Saturday, February 28, 2015
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Maybe Moving Forward?
So I help run a community studio. This is not quite as impressive as it sounds, all members are to help run the place and take on a variety of tasks from running the gallery and cleaning, to dealing with special events. Personally, I run the kilns (I have help) and I deal with glaze and materials (and again I have some help).
Anyway, the community studio has been gearing to do some different types of activities. We had a good set of possible ways to collaborate with the Community College, and this came in part from a professor there. But really nothing has gotten off the ground. Given time needed for schools to do things, we really are cutting it close to be doing something for next November.
But yesterday, I with Kuky and Laura met with a professor for UCCS who is doing a nutrition program. Really all the stuff we talked about, and then some, are things she would like to do and have the students involved with. So that might be making a move forward in some manner after all.
Ultimately, I know schools struggle with funding and at this point all of this is no longer ours to do much with. We need to wait and see. But still, it was nice to hear.
I was grumpy my Fermentation Crocks were not able to be fired in time to have them glazed and fired by yesterday. But, they were still drying!! Not quite used to dealing with dry time on large pieces. But I am using my prototype. And as of tomorrow it has sit for a full week, I'm making Kimchi.
So this is out of the book "Fermented Vegetables" by Shcokey & Shockey. In using the prototype there are some things I will need to change in the final design. Now I have already (as I mentioned) made a whole set, but they are all water lock style. After making the prototype I knew to adjust that piece. I did hold off on making the weights, and now that I have used this one I know what I need to do different there (size them for the top, not the widest section).
Also in reading about how to do wild ferment (no vinegar) I found that while large crocks are for sure a good idea, there is a use for ones much smaller for pickling garlic cloves, and carrots, and other things).
So here is the inside, you can see the double rim, this creates a valley to put water. That water creates a seal as the lid fits and sits into the water. Air, therefore, cannot escape. This is why I am making these deeper than I did on the prototype crock.
So here is the ingredients for the Kimchi, and then next I added the brine. I covered with the full cabbage leaves (first follower is what they call that), the weights, and finally the second follower. This was a gallon freezer bag filled with water and no air. The point is to hold down the mixture below the brine.
I then put the lid on it, check it daily to make sure it still looks ok. After a full week I can taste it, but really it looks like it needs a full two weeks. Given the inside temp of the house, I might reach completion a few days earlier.
Below you can see the Flower Pots. The non glazed are all Manzano clay. The glazed is the Sandia Red with only the rim and handles glazed. I have some other flower pots that need firing but they are still drying.
So these are a few pieces that came out of the last Oxidation Firing. Now we tried to bisque several days ago in the manual kiln and it got weird. Only the bottom section came to temp. So we needed to fix this. Two days ago we pulled it apart and found some fried wires. They need to be replaced and so a part has to be ordered. But problem solved.
However, the electronic one when crazy and we got the fail message. So we changed the thermocouple (luckily had an extra on hand) and we are back in business.
Anyway, the community studio has been gearing to do some different types of activities. We had a good set of possible ways to collaborate with the Community College, and this came in part from a professor there. But really nothing has gotten off the ground. Given time needed for schools to do things, we really are cutting it close to be doing something for next November.
But yesterday, I with Kuky and Laura met with a professor for UCCS who is doing a nutrition program. Really all the stuff we talked about, and then some, are things she would like to do and have the students involved with. So that might be making a move forward in some manner after all.
Ultimately, I know schools struggle with funding and at this point all of this is no longer ours to do much with. We need to wait and see. But still, it was nice to hear.
I was grumpy my Fermentation Crocks were not able to be fired in time to have them glazed and fired by yesterday. But, they were still drying!! Not quite used to dealing with dry time on large pieces. But I am using my prototype. And as of tomorrow it has sit for a full week, I'm making Kimchi.
So this is out of the book "Fermented Vegetables" by Shcokey & Shockey. In using the prototype there are some things I will need to change in the final design. Now I have already (as I mentioned) made a whole set, but they are all water lock style. After making the prototype I knew to adjust that piece. I did hold off on making the weights, and now that I have used this one I know what I need to do different there (size them for the top, not the widest section).
Also in reading about how to do wild ferment (no vinegar) I found that while large crocks are for sure a good idea, there is a use for ones much smaller for pickling garlic cloves, and carrots, and other things).
So here is the inside, you can see the double rim, this creates a valley to put water. That water creates a seal as the lid fits and sits into the water. Air, therefore, cannot escape. This is why I am making these deeper than I did on the prototype crock.
