Hand building workshop

Stephen gave a workshop on Sunday to demonstrate some of his hand building techniques. It was incredibly helpful, and I learned a lot. His handbuilding method is pretty fast and efficient, and seems to make a really strong build. Of course, he stressed slow and controlled drying, and not rushing the piece as it gets too large to support itself. Definitely a slower process than throwing, but not as tedious as slipping and scoring a lot of perfectly rolled coils!

Showing us some of his favorite tools.

He showed us a lot of his favorite tools, many of which are hand made. I love seeing new and creative pottery tools. One was a large trimming tool made from a sharpened metal band attached to a dowel. Another good one was a long stick with a semi-circle shape routed out the end, used for shaping nice, round ring foots.

Shaping tool, being used here  to make a texture design in a small slab.

One of his new press molds, part of a new process he's just trying out.

Showing us a more efficient coiling shape - tapering the top of each coil so you get a larger amount of clay surface connection when you smooth them into each other.

A base slab for a coil sculpture. The shape was made by tracing the green rib tool twice.

Starting the build.

Inner column in the base to support the balloon form.

Stephen showing how he sketches to plan his sculptures.

A press mold base for a second sculpture.

Coil building a balloon on the press mold base.

Talking about the proportion limitations for building a balanced piece.

Two small sculptures half finished by the end of the workshop.

I had planned to cover coil building in class this week, so I was able to intergrate some of his tips into my demo Monday night. I started two small sculptures of rocket ships as a demonstration. I forgot to take pics, but I'll be working on them some more tonight, so I'll share my progress.

Hope you enjoyed seeing these pics as much as I enjoyed the demo!

Closing reception - Stephen Wolochowicz

This past Saturday was the closing reception for Stephen Wolochowicz's work in our gallery at Beech Grove Clay Works. We were really honored to have a sculptor of his caliber exhibit his work here. He gave a slide lecture and talked a little about some of the work he's made past and present, and what his inspirations are. I always enjoy hearing artists speak about their work, what's going on in their heads when they make a specific piece, and what the process was. He's made large scale sculptures that were taller than him and weighed 750 lbs! We got to see examples of small scale functional work that he's made as well - little "Shot Glasses for the Masses" shaped like little oil drums with oil slicks as a serving tray. I like that even the most abstract non-figurative sculptor is pulled back to making some functional work now and again by the material. And it's cool to see cups that look fully integrated into his body of work and aesthetic.

Stephen is very inspired by "cartoon aesthetics" married with industrial forms. I can definitely get into a sculptor who's inspired by Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons. 

Stephen talking about his large scale sculpture installation.

Mine field installation

Mine field installation - one of several.

Oil drum tumblers

A very cool slip cast series where he cast each cup from the previous one. Each cast shrunk after firing, so the form degenerated with each generation, until it became a tiny wobbly little blob of a cup.

Current body of work - his "Inflation" series.

Wood fired piece

The show in our gallery.

I wasn't sure how the slide lecture would go, since Stephen is used to speaking in a more academic setting, and we're a pretty informal community studio. It went wonderfully, and Stephen was engaging and interesting to listen to. Everyone asked a lot of questions, which is always a good sign. I think artist talks might become a regular thing at our openings, so we can learn more about the people whose work we feature. 

Tomorrow I will post pictures from the workshop Stephen gave on Sunday, so you can see a little bit of how he builds his forms. Very cool stuff! Check out more of Stephen's work on his website at StephenWolochowicz.com.

Dreamers - Andrew Perry Davis

Andrew and his wife, the equally talented ceramic artist Rachel Bleil.

Read more about Andrew and his work here.

Owl rattle

Hiya:)

Stephen Wolochowicz

I'm installing the new show in the gallery at BGCW this week. I've seen images of Stephen's Inflation sculptures, but they are something else entirely to see in person. Very exciting to have his work in our gallery! He'll be doing a demo and slide lecture at the end of the show in March. I'm really looking forward to seeing his process, and hearing more about his inspiration for these pieces.

Stay tuned for more info on the upcoming show, closing reception, and Stephen's demo. I'll certainly be taking lots of pics.

Studio art show recap

I wonder how long I can keep up this whole "posting a blog on a regular basis" thing?

