Big Sky Clay
Saturday, November 24, 2012
So many new items, so difficult to choose! Things have been very busy here at Big Sky Clay, and I have a BUNCH of new items to play with. But for now, I'll focus on one. I just wanted to introduce my new Zentangle Mugs, made after the popular doodling pastime Zentangle. I developed these mugs in response to a request from my mother to make some pottery that was "more colorful." I have always been intrigued by the meditative, one moment following the next quality of zentangles - and I thought it would be great to apply that technique to my pots.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Heads, I win!
Anybody who has been following my work for the past several years knows that sculpting is one of the things I am passionate about. I got into making face mugs and jugs specifically so that I could practice sculpting and still have a salable product. But there are limitations to mugs, and complications to jugs. I needed a new way to create the faces and heads I longed for.
Then one day, as I was playing with clay, I realized that I could make miniature face jugs. These little jugs start as two pinch pots, cemented together with clay slip. The head is then beaten into shape with a flat salad spoon, and a skull is created.
The terrific part about making these smaller heads is that I can make them anywhere. Last weekend, I made seven different characters on a long drive through Montana (I was not driving, just to be clear - I sat in the back seat and played with clay).
Different faces and attitudes emerge depending on the size and shape of the skull - and my mood at any given time. I love the flexibility these little fellows give me - and their smaller size makes them very collectible, as they don't take up nearly as much space as a full-sized jug.
The next step for these heads is a combination of oxides and underglaze. Some will be very basic, with just shadows of color over bare clay. Others will be glazed, complete with skin tones The character and attitude will determine who gets what treatment. When they are all done, I'll post another picture on this blog. Hope you enjoy them!
Anybody who has been following my work for the past several years knows that sculpting is one of the things I am passionate about. I got into making face mugs and jugs specifically so that I could practice sculpting and still have a salable product. But there are limitations to mugs, and complications to jugs. I needed a new way to create the faces and heads I longed for.
Then one day, as I was playing with clay, I realized that I could make miniature face jugs. These little jugs start as two pinch pots, cemented together with clay slip. The head is then beaten into shape with a flat salad spoon, and a skull is created.
The terrific part about making these smaller heads is that I can make them anywhere. Last weekend, I made seven different characters on a long drive through Montana (I was not driving, just to be clear - I sat in the back seat and played with clay).
Different faces and attitudes emerge depending on the size and shape of the skull - and my mood at any given time. I love the flexibility these little fellows give me - and their smaller size makes them very collectible, as they don't take up nearly as much space as a full-sized jug.
The next step for these heads is a combination of oxides and underglaze. Some will be very basic, with just shadows of color over bare clay. Others will be glazed, complete with skin tones The character and attitude will determine who gets what treatment. When they are all done, I'll post another picture on this blog. Hope you enjoy them!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Summer Salad Lettuce Leaf Bowls |
Or DOES it?
These fun salad bowls that I just listed on Etsy remind me of summer's cornucopia of produce, all year long. The thin, organic looking bowls are created by rolling a slab of clay thin, then impressing it over a glass lettuce leaf bowl. The edges are left intentionally uneven, giving the bowls an elegant yet natural appearance.
The glaze on these bowls is one of my favorites. It's called Antique Copper Green, and it never comes out of the kiln the same twice. The glaze varies in color depending on the thickness, and in this case, it makes lovely dark green streaks in the veins of the lettuce leaves.
These salad bowls are my first creation using impressed slump molds. I am so pleased with them, I know it won't be my last.
Friday, September 28, 2012
HALLOWEEN FUN
This year, I learned how to make clay pots using fire crackers to blow them up from the inside. After a bit of experimentation (OK, a LOT of experimentation, in which I blew clay all over my back yard), I discovered how to make the pots circular, and how to keep them from blowing bits of clay in ragged chunks off the top. I used this "skill" to make several little firecracker pumpkins, miniature jackolanterns that can hold a candle.
The firecracker pumpkins look gorgeous when lighted, just like their much larger vegetable counterparts. Their small scale allows them to be displayed either alone, or in a group with other Halloween decor, and look equally fab either way!
