tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32871516491411246972024-02-19T10:41:50.614-05:00Riverdragon CeramicsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-26752054218083213752013-06-15T10:56:00.000-04:002013-06-15T10:56:25.874-04:00Some work in progress I purchased my kickwheel used from a ceramics studio in Massachusetts, and it was a great deal. They didn't need it, since everyone there preferred the electric wheels, and I needed a wheel and preferred a kickwheel. So I took it apart and packed it in my car along with my other belongings when Mr. Riverdragon and I moved to Maine.<br />
The wheel is a Thomas Stuart, and it's a fine piece of equipment in my opinion. The flywheel is nice and heavy, making it a pain to move but a delight to use. The frame can be taken apart to fit the whole thing into a car or through a doorway. For the most part, this wheel will last forever. It didn't mind being ignored for several years before I purchased it - it's practically as good as new. The one thing that's been bugging me about it is the surface of the table part.<br />
The table was originally varnished to protect the wood from wet clay. This is a good idea! But over the years, enough wet things have been set upon the table to damage that surface. I found it annoying because the varnish was starting to flake off into my clay. That's just troublesome.<br />
So Mr. Riverdragon volunteered to fix it up for me this spring. He took off the table part, sanded off all the old varnish, and put on new varnish. That put my wheel out of commission for a couple of days. But now it's as good as new! It turns out that the wood underneath has a nice looking grain. While we just used clear varnish and didn't bother doing anything fancy to make it look special, it looks even better than I thought it would. And it works so much better!<br />
So I celebrated by throwing some bowls and getting Mr. Riverdragon to take pictures of me happily working on my good-as-new wheel. He focused on me rather than on the table, though. I'm probably more interesting. <br />
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So there I am, throwing bowls off the hump. (That's what it's called when you put a big lump of clay on the wheel, but throw many small objects off the top of it rather than using individual tiny lumps, which are hard to center.) You can see these pictures were taken in the house rather than in the barn. We've been slowly moving my clay things back into the barn studio, and it just so happens that the wheel is one of the few things still in the house. But I can use it just fine there, so that's ok for now. <br />
This is my nice translucent porcelain, although these bowls are not going to be translucent. They will be black and red, and the light will not be able to pass through the glaze and slip I'm going to use. But they will be lovely and smooth! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-84319372032689316122013-06-05T17:33:00.000-04:002013-06-05T17:33:29.402-04:00While Sleeping Dragons Lie, technical considerations June has brought lovely warm weather to us in coastal Maine. The tulips have bloomed and faded. The lilacs are out in full force, and the peonies are covered in buds.<br />
In the process of moving my kickwheel back to the barn studio, we saw that its table is not doing so well. The varnish has suffered from years of contact with wet clay. So Mr. Riverdragon sanded off the old, and soon will be painting on new. My wheel will look so lovely when he is done, and be pleasanter to use as well! It turns out that the wood is fairly nice looking under the cracking varnish. <br />
I'm also in the process of setting up my thesis, While Sleeping Dragons Lie, in the barn studio. This will be its permanent home now. After sitting about in pieces for months, it needs some cleaning, repainting, and repairs. <br />
The pools themselves are actually fairly mundane objects: two sleds and a kiddie pool that I spray painted black. Here's a picture from last summer when I was setting up at the Meeting House Gallery: <br />
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The difficulty with painting these objects is that they are plastic, and the paint doesn't adhere to them incredibly well. Oh, it sticks - but don't scrape it with anything, or it comes right off. This is even with paint intended for plastic items! No matter how careful I was during the traveling required to move the display from place to place, I always carried a roll of black electrical tape along to fix these little scrapes that appeared, almost inexplicably, in the most visible possible places as I was setting up or checking things over just before a reception. Today I peeled off all the little tape fixes and repainted the pools. Now that they'll be staying in one spot for the foreseeable future, hopefully I won't have to make so many cover-ups. <br />
My original intent when I planned my thesis was for the water to circulate all the way through from the top pool to the bottom one. I wanted to imply a stream through the forest. It turned out that the clay portions of my clever idea took so long to make that I had no time left over for great feats of engineering! <br />
So now I'm taking this opportunity to go ahead and do the necessary plumbing to create the stream. I made spouts out of stray bits of gutter by cutting the gutter to appropriate lengths. (A saw worked well; a box cutter did not, FYI.) I cut out places for the spouts to go on each sled, tracing the spout shape on the sled with a sharpie. (Box cutters work great for sleds!) Then I used aquarium silicone to attach the spouts to their pools.<br />
Why aquarium silicone, specifically? Well, I'm a big fan of aquarium silicone for a number of reasons. 1. It sticks to a lot of things, including plastic and ceramic. 2. It's waterproof! 3. It's fish safe. I want to have fish living in the bottom pool, so I better use fish safe materials. 4. It's flexible, so changes in temperature (like when the sun comes in the window and heats up the inside of the barn) won't just pop the join apart. I hope.<br />
I've also cut a hole just the right size for half-inch tubing to fit through in the top pool. The tube will run from the pump - submersed in the bottom pool - to the top of the tube in the highest pool. The tube comes up about in the middle underneath the stump, so it will be hidden. The stump itself is also a fountain, with a separate, smaller pump. <br />
The stump isn't designed to have as much water flow as is needed for the whole piece. That pump pushes 75 gallons per hour, and I'm looking for about 300 gallons per hour for the whole stream. 300 gph won't be a lot of current, but it will be enough for a gentle stream and should suffice for the fish. Thus, two separate pumps for two separate purposes. It will appear as though the water flow is all originating from the stump, as that will be the obvious source. But this way I won't have to sacrifice the amount of flow further down the stream or the peaceful trickling of the stump fountain. <br />
As for the fish in the bottom pool, I'm still mulling over different possibilities. I don't think I will use zebrafish - the fish I used last time - because of how tiny and hard to see they were. I'm certainly not going to try something giant like goldfish, but I think a small school of some kind of barbs would be super. (And some algae eating something-or-other. I love critters that eat algae! They make my plants happy.) With about thirty gallons in the bottom pool and so much surface area, plus the extra five-ish gallons in the upper pools, I have room for a fair number of fish. <br />
I've also been growing out some aquatic plants this winter, so ideally the display will be quite verdant. I still need to get some lights to put up in the display area. It's rather dark there most of the day, as the barn was not built to let in light particularly well. Even though I'm choosing plants that don't need loads of light, both in and out of the water, they do need more than what is there.<br />
I think this time around will be the best yet for While Sleeping Dragons Lie. I'm very much looking forward to having my original idea fully developed, including plants, fish, and running water from top to bottom. The dragons will be very happy in their habitat!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-22231328841476900792013-05-27T11:02:00.000-04:002013-05-27T11:02:24.926-04:00Kickwheel, rain, and furbeasts The sun has finally returned after a week of rain here. The rain came at just the wrong time, as I had just finished cleaning and reorganizing the barn studio for the spring/summer season. I was all set to get Mr. Riverdragon to help me move my kickwheel across to the barn... and then the rain came. No way are we rolling that 140 lb flywheel across a muddy lawn. Nuh-uh. So we waited. And finally, the sun is back! But the lawn is still muddy, so hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to go ahead without fear of getting stuck. <br />
In other news, I have a new cat! This is the internet, so cats are always relevant, right? You may remember that when Mr. Riverdragon and I first moved to Maine, we brought my wonderful, ancient dog. Dandy is now sixteen and a half years old, and still kicking. Here's a picture of her asking why I'm taking a picture instead of handing over the treats:<br />