So here is the ingredients for the Kimchi, and then next I added the brine. I covered with the full cabbage leaves (first follower is what they call that), the weights, and finally the second follower. This was a gallon freezer bag filled with water and no air. The point is to hold down the mixture below the brine.
I then put the lid on it, check it daily to make sure it still looks ok. After a full week I can taste it, but really it looks like it needs a full two weeks. Given the inside temp of the house, I might reach completion a few days earlier.
Below you can see the Flower Pots. The non glazed are all Manzano clay. The glazed is the Sandia Red with only the rim and handles glazed. I have some other flower pots that need firing but they are still drying.
So these are a few pieces that came out of the last Oxidation Firing. Now we tried to bisque several days ago in the manual kiln and it got weird. Only the bottom section came to temp. So we needed to fix this. Two days ago we pulled it apart and found some fried wires. They need to be replaced and so a part has to be ordered. But problem solved.
However, the electronic one when crazy and we got the fail message. So we changed the thermocouple (luckily had an extra on hand) and we are back in business.
Below are two pix of the same bowl. It was made with a residue glaze that have some green tones to it when put on a white clay. Here it is on the Sandia clay, and there is some honey used. The honey brought out a very different blue than I have gotten out of any of our glazes before. Since it was a residue glaze, once it is gone it is gone. Actually this bowl sold yesterday.
The gallery at the community studio has undergone some rearrangement and while there is less work, it looks much better as a gallery. I still don't know that we get how business has slowed down so much compared to several years ago. It seems to be less people in for all things, and not just an economy thing. But they have a plan on that end, we will see how that goes.
There is a possible gallery out of town that might carry my stuff, so that could turn into something as well. I have the ETSY store of course. While I have had a lot more views, I have not yet sold anything out of it yet. But I am keeping my fingers crossed, I of course need to sell work to make money.
Yesterday actually a single man bought all of my noodle bowls I brought out. I got good response on both butter dishes and butter keepers. The fermentation folks I met were not there, but I didn't have any crocks anyway. I am hoping this of course all leads to steady sales.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KickWheelPottery
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Anybody want it?
This large storage jar is glazed in Blue Apple Ash, the interior is glazed in a variegated blue glaze. This means the inside is food safe. You will note the look of the outside, this is due to the Ash glazing running (this is purposeful), I also left bare spots so you can see the red clay.
The Jar is 6.25" tall (with lid it is 8") an 6" wide at the base.
Anyone want it? I am throwing it up on the ETSY shop now.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KickWheelPottery
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Finishing Up the Night
Well it decided it might be winter again, though not quite sure it might be more of our spring style snow. It is below 30* and there is snow on the ground, a far cry from our 78* a few days ago.
Here is a odd pot. I decided to put it up at home. It was one of three pitchers, I was lifting the wareboard over my head to put on a shelf to dry. This one fell.... it was leather hard so kept it's shape. I left it. When it dried I opted to bisque it and it sat for months. A few weeks ago I actually Raku fired it. I rarely Raku my own work as I do functional work. I love to Raku and generally fire, but it's rare I've done by own work this way.
Here are three teapots with their lids. You can't see it but there are three mugs and one one tea bowl. They are all ^10 clay and will go in a wood firing. This is a first for me, both firing at ^10 and wood firing. I was invited to participate in this firing, which is pretty cool. I am not a student at the University (actually never have been a ceramic student at any university). But this is the ceramic professor's wood burning kiln. I'm pretty excited to do this. Depending on time, I will help load the kiln. But no matter what I will help with the graveyard shift for firing.
Here is a odd pot. I decided to put it up at home. It was one of three pitchers, I was lifting the wareboard over my head to put on a shelf to dry. This one fell.... it was leather hard so kept it's shape. I left it. When it dried I opted to bisque it and it sat for months. A few weeks ago I actually Raku fired it. I rarely Raku my own work as I do functional work. I love to Raku and generally fire, but it's rare I've done by own work this way.
Here are three teapots with their lids. You can't see it but there are three mugs and one one tea bowl. They are all ^10 clay and will go in a wood firing. This is a first for me, both firing at ^10 and wood firing. I was invited to participate in this firing, which is pretty cool. I am not a student at the University (actually never have been a ceramic student at any university). But this is the ceramic professor's wood burning kiln. I'm pretty excited to do this. Depending on time, I will help load the kiln. But no matter what I will help with the graveyard shift for firing.