Carving these little pumpkins was surprisingly time consuming. I would have thought that their small size and like of slime and seeds on the interior would make them a fast finish - but as it often happens, I was wrong. Of course, it COULD be that the patterns I chose for the jackolantern face were more elaborate than they needed to be - but who can resist a pumpkin cat? Not me.
I had the most fun with these pieces making the stems. To create a realistic looking vine, I rolled the clay in a press mold I made of a weathered piece of wood. The pattern on the vines looks like a real plant - because it is!
Anyway, these adorable little candleholders are now for sale in my Etsy shop. Hop on over there and see what else I stock that might make your Halloween holiday MAGICAL!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Renewing my spirit at Ghost Ranch
The land surrounding Ghost Ranch. |
Renewing my spirit
at Ghost Ranch
Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump.
Last weekend, I traveled to New Mexico for the NM Potters annual workshop at Ghost Ranch, about two hours north of Albuquerque. My friend and fellow potter Darlene Nelson invited me to attend, and I made reservations in the summer, while I was not working.
The actual workshop took place while school is in full swing. If I had had to make a decision about whether or not to go while I was so busy, I probably would not have gone. But I already bought my tickets, and I already paid for the workshop - so I was going, no matter what.
My head. He became a face jug. |
The workshop itself was packed with ideas, techniques and information. We had six different presenters, and I learned a great deal from all of them. Of course, my favorite workshops were the ones that let us get our hands in clay. At one session, led by NM artist Debra Fritts, we all built heads from coils, working quickly and loosely, and then learned different finishing treatments. Every person there finished his or her head, and every one was different. As I looked at the heads sitting drying in the sun, dappled by the overhead leaves, I felt a relaxation that I haven't felt in a long time. There is a peace that comes from working with your hands in the earth, whether it is a garden plot or clay. And in New Mexico last weekend, I found that peace.
Heads on a table. |
Farewell, Ghost Ranch. I will be back.
Here I am with an old ceremonial hut. |
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Dancing Cauldron Mugs and Bowls
from Big Sky Artworks
Let's talk cauldrons.
Dancing Cauldron Bowl with Black Cat |
Ok, not the huge, heavy iron kind of cauldron that hangs over hearths. These are Dancing Cauldrons - a special design from Big Sky Clay.
I started making these cauldrons in response to a special request from a customer who wanted a cauldron mug. The dancing, at first, was quite incidental - the "feet" moved a bit during firing, giving the impression that the little critters wanted to kick up their heels.
Since then, I have made dozens of dancing cauldrons, large, small and in between. Every one of them has a different personality.
This year, besides making Dancing Cauldron mugs and teacups, I added Dancing Cauldron Bowls to my shop. The largest one is a covered cauldron with a flat lid - and a cat arching its back on the top as a handle.
A stout little Dancing Cauldron |
:) Kate
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Twisty Turny Bud Vases on Etsy! |
ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO TRY - TWISTY TURNY BUD VASES
Wahoo, just got done with a bunch of new mugs - well, the first step, anyway! The mugs were thrown, trimmed and had handles attached. I also managed to trim a bowl until the clay was so thin it just broke through - THAT was exciting. :PALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO TRY - TWISTY TURNY BUD VASES
One of the things I love about clay is that there is always something new to try. Last week I received a box of about 30 different colored underglazes, and with these new mugs I plan to play with color in a way I haven't done before. I may even play with PATTERNS!
Meanwhile, I'd like to show you some of the different new projects I now have in my shop. New designs are springing full-grown from my head all the time - it's a good thing I have an outlet, because I think things would get mighty crowded in there if I didn't have a creative release.
The vases can be grouped in lots of different ways. |
The next step is glazing. This set of vases was dipped in a clear glaze, and then fired again, this time to 2150 F or so. The higher temperature causes the clay to vitrify, making it more durable and waterproof.
One of the things I find so wonderful about clay is the endless possibilities. Perhaps some day I'll run out of ideas - but it's not going to be anytime soon.
Enjoy!
Yet another view of the twisty turny vases. Natural clay colors the interior, covered by a clear glaze. |
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