Answers

Here are some answers to some questions in the comment section. All my work is fired to cone 10 reduction. I use multiple sprayed glazes. The base glaze is usually strontium crystal magic, a Steven Hill glaze, or I use a crystal white. I will talk more about my glazes at the Jacksonville center workshop and we will use some of those glazes. I want a glaze that moves and changes. The idea is to have the glazes interact with form changes. So a glaze may pool in one spot and then change colors when it interacts with those form changes. They are always different each firing and this is what gets me excited about my work. I'm still thinking about the Etsy thing. Hopefully when I have time in the summer I will be able to set something up.
Head over to (Mud)bucket and check out her awesome blog. I'm happy to be featured on her blog.

In the studio

I've been trying to tie things up before the semester ends. I took some stuff to a gallery on Thursday and they want more platters. Not my favorite thing to make, but I'll spin a few out. I made a first attempt to make a box and it came out decent. I threw a bottomless cylinder, let it set up and then cut it in half. I then add a coil on the inside and put a top and bottom on it.

Music

Music is important to my work and how I work. In the studio, I usually have some music on in the studio. I like to listen to something that has a good beat or rhythm. Lately I have been listening to prog. rock. I like songs that gradually build up to a climax. It kind of echo's how we work. We start making things and gradually work our way to the  climax, which would be the final firing. Some of the bands that I listen to are Isis, Tool, Ben Harper and the Relentless 7, Minus the Bear and Radiohead.

A few more weeks to go into the semester. Firing four kilns a week. Trying to get some packets together to send out to some galleries.  I feel like I am starting to get a consistent body of work.  I think when you start out in clay you want to try everything and find what fits you. An artist is always evolving and improving their work.

Bowls

I am enjoying throwing bowls and cups lately. They allow for a lot of experimentation without trying it on something big. They are still challenging. You have to consider how they are going to be used. Does it fit into your hand? How will the lip be treated? etc. I got two pieces juried into the third biennial of contemporary clay at the western Colorado art center. Now I have to figure out how to ship a 18 inch platter. Should be interesting.

In Progress

Here are a few things that are in progress. I have had a couple of good firings. Trying out some new glazes and they are coming out pretty nice. After a couple months struggling to make things I am finally getting into a rhythm. I'm not to worried about making things functional. I just make what makes me happy. In my work I'm trying to figure out how to utilize the clay surface. I've been making marks and altering the form so when the glaze interacts with the marks it changes the flow and color of the glaze. I'll be taking some images of finish work soon and I'll post.

Chair Pants

These might come in handy in the studio  CHAIR PANTS! It's like a little nap for my legs.

Workshops

I will be teaching two workshops at the Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd, VA. The first workshop is June 7-10 and is called altering form and surface. In the workshop we will focus on squaring, ovaling, cutting and generally taking the round out of wheel thrown pots. I'll also do some demonstrations on slip techniques like combing slip etc. The second workshop is on spray glazing July 26-28. I'm looking forward to this one.  I'll discuss what proper equipment to use and how to apply glaze via a spray gun. So head on over to http://jacksonvillecenter.org/ and sign up today.  In the studio I have been mostly making cups and bowls. I plan to make some larger bottle forms and spray with multiple glazes.