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Then, in early January, Mr. Riverdragon was given an opportunity to adopt a kitten from our local <a href="http://www.spcahancockcounty.org/">SPCA</a>. So, off we went to the shelter, where we met wonderful people and wonderful kittens. We brought home Warbear, a short haired silver tabby. Isn't she a lovely lady? She is now an intrepid explorer in her <a href="http://www.kittyholster.com/">Kitty Holster</a>, a super harness that we recommend for all kitty explorers who wish to take their humans along.<br />
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But with only one cat, we couldn't keep up with Warbear's play needs. She's very sweet, and actually doesn't wake us in the night, but she does play. All the time. With our ankles, or hands, or anything really that she notices. We also found that one cat with two laps means that one lap will always be lonely. (Dandy isn't really a lap dog, with the condition of her joints.) So... off to the shelter again!</div>
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I found a long haired tortoiseshell, who was a tad shy but quite curious. Meet Brenna, our latest addition: </div>
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Now our little family has just the right number of furbeasts. Brenna and Warbear are still working on getting comfortable with each other, but we have hopes that they will become great buddies in time. Dandy has gotten used to the idea of lightning-fast cats scampering past her at random times, and has clearly opted to not worry about it. </div>
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So when you come to visit the studio this summer, you may encounter an explorer cat or two and an elderly pooch who's still a puppy at heart. They'll be happy to see you, and you can be sure that Warbear has inspected any pot or sculpture you purchase. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-33089344255150020762013-05-08T07:47:00.001-04:002013-05-08T07:47:09.221-04:00Translucent dragon cups, some more Here are some more pictures of the translucent dragon cups. I threw them on the wheel and trimmed them, then brushed black slip on around the outside. After letting the slip stiffen, I carved out the dragons. The reason they are so translucent is that they are made of porcelain. Not all porcelain and porcelain-like clays have this property, so when I chose my clays back in the fall I specifically selected one that was recommended for its translucence.<br />
Having never worked with translucent porcelain before, I'm amazed with the stuff. I love working with porcelainous clays, I knew that before. But after hearing all about how difficult it is to make translucent pots, I guess I never expected it to work this well. It really worked!<br />
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I knew as soon as I took these out of the kiln that they were even better than I had hoped. The first thing I usually do when I pull something out of the kiln is to scoot into the sunshine to get a good look at it. These cups are translucent enough that you can see the effect in <i>normal light.</i> You can see it as a little creamy glow around the foot in these pictures:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeuqNih-VamxrHWr0pGdVgTRuOYWjaC5TYPgLULPryWbaZ29Ha7k0-c6ggMTxkHVThr4jAxBUp4GKTnZfCcENOYYgltphTg4xtzqk5aQIkJTh762Da8gh7r8xisNjVVH1xwPwO5oR6deI/s1600/abstractdragoncups+(42).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeuqNih-VamxrHWr0pGdVgTRuOYWjaC5TYPgLULPryWbaZ29Ha7k0-c6ggMTxkHVThr4jAxBUp4GKTnZfCcENOYYgltphTg4xtzqk5aQIkJTh762Da8gh7r8xisNjVVH1xwPwO5oR6deI/s320/abstractdragoncups+(42).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm pleased with nearly all the pots in this firing, but these are the best. The translucence is something I can only guess at when I'm making them, so I paid a lot of attention to the other aspects. I used my tiny rubber rib to make them smooth, and worked hard on the carvings to make them clean and crisp. I also sanded them gently after both firings, so the bottoms feel good in the hand. I love my abstract dragon design; it looks good in two colors like this and I can reliably make the dragons look related to each other. I also love making them, especially the carving part. I do get tired of doing the same thing after six cups, but that's what bowls and plates (and Kickstarter rewards...) are for. </div>
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And fussy though my camera seems to be about bright sunlight, I have to give it credit for doing a good job in the dark. All I did was click the button and hold very, <i>very</i> still. (It helps to rest my hands on something sturdy. A tripod would work, too.) And when I hold still enough, I get pictures like these: </div>
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That's what they actually look like with candles in them. It's beautiful. I also found that the sides of the cup remained cool despite the hot candle inside, so I could pick them up and move them around without worrying about hot fingers. I think at this point I have to 1. make more of these cups; and 2. make some "cups" with shades/lids specifically for the purpose of holding candles. Because, wow. Ceramics = the real magic we have in the world. I can make mud that <i>glows</i>.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-41182819072731946532013-05-07T22:57:00.000-04:002013-05-07T22:57:04.734-04:00Translucent dragon cups I just took some photos of a set of dragon cups from this firing. I took the pictures at night so that I could try putting tea candles in the cups to photograph the translucence... and it worked very well! I'll put up some more pictures in the morning, but I couldn't wait to post this.<br />
The cups in normal light:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtr3S5_na4fjJ8fvyf7qcALN0FKh1tJMV9x0eBlvuHxY87tjq1tfhG51cpM1MNAvoBBm5M_LXMXVKnoGoiuU-4-3aFVaU6glahdOKohzqhFdZ5QaIQ8vd0gMUrqhfRRyzdYoWKw56CJ08/s1600/abstractdragoncups+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtr3S5_na4fjJ8fvyf7qcALN0FKh1tJMV9x0eBlvuHxY87tjq1tfhG51cpM1MNAvoBBm5M_LXMXVKnoGoiuU-4-3aFVaU6glahdOKohzqhFdZ5QaIQ8vd0gMUrqhfRRyzdYoWKw56CJ08/s320/abstractdragoncups+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The cups with candles inside them as the only light source:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aqWIWcsVopCaslrDoIquJVIbJ89KtP53QRIXI3uNrhlrdgUA1Lzbx4oaE1GEP78vk3r7DwXGMt2nDw1kjCqM3BVn4871TD3QW_Mxt2bqccN46zvk0pgqyZfWpNLUlY0aiJ8i4Bx8qScY/s1600/abstractdragoncupstranslucent+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aqWIWcsVopCaslrDoIquJVIbJ89KtP53QRIXI3uNrhlrdgUA1Lzbx4oaE1GEP78vk3r7DwXGMt2nDw1kjCqM3BVn4871TD3QW_Mxt2bqccN46zvk0pgqyZfWpNLUlY0aiJ8i4Bx8qScY/s320/abstractdragoncupstranslucent+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think I'm a little less depressed now. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-19534844234221572942013-05-06T12:51:00.000-04:002013-05-06T12:51:09.296-04:00Glaze adventures! I <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2013/04/kiln-is-firing-today.html">recently mentioned</a> my glazing experiments in the latest firing. Now I have some more pictures to share! I already showed the <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2013/04/flowerpots-and-octopus.html">octopus cup</a> and the <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2013/05/blue-and-white-dragons.html">blue and white dragon plates</a>. This post is about the rest of the group of cups that the octopus cup is related to.<br />
These cups aren't really a set - they are all different shapes, all have different designs, and don't really "go together." But they are all the same size, made of the same red stoneware, and glazed using only two glazes (Mottled Spice and Deep Firebrick).<br />
The octopus cup is different from the others in that I left most of the cup unglazed, and painted the octopus design directly on the bare clay. That looks like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOaLripH1817FvWGVA8pDDc6S_gkVHA0x8hn_GgcZqCTPkdnzoYa_OgFgade4Kue_ZVZ6vhu5XmnRLiMoDqjUQ6YSAFJkuaKRnxX0utui7e2XuEQ1n4k6tKTuwRM0Oy2cNuBTTPZpd6c_L/s1600/octopuscup_outside+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOaLripH1817FvWGVA8pDDc6S_gkVHA0x8hn_GgcZqCTPkdnzoYa_OgFgade4Kue_ZVZ6vhu5XmnRLiMoDqjUQ6YSAFJkuaKRnxX0utui7e2XuEQ1n4k6tKTuwRM0Oy2cNuBTTPZpd6c_L/s320/octopuscup_outside+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The red octopus is shiny, while the clay is rough and matte, so the edges of the design are sharp and clear. On the other cups, I glazed the outside of each cup and brushed the design on top of that background glaze. This resulted in more smudgy, less defined edges. Like this tree:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4p7gjho624cyLc2GkC0-Pj76Ex43jd69vBI8GzUVEPDHRUIDhnw3vVMnWvtWlmlsQkzd3yxBiSpODzvHmVnKiUl8uNc3AXaapMNy6hH-uWLrc2bsnHfEtnnce4GRGXhGt9Lw7NH3vLZZ/s1600/autumncup_outsidesun+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4p7gjho624cyLc2GkC0-Pj76Ex43jd69vBI8GzUVEPDHRUIDhnw3vVMnWvtWlmlsQkzd3yxBiSpODzvHmVnKiUl8uNc3AXaapMNy6hH-uWLrc2bsnHfEtnnce4GRGXhGt9Lw7NH3vLZZ/s320/autumncup_outsidesun+(6).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Since both the background and the tree design are shiny, the tree doesn't stand out as much as the octopus on the previous cup. Another difference is that the brown glaze of the tree melted flat into the red glaze, so the tree isn't raised - you won't feel a bump under your fingers when you hold the cup. It's more like a drawing on a piece of paper.<br />
