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Musings on Art and Fear Frustration
2007-07-05 15:24:00
I decided to start reading Art and Fear again - it's one of those books that I pick up from time to time. I do think the title is all wrong though. I am not afraid of success, but rather get frustrated at the snails pace of my journey. And, I suppose success is a subjective term here - it means different things to different people.The authors write:"At some point the need for acceptance may well collide head-on with the need to do your own work. It's too bad, since the request itself seems so reasonable: you want to do your own work, and you want acceptance for that. It's the ballad of the cowboy and the mountain man, the myth of artistic integrity and Sesame Street: sing the song of your heart, and sooner or later the world will accept and reward the authentic voice. Jaded sophisticates laugh at this belief, but usually buy into it along with everyone else anyway.In the non-art world, this belief system is a driving mechanism behind the American Dream - and the Mid-Life ...
More About: Musings , Frustration , Rust , Sings

Happy Independence Day!
2007-07-04 15:39:00
I'm interupting my regularly scheduled blog post today to celebrate the 4th of July here in the US. Husband's home from work and we plan on having a pretty typical 4th filled with barbeques, parade watching, attending a free concert in the park and watching fireworks tonight.More tomorrow,Subscribe to Fine Art and More by CMGuajardo
More About: Happy , Independence , Independence Day , Epen

Found Greenware, Inexpensive Light Box & Misc. Garden Musing
2007-07-02 15:23:00
Found GreenwareNothing much new in the studio this past week. My in-laws left on Thursday, and I spent Friday just doing nothing - and it felt good too - I even took a nap, which is something I rarely do anymore. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but the hands in the photo above survived our cross country move from Maine to Colorado a few years ago. I'm amazed partly because they're fragile and still green, meaning that they haven't yet been bisque fired. I've moved them to my studio where I'll bisque fire them in the next go round which will hopefully happen next week sometime. I just checked on my effigy doll head and it's drying nicely. It had developed some cracks in the base while I was making it, which won't affect the outcome at all, but by drying it slowly, I should minimize additional cracking.Salvaged brick outside back doorIt's been so darn hot here in Colorado the past few weeks that I've decided to sleep in the basement a few nights. It's actually co...
More About: Garden , Misc , Light , Arden , Garde

Effigy Doll
2007-06-29 15:31:00
Porcelain Effigy Doll Head - not bisquedThere has been lots of discussion about the frustrating aspects of building a successful art career in cyberspace lately. I almost wonder if there isn't something in the air, or is it a viral infection much like Rage in the movie 28 Days Later? A couple of days ago, I made a scheduled stop to one of my favorite artist's blogs, Jafabrit, and became enamored of a voodoo doll that she and a friend had made for another friend whose husband walked out on her. It was a way to cheer their friend up and for her to vent a little bit. I decided that's just what I needed! I need my own doll and I decided to set about making one, partly out of clay of course, so that it can serve as a reminder that I'm really okay.The doll that Jafabrit made is not pretty - it's rather raw and fitting for the occasion for which it was made. Normally, I make pretty things. I'll admit it. But, in the case of my effigy doll, I want to craft a crude incarnation ...

Podcasts and more...
2007-06-27 20:12:00
An interesting connection happened recently. A gentleman in Michigan found my Flickr Photostream online and enquired about how he could go about purchasing some of my work. We've been emailing back and forth and it turns out that many of the pieces in which he is interested are no longer available. I directed him towards my Etsy Shop and he did choose the piece in the photograph above along with a custom order request. Yesterday he emailed me a photograph of my piece which is now in his possession. It's interesting, because once the item leaves my home, I never see it again. I often wonder what people do with my work, how is it used, etc. Accompanying this photograph were several photographs of his beautiful garden. I can rest assured that gorgeous flowers will find a home in my vase. I'm honored that people think my work is a perfect compliment to their lives. It makes me very happy!Meanwhile, I've been experiencing a bit of uncertainty in regards to my art career and...
More About: Podcasts , Casts

Widespread Panic and EMT Sale
2007-06-25 13:57:00
(click on image to enlarge)It's been busy since my in-laws came into town last Wednesday and I haven't done too much in the studio. I'm starting to get that nagging feeling like I have to go into the studio to make art NOW. I am enjoying visiting with them and we've been doing some much needed projects around the house, such as fixing the leaky spot in the basement, pouring concrete for a new walk, making a new flower bed, installing an arbor...you know little things. My father in law has never been one to sit around the house, and consequently, he really puts the fire under our behinds.Having my in-laws in town has also enabled me to do a few things that I might not normally get to do. On Saturday evening, my husband and I went to the Widespread Panic concert at Red Rocks. I should probably preface this discussion by saying that I normally avoid all large concerts because I get so very miserable with the throngs of people. I pay gobs of money to see a band, that I can't ...
More About: Sale , Spread

