Cracked-surface pottery and more

Hi Everyone!
I've been busy lately, both in the studio making pottery and also doing contract installations of communications equipment in people's homes for a local communications company. I'm posting a few photos of some of my most recent pottery.

The above cracked-surface piece will be on display at the local art gallery for the month of September as part of a gallery showing for my partner and me. We are both very excited about having the opportunity to present our pottery at this show!

The above pie plate was custom made for a local customer.

Here is another pie plate that I will be taking to the art sale in less than two weeks.

The spiral white glaze was put on using the potters wheel and a steady hand (mine, of course... ha ha!).

Here is another colorful pie plate that was custom made for a local customer. I think the colors are very nice.

Another look at the pie plate.

This cracked-surface vase has a porcelain clay body with a sodium silicate slip mixture painted on and then dried before being expanded (causing the cracking) using only one hand on the inside of the vessel. It can be a little tricky, but the effect is really interesting, do you agree?

Here is a top view of the cracked-surface vessel. I sliced open the sides at the compass points to give it a slightly exploding effect.

The above cracked-surface vessel is called BLACKHOLE. It is a clay pot representation of a black hole that is swallowing the tiny pieces of the surface as they swirl inward toward the event horizon. The actual pot is made of a brownstone stoneware clay body with a sodium silicate and porcelain slip mixture painted on the surface before being expanded one-handed from the inside of the vessel. It is on display at the gallery showing this month.

The above vessel is a more traditional shaped cracked-surface vase, showing a good example of the interesting cracking that happens using the sodium silicate and porcelain slip mixture on a brownstone clay body.

This piece is called AFTERMATH, and is a representation of some of the emotions encountered when one experiences a disaster like flooding, fire, or assault. This piece is also on display at our gallery showing this month.

I wanted to try to made a bowl using the expanded cracked-surface technique, so this is my first bowl made in this manner.

This is a small globe vase made using the cracked-surface technique.

I hope you have enjoyed viewing the pottery. The cracked surface pots are actually much more interesting when handled, as the surface is very rough, and it sort of reaches out and grabs you. Some of the fissures can be quite deep, especially in the porcelain based vessels.

Well, time to head to the studio and make some more pieces. I need enough to sell at the coming art fair, so I'd better log off and get to it!!! :D

Studio work and new technique

I've been working in the studio lately and experimenting with a new technique for decorating some pottery. I'm still using porcelain clay since changing clay types requires a couple hours of cleaning, and I'm too lazy to switch clay types very frequently, since cleaning is not the most productive (nor the most fun) of things to do. I've read about this technique quite a few years ago, and again recently, so I was very willing to give it a try to see what I could do with it.

To make the technique work, I created a mixture of porcelain slip, spanish iron oxide, and sodium silicate, and used a hand mixer to blend it into a smooth but slippery goo. Then it was time to get busy on the wheel to throw a cylinder and give the technique a try. These photos show some of my efforts.

In the above photo, I'm seated at the wheel using a hot air gun to dry the painted on mixture before the expansion of the cylinder. By expanding the cylinder with only one hand inside, the outside skin of the pot creates a cracking pattern.

The above photo shows the cracking pattern made after the expansion.

The spiral line was drawn before the expansion took place.

The above photo shows a close up of the cracking patter in the skin of the pot. Pretty cool, no? :D

The above photo shows another porclain cylinder I've thrown on the wheel just as I'm about to spread on the mixture using a brush.

Using the spinning of the potter's wheel helps to create an even coat of the mixture on the surface of the cylinder.

Using the heat gun for a few minutes on the mixture helps it to dry enough so that the cracking occurs as the expansion is done.

In the above photo, I've drawn some lines in the mixture on the cylinder to make some interesting effects as the expansion happens.

As you can see, the expansion has to be done using only one hand on the inside of the cylinder so that the cracking pattern it creates is not smeared on the outside.

As the cracking pattern gets more pronounced, the drawn pattern becomes less and less distinquishable.

It seems I have to try it again to see if I can try another shape! LOL.

So another cylinder is covered in a nice layer of the mixture, ready to be dried and expanded.

Here's the drying...

And the results of the expansion. Even though the outer skin cracks, the inside layer of clay is still pliable enough to not be ripped when expanded from the inside.

After my experimentation using the colored mixture, I decided to make a few other shapes. The above lumpy tumbler is a fun and interesting shape, and can look and feel quite nice if the correct glazes are used.

Here is another small tumbler/vase.

The above photo shows a bunch of pieces drying, and they will soon be fired for the first time in the kiln during the bisque firing.

Here is a look at all the pots made using the sodium silicate and slip mixture. The results can be quite striking, I think. It will be interesting to see how well they firing in the kiln.

I've always wanted to try using that technique, so I'm glad I too the opportunity to do so. I'll have to be sure to add it to the growing list of ways to make interesting pottery.

Please wish me luck!

Latest kiln load and art fair sale

Hi Everyone! It has been a while since I've last posted to this blog... sorry for the long delay. I've been getting lots of things ready for an art fair in our local town. The two-day sale went well, and we got to meet lots of great artists and art lovers. The following photos are mostly of one of my recent glaze firings. Opening the kiln after a firing is the best part of making pottery!

The above photo shows the top shelves.

Here's a look at the second layer of pots in the kiln.

And here is the bottom layer of pottery.

A closer look at a porcelain bowl.

A jewerly box figurine.

Another multi-color porcelain bowl.

Some wine glasses made thrown from a single lump of clay.

I like the glaze and stripes on this piece.

Some pottery being inspected while it is cooling a little more.

A pair of porcelain tumblers. (Already sold)

Porcelain bowl and tumbler. (Also sold)

More wine glasses.

A better look at the first wine glasses.

Seasoning shakers made from porcelain.

The lines on these two porcelain shakers are actually inlaid colored clay. The one on the left is the bare porcelain without glaze, while the one on the right has a clear glaze over it.

More porcelain shakers.

More porcelain shaker with inlaid colored clay drawings.

The shaker on the left is for cinnamon, and the shaker on the right is for paprika.

A view of our booth at the art fair.

The tomotoes are coming along on the plant in my yard. Can't wait until they are ripe enough to put on a hamburger and eat! Very delicious! :D

My two cats checking out the catnip by the grape vines in my yard.