My Bowls as of 3/31/13

These bowls may be used in the oven, microwave, and cleaned in dishwashers.  If baking, please start in a moderate temperature oven, around 300 degrees, especially if the contents are cold.  Pottery can stand high heat, but it is best to have it gradually heat up.

1. This mug bowl has Floating Blue glaze inside and around the top of the outside, where it meets and flows over Raspberry glaze creating a wonderful blended area.  Holds about 20 oz fluid. $25 each

2. Mug-bowls with white interiors and a bright blue flecked shiny outside glaze.  $25 each

3. Loose lips on ice cream bowls make them more fun. ($15)

Shiny green glaze is easy to clean

4. Either for baking, or serving cold foods, the joy of finding the spiral as you empty the dish is always a pleasant surprise.  $22 each

4. Buy two, get one free, as the outside glaze on one bowl is slightly defective, but doesn't detract from using it for food serving.  

5. Mountain terrain colors on thrown and torn-slab construction bowl with three legs, perfect for nuts, grapes or candy or ??? $65

6. The photo of the finished brown bowl is somewhere in an archive of this year's productions, but all I can find right now is the beginning throwing stage, the glazing stage and the one of it about to be packed with the similar green one, sitting on the floor.  So I will take a new photo and insert it here today.

Whimsical little things

Whimsey sometimes takes me into semi-sculptural forms.

I know there are some wonderful detail oriented potters who work with porcelain clays.

These are kind of along those lines, but just a white cone 6 clay body, which I've been using for almost everything, called Little Loafers.

Pair of whimsical dried flower holders, or maybe for silk flowers.

I was as surprised as the next person that these didn't break apart in firing.  They dried and the leaves were no longer touching the sides, but I just said, let's see what happens next.

Bloggin' along

Do you know why I like bloggin'?

First convenience.  Can be sitting here in my night clothes, or nothing at all.  Can stop and make myself a sandwich and nobody knows better.  I can even write 15 posts at a sitting if I'm so inclined.

Second.  Connection.  The musings and postings go into the ether of the internet.  Thus they are public to those who have blog interest...I believe they must still have a computer, but perhaps now there's an ap for that on those phones that do everything but wash dishes (what, there's an ap for that?)

But Second. So call Connection Second those going away from me.

It is Third. Connection also, meaning the people who read whatever I say make comments, or connection coming back (ie. feedback).  And I've had many spams, so I can tell that if "you fortunately learned all the exhibits on your site have wisdom that you teached at my address where I have a bridge to sell cheap..." I'll just dump those to trash.  The others usually have some thought behind them, though not always.  Sometimes they reflect upon one small aspect of my post, or just the theme of it, and can be generalized.  But they are almost without fail, positive feedback.

Who doesn't like that?

And Fourth. Extension.  I have found so many other blogs that I like to read.  I started with a few that were "followed" by others who I then kind of webbed out and was following more and more.  I had to drop a few.  And a few of them dropped out also, posting maybe once or twice a year.  But there's a huge community out there.  How many people blog?  I wonder?  But I'm not interested in statistics.

Fifth. Statistics are available if that's your gig.  You may want to get as many followers as you can...though I think Google just changed that to circles.  Whatever! as teens used to say.  I am not interested (and never will be) in a quantifiable experience in life.  Quality, thank you very much.  So change the Fifth to just that, a Quality of Readership.  Again going both ways, those who read my blogs, and the blogs I chose to read almost daily.

Sixth. Immediacy.  Though I seldom post anything that is time specific, I do keep up with some political issues, and social welfare, and follow some blogs that give me insight in different ways than my local TV and even PBS stations.   Most bloggers are talking now, today.  And the comments are at least this week.  

Communication. Seventh.  I can read the comments on other people's blogs, and even comment upon the comments if I wish.  I can also reply to any comments that are made on my blogs.  I think once this becomes conversation I'd want it to become emails...so I've never gone to a third tier of commenting.

Eight. Education.  Whether reading about someone's research about their photographs, or their experiences traveling, or how to do something I would love to do, it's all out there on personal blogs.  I have not yet searched cold for any topics for blogs.  Not yet.

Ninth. Expansion.  These blogs I read, and those bloggers who comment upon my blog postings...are from everywhere in the world.  The blogs can be translated immediately by a little ap that's on just about everyone's everywhere.

Tenth. Joy.  Looking at fantastic photographic views through anothers lens is so much fun.  Reading creativity from really skilled authors, poets, composers, commentators...what enrichment is available right here!

