Thursday, January 15, 2009

http://claylab.blogspot.com/

Alright, I finally got it together and am using another Blog title for my ceramic's blog:

http://claylab.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

More Chili Bowls

While the first Chili Bowls I produced for the Charity Chili Bowl Event are in the bisque firing, I made some new ones. I forget how many exactly... But I think my total is now over 20! After today though, I doubt that I will make more. I am definitely NOT a production potter, but rather enjoy throwing stuff randomly and putting it together in some weird way. I also like to engrave my pieces, so I took this oportunity and decorated some of the chili bowls:








I engraved one of my favorite quotes on a set of 3 bowls:
(since the quote is very long, it took that many :)


“Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God; your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

By Nelson Mandela

Playlist

I put together a new "Ceramics" playlist for my iPod. I can now listen to that while throwing. Weirdly there is a lot of Glen Hansard and Cat Stevens in there... Must be something soothing and calming about those two :) Last night I sat in front of my wheel and messed up some of my pots, because I couldn't concentrate on my work. System Of A Down was yelling "WAKE UP!!" in my ear and I got so nervous that I pushed the pedal too far...

Wake up,
Grab a brush and put a little (makeup),
Grab a brush and put a little,
Hide the scars to fade away the (shakeup)
Hide the scars to fade away the,
Why'd you leave the keys upon the table?
Here you go create another fable

You wanted to,
Grab a brush and put a little makeup,
You wanted to,
Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup,
You wanted to,
Why'd you leave the keys upon the table,
You wanted to,

I don't think you trust, In, my, self righteous suicide,
I, cry, when angels deserve to die, Die,

Wake up,
Grab a brush and put a little (makeup),
Grab a brush and put a little,
Hide the scars to fade away the (shakeup)
Hide the scars to fade away the,
Why'd you leave the keys upon the table?
Here you go create another fable

You wanted to,
Grab a brush and put a little makeup,
You wanted to,
Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup,
You wanted to,
Why'd you leave the keys upon the table,
You wanted to,

I don't think you trust, In, my, self righteous suicide,
I, cry, when angels deserve to die
In my, self righteous suicide,
I, cry, when angels deserve to die

Father, Father, Father, Father,
Father/ Into your hands/I/commend my spirit,
Father, into your hands,

Why have you forsaken me, In your eyes forsaken me,
In your thoughts forsaken me, In your heart forsaken, me oh,

Trust in my self righteous suicide, I, cry, when angels deserve to die,
In my self righteous suicide, I, cry, when angels deserve to die.

Lyrics by: Tankian, Malakian
Music by: Malakian

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Hering-Berlin

This weekend in Chicago I ate from very precious porcelain dishes, made by Hering-Berlin from Germany. Very simple, yet elegant and fine!

L2o
Laurent Gras
60614 Chicago
www.l2o.com

Friday, January 9, 2009

Snow, snow, go away...

Today I wanted to throw some more chili bowls, BUT it is snowing... oh no!! And the bowls I made yesterday are probably going to be too dry to trim by Tuesday. I didn't wrap them tightly and I doubt I'll make it to the College today (we have a rental car with summer tires, so, no way Jose!).

Sometimes having your own studio (preferably in your basement or garage!) is a nice thing indeed... forget about the post I wrote last night *giggle*!! Who needs inspiration from other people anyway?!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Funny...

It's funny sometimes! You look through all the bisque fired pieces on all of the shelfs and cannot find your own stuff... My teacher found a vase I made a couple of months ago; actually it's a vase I must have thrown in the beginning of the Fall semester (the criteria for this piece was taller than 8"). I didn't like it, but I glazed it anyway... I'll post pictures as soon as it has been fired (which can take a couple of weeks, since the semester doesn't start until the 20th and I doubt that anything will be fired before the first projects are ready). I dipped the whole thing in Copper Red and dipped the bottom half and the top rim in Shino. I hope the Copper Red will actually be Red; sometimes when the glaze sits too long and gets contaminated with all the other glazes, it comes out transparent.

That's what you get working in a big studio with so many people working around you. But I was just talking to somebody about this the other day and we agreed that we get so much inspiration watching other people work. I love their comments and commenting on their work, it would be sad to sit in a studio all by myself. Although I love the peace and quiete in the mornings, I also like the interaction that's going on!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Chili Bowls for Charity

Yesterday I started making Chili Bowls for our Ceramics Club's Charity event. I signed up for 10+ bowls - which seems like a small amount in comparison to others, who will make 100 or more! But it took me all of yesterday morning (9am - 1pm) to make 6 bowls. I tried to make them bold and bulky, but yet pretty enough to eat out of. I figured you need a "heavy" and rustic bowl for your [Vegetarian] Chili. Delicate porcelain bowls call more for Vegetable Soup, no?!

This morning I trimmed them, put slip on them (inside green, outside white) and decorated them. I will glaze them with transparent glaze all over.

My sexy green Chili Bowls:
(I love green! Even my bucket is green!)



Some decoration on the white slip:
(I only did one and stopped, because it didn't look sexy anymore!)



My favorite sexy green Chili Bowl:
(I might as well keep that one for my own vegetarian chili!)



White slip on the outside, and a nicely trimmed foot:



I used a metal pendant with a tree to "stamp" the bowls on all four sides:
(I will try to fill the tree with black slip or underglaze after bisque firing, for more detail)



My little Buddha face :)

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Ceramics

My first anniversary is coming up: 1 year of making ceramics!!! And I have always wondered, why we (as in my teachers, my fellow students, and I) call it "ceramics" and not "pottery"? I haven't dared to ask my teachers... yet!

To me, it just sounds more "handy" - and maybe that is even the wrong word. Maybe making "ceramics" is just different than doing "pottery". The word "pottery" reminds me of old world works, or even other crafts, such as knitting, crocheting, beading, etc. whereas "ceramics" is more like woodworking, glass blowing, etc. And I don't mean neither one in a bad or low way. I think it all has its place in the world and people like to do different things. Correct me if I'm wrong, please!

Looking both words up on Wikipedia, it seems to me though, that "pottery" is actually a better term for "making ceramics" ;) whereas the term "ceramics" includes much more than just making "pottery" out of clay. Ceramics seems to be more "artsy" maybe, whereas pottery seems to be more functional?

I'm still confused...