Featuring Mary Cay
2007-06-23 13:52:00
Detail of kiln jewels of Mary Cay's Porcelain Canvases from her current showI often write about my friend and ceramic's mentor, Mary Cay, who is an instructor at the Art Student's League of Denver and quite a committed ceramic artist. She has given me so much inspiration since I met her 3 years ago and I've furthered my education in the technical aspects of making work and glaze science...thank you!!Detail of kiln jewels of Mary Cay's Porcelain Canvases from her current showYesterday, I went over to the Fire House Gallery on Santa Fe in Denver to help her photograph her current show. It was so wonderful to see the show again, without the crowds of opening night. I really got a chance to capture the details and to see how the work was hung. Last year, Ceramic's Monthly featured Mary Cay and her development of glaze kiln jewels in an article by Sumi von Dassow called A Glittering Obsession that's worth reading.Porcelain Wishbone NecklacesOn a side note, she has been making ...
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Manhole Cover Art & Bee Lino-cut
2007-06-20 19:29:00
A few nights ago, I was walking my dog around my neighborhood in Denver, when I happened upon this manhold cover. While I had passed by on this street many a time, I never noticed it. Maybe, I noticed this time because the sun was setting and the last rays of the day highlighted the fishes' silhouette. I'm not sure, but I did a double take and knew I had to come back with my camera in tow.I've been wondering what a fish is doing on a manhole cover in the city of Denver. When I saw it today, I realized it reads "Drains to Rivers". I googled images of manhole covers and there's quite an assortment of eye candy if only we look down.Drawing of Bee on linoleumI have decided to add to my lino-cuts. My lone dragonfly needed another insect companion - the bee.Bee relief print on clayI have found that the relief prints on clay work better on flat pieces than ones in the round, so I'm playing around with some different clay shapes to print on. I like the idea of a house and once i...
More About: Cover , Hole , Cover Art , Manhole Cover , Manhole

Linocut Experiment part II
2007-06-19 13:33:00
8 ceramic canvases 4 have been "printed", 4 left blank to do some experimenting after being bisque firedI entered the studio yesterday with the intention of throwing some ceramic tumblers to use as backgrounds for my lino-cut prints. And, I did, however, I got sidetracked making these little canvases (photo above) and some more pendants. I rolled out a few slabs of white stoneware clay because I'm just not going to deal with the slumping of the porcelain for this type of work. Some of the best tools that I use are a transluscent 18" x 24" self healing cutting mat, a metal ruler and an X-Acto knife. I use these tools for multiple mediums from painting, ceramics and fiber art. Couldn't live without them!Ginkgo leaf and dragonfly ceramic relief prints 3.25" x 3.25" x 1" eachChoices, choices, choices...I decided that I wanted 3" square clay canvases for my prints for a couple of reasons. The lino-cuts I made are small, and I wouldn't be using a lot of material if things don't ...
More About: Experiment , Part , Peri , Rime

Linocut Experiment
2007-06-17 16:48:00
Golden linoleum, metal ruler, exacto knife and cutting matIn my last post, I wrote about a book, Image Transfer on Clay, by Paul Wandless and some of the techniques that I wanted to try out. I've got my eye on a Print Gocco, but first I'm going to try some of the image transfer techniques with the materials that I have readily available in my studio. I have my mind set on making some ceramic tumblers and impressing my lino-cut onto them for decoration. I was at a friend's house last week, and I drank wine from a handmade ceramic cup and I can't tell you how much that added to the experience of drinking the wine and spending time with my friend. Suffice it to say, it left me feeling very full and contented. Wood-working tools with various shaped gauges to carve the linoleumI need new wine glasses myself and have been searching for just the right ones for the last 6 months or so. I was looking for glass ones, but ceramic ones will be oh, so much better! These will not have ...
More About: Experiment , Peri , Rime

