Feels like forever

I know, it's been a while. And in blogger time it's probably long enough for people to think that it's been abandoned, but not this one! Things are starting to calm down from my move to Charlotte, I've gotten schedules from my jobs figured out and things are going smoothly. So it's time to shake it up again, And start looking for another studio. I've been sniffing around and found a few viable ones that I'm looking at. If you know the Charlotte area it'd be great to get some suggestions. I'll keep on touch.

Life Renovations

It might be a hot minute before I can get back in the studio, right now I'm trying to find a job in Charlotte, NC. As a result thing are a little bit of a mess right now, I don't really have a permanent place to live so I'm kinda frazzled and stressed. Plus I need to finish the pieces i started and get them at least bisque fired so that I can close out my member ship with them. But I will continue to post ideas for next possible projects. Right now is a good time to brainstorm, let the thunder start rolling...in my head.

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P.S.
Oh! I almost forgot, I have a question for y'all. You remember that vase I was commissioned to make right? If not
Then you can find pictures of it in a previous post called "Progress Has Been Made". Okay now on to the real question. Do you think that $150 is too much to ask for one of them? Keep in mind this piece was made to their specifications.

Trying Something New

Im trying out this new design on a bowl and I'd like to have your opinion on it. Well, it's not so much of a design as adding things to it to make it look a little weird...and a little hard to use. I guess it's going to be a purely decoration piece. But if that's the case I might have to make the alterations even more extreme. Right now it's a funny shaped bowl with some things stuck on the outside. I really would like to know your thoughts when you look at it.

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Victory!!!!

After I posted I remembered a trick that my professor showed me...just hit it with a block of wood and it pops right off!

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Kiln Mishaps

So, that double walled pitcher that I was anticipating coming out of the kiln today is out alright. Someone screwed up. I am so pissed off! Out of all the pieces in the kiln mine had to be fussed to some slab fish with legs! I'm gonna try and break off the fish to see if I can't sand it down. Well, I was going to make another one anyways. I don't think that the dark green spout looks right paired with the sea green. Either this is going to be sold at a discounted price or its going in my personal collection messed up work that I can't bring myself to throw away. Now that I've worked through my frustration my resolve has firmed! I'm starting another one tonight, and it's going to be better than the first (prototype)!
Gotta get to work!

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New Pieces Out Of The Kiln!!

It's always so exciting when pottery comes out of the kiln! Every time it's like Christmas morning. I know I posted earlier today but I didn't think they'd be out this soon! I guess I'm still adjusting to the firing time of a cone 6 rather than a cone 10 which would be at least another day or so longer. The two vases are already up on ETSY but I'm waiting for the pitcher that matches the mug to come out ( which will probably be tomorrow) to decide if I should pair them together or as separates. That's enough of my ramblings for to day I think.

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Lost And Found Sketch

I was flipping through one of my sketch books and came across this lone sketch of a pitcher. I remember drawing it now but I think that I got distracted and forgot about it. That happens more than I'm willing to admit, sad to say. Any ways I thought it was a cool idea at the time and I still do. I think that it's going to join my current projects. I did a series of pitcher similar to this general shape but I could never get them to turn out quite right, maybe now that I've left them alone for sometime maybe they'll cooperate. Things seem to work out like that often, if I'm having a bunch of trouble I'll let it sit for a while and then come back with a new perspective! It usually works. I think I've rambled quite enough for this post. Till next time!

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Starting Something new

So right now I've finished everything I'm working on which means I need to figure out a new project. My sister has requested that I make her some hanging planters and I need to figure out how to make my bowls more interesting, plain old bowls don't seem to be cutting it. I have an idea on how to do that, I've done a sample of it before but I want to expand on the concept. And lastly I want to work out the kinks on the double walled vessels, like weight there's gotta be a way to make these things less heavy! Oh! I finally finished that commissioned vase just waiting for it to dry and then fired. The picture is an example of the bowl I was talking about.

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New listing on etsy

I forgot to put this jar up when it came out of the kiln. There were three of them but the other two had cracks on the bottom of the lids so those had to be disqualified. It sucks, I forget what the percentage is but it's around 10% of your work will have "S" cracks in them.

A Slow Week...But There's Pictures!

