05/29/09 R.I.P. Split Rim Pot!

Sad, sad news. The split rim, inherited bottle, and bowl that I called the Devil Pot in a previous post all bit it. lol. During the bisque firing (before you glaze and fire again). Shattered I guess. Jerrel was so nice about how he told me about it. He was even intending to call!

What was it I said about being too precious with the pieces? How I should just break some perfectly fine pieces to get past that feeling that each one is sooo precious? The kiln just did it for me!

05/22/09 The Wheels on the Bus Go 'Round & 'Round

Wheee! I'm getting a pottery wheel. An old wheel that hopefully is a workhorse that will outlive me!

And about a dozen bats!

And 150 lbs of clay!

And more tools!

And inspiration every day that will, with any luck, inspire other parts of my life as well. Yes, I'm a happy camper. I'll be a very poor camper - perhaps on hobo level! - but well worth it I think.

I stopped at the ceramics lab at the college last night from 10pm-midnight. I was shopping for stuff for the store shelves, go figure. I really should take a pick of the pile-o-groceries I end up with on one of those trips.... Anyway....

Ever heard of Devil Pots? Me either - until last night! I swear, there were evil gremlins in the lab last night. First I took my pretty round, slightly choked-in cereal bowl...and proceeded to wreck it! UGH! (Ok, so in reality I said something a little more colorful. lol.)

Trimming is when you smooth/level the bottom (or "foot") of a pot. Usually, you flip it over onto it's rim (or "lip") and carve away the bottom (or "foot") to make it flat. I like to put a fairly deep depression in the center as well. First, I center the thing on the wheelhead.

It was at this initial step that things went awry. The pedal to control the speed was sitting backward and I was using my hand to tap it to adjust the speed. Wellllll...lesson learned. I accidentally MAX SPEED instead of stopping. The pot went flying, scraping across both bat pins.

It dented and warped the heck out of my pretty li'l bowl! So I flipped it over, centered it right-side-up, cut off the lip, smoothed it out, flipped it over again, THEN trimmed it's foot. Little %#!&.

Honestly, I probably should have trashed it. lol. However, I'm still "precious" with my work: everything is special. It would probably be a good exercise for me to just smash a bunch of perfectly fine pots.

Then I carved the heck out of the inherited bottle using the "chuck" I had made several weeks ago.

A chuck is a "what" not a "who"!

Imagine a tire rim...how it flares out at top & bottom, open at both ends. You use a chuck to set pots in as you trim them. It helps with items like bottles, where the neck and lip are too narrow to support the body of the pot. The "shoulder" of the piece rests on that narrowed middle of the chuck for greater stability.

Finally...my super-purdy platter. I'm glad I saved that for last and got all my bad luck out of the way. It's going to be hard to resist doing another "ruffled lip" until I'm used to the new wheel at home.

I can't wait!

05/20/09 Anxious, Yet Fearless!

So, I was thinking about the jeep tour the fam told me they took in AZ. It was a lil hair-raising for some at times. We joked that I would have loved it.

AND I WOULD HAVE! To death - maybe literally, from the description of the trail? lol.

I think I've always been like that. I'm told that as a baby, I was a climber. On the other hand, I had colic and was irrationally upset by the loss of my pacifier. (Hello, food addiction!)

I thought back to when we were in elementary school. Dad was driving us there one winter day and took the Townline Hill - steep, narrow, curvy with a ravine along one side. We started skidding for a bit. Amy - & even Dad - were a little scared.

...I, however, thought it was a hoot! (I think I was even told to be quiet! lol. Imagine that!)

I started wondering how I can have anxiety issues, but not worry about dying? How the heck does THAT work?

Why does some speed bump in my life throw me for complete crazy-loop... but the big things hardly register?

I wanna know: Do you worry more about life or death?

05/14/09 Sign Project #1

My sign project. These are 8 foot x 8 foot...and there are 3 of them to be done. There will also be an 8x8 or 4x8 sign listing donors to the project, as well as repainted metal signs for the outside of the building.

These signs and the purchase of two coolers and a freezer are part of a grant I applied for through the Griggs-Steele Empowerment Zone. Donations of money and time by area citizens/businesses comprise the matching funds.

Now, to finish 'em and put 'em up!

05/10/09 In the Market for a Wheel!

Disclaimer: If you're really not THAT into making your own pottery, you're probably going to find the following very, very boring!

I want a pottery wheel. I NEED a pottery wheel.

Pottery wheels are expensive.

While I've researched brands and models of wheels, electric and kick, reading just isn't the same as doing! So, the other night I played around with the various types of pottery wheels at the ceramics lab.

I started out on the kickwheels - something I've never tried. Not really my cup of tea. I think there might be some tips I could have used from an instructor???

I liked that the seat height was adjustable, but didn't like the slower speed. No matter how fast I kicked, I couldn't get it going at the rate I wanted. I could also definitely see some knee issues if I used a kickwheel for years.... I guess that would be ok as long as I could get a rehab model wheel down the road. But considering how much I like to use my legs, this may not be the wheel for me.