Eleventh. Cost.  Well, I already pay for internet service.  Every time I think I might live without it I realize that this is such a valuable experience daily for me, I shrug and think I could eat a lot of peanut butter sandwiches in order to have this.  If I had to limit my internet availability anyway, I would probably not read as many blogs, nor would I write in this format.  But now that I've been sharing photos and my journaling this way, I don't think I could just stop completely.  It brings me in touch with people I'd never have met otherwise, and lets us share our lives at the level we feel comfortable.

Twelfth.  Reality Check.  I don't expect more than a few people to read anything I write.  I have tried to sell pottery on a blog.  It didn't work.  But I do have a reality check before I publish anything, because it is going to be available world-wide...so hopefully I've kept back anything extremely offensive, or anything extremely personal.

Why do you blog? 

There be dragons...

The Dragon Mask, January 2013

Dragon Mask, side view, Jan 2013

I still am planning to apply something like spikes in the various holes around the mask...some variation of toothpicks probably!

1. Dragon Jar, March 2013

2. Dragon Jar and lid, March 2013

3. back of Dragon Jar, March 2013

I'm really tired of working with this grey background and the camera deciding to give it pink tints sometimes, green tints sometimes, and every once in a while behaving and making it look plain old grey.  I set the camera so it wouldn't do "automatic" and it still does it (on the light setting...where it can be daylight, incandescent, fluorescent, etc.)

So I've spent the last 3 hours taking about 70 pictures, keeping 30, and there's no consistency of the background color!  ARGH, as the pirates say!

So I'll ask other potters and maybe someone will have a suggestion about camera settings.  (Incidentally I use a Nikon Coolpix L810)  I was going to ask through Mud Colony but it's closed till Thurs.  If I haven't heard anything by then, I'll submit this post.

Dragon's end

Into the kiln she went

I'm glad I got these shots of how she was placed, because I think that contributed to the crack, at a thinner spot in the construction which was very close to the heat.  Just my thought at this time, anyway.  I reinforced the entire base of the mask where it meets the wall, but that part of the jaw was a bit heavier on the other side than on this one.

And here she is in all her glory, imperfect as it is.

You can see the crack running almost through the whole jaw, from the right side of the mouth to the base of the mask.  There's a thin piece of glaze still holding it together, but it goes through to the inside all the way through the wall.

Sharing this week with Mud Colony here http://mudcolony.blogspot.com/


 

Women working (potters)

For Sepia Saturday this week, the suggestion is a photo of a woman who is assembling boxes (as shown)

Funjoho African potter

I could only show a few women potters, but not in sepia tones.

Some of these women potters really influenced me.  I did a whole month of blogs a few years ago of women artists for Women's History Month, March 2011.  It's already been posted, so I won't copy myself, just give you the links HERE.

Adelaid Alsop Robineau developed new glazes, was a leading ceramic designer, and worked to develop American ceramics in the 19th century.  She's pretty close to the Sepia Saturday posting.

Scarab Vase by Adelaide Alsop Robineau

Robineau and Scarab vase

Maria Martinez of San Isledefonso, New Mexic

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Black on Black Bowl by Maria Martinez

Nan Smith, my clay professor at University of Florida

Nan's photos of her work are all copyrighted, so I am just showing pictures of her (center).

M. C. Richards, author of "Centering, in the Art of Pottery and Person"

I really learned a lot from M.C. Richards.  Here's a post where I featured her a few years ago M. C. Richards and Me.  Actually it tells how I first came to work with pottery.

 

Judy Chicago

Judy Chicago's Dinner Party installation is a collection of dinner places honoring various famous women.  Since 2007 it has been on permanent exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, New York.  I've never seen it in person, but was impressed while studying ceramics, and started making sculptural pieces as a result.

Installation, The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago

From Wikepedia
"The table is triangular and measures 14.63 m (forty-eight feet) on each side. Each place setting features a table runner embroidered with the woman's name and images or symbols relating to her accomplishments, with a napkin, utensils, a glass or goblet, and a plate. Many of the plates feature a butterfly- or flowerlike sculpture as a vulva symbol. A collaborative effort of female and male artisans, The Dinner Party celebrates traditional female accomplishments such as textile arts (weaving, embroidery, sewing) and china painting, which have been framed as craft or domestic art, as opposed to the more culturally valued, male-dominated fine arts.