The Mottled Spice (brown) doesn't contrast in color as much as I expected from the red. The tree is actually much subtler than I thought it would be. It was difficult to photograph because of this, but I like how the cup looks. It encourages you to really <i>look</i> at the cup as you are holding it, because the tree doesn't pop out at you. I'm all for people taking a closer look!<br />
I used this glaze combination for a dragon cup, as well. The effect is similar:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJCHmUCra-wFeOAPM4ErIZZX7jq8N5simeOwrAXOap5N6-sQ5WYT0r_NoZV_A03Jx1EsSPGtkU0yRQkH3Wsr-KYErfIegSlSO8fRndWGKA2o59tQAYaIwaxdKO5hepxcFHnlRfaBAIOIE/s1600/dragonshadowcup+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJCHmUCra-wFeOAPM4ErIZZX7jq8N5simeOwrAXOap5N6-sQ5WYT0r_NoZV_A03Jx1EsSPGtkU0yRQkH3Wsr-KYErfIegSlSO8fRndWGKA2o59tQAYaIwaxdKO5hepxcFHnlRfaBAIOIE/s320/dragonshadowcup+(2).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I'm calling this a shadow dragon. You can see the design, but it's understated. You see the dragon as you turn the cup, but never all of the dragon at once. Again, this is difficult to capture in photos, but I found that in the sunshine there was enough light to allow the dragon to show. Although the dragon is visible in indoor light, I wasn't very good at capturing it in a picture.<br />
Then I have cups with the opposite glazing: red against brown. This cup has mushrooms on it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcKuVdGOfT0BkqaljN922_HrAdhhpHE7cap339nbuHsH3C61d6Nu1GuUPaSDiJyNGSk77ldgbzXsqJ1KMh-jMUymkba2yMg7T6_lcsWj28Do8LZtwBT93PeOHinWVdcjbhw2x20YhX1uQ/s1600/lavamushroomcup+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcKuVdGOfT0BkqaljN922_HrAdhhpHE7cap339nbuHsH3C61d6Nu1GuUPaSDiJyNGSk77ldgbzXsqJ1KMh-jMUymkba2yMg7T6_lcsWj28Do8LZtwBT93PeOHinWVdcjbhw2x20YhX1uQ/s320/lavamushroomcup+(2).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUHt6_vlbViODSqoYPgfoV4ZTYCH9Z52apnL2bc0WkReRawh5ChdI1yELei1v0xLlss_8Cwehn4z65JfwHpziUiqfhTQJHJZNjNbWPpX7F7Ve46BrXM1C4DDditRaCE1xE-N7vdvy6SaE/s1600/lavamushroomcup+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUHt6_vlbViODSqoYPgfoV4ZTYCH9Z52apnL2bc0WkReRawh5ChdI1yELei1v0xLlss_8Cwehn4z65JfwHpziUiqfhTQJHJZNjNbWPpX7F7Ve46BrXM1C4DDditRaCE1xE-N7vdvy6SaE/s320/lavamushroomcup+(3).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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As you can see, the red glaze slid down a bit as it melted. The lines of the design are thus less sharp, particularly on the undersides of the mushroom caps. This makes a neat-o looking texture on the mushrooms. I think they look like lava mushrooms. I don't think this combination would work well with an octopus, because it would muddy up the tentacles, but I think it's just fine for these mushrooms. They don't have such fine details.<br />
I also used this combination for a design that included finer details:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJhRm84AOSNvUvvxOfw2wvzgtaZnxA4CLKeCbP-gcYv4tCblWdz3UvjJYPKHDwTfUlffvfqSmOyUMGvs2oR0yf83vrZYL-5ZZpDHCCSntii_LdRLB6QM-ay-qVXWtwk5l_Uus9byLy0nK/s1600/phoenixcup+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJhRm84AOSNvUvvxOfw2wvzgtaZnxA4CLKeCbP-gcYv4tCblWdz3UvjJYPKHDwTfUlffvfqSmOyUMGvs2oR0yf83vrZYL-5ZZpDHCCSntii_LdRLB6QM-ay-qVXWtwk5l_Uus9byLy0nK/s320/phoenixcup+(7).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Am I upset that some of those details vanished in a wash of red? Nope. I was hoping that the red would help this bird look like a phoenix. The selective loss of detail doesn't strike me as out of place because of the coloring - it's a flaming phoenix, so parts of the bird are obscured by fire. I am pleased, however, that the upper wing retained the feathers that I carefully brushed there.<br />
Overall I'm happy with these cups. Sometimes glaze experiments go well, and sometimes they don't. Often they don't quite look how one imagined they would! I am glad I was able to make hypotheses about how these glazes would act that came out so well. I think the earthy colors are handsome and warm. I like these glazes with red clay. I ended up with five great cups. I count this glaze experiment as a success! <br />
If you think these cups are super and want to have one (or two, or five) for your very own, here are the links to them on my Etsy shop:<br />
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Octopus cup: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/130865954/red-octopus-cup">https://www.etsy.com/listing/130865954/red-octopus-cup</a><br />
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Autumn tree cup: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/130869123/autumn-red-tree-cup">https://www.etsy.com/listing/130869123/autumn-red-tree-cup</a><br />
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Shadow dragon cup: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/130865039/shadow-dragon-cup">https://www.etsy.com/listing/130865039/shadow-dragon-cup</a><br />
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Lava mushrooms cup: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/130871142/lava-mushrooms-cup">https://www.etsy.com/listing/130871142/lava-mushrooms-cup</a><br />
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Phoenix cup: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/130867274/phoenix-cup">https://www.etsy.com/listing/130867274/phoenix-cup</a><br />
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There are other lovely things on my Etsy shop, some of which have appeared here on my blog and some of which have not. You can always get from here to there by clicking on my Etsy link, found on the upper right hand side of each page of this blog. I post new items periodically, with the highest concentration appearing in the two weeks after a glaze firing. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-74062549379649858072013-05-03T11:23:00.000-04:002013-05-03T11:23:00.844-04:00Unicorn vase This is a tiny vase with a flaming unicorn. I carved the unicorn, then used orange and red washes for the color, then a clear glaze on top.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLDhVGTPaCy4YpkDxKtDycoBhnA0eFMYMjBjFlmghvvfYEJ7dfc0o3dRI0Y5-FhuwmV0NEANjYXI4EtFq791rXGXJq4-bOJtBPdZLWQrS9TDcqfoVCdO146TDU1OwqjaMqufxPZSFz40o/s1600/tinyorangeunicornvase+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLDhVGTPaCy4YpkDxKtDycoBhnA0eFMYMjBjFlmghvvfYEJ7dfc0o3dRI0Y5-FhuwmV0NEANjYXI4EtFq791rXGXJq4-bOJtBPdZLWQrS9TDcqfoVCdO146TDU1OwqjaMqufxPZSFz40o/s320/tinyorangeunicornvase+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnaMdtfjePd-N9nkHDDuQqIKsFQhVdwkysH83F9sk-VYNQ1VDXJBoN3Ot8DH7RFdkX2v7Hj5s9cXzIabBYpzrUjB2QYYrd44ISLgfZ0UVgjVCD5-M5DJEOUPIJoh60wr_Dtoq2zQLFeGz/s1600/tinyorangeunicornvase+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnaMdtfjePd-N9nkHDDuQqIKsFQhVdwkysH83F9sk-VYNQ1VDXJBoN3Ot8DH7RFdkX2v7Hj5s9cXzIabBYpzrUjB2QYYrd44ISLgfZ0UVgjVCD5-M5DJEOUPIJoh60wr_Dtoq2zQLFeGz/s320/tinyorangeunicornvase+(4).JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
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This vase is really quite small: 3.25 inches tall. Just the right size for several grape hyacinths!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPL_yBRy4GdvBwDu0oMirbSUDBrnQ2nQLc-s3Z0Ten-IVis_kMSrKPOB2zuLC3kCdvuKOTjHQHxMcJzftHL3TFwwjXBOWiWsmxnKYp1KphrXmDsFqHVBdi_GEGSPRwhIRIVUYfVAcyK8zq/s1600/tinyorangeunicornvase+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPL_yBRy4GdvBwDu0oMirbSUDBrnQ2nQLc-s3Z0Ten-IVis_kMSrKPOB2zuLC3kCdvuKOTjHQHxMcJzftHL3TFwwjXBOWiWsmxnKYp1KphrXmDsFqHVBdi_GEGSPRwhIRIVUYfVAcyK8zq/s320/tinyorangeunicornvase+(6).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The grape hyacinths are from the garden here. They are blooming along with the daffodils currently. I'm doing a lot of work in the garden this spring, and it's great to be able to take pictures of my work outside again. </div>
