Comments Off on Leftover Clay – kiln god

Leftover Clay – kiln god

2010
12.30

kiln god - Leif the Guardian of MugPhlutes & HornsThis is what happens when there is leftover saggar clay and I’m sitting around over the holidays watching too many movies.  Due to the groggy composition of this particular clay, it isn’t the sort of medium that would find its way into a ceramic musical instrument, so, this lump became my first, stand alone,  kiln god.  And yes, there are similarities to the busts that top the lids of my latest saggar projects (shocking, eh?).

Leif,  Guardian of MugPhlutes and Ceramic Musical Instruments, will take his place above the door of the gas kiln next month after a bisque firing.  The tradition of kiln gods among potters is probably a hold over from an early civilization that believed in animism and polytheistic worship…not so for me, this is just a(nother) touch of whimsy.  Leif began as an anatomically correct Nordic nude wearing nothing but his horned helmet.  Since December has had its snowy-cold days, Leif sprouted some semblance of cover.  We couldn’t have Leif’s parts freezing (or burning) off, now could we!?

Leif’s story?: Prized horns of victory, like the one he clutches here, deserve attention and protection during their construction and firing.  Leif has wrapped himself around a cauldron of fire, passing his spiritual powers on the instrument before placing it into the tempering flames.  (That’s the best I can do on short notice).

Leif stands (or sits in this instance) roughly 8″ in height.  The larger portions of the head, body, and legs are hollowed out. The caldron (urn) between Leif’s legs is a 3″ tall pinch-pot.

Tags: , , Category Construction Techniques, Humor |

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Saggar Construction

2010
12.22

This is a bit off-topic for my normal ceramic musical instrument theme, but some of my newer ocarinas are destined to find a place in a newly constructed saggar.   Saggars have been around since the Chinese used them to protect wares from ashes in a wood firing  that would otherwise land on a piece and alter the intended look of the glaze.  Oddly enough, saggars today are used primarily to create unusual firing atmospheres within a kiln to protect the kiln and the other wares from being altered by the vapors created within a saggar. Go figure.

Saggar - Approximately 10 in. clear on the interiorThose who know me won’t be shocked that my saggar creations include a touch of whimsy.  Each new saggar is topped with my own version of a kiln god… generally (in my style) a Nordic-looking dude with a menacing facial expression.  It is a tradition among potters to set kiln gods of varying creatures atop a kiln during the firing process to appease the immensely powerful flames within the kiln to be kind and produce beautiful works.  Don’t go all fundamentalist on me with the kiln god references…it is just me having some fun with a new (to me) clay used for saggar construction.  I am seeing some potential for future sculptural projects that may be born from the saggar womb of  Sagar the Glazinator.

saggar kiln god saggar kiln godsaggar kiln god

Tags: , , , , Category Ceramic Musical Instruments, Glazing and Firing, Wheel-Throwing |

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Bottom Knocker

2010
12.11

A Twitter acquaintance, @sherylcoleman*,  responded to a question of mine and used an infrequently used title, Bottom Knocker, as part of her response.  Take heart.  A bottom knocker is nothing kinky, not related to corporal punishment, nor is it a reference to sagging anatomical parts… it is a term used in earlier centuries for an apprentice who worked in the ceramics shop who was responsible for pounding out the clay bases used in the making of saggars.  OK. That is a lot to absorb for my non-ceramic friends.  A saggar is a lidded container used within a glaze firing kiln to hold bisque fired pieces for out-of-the-ordinary glaze firings.  By placing a bisque piece into a saggar, the artist is able to achieve unusual and often unpredictable results in surface coloration due to the controlled atmosphere and chemicals/minerals within the saggar container.

I am constructing several saggars at the moment for experiments with ceramic musical instruments….probably ocarinas, rattles, and small drums.  The clay mix for a saggar is generally about 50% fire clay and 50% grog.   The grog is necessary to handle the extremes in thermal shock from high temperature firings when the saggar is re-used in multiple firings.  Several have advised me not to attempt wheel-throwing  saggar clay because the coarseness from the grog makes it feel like you are throwing sandpaper.  I may give it a try on a small piece.  We’ll see if I have any fingerprints left afterward.   If only that coarseness could be used to grind off the season additions of my bottom…I wouldn’t knock that 🙂

*Sheryl is also the author of a fiber arts and flute blog with a very cool name, Crunchy Banana.