This week has been slow, I didn't get much studio time in.  I did finish an oyster vase I've been working on but stalling a bit on letting my large vase dry completely.  To be honest I'm a little worried and anxious as to how the customer who commissioned this will like what I've done.  It's made exactly to her spaceifications and there's no reason for them not to like it.   This is the same feeling I got when I was in school right before a big critique, the nervousness of other people judging your work.  The best way I can describe this feeling is of bearing your soul for judgement.  When you've put so much of your self into your work, how youl're feeling, thinking.. A lot of the time my work reflects my the mood I was in at the time the piece was made.  So since this vase is way to big to ship(not really sure I could find a bow that big plus the shipping would be outrageous) it will have to be in person so I'll get to see their face when they receive it.  I hope they liked it.  On other news I posted some new listings on etsy!

Till next time

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Digging Up The Past

So today I was unpacking everything I've made and looking at it all. For one I hadn't realized just how much pottery I've accumulated over the years some I can sell and others are pots that have flaws or don't tech the quality that I think would best reflect my current level of talent. Also looking at some of my older pieces always seems to give me inspiration to grow and evolve the works of the past and update them to my current state of mind and emotion.

This piece for example inspires me to keep the shape of the body but expand the petals/leafs at the top. Cascading them in waves till they reach halfway down.

Progress has been made

Another week has passed.  Good things have happened, I finished a set of large dinner plates to match the smaller ones I have up on etsy.  Whenever I make a set I always add an extra one in case something cracks or the glaze gets messed up.  This precaution has saved me many times.  Some peices came out of the kiln as well and as soon as I photograph them ill put a couple images up here and on etsy.  People don't seem to respond well to the pictures I've taken in my back yard so I've decided to make a light box and see if that helps.  A friend recommended it to me so it's worth a shot. I am nearly finished with those two vases I was talking a bout in my previous post all that's needed to do is smooth out the rough edges and coerce some of the bumps out of them.  Nearly had a heart attack trying to put the two halfs together but the end result is well worth it, looking at them almost makes me want to start on a new set right away.  Maybe later though, after I've forgotten how frustrating it was.  Lets see, is there anything else...those double walled vessels are having their first firing right now so I can get started in figuring out which color to make them.  That's all for now, I'll have a picture of my vases up later tonight when I have access to a computer.

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The one on the right is closer to being completely finished while the left one is just in the beginning stages of being refined.

The First Of Many

It's Monday!  Time for me to pour out my frustrations from my work and talk about pottery.  I'm glad I kept to my schedule, it always helps if I have a deadline otherwise things are just floating around in my head.   Let's see, what have I done this week... Well, I got a commission to make a large 20 inch vase.      The thing about this is that she wants a specific design that I've done in the past, and in order to make her one of these vases I have to make two.  One will be wide at the bottom and skinny at the top and the other is wide at the top and skinny at the bottom.  Then I cut them both in half and mesh the two different halves together.  They've been giving me some resistance, I've come to call them the troublesome twins.  Thankfully they're almost done.  I think I'm just going to destroy the other vase when I'm finished and reclaim the clay since my larger vases don't sell too well.  Another thing that has been a little frustrating are some double walled vessels I've been working on.  A vase and a mug, I have to go super slow with these so they won't dry too fast and crack!  The one thing about these are that they're too heavy!  The mug is about 2 pounds and the vase is around four!  I cut out some designs from the outer wall , which I was going to do anyways, but I was also hoping that It would cut off some of the weight.  It did kind of help, a little.  My next set should be lighter though as I will make sure to do some major trimming.  Which I thought I had done a lot on this set but not enough apparently.  That's what's happened this week.  I'll put up a picture if the double walled vase or mug later tonight.  Till next week!

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Lets try this again

Hello,

I am on an aspiration journey to become a studio potter and make a living off of my work eventually, hopefully. I graduated from ECU with a Bachelor of fine Arts and a concentration in ceramics. Since then I floundered for a while not really doing anything with my degree. Now, I'm about three months in to renting out a studio and on my way to building up a body of work I can be proud of. I'm just starting to really try and get my work out there to sell and be noticed. so here I am, attempting to be noticed.  I signed up with Etsy and currently have some items up for sale and there will be more up as soon as my pieces are fired, just look up the shop CricketCeramics.  Hopefully I will be diligent in posting regularly with ceramic ideas and pictures. But who knows, this entire thing might be a sugar rush just waiting to crash, or not.  If I do this right there will be updates at least once a week, lets say on monday, that's as good a day as any.
 
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