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I leave you with a close up of the unicorn: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurdIj_nt59J_hZGwjJpMdHAh_Wo3MryonZXqAtP8HhfXoUqzxGJtNQzoSMKbtr_dAhcqNTt1yic1IR2UnB2aJo-q8IfRRQ4dMontXgMnwqF8wZ2LGUbtN6IN8Qyns7pO22EEnnMLE5oq0/s1600/tinyorangeunicornvase.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurdIj_nt59J_hZGwjJpMdHAh_Wo3MryonZXqAtP8HhfXoUqzxGJtNQzoSMKbtr_dAhcqNTt1yic1IR2UnB2aJo-q8IfRRQ4dMontXgMnwqF8wZ2LGUbtN6IN8Qyns7pO22EEnnMLE5oq0/s320/tinyorangeunicornvase.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-82555714224549296042013-05-02T10:41:00.001-04:002013-05-02T10:41:03.788-04:00Blue and white dragons Another glaze adventure: blue and white dragon plates. These are porcelain plates that I painted dragons on with blue glaze, then poured an even layer of clear glaze over the dragons. I'm using a Mason stain for my blue, so it's not the deep color of pure cobalt, but a softer, brighter blue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZKkJEgMJumwYJrB-ydfWb3f1X6UClKRi8K36IsJIjlR_iLwzJTlLvYWph9ZonIKfWOJe_GVbpVbzCp1XESXX6i8GFwcvB-vryEU70AMs-z9Q4HQ3D4CoT0grKN_shqDUK-neLVkRtINU/s1600/blueandwhitedragonplates+(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZKkJEgMJumwYJrB-ydfWb3f1X6UClKRi8K36IsJIjlR_iLwzJTlLvYWph9ZonIKfWOJe_GVbpVbzCp1XESXX6i8GFwcvB-vryEU70AMs-z9Q4HQ3D4CoT0grKN_shqDUK-neLVkRtINU/s320/blueandwhitedragonplates+(10).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OXQ3fho7SriF_lW1i_nQ3dS9RSlwpeXrlUJGwjKFBX5cHEkfiocC2ZS5AdCj86pLo5agcMM9XD-vwy1dbyoGHmNq63IUR6EgCHCuhMG6YL5e1MSCa_mzuRL84yHXUrn5JLf_r4hIT5Jg/s1600/blueandwhitedragonplates+(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OXQ3fho7SriF_lW1i_nQ3dS9RSlwpeXrlUJGwjKFBX5cHEkfiocC2ZS5AdCj86pLo5agcMM9XD-vwy1dbyoGHmNq63IUR6EgCHCuhMG6YL5e1MSCa_mzuRL84yHXUrn5JLf_r4hIT5Jg/s320/blueandwhitedragonplates+(8).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The plate above is my favorite of the two. The dragon is more complex, and curled in a way that fills up the space on the plate with its presence. I also like its face and wing a lot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nbtTqZUwYH84yUMgouvH_qtrF7Dim6DDl41XxzQJeBp3G82A3JRQYKY8SsEVG8CpGHFqVfT7mCoxmNkz8JI-Wdy6qLsSyzpp_X4hvWzND9z2-SJ_BL9kRE_GA2psbSUMzRwlrN3uEt-q/s1600/blueandwhitedragonplates+(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nbtTqZUwYH84yUMgouvH_qtrF7Dim6DDl41XxzQJeBp3G82A3JRQYKY8SsEVG8CpGHFqVfT7mCoxmNkz8JI-Wdy6qLsSyzpp_X4hvWzND9z2-SJ_BL9kRE_GA2psbSUMzRwlrN3uEt-q/s320/blueandwhitedragonplates+(14).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk-wrUDoYz2t3tL4wOq3R__nRRktf7OXbGiIwnX4sOS6h1gIHrExMmdwLlAFwc1fELX2tJ862XY33JJiSnfHlBXSJJnysR0Q_YYJ4rj7yjNjrLqv8fcpCAhTxkj19GCQ5h3oSxk1dL3ZB/s1600/blueandwhitedragonplates+(17).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk-wrUDoYz2t3tL4wOq3R__nRRktf7OXbGiIwnX4sOS6h1gIHrExMmdwLlAFwc1fELX2tJ862XY33JJiSnfHlBXSJJnysR0Q_YYJ4rj7yjNjrLqv8fcpCAhTxkj19GCQ5h3oSxk1dL3ZB/s320/blueandwhitedragonplates+(17).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the other hand, the dragon on the second plate has a pretty cute face, and I like the frill and wing on this one, too. This dragon is a little simpler and a little coarser.<br />
Another difference between these two plates is the way I glazed the underside of each. On the first plate, I allowed the clear glaze to spill over when I was glazing the top of the plate and left the drips rather than removing them. On the second plate, I painstakingly removed all the dripped glaze (except for one tiny bit I missed. White glaze on white pot - hard to see!). The clear glaze is glossy, but the bare porcelain is matte. So the drips are a bit subtle on the first plate, appearing mostly through the way they reflect light.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dKd1Z3Q1sclMIC3s5fhHtHNCMjk8PG3920iMeRTJ6iZOmMs47iMT0csU8kFkvanashXo6bGwa33LN5Z6p_3gxFTyX1XbXmKDrnYleZu2mYHjuusbjo4OeUU6bS6YboQmYy1UNj0SPNP9/s1600/blueandwhitedragonplates+%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dKd1Z3Q1sclMIC3s5fhHtHNCMjk8PG3920iMeRTJ6iZOmMs47iMT0csU8kFkvanashXo6bGwa33LN5Z6p_3gxFTyX1XbXmKDrnYleZu2mYHjuusbjo4OeUU6bS6YboQmYy1UNj0SPNP9/s320/blueandwhitedragonplates+%25289%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The second plate looks like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7WVZegOUMu7YxzfBCvEUVpRSVXxpoaFldPej1AmF5A51wHBVlEQpEJ6a9FUJbC2S-L_6EHMla_M0Ux1_y01YRC3U_CxoTSk4h8a1_yG-ShL6fyJbWkiyM49y1RetL399RUeLk7Cyeu0_/s1600/blueandwhitedragonplates+(18).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7WVZegOUMu7YxzfBCvEUVpRSVXxpoaFldPej1AmF5A51wHBVlEQpEJ6a9FUJbC2S-L_6EHMla_M0Ux1_y01YRC3U_CxoTSk4h8a1_yG-ShL6fyJbWkiyM49y1RetL399RUeLk7Cyeu0_/s320/blueandwhitedragonplates+(18).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bare porcelain is still very white without glaze, and I gently sanded the unglazed areas with fine sandpaper after the plates came out of the kiln. Sanded porcelain feels very nice under the fingers, and I usually do this to the foot of every pot I make. It makes the pot feel more refined. I think often about how pots will feel when touched as I am making them. Where will it be rough? Smooth? Slick? Grippy? Glossy glaze feels different than matte glaze, and porcelain feels different than stoneware.<br />
I often use the roughness of my red stoneware on purpose as a contrasting sensation to shiny glazes. I often smooth porcelain as much as I can in the raw state, then sand it after bisque firing and after glaze firing. The last sanding of the porcelain usually doesn't require much time at all. I also do my best to make the bottoms of pots and sculptures tabletop friendly. I once gave someone a handsome vase I had made, and she set it on a wooden table. This was just fine until someone decided to turn it around to look at the other side without lifting it from the table, and the rough clay left scratch marks. Yikes! Since then I think about the bottoms a lot more. Every pot gets set down somewhere, and it needn't leave damage behind.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-44647893779616703212013-04-29T12:17:00.000-04:002013-05-02T10:46:13.626-04:00Flowerpots and an octopus I unloaded the kiln this morning. As always, I'm too excited to pull out the pots to get pictures of the whole kiln full of work. But I've been taking pictures of individual pots, so I do have something to share!<br />
A flower pot with two sea monsters chasing each other around the rim:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc05BtaUAXAUeN7wBeKXFB_ZavdVsTgs9jqW6rNZWsLTOoinmI0zQVTU_vyz4QDmLEA7XkN1OaPY3kl3CBqBkFVTrm7Fg9CIvfngVVPE5f1FFGzOyu7w2JiGxeHxRPVLytuluGfOhVo_f/s1600/flowerpot_red+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc05BtaUAXAUeN7wBeKXFB_ZavdVsTgs9jqW6rNZWsLTOoinmI0zQVTU_vyz4QDmLEA7XkN1OaPY3kl3CBqBkFVTrm7Fg9CIvfngVVPE5f1FFGzOyu7w2JiGxeHxRPVLytuluGfOhVo_f/s320/flowerpot_red+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A flower pot with walnut texture around the rim:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUc-fZB7vPdTGccVOP6_a3S76Yp1JdVoLDX1sNrEu8t6dwKb2yWXlFquvJRJk-rM45_1GK4G1bCqRjSIfY5Q9ncju6VsGfhXf9qCDIhXy07bHIjOmMGm5MuQgOBkKS0VkuP6Pto3TkD0l/s1600/flowerpot_brown+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUc-fZB7vPdTGccVOP6_a3S76Yp1JdVoLDX1sNrEu8t6dwKb2yWXlFquvJRJk-rM45_1GK4G1bCqRjSIfY5Q9ncju6VsGfhXf9qCDIhXy07bHIjOmMGm5MuQgOBkKS0VkuP6Pto3TkD0l/s320/flowerpot_brown+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The two flowerpots above are 8 inches wide and about 6.5 inches tall. I enjoyed making them. The clay is very rough, and that seems to fit well with flowerpots.<br />
I mentioned yesterday some of my glaze experiments with this firing. A particularly successful experiment is this octopus cup:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2J0oeiTCWlQNYPc7rTLz87aC4_bdNMK9vuDhkEnAiLOZ93JV6gXL2cTFj-ndEWz1PWFRjsNzw7IjdThba2IWtP4XkMYEDl5GL9HpBL8NKb0TfLFp8lno8ywKEUsHqnfkXNhgxTbBjWtN5/s1600/octopuscup_bluebackground+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2J0oeiTCWlQNYPc7rTLz87aC4_bdNMK9vuDhkEnAiLOZ93JV6gXL2cTFj-ndEWz1PWFRjsNzw7IjdThba2IWtP4XkMYEDl5GL9HpBL8NKb0TfLFp8lno8ywKEUsHqnfkXNhgxTbBjWtN5/s320/octopuscup_bluebackground+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfNmhqvFr6qnvCrPB6Eu3oiDIt4gaa0NShzanSslUSz8vPVfmoSfJnQB6OoiKMIEtI2stEx3XTkuGe4tLfhEaHgXvsRc5Q9KqkaeatfM1MFy6cr_q04ZkmkLME5fg-04AV21RzgBNWV9g/s1600/octopuscup_bluebackground+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfNmhqvFr6qnvCrPB6Eu3oiDIt4gaa0NShzanSslUSz8vPVfmoSfJnQB6OoiKMIEtI2stEx3XTkuGe4tLfhEaHgXvsRc5Q9KqkaeatfM1MFy6cr_q04ZkmkLME5fg-04AV21RzgBNWV9g/s320/octopuscup_bluebackground+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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I'm very happy with that octopus. The thing that makes the octopus work so well is that I painted him/her directly on the bare clay, rather than over another glaze. So the edges are sharp and clean, which I think is good for the tentacles. If the tentacles were smudgy, it wouldn't look as good. </div>
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My light box setup leaves something to be desired, I think. It's hard to get the colors right, and that bothers me a lot. I don't like my white background, but I'm having some success with a pale blue background and a black background. Also my camera is old, and often doesn't respond correctly to lighting conditions. Perhaps when I sell enough pots, I'll get a new camera. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-31395668547541621222013-04-28T07:42:00.001-04:002013-04-28T07:42:51.216-04:00Kiln is firing today! Today is a firing day. I started the kiln last night, and this morning I'm watching for the end of the firing. I'm looking forward to seeing the pieces from this firing. I am practicing some different glazing techniques than I usually use.<br />
I originally learned to glaze by dipping pieces in the glaze bucket. This method is pretty great for a lot of glazes, as you can get a very even coat of glaze that way. Throughout my ceramics classes, I worked on dipping techniques. It's not the only way to get glaze on a pot, though. (You can also apply glaze with a sponge, or brush, or by pouring it over the pot/sculpture. You can also spray glaze with an appropriate sprayer. You can use a slip trailing bottle with thick-ish glaze in it. So many choices, so many effects! And each glaze will respond differently to each technique. I love how endless the ceramic palette is.) <br />