I blame the weather. You can only be stuck inside sitting at the computer playing Bubble Island on Facebook for so many hours...

Yesterday evening was the studio show and sale. Not only did I have a blast, but I found out I have fans! I can't begin to tell you how giddy that made me. I guess Rachel and Andrew have been showing some of my work to their students over at Herron. Squee! Once again, an entire night spent talking about my work, my throwing, and ceramics in general. I was pretty much in heaven. I met some really nice people.

I also threw a whole bunch of new stuff! Tumblers, a big bowl, a lidded jar with three lids (not sure which will work out best), and a new doll jar.

You can see that round bottle form and the little vase directly to the right of it - that's going to (hopefully) be the next doll jar. I wanted a form that looked more like a traditional kokeshi doll - big round head with a skinny straight body. I have no idea how stable it's going to be, though. It may be way too top heavy to survive for long. Or even how well the forms will work together once I combine them. It's an experiment, so we'll see how it turns out.

Check out some pics of the instructor work in the gallery. It's all making me feel really inspired to take another crack at handbuilding. I swore off it in college because I was so bad at it, but look at these amazing sculptures! Maybe handbuilding deserves another shot...

Catherine Schlebecker

Rachel Bleil

Andrew Davis

Thanks to anyone reading who came by last night. It was great meeting you!

WOOHOO!

 My piece got accepted to the Skutt Kiln Peep Show! It's going to on display at NCECA!

My non ceramic artist friends keep asking "What's a peep?" When you're firing a kiln, there is a row of peep holes in the side that you can look thru to check on your stuff and make sure the firing is going ok. You keep these removable peep plugs in the holes when you're not looking so the heat doesn't escape. This show is an exhibition of functional peep plug sculptures - that is, they are made to fit into standard kiln peep holes.

NCECA is the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, and they hold an enormous conference in a different city each year. This year it will be in Tampa, FL at the end of March. So I'm pretty excited - this piece will get seen by thousands of people. It's my first time being accepted to a national show. Maybe next year I'll take the big leap and apply to NCECA's emerging artist exhibit. That would be HUGE!

Ceramic ambitions

I have class with Rachel at the clay studio this evening. After nearly a week of not touching mud, I'm looking forward to it. I have two unpainted doll jar forms, a tile, and 10 greenware mugs waiting to be attended to, and I might get a little throwing in if there's time. I'd like to finish the most recent doll jar, the one with two faces, so that I can submit it for Clay Fest 2011 at U of I. Deadline is less than 2 weeks away! Ideally, I'd like to finish one more jar, and submit 3 pieces if I can.

Tomorrow is the art show at the studio as well. I can't wait to see more of the instructor's work! I've seen sneak peaks of new work by Cathy Schlebecker, and a couple of finished sculptures by Andrew Perry Davis and Rachel Bleil, and it all looks fantastic! I'm not just saying that either - I really love all of their work. Plus, I'm always excited to see artwork from instructors or professors of mine. I love being able to see their process and studio practices in finished form. I'm also feeling pretty honored that my peep sculpture with be on display alongside Rachel and Andrews at the show. I hope you stop by on First Friday, have a little wine and food, and check out the show. I'll be demoing on the wheel all night again, too!

Andrew Perry Davis

Catherine Schlebecker

Rachel Bleil

I have not been in the habit of sketching much lately, or keeping any kind of journal, which is a bit unusual for me. I used to journal obsessively, but I haven't written a thing in ages. I actually intended to keep one throughout my pregnancy, but I started off in such a funk, I just couldn't seem to make myself. This week I worked on finishing designs for Kentuckiana Pug Rescue's 2011 fundraiser t-shirt, which I worked out in my giant black sketchbook, and I realized that I've only got a few pages left in it. I started it in December of 2009 with the intent of drawing in it daily (anyone remember that ambition? I think I made it 3 months...) I think today I will go out and buy a new sketchbook and try again. If not daily, then at least making it a point to work out ideas on paper so that I don't forget them. I miss drawing and writing a lot, and I think the surface design work I've been doing recently shows it. I also think I'd like to try planning out my ceramic forms more, so that I have some vague goals for what I'd like to make when I sit down at the wheel. I'm not great at throwing exact shapes and forms I have in mind, but it's something I'd like to work towards.