Playing catch up

Everyone jokes now a days about how this generation is so attached to their smart phones and digital devices that they burst into tears if they can't find their iPhone for a day. I had no idea I was one of those people until I got my iPhone good and lost this weekend. It's been missing since Saturday morning, and though I haven't fallen to the ground sobbing yet, I really am kind of lost without it. I had no idea I was so dependent on that thing.

I managed to take some pics this week in the studio and of my girl outside enjoying the weather, and I thankfully uploaded them before I misplaced my phone. Argh! Now I have to actually charge my real camera, and I have to use the landline to make phone calls, and I can't check in when I go to the movies or check my friend's status messages every 5 minutes! HOW WILL I LET MY FRIENDS KNOW INSTANTANEOUSLY HOW MUCH I ENJOYED THE HUNGER GAMES???

Anyway, I spent some time catching up a bit on my own work at the studio after mixing a new dipping glaze and doing some test tiles. I didn't realize how much half finished stuff had piled up in my space. I made two scallop edged plates that I intend to decorate, and one of them is to commemorate Maddy's 1st birthday. We're having a real party for her April 1st that's a cardboard box extravaganza and playdate. Unfortunately we are antisocial people and only know a handful of parents with babies, so I'm thinking it's going to be a sparsely attended affair, at least by baby to adult ratio standards. I feel like going to the park and finding random people with babies, and just dragging them to our house. Here! Come play with my baby! Before she becomes an antisocial recluse like us! NO REALLY WE'RE NOT CREEPY STALKERS I SWEAR

I'll probably write again post baby party, as my mother-in-law and I are preoccupied with getting ready for that, plus this is the last week of the session at Beech Grove. Hopefully I'll be back with lots of adorable pics, taken with a real honest-to-God camera, and maybe even my phone if I can freakin' find it.

Btw, just a heads up: if you have the Find My iPhone app, it works great until you turn off your phone. Stupid phone.

Altered forms and shellac resist

I'm doing two demos in class this week - one is altering your thrown forms using tools, and the other is using shellac resist on greenware. 

Lori Watts of Fine Mess Pottery had this post on how she made an altered serving bowl. I wanted to show my students how they could use things like CDs and cut up credit cards as tools for shaping and adding interest and texture to their pieces, so I cut a wavy pattern in the side of a card to make the ripples on the outside of my bowl. Check out the blog post to see how she made her bowl, it's much nicer than mine. I love it when potters use darts in their work! I know that making pottery that looks like fabric is a big trend right now, but there's a reason for it - it looks so awesome!

Darted bowl

Side view

Really does look like a woman's top, doesn't it?

Here's a little bowl that I shaped on the inside with a CD to make it perfectly round, then combed texture on the outside and warped the shape.

Combed texture on the outside, and changing the shape with my fingers and wooden tools.

Top view

Here's a bottle I decorated with Jim Gottuso's shellac resist technique. (Jim's blog Sofia's Dad's Pots was featured on here a couple weeks ago.) The shellac protects the clay you want to stay in place, and then you wipe down the piece with a really wet sponge to wash away layers of clay. You can end up with really delicate raised patterns on your surface if you take your time. Once again, the master's work is so much nicer than my attempt. But it's a very cool technique. Click the image of his bowl for in depth instructions on how to try this yourself.

Painting on layers of shellac.

My finished bottle. Needs some blue engobe, I think.

Jim Gottuso's beautiful calligraphic surfaces

One thing I learned - you absolutely need to wear a respirator or mask while using the shellac. I did not bother, even though it was right there in the instructions. The fumes made me feel very ill, and I still feel a little sick today. So do as I say and not as I do, kids!

How about you? Do you have a favorite tool or technique that you use in your work?

Work in progress

I'm juggling so many different things in the studio, I'm just chomping at the bit to get them all finished!

My paper clay vase came out of the kiln yesterday. I'm really pleased with the thinness and translucency of it. It was made with Laguna's Frost cone 6 porcelain and toilet paper. I should have a picture for you tomorrow with it all lit up. It glows:)

Hoping I can make a better form next time, but at least now I know that this stuff works.