Image Transfer on Clay
2007-06-15 15:07:00
I picked up the book (above) from the library a few weeks ago and only got around to reading it yesterday morning. Paul Wandless' book has me swimming with ideas of how to use some print-making techniques on clay. I think it's going to be the next phase of experimentation in clay work for me. I do love the immediacy of carving in clay, but it is time consuming, a commodity that I always seem to be lacking lately. I do have some Golden Cut Linoleum that I have been planning on using. I just need to cut the sheets down to size. The ones that I have are 18" x 24" sheets. By taking the time to carve a master block, I would be able to make multiples of a single image. I'm a proficient thrower and slab maker so I could easily throw a set of mugs and then "print" the design vs. carving them for hours.Also up next is trying out some toner decals for ceramic pieces and some other image transfer techniques on clay such as Lazertran transfers as outlined in Paul's book. Lazertran ...
More About: Transfer , Image , Clay , Tran

Ceramic "Painting"
2007-06-13 15:42:00
Bird Paint ing , porcelain clay & glaze which has been poured, stamped and painted in layers, 10.5" x 12"Several weeks ago, I shared a photo in one of my posts of some ceramic canvases that I had in the works. Last week, I finally got around to "painting" one of the canvases (only one because the other cracked during the bisque fire). I wanted to finish it before the Summer Art Market to gauge reaction to the piece. In some respects, ceramic paintings are essentially tiles and tiles are viewed perhaps as a lesser art form than traditional paintings even though this one proved to be every bit as time consuming for me as an oil or acrylic painting. But, that's another post - no whining from me today.I poured on the base glaze and then used a homemade stamp for the next layer followed by painting on the 2 birds with a commercial glaze. I had the idea of layers from the fabulous dream I had had the night before. I dreamt about painting and I woke up so energized that I can't even ...
More About: Inti

Phew...tired but happy after the 2007 Summer Art Market
2007-06-11 17:09:00
Left to right - Me, Mary Cay and Kathleen Laurie, aka "Slightly Off Center"Another Summer Art Mark et has come and gone and now I can spend the next few days recovering. It's a 2 day affair which is physically exhausting but is also so much fun. It's a chance to meet new people, goof around with booth mates and more importantly, it's also an opportunity to talk with people about my work. After this weekend, I realized that I need to practice being able to talk about my work better. I think it's often difficult for artists to do so without getting too technical or esoteric. Although I don't think people want to hear "I like green and that's why I did this," either. Add another thing to my to-do list.A sampling of my space and workSharing a 10' x 10' space with 2 other artists has its challenges, one of which is deciding which items make it onto the table and which ones to rotate. Mary Cay, Kathleen and I decided that we need a better booth design if we are going to do t...
More About: Happy , Tired

You are cordially invited to the...
2007-06-07 17:05:00
MapIf you happen to be in town and are looking for something to do this coming weekend, June 9th and 10th, pop on by the Summer Art Market and say hello. This is where you will find me and my ceramic work this weekend. I'm sharing a booth with 2 other talented ceramic artists, Mary Cay, an instructor at the ASLD, and Kathleen Laurie, a member of the Colorado Potter's Guild. Our booth number is 114 - look for the banner that reads "Slightly Off Center".If you happen to stop by, expect your photograph to be taken with me, so that I can post about it here on my blog!New business cardsI've been busy, busy, busy getting ready for the show - both making lots of work, listing items for Etsy and all the administrative work that goes along with the job of being an artist. Luckily, I remembered that I needed new business cards and I was able to design them and send the file to Overnight Prints, just in the knick of time. They were delivered yesterday. Nothing like some good last minu...
More About: Invite , Ally , Cord , Dial

Kiln Opening & Poll Question
2007-06-05 16:20:00
Mini kiln openingCeladon and Aqua Libre glazed ceramic pendants, earrings, buttons and pinsBone dry porcelain ware ready to be bisque firedI fired both of my kilns yesterday and need to re-load then again today! I could hardly wait to open up the glaze kiln because I had tested a new glaze and texture on some of my pieces. I used a celadon and an aqua libre glaze that's very runny and so this was a test for me to see how thickly I can apply it without worrying about whether or not the glaze would run all over the kiln shelves. What did I learn?? I can apply the glaze on thickly without worry. Aqua libre is a gorgeous aqua blue crackly glaze that reminds me a bit of the the color of the ocean in the Carribean or something. Sales have been a little slow on Etsy for the past week and I wonder if I should change my strategy a little bit. I need to gauge other people's opinions on whether or not I should try a different way to sell ceramic jewelry online. I have 3 different cord...
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Trimming, trimming and more trimming!
2007-06-03 16:38:00
I usually try to post every other day; however, I had to deviate this weekend because I've been so busy trying to get as much made for the Summer Art Market next weekend. I'm really pushing the envelope and will most likely have my last glaze fire on Friday so that I can have some fresh work for Sunday.On Thursday and Friday, I threw quite a few pieces and continue to handform work everyday. Yesterday, I trimmed all of my work and since I didn't have any photographs of finished work I thought I'd share the trimming process with you. Most of the items that I throw on the wheel have a foot. In fact, I insist on it for the most part. It feels more finished. In fact, if you pick up any ceramic pieces in your own home, you'll notice that there is a foot, or small raised lip on the bottom of your plate, cup, bowl etc. For me, it's an aesthetic decision. Some people don't add feet, and that's perfectly okay too. A woman who I met at the Art Student's league, throws work a...
More About: Ming , Trim