The glazes at Simon's Rock, where I learned to glaze, were not especially formulated for use with a brush. I did make several attempts to brush them on anyway, but I was never pleased with the results. Most of the glazes I'm using now are more cooperative. I've never really learned to use a paintbrush properly (I've always preferred pencils, pens, markers, etc.), so brushing my glazes on has been an adventure from a couple of different angles. It's actually not too difficult to simply cover a smooth pot with glaze - I can put the pot on my wheel or turn table and just spin it slowly while I brush. It's not perfectly even, of course, since the brush leaves behind marks where the glaze will be a tad thicker or thinner. That has an effect on how the glaze looks.<br />
For example:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-I5v5sDaKZ9qEkTknKYQZwV-SAJs_JhGjC2444FLpEnTBWhcgn0bLtfa6E_6fPS9s4wiPbyVlnRjh7gjiPUpnoNY_Z4TueZJz4P9xdNUTZHbmSff635h2imvCdhiPRXU6lb2JIWfxrG1b/s1600/swirlplate_redbrown+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-I5v5sDaKZ9qEkTknKYQZwV-SAJs_JhGjC2444FLpEnTBWhcgn0bLtfa6E_6fPS9s4wiPbyVlnRjh7gjiPUpnoNY_Z4TueZJz4P9xdNUTZHbmSff635h2imvCdhiPRXU6lb2JIWfxrG1b/s320/swirlplate_redbrown+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In this case, I used a brush to apply the brown glaze (Mottled Spice, cone 6) while the plate was turning slowly on the wheel. I applied it pretty unevenly, because I know this glaze looks more interesting where it varies in thickness. The thinner areas are more chocolate, and the thicker areas more caramel. Had I dipped the plate instead, it would be all the same shade of brown, since there is no texture to capture the glaze as it melts and create differing thickness that way. <br />
That red glaze (Deep Firebrick, also cone 6) in the swirl, on the other hand, doesn't look particularly interesting when it is unevenly applied by itself. The pot below was also glazed by brushing glaze onto a pot while it turns on the wheel:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmXgz3VkQNwQf7rzqdbI49g0uja_VJV8iP2gjN5dKLvP-E3NJbRy9mkYmXHTtAYQZ88iVbLEh7IWoj3s1t-9Hc8QcTrgrg4WdtLVi-b-APTrT0og1le5rpbxbPhUSFUBfE-GkhkLXcOmF/s1600/dragoneggvase_red+(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmXgz3VkQNwQf7rzqdbI49g0uja_VJV8iP2gjN5dKLvP-E3NJbRy9mkYmXHTtAYQZ88iVbLEh7IWoj3s1t-9Hc8QcTrgrg4WdtLVi-b-APTrT0og1le5rpbxbPhUSFUBfE-GkhkLXcOmF/s320/dragoneggvase_red+(9).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can see that on the dragon egg I rely upon the carved texture to add interest to the surface. I've been a little more ambitious with the pots that are currently in the kiln. I like how these two glazes look together, so I decided to see if I could brush one atop the other to actually create some imagery rather than abstract swirly marks.<br />
I'm hoping for success with an octopus, a bird in the wind, a tree, a dragon, and some mushrooms. <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-24670900552102617312013-04-13T08:00:00.000-04:002013-04-13T08:00:06.177-04:00Pinterest! Riverdragon Ceramics is now on Pinterest! If you go to the right side of any page of this blog, you'll see a red and grey button saying, "Follow me on Pinterest," right above my Etsy link. If you click that button, you can look at my Pinterest page. It doesn't automatically sign you up for anything, but you can choose to follow me from there if you'd like. <br />
Please go have a look, even if you don't have/want a Pinterest account. You'll find images from my blog there, as well as images from my Etsy shop. Perhaps even more exciting (since you're already looking at my blog and Etsy shop, right?) are my other pin boards, which are collections of images that I think are exciting or inspiring. You can see what engages my interest as an artist. (You can also see what I'd like to grow in my garden.)<br />
I like Pinterest a lot. I wasn't sure I would when I signed up for it. But pinning things is so easy! You just look at pretty pictures and click on whatever you want. As a visual artist, I find it easy and satisfying to collect images this way. It's a good way for me to organize pictures that make my gears turn, and a good way to share them with others, artists or not, who may be curious where I get my inspiration. <br />
So go look at the pretty pictures! I do recommend a high speed internet connection, though.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-62536884803170740692013-04-12T11:03:00.000-04:002013-04-12T11:03:00.572-04:00Come and visit Riverdragon Ceramics this summer! I mentioned in a previous post my intent to open the barn-studio to visitors in the summer. I've sort of wanted to do that all along. The current plan, which is still rather vague and general, is to have my Open sign out in the afternoon three or four days a week. I'll have a table or tables set out, either in the barn or just outside, with finished work for sale. During the open hours, I'll be working in the barn as usual, but plan to be available to talk/make sales/etc. <br />
I'll be happy to have visitors who just want to look around and not buy anything, as well as those who want to make a purchase. You can get me to give you a tour of the studio, or pull up a chair and watch me work if you want. Why do I want you to come and interrupt my work? Wouldn't it be annoying to have people traipsing in and out of my studio? I love watching other artists work, and talking to them about their craft. I want to be available for that kind of interaction, too. So please come over and see my studio!<br />
There are a few things I'm doing to prepare for your visit this year. You may have noticed that I write about <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2012/06/flowers.html">plants</a> and <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2012/07/bumble-bees.html">bumble bees</a> sometimes. I love to grow things, and I have a garden to play in, so I'm sprouting some flower seeds to put out by the barn doors where you will see them when you come over. Do watch for our orange belted bumble bees. We have lots of them, and they're adorable. But they do sting if you poke them, so be respectful.<br />
I'm going to set up my large fountain display, While Sleeping Dragons Lie, in the barn. This will be its permanent home, so you will see it each time you come to visit. I've exhibited this body of work twice now; <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2011/12/exhibition.html">once at Simon's Rock</a>, and <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2012/06/pictures-of-exhibition.html">once at the Meeting House Gallery</a> in New Marlborough, Massachusetts. I found that the longer the fountain was set up, the better it looked. And then I had to take it down again and move it, twice. So I think it will be a great display piece for my studio, where it can remain in perpetuity. (And I can keep fish in it this time, fish that will have a chance to settle in and be happy!) Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-68957585024994231172013-04-11T10:53:00.001-04:002013-04-11T10:53:33.392-04:00Wednesday Traveling Dragons This week, I have pictures of a dragon who is a traveling musician! This dragon plays the viola da gamba, my own favorite instrument to play. You may not be familiar with the viola da gamba. In short, it's a six stringed, fretted instrument that you play with a bow. They come in various sizes. They were popular a long time ago, before the raucous orchestral strings we are accustomed to today took over the scene. <br />
This dragon traveled on a train! It looks like they had a
little help from their human chaperone, though. It must be hard to read
the signs when you're so tiny. <br />
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This is what a treble viola da gamba looks like. Note the dragon, who is sitting in approximately the correct position to play:<br />
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Little did I know what a prodigy this dragon would be when I first carved and fired him/her. In the first few months of life, this dragon has already gone to the <a href="http://vdgsa.org/pgs/youngplayersweekend.html">Young Players Weekend</a> to meet other promising viola da gamba players. (Incidentally, at that link you can see me in the picture. I'm over on the right side in a blue hoodie with a tenor viol. The picture there is from 2010; I wasn't able to attend this year.) <br />
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It looks like everyone had a good time this year. These pictures were taken by, and belong to, Ben from Connecticut. The featured dragon is his viol buddy. Happy violing, and thanks for the pictures! I love to see how my creations are getting along in their homes. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-43349838880939785822013-04-08T10:18:00.000-04:002013-04-08T10:18:35.742-04:00Barn-Studio cleaning As the weather warms up, I'm pursuing a number of projects that are best done when it's not freezing outside. First, I'm doing a spring cleaning of the barn-studio to prepare for summer. The studio isn't heated (or remotely heat-able), so I abandon it for the house in the winter. This winter, that meant a bunch of stuff got piled up out there while I wasn't looking! Thus, some cleaning needs to happen before I move my wheel back out.<br />
Part of the issue is that the barn is actually our household garden shed/trash shed/giant closet/random furniture storage/tool shed. In addition to being my ceramics studio. Before last summer when I barged in and added my things to the mix, it was a perfectly fine place for all those other things to be. <br />
