Thursday, October 30, 2014

Sneak peek final project option 2!

Kelli Sinner
I'll update this over the weekend and your research and ideas will be due Thursday Nov 6th at which time I'll give a power point to inspire and we'll do a small in class project. Remember your busts are due Tuesday at the start of class and since we'll have a visiting artist that day your work should be placed uncovered in the back room on the counter (I'll show you) Focus and work hard and check back before class on Tuesday for the final project to be announced!

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Shannon Sullivan next Tuesday!

Don't forget to see her work and write about the show (downstairs gallery) in your sketchbooks!

For Adrianna and all!

Sneak peek Final Project

Kristen Kieffer

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Tip Toland sculpting a bust


Beginning Students:
Remember while you are not hollowing out, you must release any trapped air with a pinhole. Leather hard is the best stage to carve details and while you want to keep your head from drying out do not over hydrate. If you see water on the surface or moisture building it's too wet and may weaken or collapse the form. A damp paper towel (wring out all water) or just wrapping in enough plastic usually works well. Remember to only use 04 Lowfire Slip and Engobe.
Get started on details and have fun!

Student work Self Portrait inspiration

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Agnes Baillon: Beginning heads

Robert Arneson: Self Portraits

Push texture, form and how its sits... be inventive. Make it look as much like you as possible. To do this you must pay attention to detail and really look at yourself.

Monday, October 20, 2014

University of Texas Arlington art saturday

Free opportunity for students!
Email me if your interested and I'll send you the atatchment so you can read about workshops and demos. A great and free opportunity!
Due to limited space in many of our studios, you
must RSVP for all workshops to art@uta.edu.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Handbuilt Functional Bowls: Emily Schroeder Willis!


Both bowls made from porcelain and fired to cone 6 in an oxidation electric kiln. Look at those detail. Love the subtle  cutout on the foot. See more of her work here.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

gert germeraad

New artist to look up and new website! I'll add it to the side bar.
New website for inspiration and research: Charlotta Klingström Keramik / Ceramics

For Adrianna

Clay Leonard. This is his work titled, "Oval Bowl Set", hand-built porcelain, cone 6, 14 x 8 x 7,”. See the rest of his work at http://artaxis.org/ceramics/leonard_clay/clay_leonard.html
Could be a nice start for your research conversation cups!

Par le céramiste Joe Christopherson.

Jess Riva Cooper

http://www.jessrivacooper.com/#/viral-series/

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Project 2: 2 or more heads

Don't forget you must have 2 or MORE heads on your shoulders!

Proportions of the Human Head
Traditional rules of proportion show the face divided into six equal squares, two by three. The upper horizontal division is roughly at the 'third eye' level mid-forehead, the lower at the base of the nose. The eyes sit on the horizontal centre, the mouth on the centre of the lower third.  

This is an ideal which does not account for racial and individual variation, observing these basic proportions gives you a starting point to measure against.

• Size of Head: The distance from the chin to the crown is the same as from the back of the head to the front. Features take up only a small portion of the head; a lot of space is needed for the brain! The mid-point of the face, when measured from chin to crown, is at the base of the eyes or eye sockets.
• Eyes: The space between the eyes is about the same width as one eye. If the width of eye is used as a unit of measurement, the head is five eyes wide.
• Eyebrows extend beyond the eyes on both sides.
• Ears: The top of the ears line up with the brow of the nose and the eyebrows, and the bottom of the ears with the tip of the nose.
• Nose: The bottom of the nose is the midpoint between the eyes and the chin.
• Mouth: The corners of the mouth align with the centre of the eyes (if you're not smiling). The line where the two lips meet is slightly above the halfway point between the end of the nose and the chin.
• Chin: The mound of the chin starts at the inner corners of the eyes.

In honor of James Watral

Please take a moment to think of and remember the amazing James Watral who taught at Eastfield for many years influencing, inspiring and educating the love and joy of ceramics. He was a man among men and will be missed deeply by many.
See more of the Rosenfield Collection's Watral work

TODAY OCT 7th!

1:30 pm in F219

Find out how to transfer with scholarship to KCAI 
Kansas City Art Institute offers degrees in art, design, art history and art education from eastfield College.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Photo: Ayumi Horie
Repaired with brass staples, this dish is a great example of how people would "make do" and save pots for repair by itinerant tinkers, rather than throw them out. The repairs are watertight! Andrew Baseman gave an amazing lecture yesterday at Leslie Ferrin Gallery surveying the history of repaired ceramics. He writes an incredible blog called Past Imperfect. http://andrewbaseman.com/blog/

Project 2: Coil built two or more heads inspiration

Sergei Isupov
Akio Takamori- Self Portrait guard dogs
I lost the name of this artist... let me know if you know who she is.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Project 2 Pinterest page

Debra Fritts AFTER THE DANCE

Check often as I'll keep updating!
http://www.pinterest.com/meehanmargaret/project-2-self-portrait-bust/

12 expert glazing tips from Ceramic Arts Daily



I have to admit, glazing is not my favorite part of the ceramic process. It’s probably because of its potential to make or break a good pot (and believe me, I have “broken” quite a few with poor glaze application). I tend to be a bit of a sloppy glazer and I sometimes rush through it a little more quickly than I should.