New Ceramic Platter Designs
2007-05-31 15:35:00
Stoneware platter, fired to ^6 in oxidation, 13" x 9.5"Stoneware platter, fired to ^6 in oxidation, 13" x 9.5On Tuesday, I decided to drop by the Art Student's League of Denver to check whether or not my ceramic platters had been fired. Perfect timing; when I arrived the studio assistant had just cracked the kiln open and had begun unloading the ware. It's always a bit like Christmas for me peeking inside the kiln after it's been freshly fired. I helped the studio assistant unload the kiln - it was either that or I would have annoyed the heck out of her waiting, waiting for my work to reveal itself. Here's what I realized - I need a bigger kiln! These platters just barely fit in my own kiln, so I can not make larger work in my old Paragon.I was, however, pleasantly surprised when I saw my platters. I had decided to switch clay bodies for my slab work because I've found that the porcelain slumps too frequently despite all my best efforts to dry the work slowly. This is a ...
More About: Latte , Designs

Happy Tuesday!
2007-05-29 15:14:00
Small porcelain platter with colored slip and sgraffito @8.75" x 6"I enjoyed a good weekend filled with lots of ceramic work and a BBQ everynight, including last night. We went over to some friend's who had decided to go with a Greek theme, which was very tasty. Although when the Ouzo came out around 8 PM, I thought to myself, "Wait, it's a school night, I can't drink this!" But, I did and now I'm feeling a little bit groggy. I hope everyone else had a nice weekend too.My daughter still has 1.5 days of school left. When we lived on the East Coast, she attended school until mid to late June. Here in Colorado the kids get out around Memorial day. I swear last year, her final day of school was right before the long weekend. What in the world can they accomplish in the next 1.5 days?? We agreed last night that it was a good experience and parallels what it would be like to be a lame duck president, or maybe someone who has given notice at work and is just filling out their ...
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Shameless Self Promotion Plug!
2007-05-26 17:17:00
These are but a few the items in my Etsy Shop right now. I'm offering *Free Worldwide Shipping* during Memorial Day weekend, through Monday, May 28th at Midnight!All of the ceramic components are made by me in my studio from porcelain clay that I fire in an electric kiln. It's a multi-day process and takes approximately 7-10 days to complete each piece, from the making, drying, sanding, firing, glazing and then assembling the components.Have a good weekend everyone,Subscribe to Fine Art and More by CMGuajardo
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An experiment in making a clay sprig
2007-05-25 15:36:00
Porcelain sand dollar and star fish sprig mold and the resultsA couple of months ago, I made a couple of sprig molds of a sand dollar and a little wee starfish. I had found these in Maine and I have them sitting in a little bowl in my bathroom. It's sort of a nice reminder of the few years that we spent living in Portland, ME. Don't worry everyone, they weren't alive when I picked them up on the beach. When I started looking around for some small things from which to make a sprig mold, I remembered my sea shore findings. Sprigs are basically clay additions that can be added to any type of clay form, ie., tiles, thrown forms and handbuilt constructions. Yesterday, I remembered my molds and thought they might make some nice jewelry, so I cast a couple of sand dollars and star fish. Unfortunately, I broke 2 during the photo shoot, when I dropped the camera lens on them. But, the good news, is, I know how to make them.A lot of people use plaster of paris for their molds. I s...
More About: Experiment , Clay , Maki , Peri , Rime

