missing pots

just a few pots that were missing (and I didn't notice) but just got through the glaze fire...

Odd shift...

So based on a death in the family and some follow up conversations I got a new request and a renewed old request.

Below are some Canopic Jars.  




So I have all my death/medical related papers all put together and multiple copies hanging around with various people.  In there are instructions to cremate me.  My aunt told me that she too wants to be cremated and would like for me to make the urn.

My partner repeated his idea that he wants to be cremated and for me to make a set of canopic jars and split the ashes among them. I cannot sculpt as well as I want to at this point so I am not ready for this yet. But he wants the ashes to be placed in there prior to the glaze fire and for it to be glaze sealed.

It brings up some interesting ideas about pots, death and life.  Some mixed feelings about being asked to take on this duty.  Pots have a life of their own, or at least handmade pottery does.  It seems fitting that such an object rather than some box,placed in a huge liner (yes they marinate the body then put it in the coffin and the coffin the a metal tupperware...WTF?!) be a resting place.

Size Reference

Ok so size reference for my previous post. You can see a cup, the pitcher, then the deep large serving bowl followed by the wide shallow one. Finally you can see a GP bowl.  Pepsi better send me my advertising check for this damn it.

Nerves.. Oh shit ya...

So this is my first attempt to sell my pottery.  Oh we joked in the past that once I got good enough I could sell my pottery so it wasn't a hobby that cost me money but maybe a break even proposition. But realistically, ya I don't think so.

Really nervous about putting this out there.  My stuff is still, wonky and off. the PC term is "organic" meaning, not quite centered and clearly hand made. I like my stuff, I am happy with how far I have come.  Just not sure how it will be received. And I wonder how I will feel if nothing sells, if no one wants my pots...

They are not meant to be looked at, well not only looked at.  They are to be held, fondled and then filled. Then touched with the mouth, the lips, the tongue... not just the hand. They can be heated or chilled and most of all they are to be used.  I think they have personality, I hope that comes across...

GP Bowl, the big pile...

This was ^6 Red Laguna clay with EggShell Glaze. They have various slip designs as well as some random Celedon glaze inside.  They are all 2# like all my GP bowls, but all of these have a foot. Good for whatever, but really are built to be held and used.  $10

Sometimes Bigger is Better

These are 4# serving bowls.  ^6 Red Laguna clay, EggShell glaze. The wider bowl has slip design the taller bowl does not. $20

Porcelain GP Bowls

Porcelain GP Bowls, the ones in BlueFur are marbled, but you can only see the red/porcelain marble on the bottom. The pure porcelain bowls are in EggShell with a cobalt blue slip design.  These are $10

Drinking Cups

These are drinking cups with a small solid foot. Think Asian tea bowl style. This is ^6 red Laguna clay with slip design, EggShell glaze.  There are only 5 of them. $5 a piece.

GP Bowls... Thinking Soup

So I was thinking Soup with these 2# GP (general purpose) bowls. ^6 red laguna clay.  Did BlueFur and EggShell glaze, GP Bowls are $10.

Pitcher

Short and Squatty, not quite sure how I end up with this shape without thinking about it. Next round perhaps some taller pitchers. But this is a nice shape for gravy, chile and other things being poured for dinner (rather than drinks). Reclaim ^6 clay, in EggShell glaze with slip design. This is $15.

Rice Bowls

 Rice Bowls, they have a larger foot on them.  I will make them a bit different next time. This is a reclaim clay in ^6. A mix of EggShell and Blue Fur glaze.  This are priced at $10

Pricing

Ok this is hard.  I am do amateur status so it can't cost too much.  They have to sell, but if I price too cheap well it seems off.  I asked friends to look at pix I txt and offer prices.  Working on it.

I can't upload pix with my ipad.  I will update, everything done for the past two months is glazed and fired.

Folks offered a wide range of prices and one friend offered up something similar to what I have told others for a formula, it doesn't work here but here it is.  Pick a by the hour rate you can live with. Figure you time plus other costs involved and do the math. This allows more complicated pieces to end up with higher prices rather than just by weight.
This doesn't work BECAUSE for me.. this formula would artificially inflate prices because I do not throw fast and I do not throw a lot. So for someone else the studio fee might be streached over 100 pots, for me only 20.  If someone else can throw 10 large bowls in 30 min but I can only do one... well you can see how the math doesn't work.

So I priced things with peoples help, I think it is a workable rate.  They are at:

116 midway avenue
pueblo co 81004
 719.404.3469

Some plans...

Ok, the last glaze load (see last post), which as of this posting is on the shelf to be fired... will go for sale in the Cup & Bowl Gallery. This is my first attempt at this.

Here are unglazed buttons, destined for Raku fire.  The plan is to create some hats with cool buttons and put those up for sale as well.  Hats will be crocheted caps.

I ran out of time but me and the Saturday Club and Cup & Bowl were going to make an Ash Glaze.  We will do the very old/traditional 50/50 mix. It is by weight, Ash and Ball Clay. We will fire it in the Soda Kiln as we can do reduction here and Soda & Ash are great friends!!  This is an experiment as people doing ^6 seem to be overwhelmingly electric and don't mess with this type of stuff. Usually this is a ^10+ approach. However, I did the research and just like ^6 Soda firing I think it is uncommon, not impossible.

Glazed At Last!!

So what you see is all the pots made since the Christmas rush.  You can see them in various prior posts.  Here are some pix of the waxing process. This time I did paraffin melted in an old electric skillet.  You simply dip the pot real quick.  So much faster!!!  There is a size limit, but all the same it made this quick work.

the glaze, well almost everything has Eggshell (it looks red here).  the pots, if you recall, are varied. A few porcelain with blue on them.  Some made out of reclaim clay or laguna red. These have porcelain slip that is white, reddish or blue. All of these have some level of eggshell glaze.

The old slip trailer that was a bitch to deal with?  Used it with Blue Fur glaze to create a "splash", rather than using a spoon as I have done before. Finally there were a few pieces that did not have any slip. I did them with larger amount of Blue Fur and some Slate Blue and a slight overlay of Egg Shell.

Egg Shell is the glaze I use over the various darker colored clays and the glaze is highly effected by the clay. It creates various looks.  I use this more than any other glaze, hands down. So I was grumpy when I heard there was some discussion about phasing this glaze out of the studio.  However, given our use and our talk about it (Jesse, Maria & I) we don't think it will happen. We love this cone ^6 glaze too damn much.

interlude about some buds...

Ok Justin has just launched his blog.. go check it out...

http://jcallahan17.blogspot.com


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Below is another buddy, he is at Cup & Bowl. This pitcher is for Kool-Aid, can you see it?