Tags: , , Category Glazing and Firing, Humor |

Comments Off on Quick Bisque Anxiety

Quick Bisque Anxiety

2010
11.25

Tea is for TrumpetWrapping up a semester in the clay lab is much like any other college course.  There is a rush to get projects and papers completed and preparation to do for final exams.  Clay, however, tends to have a mind of its own and doesn’t lend itself well to last minute crunches to dry, bisque fire, glaze, and glaze fire.  For relatively simple shapes and pieces that do not include a lot of assembled pieces, a faster drying cycle isn’t a huge risk.  Generally, a very slow ramp up of the bisque firing takes care of any moisture that would otherwise be disastrous in a faster firing cycle.  Complicated pieces like the one shown here include many slip-slurried connections and numerous variations in clay thickness.  Out of an abundance of caution, I often wrap complex pieces up and allow them to dry slowly over several week’s time.  This one was finished just a few days ago and is headed for the kiln in less than a week…needless to say, I am a bit anxious.  Should disaster strike and the kiln gods frown upon my rush, at least I will have a few images for the memorial. *sigh*

Tags: , , , Category Glazing and Firing |

Comments Off on New Ocarinas and a MugPhlute

New Ocarinas and a MugPhlute

2010
11.21

Ocarinas & MugPhluteThe last batch of glaze tests included a few pinch pot ocarinas and a MugPhlute.  The natural look of the reduction fired stoneware with minimal glaze accents seems to work well. The pieces in this image are all high-fired stoneware with red iron oxide  brushed into the textured and stamped features.  The glaze is St. John’s Black, applied with a brush.  The Bailey gas kiln, loaded with these clay instruments as well as student projects from this semester, was fired to cone 10.

This semester’s wheel-throwing course pulled me away from making the usual quantity of ceramic musical instruments, but it has also opened new avenues to explore.  Having a respectable palette of stamping, texturing, and glazing combinations will make future project planning easier and, hopefully, more predictable.

Tags: , , , , Category Ceramic Musical Instruments, Glazing and Firing |

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Kiln Opening

2010
11.18

Wall Hung Ceramic Musical Instrument SculptureI have read numerous articles in the ceramic magazines floating around about celebrations and sales associated with the opening of a freshly fired (and cooled-down) kiln.  Personally, I know the excitement and anticipation as a kiln cart is slowly and carefully pulled free, and shelves full of shiny pots suddenly appear to emerge from their firebrick womb. That experience is amazing.  It is rarely what the artist envisioned completely, but there are generally surprises that elevate the spirit even when everything isn’t just perfect.

This past week’s firing was a success. There are a number of keepers and a bunch of glaze testing tiles that show promise for the next round.  The kiln opening was rather bland, however…just a couple of people tugging at a heavy cart without fanfare, but at least with a few instruments for future fanfares.

Tags: , , , , , , Category Glazing and Firing |

Comments Off on Clay Students Raising Money

Clay Students Raising Money

2010
11.04

I think it is a pretty cool idea when clay artists band together to raise funds in a learning community context. Matt Chenoweth posted a story recently about the 1st Annual Ceramics Guild ChiliFest where several Indiana State University clay artists contributed bowls and a cooperating restaurant furnished the chili. Customers pay a little more than they are accustomed for chili but walk away smiling because they also hold a unique, hand crafted bowl that probably would have cost them more if they had discovered it at a craft fair. The student organization walks away with much needed funds for their project, and the restaurant is generally thrilled to have offered their customers something beyond the day-to-day menu without a large capital outlay. Happy customers, happy restaurant, happy students…as I said at the beginning, pretty cool idea! The old learning community guy in me would tell you that the common focus of the student group to raise project money by exercising a reflective, skill process (from mud to a finished, sold product) is a pattern that will be life-long, valuable memory.

I’m not completely certain where the bowl-a-thon fund raising concept originated, but credit to Empty Bowls is a must mention. Salute to all!

Tags: , , Category Artist's Thoughts |

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