Virginia Wolf design for place setting, by Judy Chicago

TOSHIKO TAKAEZU

Moonpots by Toshiko Takaezu

Inspiration

A good slow video,
worth taking the time,
unless you're using the same moments
to be out in nature...

ArcticFireKelso3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nFCso6MzwDE#!

So many of us say nature is inspiring.

Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain, NC 2013

Into the kiln room

 

This saucy lady jar is now dry enough to go into the kiln room where she awaits being bisque fired.

I'm working on another one already, a bit smaller, no legs or arms, just a head with a hat...wearing earrings.  So I got a friend to model for the ears.  Those are really hard to sculpt.  I just don't understand all those ins and outs.  I can still learn a few new tricks!

Mountains & Mud, and ducks too

The only difference from my header picture on http://blackmountainbarb.blogspot.com/ 
is that this snow frosting is about a month later.  I did want to point out the Blue Ridge Parkway cutting across the leftmost two peaks, where you see a straight horizontal line .  Good ole engineers building roads!

Maybe this view is clearer.

And I have been in the studio every day for the last week.  Yesterday I even cleaned my own studio at home, and cranked up the expensive heat and worked there for a few hours.

Here's what last week's work produced.

This is an early version, before I sculpted the bikini top (bra?) and her fingernails, and did her nose and lips a bit better.  I'll try to remember to carry camera today to take a final greenware version for you.

Happy to share at Mud Colony.  Come over there to see other potters!

I'm ok again

Well, I heard a young potter talking about having said she was a potter for the first time today.

I remember having the same feeling several years ago.  I just figured if I made pots, sculptures, things with clay, that made me a potter.

Now I respect people who make their living as potters a lot more...the real professionals.  These men and women work with joy and determination, and obviously a high standard of quality of their work.

Not sure what I am in relation to professionals, though I often accept that as a retired counselor and activity director, I can now be a clay artist.

So my medicines for blood pressure have been changed.  And I went into the studio and started throwing some pots on Thursday last.  I've been returning each day since then...and feeling good about what I'm making.  I leave when I reach a stopping point, or when I'm tired.  And today I finished 2 pieces, and tomorrow will finish creating another one.

I also need to begin the glaze process for the dragon mask.

But mainly I think I'm ok again.  I want to work.  I have energy!

"People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone."  Audrey Hepburn

Mama Dragon

Been thinking about Mardi gras? (If you're in New Orleans or maybe Rio, or ???)

How about Gasparilla? (If you're in Tampa)

The Mardi gras folks love masks, among other parts of costumes.  Garparilla folks not so much...mainly just costumes, beads, and pirates galore.

Well, for the last month I've been working on a mask, off and on.  More off than on.

This is how it looked last week.

It shouildn't have been that hard.  It was just hard to get myself to pick up a tool and work for a little while.  To even get into one studio or the other.  Really hard.  I won't bore you with details, but you might check the other blog (When I was 69) and see what I wrote today if you want to know more personal stuff.


But I shared on FaceBook today the dragon mask that is almost finished.  And my joy at having felt like working on it today.

So I've got to give you a glimpse too, don't I?

At present stage...clean up and details still to be done.

It was nice to losely wrap her with plastic tonight, rather than spraying her so she'd stay damp.  Now time for the slow dry.  Then bisque firing.  

Not sure I'll glaze her.  Will have different effects once I do, I know.  I like the idea of the eyes having black pupils, but that's about all I've thought about.  Of course I'd love some red, black and gold colors...just not sure they will enhance the sculptural qualities.  Always a tough decision.

This is a wall hanging, which is why she has all kinds of holes around the edges, for feathers? beads? weaving branches?  leaves?  Who knows?
 
Now what were those other forms I wanted to make this winter?  Better get busy! 

This post is shared with MudColony, come over and see what other potters are doing!

Masks Ibo (Igbo), Fang, Picasso

Part of the problem with African masks is to avoid those which were created just to sell to tourists.

Then there are the cultural differences, and you can't blame Africans for hiding some of their religious rituals from invasive missionary Christians.  Many masks were worn just for the spiritual practices of tribal peoples.

Western European art was impacted by the early importation (19th Century) of African art...including Picasso using some of the style in his early cubist paintings. (see below)

I won't try to depict the ceremonial masks specifically.  I'm just interested in design here.

And actually all of these sculptures are made of wood.  My interest is translating, or using them for inspiration for clay masks.