Disappointed...
2007-05-23 14:56:00
Porcelain cake platter, with colored slip and sgraffito designUnderneathI had enough ware to have a glaze fire the other day in my electric kiln. I used one of my new favorite clear ^6 glaze recipes, courtesy of a Lana Wilson. Though it's not on her website. The clear is so easy to make and gives consistent results. It also brushes on quite nicely so that one doesn't have to make a big bucket batch if space is limited. I sieved it 2 times in an 80 mesh sieve before using.Clear ^6 GlazeGerstley Borate50Kaolin20Silica30Totals100I had my glaze fire on Monday, and yesterday morning when I cracked open the kiln to let it continue cooling, I was super excited. I noticed that the cake platter had not warped and was intact. Boy, was I happy! Later in the day, when I unloaded the kiln, I noticed a hairline crack on the interior rim. Sniff, sniff, I was so sad. I'm trying to think how I can avoid this in the future. Maybe, I need to use stoneware instead of porcelain for objects...
More About: Point , Sapp

Craft Vs. Art
2007-05-20 16:30:00
Porcelain Vessel, 11" H x 6" W, handbuilt, wheel thrown and carved - still greenIn an effort to boost the profile of working with clay from craft to fine art, artists will often change the verbiage to assist in that end goal. For example, pottery becomes ceramic art and a pot becomes a vessel to help differentiate the two. Where do I stand on this issue? I think the lines between craft and art are blurring and there's just too much happening in the art world to draw a distinction. Traditional mediums are being stretched and manipulated beyond historical norms. I would like to think that the cream will always rise to the top - and that's true for any medium. There will always be great painters and then there are those who love to paint but just aren't that good at it. Should that stop the challenged but equally passionate painter from making art? Hell no! I feel a tangent coming on that I had better stop dead in its tracks! Think about the words though. I'm looking at ...
More About: Craft

Pot a Day???
2007-05-18 04:43:00
Okay, so now there's a million "painting a day" blogs since the success of Duane Keiser, Karen Jurick and others. How about a pot a day?? It's probably an equal amount of work spread out over several days. Maybe I could start the process tomorrow and then build on it. It would go like this...make a pot tomorrow, make another pot the next, once first pot is dry enough - work on surface decoration, fire when bone dry, glaze once bisque fired, fire again, display. I could feasibly cylce 1 pot every 7 days or so. Everyday would involve working on one of the pots and it could culminate in a show in a year's time. 365 Days of Pots or maybe just simply 365 as the show title. What do you think?? It would most likely be a great experience since I would grow exponentionally and would be forced to stretch a little. Each pot would be dated, which would serve as its inventory number and title.Meanwhile, I came across the work of ceramic artist, Gretchen Wachs in a 2003 issue of Ceram...

P is for Patience...
2007-05-16 14:46:00
Top of Cake Platter, porcelain clay, colored slip, sgraffitoBottom of Cake Platter, this is approximately 12" in diameter x 6" highMugs - Still GreenIs it Wednesday already?? I had meant to post yesterday, but our torrential downpour Monday night prevented me from photographing some of my new work. So, I had to postpone my "photoshoot" till last evening.Back to the title of this post. Now, I don't want to have a pity party for myself or anything, but I have been learning or maybe re-acquainting myself with the nuances of working with clay in the past few months. She's a demanding mistress and will not be rushed. But, if one waits too long, then the opportunity to manipulate the medium quickly disappears. How am I learning this lesson? The cake platter above, is one that I threw Sunday, May 6th, and it's only been ready to handle in the past couple of days. I had already trimmed the piece, but I'm drying it very slowly. I don't want it to warp or crack at any stage of t...
More About: Patience

Happy Mother's Day!
2007-05-13 16:07:00
Drawing by J.G. age 9, watercolor crayons on 140lb. cotton rag paperHappy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Sometimes the best art works are the drawings/painting/sculptures made by children. I have stacks and stacks of my daughter's work, including the drawing above, that I'll treasure and keep forever.Have a good week everyone!Oh ya, I almost forgot, I was tagged by Lynette Clay and Dinahmow, with the same meme, so if you don't mind, I hope my answers will satisfy both tags. I'm not sure if I can come up with 7 things about me that you might not know...but I'll try.I just completed substitute teacher orientation with Denver Public Schools on Thursday.I'm a little nervous to complete my first sub assignment. I signed up to sub for all of the elementary schools in a 2 mile radius from my home and for art sub jobs k-12 district wide.Despite being able to sleep till noon when I was younger, I can no longer sleep past 6:30am on any given day.My favorite adult beverage ...
More About: S Day