Denver, Colorado ceramic artist Annie Chrietzberg is the polar opposite of me in the glaze room: methodical and precise. I know my glazing outcomes could be greatly improved if I followed just a couple of Annie’s tips. So I am sharing them with the community in today’s post (an excerpt from our new free download How to Make Pottery: How to Learn Pottery Techniques and Enjoy Working with Clay). Hopefully you will benefit from Annie’s advice too! – Jennifer Harnetty, editor.



For complex forms consisting of thrown and textured elements, I use a combination of pouring, dipping and brushing to get the color where I want it. Dipping is the easiest way to ensure an even application, and pouring, with a little practice, is the next. Brushing takes more practice, time and attention, and I only use it when the first two methods are not options for a tricky place on a pot. The two troublemakers involved with glaze application are water and gravity. When a bisque pot becomes too saturated with water, it won’t accept glaze correctly, so use the least amount of water possible when glazing, including when you are making corrections. And as for gravity, I doubt there’s anyone who hasn’t experienced the wayward drip of one glaze marring the perfect application of the previous glaze.



This article was excerpted from the Tips from the Pros department of a back issue of Pottery Making Illustrated. To see more of what Pottery Making Illustrated has to offer, check out the latest issue here.




12 Tips for Glazing Success


Click images to enlarge!
• Keep bisqueware clean. Lotions, or even the oils from your hands, can create resist spots where glaze adheres unevenly or not at all. Throughout all phases of the glazing process, including loading and unloading the kiln, handle bisqueware with a clean pair of disposable gloves. If you think your bisqueware has been compromised — splashed with something, covered with grime, or maybe handled by a visitor — bisque it again rather than risk a crawling glaze.

• Remove all dust before glazing including bisque dust, studio dust and even household or street dust. Use an air compressor for foolproof results, but work outside or in a well-ventilated area away from your primary workspace, as bisque dust is extremely abrasive to your lungs.

• Use silicon carbide paper to remove any rough spots you missed before bisque firing. Place your work on a piece of foam to prevent chipping. After sanding, wipe with a damp sponge to remove all traces of sanding dust. Use a damp sponge instead of rinsing, which should be kept to a minimum. Wring the sponge thoroughly and rotate it so each area is only used once. I tend to use half a dozen or so of those orange round synthetic sponges during any given glazing session.

• Glazes must be well mixed. I use an electric drill with a Jiffy Mixer attached. If there is dry glaze caked on the sides of the bucket, sieve the glaze, then return it to a clean bucket.

• Glaze all the interiors of your pots first by pouring the glaze in, then rolling it around for complete coverage. For complex pieces requiring a number of glazing steps, glaze the insides the day before to give you a drier surface to work with, especially for brushing.

• When removing unwanted glaze, scrape off as much of it as you can with a dental tool or a similar small metal scraper to keep a sharp line. A damp sponge removes the remaining glaze with a few strokes, keeping water usage to a minimum.

• Use a stiff brush to help clean glaze drips out of texture.

• For dipping glazes, select an appropriately sized container for the work at hand. I have lots of different sizes of shallow bowls that are perfect for dipping the sides of my pieces. Wide shallow bowls allow me to see what I’m doing, so I even use them for smaller things that fit into the glaze bucket.

• When you can’t dip or pour, it’s time for brushing. Watch your bisque as you brush—glaze is shiny and wet when first applied, then becomes matt as the bisque absorbs the water. If you recoat too soon over a damp coat, you’ll move the foundation layer rather than imparting a second coat. Consider gravity when brushing and hold the pot both to encourage the glaze to go where you want it to and to keep it from running where you don’t want it.

• If a drip flows onto a previously glazed surface, stop, set the pot down and wait. Resist the urge to wipe the drip with a sponge. Let the drip dry, then carefully scrape it off with a dental tool or metal rib. Use a small compact brush to wipe away glaze in areas you can’t reach with a sponge.

• Don’t brush glaze from the big glaze bucket. Pour a small amount into a cup, then briskly stir it occasionally to ensure that it stays properly mixed. Keep a large, damp sponge nearby to keep the brush handle clean. Stray drips often start with a handle full of glaze.

• If you’re glazing pots that don’t have a defined foot, push them across a piece of 220-grit silicon carbide sandpaper. The sandpaper removes some of the glaze from the contact areas, indicating where you need to wipe off the remaining glaze.

Coil Built Bowls on Pinterest

pinterest link