But this time around as I'm cleaning the barn, I'm trying to actually find new places to put those other things. It's a pretty big space, really, and it does have a loft. I'm hoping to get things shifted around so that I don't have to work around saws and weed whackers and wheelbarrows. My solution last summer was more along the lines of pushing those things to the wall and taking up whatever space I could squeeze in to.<br />
This year I expect to be a bit different from last year. I'm planning to open the barn-studio to visitors in the summer. It wasn't exactly <i>not</i> open last year; if you had appeared at the door I'd have shown you around. But I wasn't ready to be publicly available at set times during the week, and the studio was, err, a bit crowded with all those <i>things</i> I mentioned above. I don't intend to hide the fact that I'm working in an old barn (I think it's kinda cool!), and I'm not fussed about things like the uneven floor, the "rustic" decor, the lack of any level surface anywhere. That's all fine. In fact, I don't mind having some tools hanging about, especially if we plan to use them for something. This year I draw the line at storing my clay in the wheelbarrow, is all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-9663411546646033502013-03-24T18:57:00.000-04:002013-03-24T18:57:29.236-04:00Kitten, hyacinths, other stuff totally unrelated to ceramics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm still here, honest! Maybe I need to institute a yearly blog hiatus every spring to take a break, since it seems to happen naturally anyway. I'm sure I'll post some more about ceramic-y things later this week, but for now, here is some fluff for your enjoyment.</div>
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Warbear is about six months old now. Here she is pictured with some of her favorite toys - my boots. The laces are of particular interest: </div>
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She is a master at untying them now. When I purchased these boots and put them on for the first time in 2007, I tied those laces up with double-knotted bows. They remained tied for the next six years, despite slogging through snow and slush and mud every day. But Warbear would not take no for an answer, and one day recently I discovered that I had to re-tie my boots for the first time since I bought them. </div>
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She also has a strange affinity for grocery bags, which are apparently great to jump up and down on (with supervision). In fact, the list of Things Which Don't Appear to be Toys But Actually Are According to Warbear has gotten quite long. Some, but not all, of the things included are: walnuts (still in the shell so she can roll them across the floor), gloves, sponges of any kind (which are mercilessly shredded to bits), socks, paintbrushes, clay tools that are shiny (i.e. the metal ones), and porcelain. Yes, she tries to help me make pots. She's still working out what wedging is for, but it sure looks like fun! The result is usually that she gets clay on her nose and paws. So far, no pots have been harmed. Yet. </div>
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I've been having a new gardening adventure this year as well as a new kitten adventure. I am forcing hyacinth bulbs! Aren't they cute?</div>
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One of the bulbs is in a vase - rather bulbous itself - that I made at Simon's Rock and fired in the wood kiln there.</div>
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(Note: kittens/cats should not be allowed to hang out around bulbs unsupervised; they are very poisonous.)</div>
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In late January or early February I took this picture... from <i>inside</i> the house. This is just the window of a stormdoor, though. Don't worry too much, the inside door keeps the frost out just fine. </div>
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You can see why the bulbs with their little green points make me happy! And, of course, the kitten. It's hard to beat having a fuzzy cuddlebeast around. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-34233119396226144822013-02-19T20:18:00.000-05:002013-02-19T20:20:55.424-05:00Sea monster vase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a vase I've been working on. It's for a show in May at the <a href="http://deerisleartists.com/">Deer Isle Artists Association</a> gallery. The show is being held alongside the Deer Isle birding celebration, "Wings, Waves, and Woods." I know, sea monsters aren't birds. But they swim in the waves! That counts as habitat-related, right? Especially since Deer Isle is, well, surrounded by water.<br />
I'm having a lot of fun thinking of subjects to carve on vases based on this theme. I've got a vase with pine trees and a big serpent-dragon, and a vase with fiddlehead ferns and tiny dragons - woods <i>and</i> wings! - in addition to the sea monster vase in this post. I'm considering actually carving a bird vase (gasp! a real animal that actually exists?!), but I don't have a design in mind. <br />
Back to the vase above: The boat on the sea monster's back is the <i>Leucothea</i>. Leucothea was a Greek goddess of the sea, who was known for rescuing sailors. Here she has tamed the sea monster, which story is my own invention as far as I know. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-58560999889316399752013-02-19T11:56:00.000-05:002013-02-19T11:56:00.437-05:00Icy ledges The part of coastal Maine where Riverdragon Ceramics is located is a place where the bones of the earth stick out. Gardening here is an adventure, in large part because if you want to dig a hole big enough for a small bush, there's a good chance you'll encounter rocks in all the places you thought you wanted that bush to go. Rock ledges push out of the ground just about everywhere - in fact, the barn here rests directly on a ledge. (This is why the barn is, and likely always will be, a summertime studio.) <br />
I love the ledges. It might seem like big rocks would be static and dead, but this isn't at all the case. All sorts of neat things grow on the ledges. Here trees live with their roots embedded directly in the rock.<br />
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There are lichens, too. They are like sponges when it rains, fluffy and green, but crispy and seemingly dead when it is dry. There are different lichens - I don't know how many kinds - but there are two very noticeable ones here: mint green stringy lichen that grows on sunny ledges, and dark green floppy lichens that hang from shaded rocks like weird mushrooms. These floppy lichens catch the water that runs down the ledge from above, and in the winter this means they catch the icicles, too.<br />
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The ledge looks very different in the winter, poking dark edges out of the bright white snow. The rocks here are grey, and I think in the summer I'd call them light grey. But when everything is snowy, they are the darkest thing around.<br />
Where in the summer there are little trickles of water, now there are little frozen waterfalls. In places the rocks seem to sparkle - like clay covered with glaze, the glossy ice catches the light and lends the rock beneath a different character.<br />
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Then there are the icicles. I grew up in Virginia, where it's too warm to get racks of icicles like this most of the time. The college I attended is in Massachusetts, where I saw icicles taller than myself throughout the winter. This winter, we have periodically had days so warm that the icicles all melt away. So there aren't enormous sparkling columns that I became accustomed to during college, despite being another 500 miles or so northward. Nonetheless, these caught my eye as they spilled down the rock.<br />
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Spring is a long way off. It will be another month before I start the tomato and cucumber seeds I'm planning to grow this year, because if I start them now they'll reach the limits of their pots before I can put them outside. For now, I'm enjoying the quiet and the changes in the landscape, and idly wondering what seeds to sow next to the ledge and below the windows when the ice recedes. <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-56499552859319598492013-02-07T18:24:00.000-05:002013-02-07T18:24:45.286-05:00Thoughts on teapots I've been in the Teapot Zone this week. I have been making lids and spouts and pots, and trying to stick them all together before the smallest parts dry. I've concluded that it's best to make teapots one at a time, since there are so many pieces to chase around.<br />
In fact, I've been thinking about teapots a lot lately, since I'm working on the orders from the Kickstarter project. I was reluctant to start work on the teapots, but why? I like teapots. They're an interesting kind of pot to play with. Yet, I kept not wanting to get to work on them.<br />
It goes back to all those little pieces. I counted how many steps it takes for me to make a teapot: eight. It takes eight separate steps to make a teapot with carved decoration before I can dry and fire it. I have to: throw the body of the pot; trim it; throw lid(s); trim lid(s) (sometimes it takes more than one lid to make one that fits); throw spout(s); attach spout; make/attach a handle; then carve the decoration on after all previous steps. Wow! No wonder I can't work on more than one of those at a time without stressing out.<br />
