Clay Blog Review: January 2018

Happy New Year! Wait, what? It’s almost March?!

Okay, I’m a little late with the Clay Blog Review. Actually, I’ve had thoughts of putting it on hold temporarily. I’ve been busy working on the new site over at expertclay.com. If you haven’t seen it yet, go check it out. There are big things planned. Perhaps the CBR will come out less frequently, or maybe not at all for a while. Or maybe I’ll just offer a trimmed down version. We’ll see. Thanks to everyone who follows along and the bloggers who share so much on their blogs. I hope 2018 brings you what you want.

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The Can’t Miss

What were the “must read” pottery blog posts during the past month?

• Expert Clay: An Introduction
• Kristen Kieffer: PSA: Standing to Throw & Potter Ergonomics
• dicklehman: International Wood-Firing Exchange – some unfinished business
• Pottery Making Blog: Top Pottery Blogs of 2017
• Handbuilder’s Magazine » Free Blog Category Feed: Ceramic Studio Safety
• Lori Watts: Cut Paper Slip Resist
• Bentham Pottery: Mark Dally Slip trailer review
• Barb Rogers: Pitcher piecing part two
• Barb Rogers: more on piecing and piercing clay shapes
• meesh’s pottery: Slowly coasting along…

You can also buy some awesome pottery shirts to help support this site.

Process and Technique

What do pots look like during the process and how are they made?

• Linda Starr: Planning a Pedestal for Sky Pony
• Patricia Griffin Ceramics: On a mug-making mission!
• Jenni Ward: Work in Progress: Bone Series
• Linda Starr: Birds, Bowl, and Mug
• At the water’s edge! Beachfront Pottery blog: Modular construction concept in Beachfront Pottery ceramic pieces: “Feeding Frenzy”
• Claying Thoughts: Clay Modelling and Sculpture Project
• Kim Murton: Making Boats again and a box of work for ETSY
• At the water’s edge! Beachfront Pottery blog: Modular construction concept in Beachfront Pottery pieces: “Ancient Manta”
• meesh’s pottery: Piggy Production
• Musing About Mud: technical tuesday: Velvet Underglaze Transfer Poof Pot
• Courtney Martin: Vases in progress. #contemporaryceramics #courtneymarti
• Jenni Ward: New Video: Work in Progress
• Gary Jackson: Throwdown Challenge : Bowls
• meesh’s pottery: Happiness is…
• DirtKicker PoTTerY: Love Coffee and Pottery?
• Rachel Dorn: Videos for Flipped Hand-building Classes
• Gary Jackson: Patterns In Porcelain
• Barb Rogers: Behind the scenes
• Musing About Mud: technical tuesday: Curt Hammerly on Insider
• Whynot Pottery: Warming up the studio
• Barb Rogers: Mug-bowls for friends
• Gary Jackson: Throwdown Challenge : Matching Handles
• Whynot Pottery: Salt Jars
• Kim Murton: more pieces in progress
• Rachel Dorn: Student Solid Portraits
• Gary Jackson: Textured Tiles

Tips and Technical

How can I become a more efficient or knowledgeable potter?

• Musing About Mud: technical tuesday: Trimming Tips with John Britt
• Lori Watts: New Tool: Mug Rounder!
• RSS Feed: Amaco Rub N Buff/ Cold Finish
• Gary Jackson: Pottery Pegboard
• Gary Jackson: Making Stamps With Diamond Core Tools
• Liz Crain Ceramics: Help Me, Mother of the Muses, You’re My Only Hope

Finished Work

Where can I see inspiring pottery?

• Blog – Clay By Laura: In and Out
• andy priestman: Photo
• Barb Rogers: Moon Dancer Three is dancing!
• Gaea Ceramic Bead and Art Studio Blog: A New Year…
• Céramique d’art – RSS: Bol poterie d’art
• Barb Rogers: More gallery of instructors and students at BMCA
• Contemporary Ceramics: New Ceramics for 2018
• HaldeBlog: Five Ceramic pieces restocked this week at HaldeCraft
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Video | Richard Slee on Jar + Cover, Anvil + Crown, Sausage + more with Grayson Perry
• Peter Gregory: Knowing when to stop! A good Firing. Urns.
• BHClaysmith – Atom: The Chalk Circle Coffer
• Musing About Mud: emerging artist: Katie (Dehmie) Dehmlow
• Barb Rogers: And the last of the gallery exhibit
• Blog – Clay By Laura: Several Colorful Ways to Combat Winter’s Frozen Grey
• Musing About Mud: monday morning eye candy: Becky and Steve Lloyd
• Lori Buff: Elephant Vase
• Céramique d’art – RSS: Cuisson au bois dans un four Annagama
• Lucien M. Koonce: International Cup
• meesh’s pottery: The “Bully Bank”
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Design | Lotte Douwes Transforms Waste into Stunning Translucent Porcelain
• BHClaysmith – Atom: Mel, Mel the Monster Bell
• Lori Buff: Soda Fired Carved Pitcher
• andy priestman: Photo
• Blog – Clay By Laura: Are You Contagious?
• Musing About Mud: monday morning eye candy: Pamma FitzGerald
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Spotted | Susan Folwell’s Thunder Heart Jar, Liliana Porter + more!
• Rachel Dorn: Nasty Woman Exhibition at Yakima Maker Space
• Clay and Ginger: Of all my recent work…this is my favorite. Sweet calico…
• Lori Watts: Because I Can’t Adopt Them All
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Design | Ceramic + Bamboo, Michael Young’s Earth-Friendly Collection for ZENS
• Lucien M. Koonce: TEA
• Musing About Mud: emerging artist: Andrew Clark
• HaldeBlog: This Week Only: Gecko-inside Surprise Mugs
• Musing About Mud: monday morning eye candy: Roger Herman
• meesh’s pottery: Vessel Sink
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Spotted | A High Tech Mug, Gilded Vessels, Herringbone Objects + more
• Lori Buff: Soda Fired Altered Batter Bowl
• At the water’s edge! Beachfront Pottery blog: Ceramic bowls in the 2017 Biennial Faculty Exhibition at Craft Alliance
• Tony Clennell: Size Matters
• Lori Buff: Whale Mugs Came Out Yesterday
• andy priestman: Photo
• Barb Rogers: Mug blowls are finished!
• Marshall Colman: PHOEBE CUMMINGS, WOMEN’S HOUR CRAFT PRIZE
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Exhibition | ’50 Seas,’ Mathieu Lehanneur’s Ceramic Oceanic Undulations
• At the water’s edge! Beachfront Pottery blog: Ceramic vases and sculptural pieces in the 2017 Biennial Faculty Exhibition at Craft Alliance
• Ceramic Artists Now: 2124 Hand-thrown Pots Combined into an Impressive Self-portrait
• Musing About Mud: emerging artist: Kirsty Wilson
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Spotted | Roger Law, Dribbly Porcelain, Success to All Jolly Brickmakers + more!
• Barb Rogers: And then there are miniatures (and cat)
• HaldeBlog: New in the shop: Tentacle mugs