Oxidation Firing February 2015
I didn't quite realize I had 18 mugs in this pile. I had been collecting random pieces that did not fit in past firings when I did a run of a specific item. But then I did two small runs of mugs and got them bisqued, so when I did glaze I was just sort of surprised how much I had.
Still waiting on the fermentation crocks and flower pots to dry, big things take forever!
This Jar and Tall Pitcher are glazed in Blue Apple Ash, and are both out of a dark red clay Sandia by New Mexico Clay. So this does shift from a true blue to a deep green. Nice runs, and shows process marks very well. AND this was done in electric !
Now I did purple or orange street inside. The outside for the slipware I used clear. The other clear we used to make (which likes to crawl) was CLEAR. This one, with the interaction of the clay turned grey. This is not uncommon but was a bit of a surprise. You really can see the white slip very clearly, it is a strong contrast. It think this is in part of the dash of zircopax in the white slip.
Here I know that wiping off the orange street that runs is a big hard. So with these I did not bother, and glazed the outside with Honey. I really like the interaction these create and so knew that allowing for "splashes" of glaze would get me a nice look.
At this point it was getting dark, so the next few pictures are not great and are distorted by flash. These storage jars are close to what you see in daylight though they are a bit more purple.
These are American Style Butter Dishes. Now the pictures are not great. The Orange Street one does not quite look right and the flash made the blue come out much stronger than it is on the actual purple version. I am not a total fan of the process I used to make these and will make them a bit different next time, this will create smaller trays so it is a bit more balanced.
Random pictures of food, well just because. These are all on my "seconds" of the pots I have made. Most of my pots are someone else work, or mine but seconds. I think this is typical of most potters.
As Always, check out the ETSY shop. If you see something you like in the blog (and it is recent) but not on the ETSY shop, let me know. I can get it to you.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KickWheelPottery
Still waiting on the fermentation crocks and flower pots to dry, big things take forever!
This Jar and Tall Pitcher are glazed in Blue Apple Ash, and are both out of a dark red clay Sandia by New Mexico Clay. So this does shift from a true blue to a deep green. Nice runs, and shows process marks very well. AND this was done in electric !
Here are my 18 mugs (also one tumbler).
Now I did purple or orange street inside. The outside for the slipware I used clear. The other clear we used to make (which likes to crawl) was CLEAR. This one, with the interaction of the clay turned grey. This is not uncommon but was a bit of a surprise. You really can see the white slip very clearly, it is a strong contrast. It think this is in part of the dash of zircopax in the white slip.
Here I know that wiping off the orange street that runs is a big hard. So with these I did not bother, and glazed the outside with Honey. I really like the interaction these create and so knew that allowing for "splashes" of glaze would get me a nice look.
At this point it was getting dark, so the next few pictures are not great and are distorted by flash. These storage jars are close to what you see in daylight though they are a bit more purple.
These are American Style Butter Dishes. Now the pictures are not great. The Orange Street one does not quite look right and the flash made the blue come out much stronger than it is on the actual purple version. I am not a total fan of the process I used to make these and will make them a bit different next time, this will create smaller trays so it is a bit more balanced.
Random pictures of food, well just because. These are all on my "seconds" of the pots I have made. Most of my pots are someone else work, or mine but seconds. I think this is typical of most potters.
This is about 10# of the red clay. I will do some slip work on this. It is a nice form I think and could be used as a serving bowl or even a punch bowl. BUT, it has a hole in the bottom to make it a flower pot.
As Always, check out the ETSY shop. If you see something you like in the blog (and it is recent) but not on the ETSY shop, let me know. I can get it to you.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KickWheelPottery
Friday, February 13, 2015
It's Spring
I'm in Pueblo, Colorado. Spring started the last week of January this year.... ya....
Anyway here are the pots that are currently drying. Due to size, they are taking a long time to dry.
These are flower pots, maybe 6# or 7#? They were given handles. One was burnished to see how I liked it. All three have holes in the bottom.
These are seven different flower pots thrown in a New Mexican Earthenware. The largest two are 10# each. Together these seven pots are 50# of clay.
Here are five crocks for fermentation. 6# each and then given lids. If you look, four have an odd looking rim. This is for a water lock, which allows one to fill the rim with water. This makes it an airtight seal.
So they are drying. I plan on making many more flower pots as spring is on the way. But I have more butter keepers to make, more crocks, and of course more noodle bowls. I plan on setting some pieces aside for the soda kiln, though it needs repairs before the next firing.
Check out my ETSY shop. Not everything is on there. If there is a specific piece you can message me. If it is a recent piece, it likely is available and we can make arrangements.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KickWheelPottery
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