This is also one of the reasons teapots are expensive for their size. It does take more time to make them than other pots. The maker also needs skill in a variety of areas: throwing and trimming a variety of shapes, hand building for making the handle and attaching the parts together. Only once I've accomplished all these smaller tasks do I get to the fun part - the decorating. (Others have enough fun just making the pot... I make the pot in anticipation of the carvings and colors I add.)<br />
With bowls, for example, I often spend more time carving an elaborate design into them than I spend throwing and trimming them. Carved bowls only take three steps: throw, trim, carve.With vases, I don't usually need to trim, so I can get right to the surface decoration. Two steps: throw, carve. But teapots take about as long to make as I spend decorating them, or possibly longer! <br />
Oh, but I <i>do</i> look forward to decorating these teapots. They will be beautiful. I get to carve unicorns and dragons on them! And I'm even going to be working on something new - insects. Yes, that's right - I'm going to put creepy-crawlies on a teapot. It's going to be great. Not any cute little butterflies and ladybugs, either. I'm going to find some awesome insect that doesn't get featured in art as much as it deserves. I'm excited for this custom order! I've gotta get back to work to make the teapot first, though. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-57549647707507858772013-01-30T12:53:00.000-05:002013-01-30T12:53:00.349-05:00Wednesday traveling dragons: kitten in the box! While I was photographing the small dragons from this firing, our new kitten climbed in the lightbox with the dragons. She wanted to know what I was playing with in there!<br />
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She decided that they weren't edible, didn't make jingly or crinkly noises, and that if I was going to insist on playing with them, she'd just have to sit in the lightbox too so at least I'd pet her.<br />
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The kitten's name is Warbear, and we just brought her home from the shelter three and a half weeks ago. She's about 3.5 months old. So far, she thinks porcelain is fun to stick her paws in, and is very polite about stepping around pots on tables. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-49396704445550412072013-01-28T16:33:00.001-05:002013-01-28T16:33:45.978-05:00Vases! Here are a couple of vases that came out of the kiln last week. This one has a jellyfish:<br />
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And waves on the back:<br />
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This jellyfish vase is porcelain. I brushed green slip over it, then carved the waves and jellyfish through the slip so that they appear white. Then when the vase was bisque fired, I brushed blue stain on the waves and partially sponged it off. This vase will be available in my Etsy shop this week!<br />
And this vase has cuttlefish! (This one has already been claimed; it will not be in my Etsy shop.)<br />
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These vases are both glazed with a new glaze I mixed for this firing. It's the zinc-free clear with 4% Delphinium blue Mason stain added. I chose this blue because it is bright, and tilted just a bit toward purple. At this percentage, it makes a typical saturated blue. I'm planning to try it at 2% or less to see if I can make it more pale. I'm also considering mixing this blue stain with a green stain to see what happens. I like blue, but I tend to favor less intense shades (I'm a fan of celadon blues/greens, for instance). <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-80019526888374889382013-01-25T11:46:00.000-05:002013-01-25T11:46:57.966-05:00Serving dishes Here are some serving dishes that came out of the kiln on Wednesday! I am very pleased with all of these. The first two will be available in my Etsy shop in a few days. The last one is already spoken for. <br />
First up is a shallow serving dish in red and white with dragons and swirls:<br />
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I was a little worried that the red glaze would leave droplets on the white glaze, since in the last firing it kinda spattered all over the place. Not this time, though - perhaps the changes I made to the firing schedule magically solved the problem? In any case, I'm pleased that the white areas remained white. I noticed that where I accidentally brushed a bit of the red over the white on the rim, it made a lovely pale blush color. I may use this on other pots in the future intentionally for subtle effects.<br />
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And this bowl has three dragons on it. I took close ups of all three. I like them very much! I think I may work with this red and white theme some more in the future. It seems like a good color combination for dragons and phoenixes. Maybe other magical critters, too... any ideas? <br />
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This next piece is red stoneware with clear glaze just on the food surface. <br />
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The clear glaze looks cloudy here because it has teensy bubbles in it. The bubbles interfere with the light passing through to the clay surface under the glaze. Over red stoneware, this makes the glaze look white. Over porcelain (like the previous serving dish), it adds some depth to the surface, but since the porcelain is white and the glaze is clear/white, it doesn't appear to change the color. <br />
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This red stoneware is the Hawaiian Red I mentioned in <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2012/12/clay-comparison.html">this post</a>. It's very much a rusty orange, and I do like the color. The things I don't like about this clay are that it feels like sandpaper to throw, and it comes from far away - this box of clay took a month on special order to arrive at my semi-local pottery supply. Although it is half the price of the porcelain I use!<br />
I think when I am close to the end of this box of red clay I will try a different, more local clay. I'd rather use clay that is nearer me anyway so that it doesn't have to use up gas all the way across the country to get here.<br />
And here is the last serving bowl for this post. As mentioned above, this bowl has been claimed already. The two above, however, will be available on Etsy. So if you like them, keep an eye out on my Etsy shop!<br />
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This bowls is glazed only on the inside. The texture on the outside was created when I trimmed the bowl; the grog in the clay gets dragged across the surface by the trimming tool as I work. I like the effect in this case, but I'd rather have clay with less grog - it's abrasive to my hands, and wears down my tools quickly.<br />
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I'm very happy with the glazing on this bowl! The dark brown glaze is actually the Mottled Spice from <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2012/12/some-test-tiles.html">this post</a>. What happened? It's much thinner here, and where this glaze is thin, it's this dark brown that reminds me of coffee beans or dark chocolate. Also when it's thin it doesn't run off the pot and get cemented to my kiln shelves!<br />
I've now tested the two extremes of this glaze - super thin and super thick - and there's a good bit of wiggle room in between. As I continue to use it I'll get a better idea of how it will look at different thickness of application. I think this glaze is very nice. I like it when it's this coffee bean color, and I like the appearance of texture it creates when it's thicker. It allows me to have one glaze that can be used many different ways. This is good, because I don't really want to keep too many glazes in my studio, but I <i>do</i> want to have a lot of variety of surface on my pots and sculptures. <br />
Here is a close up of the inside. You can tell the glaze is thin because you can see the texture of the pot through it.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-72687551566128319692013-01-24T15:47:00.001-05:002013-01-24T15:47:28.264-05:00Tiny bowls with dragons! These are most of the four-inch bowls that were ordered through the Kickstarter project. I made extras, which will appear on Etsy at a slightly higher price than they were for Kickstarter.<br />
First are the Western dragons:<br />
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Then the Eastern-ish dragons:<br />
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I also made a couple of tiny mushroom bowls while I was at it:<br />
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All of the bowls in this post were made the same way. I threw them on the wheel, then trimmed them, then brushed black slip only on the insides. Then I carved the images through the black slip, let them all dry, and bisque fired them. I glazed them with my zinc-free clear glaze, and fired them to cone 6 in oxidation. They are not very translucent, although if you are determined, you can make them glow a little in a dim room with a bright flashlight. It was my intent to make them sturdy and easy to use, rather than delicate. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-48400098335271373632013-01-24T15:27:00.001-05:002013-01-24T15:27:54.364-05:00Swirl bowls, green and blue There were so many pieces in this firing that I'm making several posts about them. First up are swirl bowls!<br />