It had the motor, which I DID remember to plug in! After reading more today, I found out I had to step on a lever to engage a rubber wheel on the base. (Is this where an instructor comes in handy? haha!) Basically, I was using it as a manual kickwheel!

Then I moved on to the Amaco No. 1 model. There's one for sale in Minneapolis, and I wanted to use one before I made an offer. From pictures, I wasn't sure I would like the seat.... I LOVE the seat! It's molded to conform to my tush. Nice! Way better than a hard wooden stool or the board on the kickwheel.

I also liked the height and positioning to the wheelhead. It was perfect for me to wedge my left elbow into my thigh when first centering the ball of clay.

This model has a high/low setting for wheelhead speed. I wasn't really a fan of that, but was prepared to keep an open mind after talking to a former instructor about wheel types. First, I had a hard time locating the switch on the side without stopping what I was doing and looking for it. The high setting was too slow for how I like to center, and the low setting was to fast for some of the more delicate throwing I sometimes do at the end when pot walls thin out. I think I COULD get used to those two speeds if I had to.

Turns out, each type of wheel has it's pros & cons - for me anyway. I learned a lot about HOW I throw. Apparently, I really kick the speed up when I center the ball of clay. Whether you're looking to buy a wheel or not, I would really recommend switching up your throwing once in awhile by trying a different piece of equipment.

...Someone remind me of that statement a few years down the road when I have thrower's block?!? Thanks a million!

05/08/09 For the Love of Mud

Can you believe that last night, after many weeks away, I almost went left Valley City without going to the pottery studio? I went there TO DO pottery! What was I thinking? lol.

(I was thinking "It's already 8:00 and I have my dog along, maybe I should come in for a full day Sunday." Thankfully, I came to my senses and hit the studio.)

It turned out to be a great night! First, I threw a rounded bowl...like a large cereal bowl, I suppose. The next was supposed to be a low, wide bowl. It flopped! UGH! I was torqued, to say the least. It's only the third piece to flop so far, but grrr.

I was so upset I grabbed twice as much clay and tried it again.

Holy Hannah, look what came off the wheel on the second try! It's pictured above. I would guess in this wet stage it measures the same as the wheelhead - about 12 inches? I managed to leave enough clay at the lip to split and pinch it. I saw this technique in a video at Ceramic Arts Daily and have been wanting to try it.

I have to say, I'm in love. I might end up with a series of these.

My friend in the art department stopped by the studio & said I was turning out some "thin" pots. Woohoo! I always worry they're going to be thick. They start out thin when they're wet, then they shrink as they dry and the walls become thicker!

She also mentioned that there will be a new ceramics professor. I inherited the bottle a candidate threw during his interview. :-P I didn't get a chance to get to know the current professor Jerrel well, but wish him all the best when his work at VCSU finishes up!

After getting back in the groove of things again, I've come to realize I NEED to get a pottery wheel at home. I'd still audit courses at VCSU for instruction on firings, technical advice, access to lab equipment and supplies, and - maybe most importantly - communication with others who are interested in pottery.

I think that if I had a wheel and could sneak in a half hour here and there or an entire day on the weekend, my skill level would really take off. When you think about it, the hour I spend sitting in the car driving to the studio could be better spent sitting at a wheel! The more pots I make, the more encouraged I am that this really COULD be a career down the road.

...And that prospect makes me feel pretty damn good!

05/07/09 No way? I get to play again?!?!

Yep. I'm a big freak. I'm completely excited at the idea of going to Valley City to sling some mud!

I don't remember the last time I was there...4-6 weeks ago? I'm not completely positive that the restrictions on sewer usage has been lifted in Valley yet, but...I'm going even if I have to haul the water I used back home!

And I'm NOT going to buy stuff for the store until 9:30 at night either...well, maybe just until 5:30. (Come on, I'm almost outta pop! :-P) But after that, my time is MINE.

Gawd, wonder if I even remember how??? hehe.

05/01/09 VIDEO: Coil & Throw Method

Throw, Dry, Add Coil, Repeat
Using the Coil and Throw Method to Make Large Pottery on the Potter's Wheel
http://www.ceramicartsdaily.org/video/index.aspx

OK! So, how enthralled do you think I was while watching this video?

First reason for my fascination with anything having to do with clay: Due to forces beyond my control involving a river, flooding, and a university who's classes had to cease early this semester...I HAVEN'T BEEN AT A WHEEL IN WEEEEEEKS! :-P

Second, I've always been interested in "bigware". I think because, although I'm not a weakling, I always had a hard time centering the large amount of clay. Then it was a challenge for me to keep twist out of the bottom of the pot as I worked higher up around the neck.

Also, let's face it: I'm not a svelt chick! My hands and arms are anything but delicate, so reaching down into the pot prevented me from keeping the pot collared in at the top sometimes.

I think this might be a sweeeeet solution! I didn't even know you could do this - maybe I missed that day in class 10 years ago? lol. What's nice is that even if I don't go into bigware, I can use this technique to keep the pot narrower than my arm and not have to deal with trying to throw with a long stick to increase my reach.

I may have found a couple wheels for sale in the Minneapolis area. Keep your fingers crossed! Maybe I can try out this method soon!