Pillar progress // I finally completed the asymmetrical finishing touches on these faces and I am letting the pillar pots dry. They will join the other waiting heads in the kiln through first bisque firing then a second glaze firing sometime this summer. Working out on the deck with a temporary sculpting studio was a refreshing change of pace although the clay dried quickly, giving my timeline a shortening. The birds singing, sounds of children playing, and the sweet scent of lilacs on the wind? What a lovely day to make pots. . . . #notskunks #pinchpots #facepots #headpots #ceramics #ceramik #clay #pottery #potteryprocess . . [Image description: Three rounded white clay pinch pots stacked upon each other, each with a different neutral peaceful face sculpted upon it. Each of the faces have eyes with pupils, a nose, and lips with fleshed cheeks. They are positioned on the right of the photo on a faded wooded table.]
Making // fine, make more of us but can we watch something OTHER than “90 Day Fiance” while you work??? No, no we may not. #TrashTv #PotteryProcess #Sculpture #ceramics #clay #pottery #keramika #pinchpottery #facesculpture #humansculpture #pinchpot
Very much in progress // I haven’t been sitting with clay for at least a couple of weeks as we battle the ‘Vid. From throats coated with brambles to heads full of rocks and chests on fire, we’ve been consumed with naptime and Neocitran, our pre-trained immune systems battling this Omicron as it invades. My system is more invested in destroying itself so I’m behind the others in the household in recovery, my cough still too impressive to take into public. Today I haven’t slept for 18 of 24 hours so I sat at the clay bench instead and formed the beginnings of a mighty schnoz and mouth and eyes before finding that I needed a rest. I’ll continue tomorrow or the next day because these eyes still need focus. . . . #pinchpots #faces #facesculpting #sculpture #clay #ceramics #pottery #humansculpture [Image description: White clay, grey in colour, sculpture of a humanoid face with lips, nose and eyes with no pupils taking up a third of the screen, looking towards the right. A scrap of clay lays off to the right on the black table top. ]
Glaze test results // I’m contemplating glazing half my head pots in a clear glaze with no dimension for a cold alien feel, and for the other half, I want a range of rich skin colours and “life”. I did several tests and well, lucky me that failure is part of the journey to success. These are my favourite results thus far. The right result, a thin tenmoku, has shine in the deeper crevices that I’m not sure if I’m a fan of yet. The matte RIO warm brown tones on the left is the only truly successful glaze test that seemed to capture the nuance of rich tones within the same face. I now know what doesn’t work in my glaze and underglazes “kitchen”: other tests came out quite green or jaundiced, or my wiping was far too aggressive leaving the colour to fade completely after firing. My clear glaze on top of the testers almost always turned my browns to greens, or even clear (as seen on the top of the left pot), a glaze chemistry fascination. I’ll keep working and practicing and testing but I’m quite excited about finding one that has such potential. 🥰 (Tagging @liz.larue.7 so she can see this process update!) . . . #sculpture #pinchpots #facesculpture #clay #ceramics #ceramicsculpture #potteryprocess #redironoxide
Big Faces Keep On Turning // The latest pot in progress from the very hot back patio. . . [Image description: a grey clay pot with a face with oversized features. ] . #sculpture #portraits #pinchpot #plantpot #ceramics #clay #pottery #CanadianCeramics #AlbertaPotters
Faces // The back patio and I have been making faces when the days are too hot to do much else. I’m keen on larger-than-life eyes, drawing them larger and wider on each pot. Huge eyelids upper and lower, nose and lips coming into reality as I work. The birds sing, and I sculpt until the kiln is eventually full (not yet) and the heatwaves that keep rolling over the city start to calm. These pots are not what I was planning but sometimes the heat takes us where it takes us. . [image descriptions for 4 images: Image 1: grey clay with middle hollowed in the start of a pinch pot. Image 2: two balls of grey clay with the middle hollowed out in a pinch pot, with the ball closest to the viewer smooth and sponged and the furthest rough. Image 3: top view of a grey clay pinch pot plant pot with a somber face. Image 4: front view of a grey clay pinch pot plant pot with a somber face, and the start of another pinch pot in the background. ] . #sculpture #portraits #pinchpot #plantpot #ceramics #clay #pottery #CanadianCeramics #AlbertaPotters
Glazing #rainbow hearts, day after US moves to #LoveIsLove and day before the anniversary of #Stonewall. #ceramics
The Mother of Pearl on this vase is hard to capture but there’s a subtle shimmer of pink and blue in the light. Paired with our garden roses that are a day away from dropping petals. #ceramics #lustre #yyc
Bonus of living with fiddlers: no lack of strings to make cutting wires! #fiddle #ceramics #pottery
Our kiln came with many bits, bobbles, and boxes. This MED-MAR Metals bottle has “25%” penciled onto the label, and claims to be Mother of Pearl. It’s been sitting on the shelf with the kiln furniture for years, and today, I had a few hours to run an experiment. I’m assuming that it’s a lustre and I’ve coated a clear glazed ceramic piece with this fluid, and it’s currently firing to cone 018 (750° Celsius) to see what happens. The best part of pottery is the magic of alchemy. Also, the worst part of pottery is the magic of alchemy. I’m hoping for the best.
First firing with the “fixed” kiln had some problems BUT this little porcelain + melted glass experiment makes up for it. Now I’m on the hunt for kiln elements sold within Canada, and I don’t want to wait 6 weeks for delivery again!
Hatching ideas, playing with circles and form. #ceramics #creativity