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These are the swirl bowls that were ordered from my Kickstarter project. Everyone asked for green, blue, or both, so I glazed all six bowls with blue swirls on green. There is some variation in color from one bowl to another, so some of the swirls are more teal, and others are more blue. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eAN2LcFPrnk5yPRRNaFWoj2HnlYgbljcunLGHaCipT2H1BhiHTOApl3BBLgMV0Dd9MPp7Fr3GIH_qnh3Ymnjo3NaIl0hn_UL9Mi5o_WkTDa6AOddZkeYg3VQWxm-adn2eWVA3Vm5Rgp3/s1600/swirlbowls1.24.13+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eAN2LcFPrnk5yPRRNaFWoj2HnlYgbljcunLGHaCipT2H1BhiHTOApl3BBLgMV0Dd9MPp7Fr3GIH_qnh3Ymnjo3NaIl0hn_UL9Mi5o_WkTDa6AOddZkeYg3VQWxm-adn2eWVA3Vm5Rgp3/s320/swirlbowls1.24.13+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkhI8xXuseV4TZynINXVLkGwiAvhHITW5kguAz63X08ISbUQ3KlSsPzMxGWbACJey0YWiks6eu31sxctG31xwo067qxb-yZUTW7pRK2t5EzzHWmq0RJh29zQYbPCHEJbQNayn-RRlr8iD/s1600/swirlbowls1.24.13+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkhI8xXuseV4TZynINXVLkGwiAvhHITW5kguAz63X08ISbUQ3KlSsPzMxGWbACJey0YWiks6eu31sxctG31xwo067qxb-yZUTW7pRK2t5EzzHWmq0RJh29zQYbPCHEJbQNayn-RRlr8iD/s320/swirlbowls1.24.13+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is also variation in the shape of the swirl. I glaze these by hand, like everything else I make. The swirls look different depending on how much glaze I use, and how I move my hand as I swish the glaze around to make the shape. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWGKPMCZRmfwTs6y7Yd56Z1DYV89EyyDghfzFnnOGO7C-CnF5kwuqN7N1Ht1xjxZgooQ_yCNuA_6uwe8Pxlq-GzZmVFvngVK5IqXLjcVR69DD5G93tqNGe6E_szCUh3CUaKZVeOSWVIuF/s1600/swirlbowls1.24.13+(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWGKPMCZRmfwTs6y7Yd56Z1DYV89EyyDghfzFnnOGO7C-CnF5kwuqN7N1Ht1xjxZgooQ_yCNuA_6uwe8Pxlq-GzZmVFvngVK5IqXLjcVR69DD5G93tqNGe6E_szCUh3CUaKZVeOSWVIuF/s320/swirlbowls1.24.13+(12).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrGb9a3GWqiAOBE6FZjyke6v4GjR1RcIV9Dgelt-hRFvQPbCxQ8oVmi2m3fHyF31b5BVUEKLPAVlDGa_JIJmIZe2axVUS3kQ7uqbrw_MNZ8IOdMOfJtITi51N0i0qbRfhHZRv0OzaEjbV/s1600/swirlbowls1.24.13+(15).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrGb9a3GWqiAOBE6FZjyke6v4GjR1RcIV9Dgelt-hRFvQPbCxQ8oVmi2m3fHyF31b5BVUEKLPAVlDGa_JIJmIZe2axVUS3kQ7uqbrw_MNZ8IOdMOfJtITi51N0i0qbRfhHZRv0OzaEjbV/s320/swirlbowls1.24.13+(15).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKMjuP8seR50rd6oz2LUV-e88OA-_7_VAyWzY0fh4CL32c1silzhI94k4RzxQvOLGLXC7xmZno8-mSH5rH_DZakjUJFzQvNnZIl4aUvBfcfTuYSNclhTHATU4JLd6B4UmeHBQhg-_rqaB/s1600/swirlbowls1.24.13+(16).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKMjuP8seR50rd6oz2LUV-e88OA-_7_VAyWzY0fh4CL32c1silzhI94k4RzxQvOLGLXC7xmZno8-mSH5rH_DZakjUJFzQvNnZIl4aUvBfcfTuYSNclhTHATU4JLd6B4UmeHBQhg-_rqaB/s320/swirlbowls1.24.13+(16).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I like taking pictures of multiple bowls together. It makes for more interesting compositions. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqol3fFjZgpZJ6LGDOOUROG98nWHSPC5Fsl_oLt9BfafyIcNze3I6TZt3M9OgqrwVmZXw3fC_yjhHZgtxu35vmX1ti-UcA7tmnYufdcOYjWa939Cb0V4ee2O3MIWlb-M3EgIQOWhVzeTWO/s1600/swirlbowls1.24.13+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqol3fFjZgpZJ6LGDOOUROG98nWHSPC5Fsl_oLt9BfafyIcNze3I6TZt3M9OgqrwVmZXw3fC_yjhHZgtxu35vmX1ti-UcA7tmnYufdcOYjWa939Cb0V4ee2O3MIWlb-M3EgIQOWhVzeTWO/s320/swirlbowls1.24.13+(5).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpAKb8twTQ7zxCBBYBYZbH5FeyxGJi9PLs9rF86TtjWj11-3TaldVgmEPZxPEyos_PBSkrIXwcpcIn4JB7yP-P05dvwX43LsfcJlaMIvrKL9u5BYKQjBfesBXfI1fhwIXmG5pNNtMZmrD/s1600/swirlbowls1.24.13+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpAKb8twTQ7zxCBBYBYZbH5FeyxGJi9PLs9rF86TtjWj11-3TaldVgmEPZxPEyos_PBSkrIXwcpcIn4JB7yP-P05dvwX43LsfcJlaMIvrKL9u5BYKQjBfesBXfI1fhwIXmG5pNNtMZmrD/s320/swirlbowls1.24.13+(7).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These bowls are porcelain, fired to cone 6 in oxidation. The glaze is a zinc-free clear glaze with two green Mason stains mixed in to make the green color. They ring when you tap on the rim with your knuckle. These bowls aren't <i>really</i> translucent, although if you are determined and have a bright flashlight and a dim room, you can make a glowing spot appear where the light is strongest. </div>
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I'm pleased with this green. I like the color, and the clear glaze is an excellent base for what I'd like to do with it. I'm thinking that textured dishes would look great with this glaze. The two Mason stains I used are called "Bermuda" and "True Celadon." The "True Celadon" does not look like celadon to me at all; it is too dark. But it tames the bright "Bermuda" nicely to produce this leaf-green. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-74057551894456725232013-01-23T23:23:00.000-05:002013-01-23T23:23:47.623-05:00Glaze firing unloaded tonight! I know I've been a little absent around here the last few weeks. That's because I've been getting a lot of Kickstarter orders made and fired! I'll be shipping out approximately 30 rewards later this week.<br />
I just unloaded the kiln this evening. The kiln was 190 degrees (Farenheit), but the temperature in the barn was about 6 degrees. So I was all bundled up for the unloading, to protect my hands from the hot pots and my ears from the cold air.<br />
Good news this firing! No losses - I was able to modify my glazing procedures to deal with the runny glazes that got me last time. And I'm very happy with just about every piece in the kiln. A few of these things will go to my Etsy shop, but most of them will be shipping out to their rightful owners as soon as I've photographed them for my portfolio. <br />
So this post is a bit of a teaser, because I won't have photos of individual pieces for you until tomorrow, but here are a few shots of the kiln as I was unloading it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9mBFamxssV7nHQQS_EFbo7cmpV9aShhwFLWcp0fvjo05jlGgNinUBE3DY6qGGs5fjpfsBzoZXayQfwNRtbVcg-et8MYXaOPFl9zRRT00DdkYC44LhyPz4fMQkJoxntvruPiXP_XUOAN4/s1600/kilnopening1.23.13+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9mBFamxssV7nHQQS_EFbo7cmpV9aShhwFLWcp0fvjo05jlGgNinUBE3DY6qGGs5fjpfsBzoZXayQfwNRtbVcg-et8MYXaOPFl9zRRT00DdkYC44LhyPz4fMQkJoxntvruPiXP_XUOAN4/s320/kilnopening1.23.13+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMspPIpmfxx4d-3yUFSzAi-3H93AsK06D6QvzGFrC3ptT8zI-vG_rdWbSAh9jILPItHVKpGZNRACfkYJCDDtcVX8HmbWZpBCW-56GDpWUG0w24gMNQLl-HlinzLhnnsP1Kl8XhB_Kl_SqP/s1600/kilnopening1.23.13+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMspPIpmfxx4d-3yUFSzAi-3H93AsK06D6QvzGFrC3ptT8zI-vG_rdWbSAh9jILPItHVKpGZNRACfkYJCDDtcVX8HmbWZpBCW-56GDpWUG0w24gMNQLl-HlinzLhnnsP1Kl8XhB_Kl_SqP/s320/kilnopening1.23.13+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUgE4QZMQBWtxIC_Qjc5KtPAtOPnYdu8KNcGHfF52cbzJkGAvhs3j6XQXSQM0XnpOa_-dRhg7na2pGBOf7xgddTYgbqxpHQCPNXSRNSJw9QHOclATqcEFns4NQn5Y2Ibv5kva4CGXxgwk/s1600/kilnopening1.23.13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUgE4QZMQBWtxIC_Qjc5KtPAtOPnYdu8KNcGHfF52cbzJkGAvhs3j6XQXSQM0XnpOa_-dRhg7na2pGBOf7xgddTYgbqxpHQCPNXSRNSJw9QHOclATqcEFns4NQn5Y2Ibv5kva4CGXxgwk/s320/kilnopening1.23.13.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the top picture: some vases, a giant serving bowl, a carved serving plate/bowl, a dragon with a top hat, a swirl bowl, and a nice looking cone pack. (Also some kiln posts to fill the empty space - I like to think it helps the kiln to fire evenly when it is loaded evenly.) <br />
In the middle picture, the pots with red glaze were all on the same shelf since that glaze is known to spit on other pots during firing. We have two dragon egg vases, a red and white serving bowl with dragon carvings, a chocolate and red serving bowl, and a big soup bowl, also chocolate and red. <br />
In the last picture, we have some green and blue swirl bowls, and some little red dragons. Oddly enough, everybody wanted green and/or blue for the swirl bowls, so there you have it! The swirls are a sort of teal blue against the pale green.<br />
More pictures to come in the next few days! <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287151649141124697.post-42316852276300708032012-12-31T18:33:00.001-05:002012-12-31T18:33:41.921-05:00New work on Etsy! My Etsy shop is now a little more stocked! If you like <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2012/02/friday-critique-dragon-egg-vase.html">dragon egg vases</a>, or <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2012/01/dragons-on-wheels.html">whimsical dragons</a>, or <a href="http://riverdragonceramics.blogspot.com/2012/12/friday-critique-swirl-plate.html">pots with swirls</a>, then do go check it out. You can follow this link: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/RiverdragonCeramics">www.etsy.com/shop/RiverdragonCeramics</a>. Or, anytime you visit my blog, you can click on the link over on the upper right corner where images of some of the work in my shop appear. <br />
Happy New Year!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0