Thoughts

What can I ponder while making pottery and ceramic art?

• ?¡?©ur?¡?? £?¶: +99.1
• Expressive Clay Art: When Life Gets in the Way of My Art
• Lori Watts: The Value of Repetition
• Jenni Ward: Article Share: Why Ceramic Artists Are So Good at Dealing with Failure
• Sparano Arts » Feed: Pottery life lessons

Interviews and Podcasts

What do potters have to say?

• The Potters Cast: A Fresh Start | Courtney Puig | Episode 394
• Musing About Mud: worth a listen: Steven Heinemann on CBC’s Q
• The Potters Cast: A Fresh Start | Courtney Puig | Episode 384
• The Potters Cast: The Heart of a Working Prof | James Watkins | Episode 385
• The Potters Cast: He Comes From A Long Line Of Artists | Will Talbot | Episode 386
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast: 203: Deep dive on selling pots with the Schaller Gallery. Special guest Sunshine Cobb on her new book Mastering Hand Building.
• The Potters Cast: Brother Makers | Abe & Eli Lowham | Episode 387
• The Potters Cast: A Beautiful Life in Clay | Greg Daly | Episode 388
• The Potters Cast: The Value of Relationships | Tim Sherman | 389
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast: 204: The history and unique mission of Pewabic Pottery
• The Potters Cast: How to Attend NCECA | Cindy Bracker | Episode 390
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast: 205: Ken Shenstone and his 1000 cubic foot Albion Anagama
• The Potters Cast: How to Make a Push to Grow | Meredith Host | Episode 391
• The Potters Cast: Etsy From An Insider’s Perspective | Any Guelmann | Episode 392

Opportunities

What’s out there for potters?

• Musing About Mud: Clay Gulgong – April 15-21, 2018
• Musing About Mud: study with Debra Sloan in 2018
• Musing About Mud: call for entry: ALBERTA CRAFT GALLERY
• Kristen Kieffer: Workshops 2018
• Musing About Mud: call for entry: Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist
• Musing About Mud: job posting(s): Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts
• RSS Feed: Artist Residency at Red Lodge Clay Center, Montana
• Musing About Mud: job posting: ACAD Visiting Faculty, Ceramics
• RSS Feed: Call for art…Portland, Oregon

The Rest

What else do potters blog about?

• Lori Watts: Dear 2018
• RSS Feed: Mastering Handbuilding Techniques…new book by Sunshine Cobb
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Exhibition | Chinese Porcelain to Delft Blue, Princessehof Ceramics Museum’s Major Revamp
• Sparano Arts » Feed: Let’s talk about your hands
• Tony Clennell: Sock it to me!
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Milestone | Garth Clark Remembers Betty Woodman 1930-2018
• Tony Clennell: Surround yourself with smart young people
• Mug Revolution – Mug Revolution’s Blog – covering mugs, pottery, and anything else that inspires
• Owen!: A Review: Matt Katz’s “Introduction to Clay Bodies” Online Class
• Musing About Mud: movie day: Brendan Lee Satish Tang
• Mea Rhee: The Real Nitty Gritty
• RSS Feed: Making a Plans For Your New Year Studio
• Clay Club: Recap: January Clay Club at John Britt Pottery
• Ceramic Artists Now: 9 Potters to Watch in 2018… They are Killing it
• Barb Rogers: Clay art and archaeology
• Tony Clennell: The Kilning Fields
• Musing About Mud: For the Love of Craft: A Fine Craft Charity Auction to help save Craft Ontario
• Bruce Gholson and Samantha Henneke: Residency in Paris, France
• Pots and pieces: WOODFIRE, NC. International Wood-Firing Conference 2017, at STARworks and the Pottery Centre in Seagrove, North Carolina.
• Tony Clennell: The Journeymen
• CFile – Contemporary Ceramic Art + Design: Technology | 3D Potter’s Behemoth Record-Setting Ceramic Printer
• ang design blog: new beginnings…
• Tony Clennell: A new Pope has been named
• RSS Feed: Clayflicks….. streaming clay videos
• Tony Clennell: Heaven and Hell
• Lori Watts: Anything But
• Shaun Hall’s Raku Ceramics Blogspot: Me and my pot
• meesh’s pottery: Organizational Skills
• Tony Clennell: Clay Geeks
• Blog – Clay By Laura: Work + Play
• Arryn Vogan: Girl Boss, Mom Boss

Thanks for reading!