I liked this piece raw, but once it was fired once, I hated it. I had tried a treatment before firing that didn’t work (ball clay applied on nose which should have resulted in crackles and it didn’t) so after first firing I threw just about everything on it. Transfers, paint, scratches. It ended up OK, but really, it still doesn’t thrill me.
Made for Each Other
I made this female figure my last two days in Oaxaca. She just sprang into life, surprising me as much as anyone else. She is drying in a closet until I return. Back home in Vermont, on my first day back in my studio, the man emerged. Clearly the same species as the woman and a wonderful partner for her! Too bad they are in different countries!
Tatoos and Graffiti
Scratching into surfaces allows oxides and underglazes to take hold and make a nice statement. I also like layering some 3-D shapes into the mix.
Mixing Metaphors
I work without a plan, just responding to the clay. Sometimes it results in a very confused piece! In this case my kind of reflective Asian looking figure, sprouted Zapotec sgraffti on its back. WTF?
Break the Rules
I didn’t go to art school, so I didn’t know you are not supposed to put one type of clay on top of another type of clay and expect it all to hang together through firing. So I put porcelain slip on top of a regular stoneware clay, then pressed an onion bag onto it for texture. Fired it. Applied some color. Looked fine! Just another reason to question authority.
An Arm and a Leg
Couldn’t decide why I hated this one so much. I kept hacking at it as it got drier and drier. When I took a photo and sent it to a friend, I suddenly saw the problem clearly. The arm had to go! Right?
Gnomo Misterioso
Had some fun with this one. First off, incorporated burlap into the piece with lots of slip, hoping it wouldn’t all burn out in the firing. And it didn’t. It still has one more firing, which will make the clay a much darker brown. After that I’ll do some surface coloration.
New Surfaces
Took a wonderful workshop with Lisa Clague on surface treatments, so I am beginning to experiment with that. Brings me back to white clay, which is a nice change. Just beginning to form some pieces, semi abstract, on which to try various treatments. Very early stages.
Too Much of a Good thing?
My experiments with terra sigilatta have been perplexing. I love it, then I hate it. The results have been so different every time I try. This batch produced too much shine for my taste.
The Power of a Cap
Until I put a baseball cap on this person, it was a semi-abstract human form. I wanted it to be abstract. But the damn baseball cap immedidately turned it into a him and him into this person you see. The power of a cap. It is unfired at this point. Got a ways to go.
Random Mexico
Why I am turning to color.
Mexico is a treat for the eyes.
Paint to the Rescue
I brought several pieces home from Mexico after giving them an initial bisque firing. In my Vermont studio, I applied color underglazes, topped with a satin clear glaze. Made a big mistake — the clear glaze fired at a higher temp than the glazes or the clay, so it remained a white thick paste on top of all the color after firing. I tried scraping it off, no go. Couldn’t fire higher as clay would melt! Only way to save the pieces from the trash can was to try to reapply color using acrylic paint. Results below were surprising OK!
Fired Up to Go
The pieces I’ve made this winter in Oaxaca are about to get fired, just days before I am flying home to Vermont. I made a wonderful contact with Yari Montes, a fantastic sculptor in San Miguel, Etla, who is letting me use her kiln this year.
Getting Started
Working on the rooftop studio, hummingbirds swooping in to take a look, the din of the city thrumming in the background.
On a Roll
Just getting time to start posting the work I’ve been doing in Mexico this winter. It was a slow start, but I’m getting up to speed now. This is the latest one.
Experimenting with Materials
Made my first cat. And used terra sigillata for the first time. The experiment was successful I think. The surfaces are silky, the color is rich, and the cat looks sassy!
Lady is Polished
Photo of her before firing and surface treatments appears below. The use of terra sigillata really brought her surface to a silky polish.
Color Coming
I’ll be off to Mexico in a few weeks and am looking forward to the blast of color that Oaxaca offers — fruit, flowers, architecture, clothing. Makes me happy and definitely influences my sculpture.
Front and Back
My favorite part of this new piece is the back. I was going for these smooth, planar intersecting shapes. Once I put a hat on her I began to appreciate the front.
Gathering Together
Putting some of these pieces together has been interesting. I see things differently through this lens.
