Clay Blog Review – November 2011

The best in clay blogging from the past month:

Technical, Techniques, Tips

• A nice pictorial demonstration of the slab and paddle technique by KaratsuPots, and construction images of a kiln from start to finish.
• John Britt shares ^10 glaze samples and recipes: Rutile 11, Mutsuo Black, shares an article about Snowflake Crackle glaze, and videos a throwing demonstration.

• View the process to make a press mold out of plaster at Jemerick Art.
• Tracey Broom shows her diy bead tree that she uses to fire beads and pendants and shares a turquoise glaze recipe for raku.
• See video of a workshop demo: printing on clay from Ang Design Blog.

• FetishGhost shares a ^10 Red Chun recipe and some blue glaze test results.
• Carole Epp shares a video of Carol Gouthro building with slabs and tar paper.

• Atelier Marla shares a process to test for thermal shock.
• Ron Philbeck demonstrates how to cut feet on bowls via “the ‘tube”:

• Liberty Stoneware has slip test results.
• Ann Tubbs explains how she prepares to glaze.
• Linda Starr shares recent work and talks firing temps.
• Lori Watts has a few notes from a soda firing.

Regarding Recent Work

• FetishGhost tests a few ideas.
• Doug Fitch has finished and in-progress work and more finished work.
• Lots of photos of the kiln and finished pots at Good Elephant Pottery.
• Keith at Mudstuffing Sketchbook shares a couple mugs with silkscreened decals.
• Finished pots by Brandon Phillips.
• Paul Jessop works on large bowls, unloads the kiln.
• Ron Philbeck has videos: 1, 2, 3, 4.
• Jemerick Art Pottery shows progress on an umbrella stand and pots at different stages and more.
• Linda Starr has ornaments and cutouts and handbuilt items and a myriad of mugs and talks about tiles.
• MudHeart Pottery has some finished porcelain pieces with other work in progress.
• Margaret Brampton has finished fish bowls.
• Michael Mahan shows off textured tree vases.
• Some just thrown pots at Simple Circle Studios.
• Deb Thuman shows some sculptures and recent low fire work.
• Gary Jackson shares what he has in the bisque kiln and finished work and on display.
• Recent woodfired work by Lee.
• Whitney Smith has a lot of cute stuff recently.
• Jim Gottuso works on interesting pots and finishes them.
• KaratsuPots has chawan and guinomi.
• Atelier Marla shows off some colorful cups and platters.
• Kyle Carpenter has salty surfaced pots for sale.
• Finished pots from St. Earth Pottery.
• Dan Finnegan unloads the kiln.
• Vitrified Studio has some nice images of new work.
• Kristen Kieffer showcases some elegant excellence.
• Urban Jeff shares recent wood firing results via facebook.
• Lucy Fagella stocks up for the holiday sale.
• Ariel Bowman shows off some ceramic sculptures.

Thought Provoking

•  Dirty Girl Pottery explains what makes her happy.

 I crave my time at the wheel because it’s when the ego goes away, the second mind shuts ups, all the tyranny of shoulds and have to’s disappear and all I hear is the sound of the wet clay slipping through my fingers and a faint whisper of the form that is being manifested right before my eyes.  It’s exhilarating and humbling.  It’s the feeling you have after a long deep meditation, trance or prayer.  Creating a pot is sacred.  Consciously creating our lives is sacred.

• Carole Epp shares a quote:

• FetishGhost tackles issues of legibility.
• Ron Philbeck rambles about being an artist:

We are often sensitive, unsure, lonely, self abusive, and have the self confidence of a maggot at the bottom of a trash bin. But we get to do what we love!

The Rest

•  Linda Starr shares a pit firing video.
• Carole Epp shares a video about Steven Hill.
• Ang shares a 45 minute slipware video.
• FetishGhost shares a video of ceramics as performance art.
• A few blogs posted about the CNN story on Empty Bowls.
• Brandon Phillips shares a video about Mike Dodd.
• Togeii videos himself throwing bowls.
• Carole Epp shares and interesting website and finds a portable gas kiln and tells how you can help Craft Australia and International Ceramics Studio.
• John Britt shares a glaze website.
• Keith has a new booth with track lighting.
• Scott Cooper explains his change of card.
• Kristen Kieffer has an image summary of 2011 from her studio.
• Charles the Potter discusses maker’s marks.
• DirtKicker Pottery warns you to be careful of the names you use on Etsy.
• Ben Carter shares the CM article about his studio visit.
• Lori Watts digs up ways to accept credit cards.
• Good Elephant Pottery tries an indie-craft experiment and the results.
• KaratsuPots discusses throwing tools and how to make your own.
• Karen Mahoney offers five reasons to buy a handmade mug.
• John Baumann, quite apparently, will never learn. But he shares some interesting tool/equipment ideas.
• Ron Philbeck tries to explain the “hierarchy“.