Urns

Though their passing is not eminent (thankfully!) my brother and his wife have asked me to make funerary urns for both of them. This request has started me thinking about the size and shape and function of an urn and as a result I have made several pieces exploring this issue.

I have discovered that I perpetually underestimate the shrinkage that happens when clay dries and is fired. Even though I know to account for this 10-12% change in size, I continually underestimate the amount of clay needed. And as a result some of the urns should really be called "jars".

Because I'm very interested in texture, all of my jar/urns have some type of impressed design on them.

Summer Workshop with Vince Pitelka

This summer I attended a wonderful workshop given by Vince Pitelka. For a week we learned how to add colorants to clay and create "loaves" of different patterns with various colors. The colored clay usually was layered into different colors, then sliced and rearranged to make patterns. In this photo Vince is demonstrating how to make a basket weave loaf.

It was a particularly hot time in the Pacific Northwest with temperatures approaching 100 degrees and from this photo of Vince you can see that we were very warm inside the barn where we

met.

Vince, by the way, was a wonderful workshop presenter with lots of patience for those of us who kept slicing our clay in the wrong direction.

Here are a couple of photos of my first attempt at using the colored clay loaves made during the workshop. They have yet to be glaze fired so there is still room for failure - but I'm hopeful.

Lynnwood's 50th Celebration

The city of Lynnwood, located north of Seattle, is celebrating its 50th year as a city and asked for submissions for a show to commemorate the date. I'm pleased that my "Birthday Cake" made of clay and acrylic paint will be displayed with other artists' work.

The show, which runs from September 28th to November 12 with a reception October 3rd at 11 am, will be located at the Lynnwood Library on 44th Ave West.

On another topic, the sale at D Street was a splendid success. We had numerous folks drop by to visit and purchase pottery. Our seconds/old stock table in the backyard was very popular. The sale was so pleasant and profitable that we are already looking forward to our 4th annual sale in 2010.

Candleholders for a Wedding

Our younger daughter is getting married this fall and I volunteered to make votive candleholders for each of the approximately 120 guests.

Surprisingly this has been a fun opportunity to revisit some old glazes and try out new glaze combinations on different clays. 

I rummaged around in the buckets of test glazes from two years ago and found one particular glaze that may become my new favorite.

The first photo is of a batch of holders drying before the bisque firing.  The next two pictures are of a few of the finished pots. My new favorite glaze in on the left of the last photo. 

Island in the Sound

Anderson Island in south Puget Sound is a small, quiet place reached by a 52 car ferry.  Its history has been loving recorded by Hazel Heckman in her charming book "Island in the Sound" and in keeping with preserving the history of the island, the Anderson Island Historical Society maintains the old Johnson Farm and runs the Gift Shop to help support their efforts.

The Gift Shop, kept going by dedicated volunteers,  is located in a former chicken coop and carries an eclectic selection of merchandise which includes consignments from the islanders, typical gift shop fare and handmade crafts.  I feel pleased that some of my pottery is among the handmade items that can be found in the shop.

The Gift Shop is generally open Saturdays and Sundays, April to mid December.

Bowl Swap

As a member of the Etsy Mud Team (susanskiln.etsy.com) I participated in a bowl swap organized by the team and my swap partner in North Carolina mailed me this bowl. The bowl is unique in several ways. Barry Lockman, the potter,  digs and processes his own clay and most of his glazes. And another, daring, thing he does is single fire his pottery. Instead of bisque firing the dried pieces and then applying glaze, he glazes his pots when they are in the leather hard stage.  This is risky because if the temperature rises too quickly in the kiln during the firing, the water in the clay turns to steam and breaks the pot.

Barry's Etsy shop can be found at: lockmanpottery.etsy.com

This is the pot I sent Barry.

Crystalline Firing Results

I love my kiln, it performed perfectly but I'm not getting the results I want.  Some pots grew crystals, a little wimpy perhaps but crystals just the same, while others were covered with out-gassing pin holes.  At least that is what I'm calling them.  And they seem to be most prevalent in the copper carbonate green glaze. I think I will try a different firing schedule next try.