Monthly Archives: August 2012

Aug25

color, composition, process

Posted on by
color, composition, process

I’ve been messing around with altering some of my photos in Photoshop, eliminating the subject and reducing photos to the basics of color and composition. Somehow the mood and undertones of a photo remain, even when you eliminate the subject. The transformation to pixelation is really kind of addictive — I’ve been having fun making these. I want to use these somehow in my pottery (it always comes back to the pots). But I want to think of ways that I can integrate the ideas behind these images into forms, and not just slap these images onto forms. And the bottom version of these makes me want to learn how to use watercolors, and how to use underglaze as watercolors (not easy, considering the unfired color is different from the fired color).

I’ve been realizing that I show a whole lot more process here than final product. Part of me feels like I should be more productive with my creative work, but really, this is where I am. I am still learning my craft, and my head is full of ideas, and all of this play in different directions will lead me to pottery that I really love producing and selling. Eventually. A little bit of imagining and sketching here and there fits into my schedule of taking care of three small children all day so much more naturally than being in production mode (which would be pretty much impossible at the moment).

So here’s to being OK with sketchiness and ideas that lead nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

Oh, and the birthday gift I mentioned last time is a Giffin Grip! I’ve been trimming the bottom of my pots by tapping/adjusting them to center on the wheel and then holding them in place with wads of clay. This will be much easier! (I hope.)

Aug20

the pseudo-disney lunchbox

Posted on by
the pseudo-disney lunchbox

This summer we took my older two daughters and our niece to see “Brave.” They all loved it (and so did I — how nice not to see yet another princess-y princess). So when school was starting my girls asked for Merida lunch boxes. Unfortunately Disney puts yucky PVC all over their lunch boxes. But I couldn’t talk the girls out of Merida. So we compromised: Lands’ End ick-free lunch boxes (with coupon!) and half a yard of Merida fabric. I ironed on some interfacing that I already had and cut out patches that I edged with bias tape (another stash supply), and then hand-stitched them onto the bags. It was pretty easy, and the girls are happy. Win win.

I hear this laminated cotton is food-safe, so I may make some sandwich wraps and baggies, too. You know, in my loads of spare time.

Aug17

tetrahedrons + zombies

Posted on by
tetrahedrons + zombies

Look! I am making a mini village of pyramids! Technically, these are a specific type of pyramid called a tetrahedron. I intend to use these as models for some molds (my first try at molds) because I want to make super light, translucent versions of these.

I started on this two weeks ago, when I went to the KC Clay Guild to renew my membership and roll out some slabs. I intended to turn the slabs into pyramids during my next work night. So, the next week, I put on my apron to work, and the power went out. So no working that night. The kids were up half the night because their night lights and sound machines were not working. And the zombies. SO, I put these together during this week’s work night — with two-week-old slabs that I had babied with a lot of spraying. So far they seem to have made it.

Because of that same power outage, the monthly demonstration/workshop at the clay guild was moved to this week. Paul Donnelly demonstrated how he puts together pieces like this with a combination of throwing and slab work. He said something about how important it is to figure out the timing of when you work on the different stages of a piece. I, of course, was thinking about my two-week-old slabs, sitting there getting old and ruining that crucial timing.

I’ve almost got enough work to justify a bisque firing. I tried some new clays, so I’m hoping I won’t have the crazing problems I had last time. Please, please, please let me, let me, let me. Let me have a successful glaze firing. (Sing along.)

Aug9

easy fun

Posted on by
easy fun

I’ve been away for a bit. There was a wedding in Wisconsin (my cousin’s), a funeral in Kansas (my great aunt’s) and a baby in California (my sister’s — today!). There was a possibly broken finger (courtesy of that never-ending pile of gravel), a 20-year high school reunion in Indiana (unattended — too much travel), and a power outage (see our long-exposure-fun-without-electricity photos). There were photo backdrops painted. There were La Palomas consumed. There were many, many forms filled out in order for my children to head back to school/preschool. And many checks written.

End-of-summer stuff, good stuff, bad stuff, wonderful stuff, life stuff.

(Note: Our “Easy Fun” dude is a Dick Daniels piece that we love very much.)