of the Semester) has also been selected to be in the Summer show at the Red Dot Gallery on Canyon Road. The show will open at the beginning of July & run through August... 

"Waiting on the World to Change"

so if you're in town & find yourself wandering up Canyon Road, stop on by as well!

:)

*On a side note, it is likely that I won't be blogging much this summer as I try to work as much as possible to save up for the Fall Semester, as well as spend time with family... so I wish you all a VERY HAPPY SUMMER SEASON!!

:)

Semester Season Finale!! Last Bears of the Semester: 9 & 10 of the Polar Series

Thanks to all that stopped by our Ceramics Show! I think it was a successful event & so nice to see everyone's work displayed in such a professional manner. 

(Sorry I didn't take pics of the event- just the set up- but some other people did, so hopefully those will make their way around.)

Now I'm just tying up loose ends & wrapping up the end of the Semester~ here are number 9 & 10 of the Polar Series. 

(#11 didn't make it into the kiln due to spatial limitations at the end of the Semester... so it'll have to wait patiently til next time!)

#9 In the Polar Series
Ann's Soda Cone 10 Clay Body- Salt fired to Cone 11
Satin Mint Modified Glaze
Dimensions: H: 13.5"  W:13.5"  L:22"

This was one of the 3 that I built w/ the Ann's Soda Clay Body while I was waiting for results on the others.

I have to say, I do love the glaze effects on the Ann's Soda, & while the Soda Kiln can be very unpredictable, the 3 done w/ this clay body came out very similar.

The only problem, as you recall, is the tendency of this clay body to crack in the Soda Kiln. This one, #9, actually cracked during the drying phase, despite my longer than normal drying time. I had used the "Magic Mender" for bisqueware, which actually worked quite well & sealed the crack during the bisque. At least temporarily... until it went into the Soda. While it didn't crack wide completely open during the final firing, you can see where it looks like it may have opened during the fire,(diagonal line below & to the left of the neck) but settled back down. I had sprayed extra glaze on on that part hoping that would help... note the glaze drip coming down from the neck as well.

Signature Soda Kiss on the face...

and arctic feeling polar haunches.

I photo'd these straight out of the kiln in my improvised photo booth in my little studio space at school. The photos aren't the best, but it worked in a pinch to get them documented. 

Below is my Piece de la Resistance of the Semester!

When it first came out of the kiln, I was like "Whoa, that's intense," not sure if I was liking it or not... it was so different than the others! It only took me about 30 minutes to completely fall in love with it, and it is now my favorite piece! And YES, it is the same glaze as the one above! Amazing what a difference the clay bodies make!

I had tested several little bears with the dark brown clay body with this glaze last semester... the results came out very dark brown... almost black, so I was interested as to how it would work on a larger piece. Below are several views. It can appear grayish to black with brown highlights, depending on the lighting. I love how the darker areas shimmer when hit by sunlight.

#10 in the Polar Series
Laguna Dark Brown Cone 10 Clay Body, Salt Fired to Cone 11
Satin Mint Modified Glaze
Dimensions: H: 15"  W: 10"  L: 22"

So that wraps it up for now! Now I've got to get to studio cleaning & get ready for my more permanent move this week. I've got one more clay related post on a workshop I took last month... will try to get it posted next week.

See you soon!

:)

7 & 8 of the Polar Series.... a.k.a "The Twins"

There are only 2 weeks left til the end of the Semester & I'm feeling behind schedule, so I thought I'd better squeeze in a quick post! Below are # 7 & # 8 of the Polar Series. I've fondly named them "The Twins." They were both hand coiled/built hollow w/ Ann's Soda, spray glazed w/Satin Mint modified glaze, & Salt Fired side by side in the Soda Kiln. Below is #8. He kinda looks like he's smiling.

:)

#8 Ann's Soda Cone 10 Clay Body~ Salt Fired to Cone 11
Satin Mint Modified Glaze
Dimensions: H: 14.5"   W:15"   L: 14.5"

Below are several more views. It's funny, but I'll usually find an angle I don't like when I look at a finished piece (I can be my own worst critic!) not so with this one... It's one of my favorite pieces this semester.

Besides the signature kiss of crystallization on the nose of both pieces, I also have to say I love the way the pattern of glaze/salt/flame reaction worked on the back of the piece to create an ice crystal polar feel.

Below is # 7 from various angles.

#7 Ann's Soda Cone 10 Clay Body~ Salt Fired to Cone 11
Satin Mint Modified Glaze
Dimensions: H: 15"  W: 10"  L: 22"

I quite like the way this one turned out as well, though as you may recall, this one (#7) had a small crack when it came out of the bisque. I had tried to patch it w/ magic mender for bisque ware, which can be hit or miss in the soda kiln. It didn't hold up in this firing.

:(

I hope to be able to repair it by using a 2 part epoxy & paint to match the glaze effects. We'll see how it goes next week... I've never tried it before, but am hopeful it'll work.

Oh, I had to show a pic of the twins together... they're pretty dang cute.

:)

In other clay/life updates, the piece above (#9) that was repaired in the greenware state has made it through the bisque just fine & is now in the Soda Kiln, along w/ # 10, both of which will be unloaded Monday... I hope they make it through alright! I also successfully moved all my things into storage (wasn't able to find what I was looking for in such a short period of time & needed to get things done for clay, not to mention work!) Luckily I've found a 3 week sublet that'll at least keep me covered until the end of the semester!

Also~ BIG NEWS!!! Our clay class Integrated Projects, is putting on a Ceramics Show next weekend of which I am very pleased to be a part of, as it is showcasing the work of a very talented group of ceramic artists. 

Please click here for more details, or feel free to email me on my profile for more details. 

If you happen to be in Santa Fe, we'd love to see you there!

:)

As usual, I'll be super busy the next few weeks, but I'll catch up & post as soon as I can!

:)