The Zen of Ceramics??
2007-05-11 15:26:00
2 pots destined for a raku fire in a couple of weeks - still green. One of the cool things about Denver, is that we have a local dairy that actually delivers milk to our doorstep once a week, the pots are sitting on our delivery box.Gee what a busy week it's been! The end of school is nearing for my daughter and it seems as if the social calendar has picked up 10 fold. I guess that's a good thing, but...breathe....Cynthia, breathe. In between these bursts of activity, I'm trying to fit in a little clay work here and there. If you read any ceramic magazines or talk to any people who work with clay, one often hears talk of how clay "centers" the artist. Just do a google search for zen and clay...you'll see all sorts of references.So, where am I going with this?? I was thinking of this concept the other day when I was throwing some mugs on the wheel. I was talking to my clay whispering "center, center, center" - it's quite a site, if you happened into my studio in one of m...

My Latest Music Obsession - Johnny Cash
2007-05-09 15:10:00
It's sort of funny how music can strike a chord (pun intended) at certain times of our lives and not others. I've heard Johnny Cash 's, music before - I mean who hasn't? I would listen and definitely recognized the music as his, but never liked the music enough to go out to buy any of his albums. Recently, something about his music and song writing has clicked with me and I've been listening to The Legend of Johnny Cash in my studio while I work nearly every day this week. I don't seem to tire of listening to the album. One of the songs on the album is his rendition of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails, not exactly the same musical genre. When I first heard Johnny singing the song, I thought to myself, where have I heard this song before. I just wasn't putting NIN and Johnny Cash together. Anyway, I guess I'm grooving to his sense of humor and storytelling. Meanwhile in the studio, I don't have much to show and tell. A moment of panic set in yesterday as I was attaching hand...
More About: Music , Obsession , Test

Misc. Eye Candy...and Cake Platter Again
2007-05-07 03:09:00
Handbuilt plate with accent glazeNotice the ruler - this time the plate should be large enough at about 11.5" in diameterIt's been a lazy weekend around Denver, mainly because it's been raining on and off and all I want to do is take a nap.I did manage to get out into the studio today and weighed out 5 pounds of clay to attempt another cake platter. It sort of boggles my mind that a plate requires that much clay. But, after you take into account 10-15% shrinkage, trimming etc. I guess that's about right. I probably could have used 6 lbs, but I just didn't want to waste too much clay since this won't have a foot like a normal plate would.I need to let these set up a little bit so that I can assemble it tomorrow. Though, I am tempted to fire them separately and attach the pieces after firing. At this size, I worry about warping during the glaze fire. While I was out in the studio, I threw some more mugs. My goal for the Summer Art Market is to have at least 20 mugs. I hav...
More About: Misc , Cake , Candy , Again , Eye candy

WIP and Trashball Art
2007-05-04 15:17:00
Carved raised bowl side view - 9" wide x 6" tallTop ViewBefore carvingBefore CarvingA wonderful reader asked me if I could make a custom raised cake platter a couple of weeks ago and I thought, why not give it a shot. It's basically a plate on top of a pedestal, right? Well, it's turned into a good challenge for me. The photos above are my first attempt at making one and like many things, it didn't turn out the way I envisioned; but I have learned something from the process.It's way too small for a 8-9" cake. The problem? I only used 3.5 lbs of clay to throw the plate. If I use 6 pounds, almost double, I think that will do the trick. So, today, I'm going to give it another whirl times deux. This forlorn raised pot has been sitting in my studio all wrapped up in plastic (so that it would remain wet enough to still work), waiting for me to decide what the hell to do to it. Yesterday, I had a couple of hours to kill and I thought to myself - carve it up girl. And, that'...
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A few new pieces out of the kiln and My Space
2007-05-02 15:13:00
Wow, that sure was refreshing writing about someone else's art work on Sunday! So, here I sit, with less than 10 minutes to compose a post before I need to start the day. Can I do it? I'm not sure, I always end up saying much more than I want to.So, how about a little bit of show and tell instead? I had tried to use a mocha diffusion technique of decorating some pots a few weeks ago. Basically it's an acidic colored slip that is applied to wet slip. It is suppose to form beautiful dendritic patterns on the surface.The recipe calls for tobacco, and I tried to get around that by making a concoction of apple cider vinegar and manganese dioxide. I failed miserably. Well, I shouldn't say that. I don't hate the pots that I made using my recipe; they just didn't turn out the way I thought they would.I found a new recipe which calls for water, vinegar, manganese dioxide and 1 king size cigarette. So, against every grain in my body, I purchased a pack of cigarettes at the gas...
More About: Space , My Space , Pace , Piece , Pieces