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From Mud to Music

2010
11.04

From Mud to Music by Barry HallBarry Hall’s book, From Mud to Music, was given to me as a birthday present just about three years ago. After three years, I still refer to the book for information and inspiration. Last year I reviewed the book for Amazon.com and stand by my recommendation and commentary.  I am also thinking that there is something more that is worthy of exploration…

I would like to believe that there are many others who can describe their personal musical journeys as something that began in elementary school and progressed in some manner as an instrumentalist in high school or college and/or beyond.  Living in a home with a musical genius father, I was fortunate to be exposed to all sorts of instruments and the constant repairs and constructions that go into keeping a band/orchestra functioning.  I have my doubts that many students appreciate the history of their instruments, much less the skills involved in transforming raw materials into something that allows musicians to play together collectively/harmoniously.

Enter the book, from Mud to Music. Even if it is on a primitive scale, exposing a student to the complete process of taking a lump of clay and transforming it into a playable instrument is something that I believe would be fascinating and self-gratifying.  After reading of historical instrument constructions that are thousands of years old, I found it humbling to think that less technical/advanced/pre-industrial revolution artists worked with very similar raw materials to those available today and successfully constructed playable devices…artistic works  that actually play, beautifully. Amazing.  I have asked myself several times, “What would a semester-long course look like that engages students in a cross-curricula study of  ancient ceramic instrument history, clay instrument construction, musical composition, and perhaps musical performance?”   With complete respect for Mr. Hall’s book, the working title for my concept/course is From Clay to Concert…part historical research, part clay construction/experimentation, part musical composition, and part performance.  I may just be spit valve full, but with the right students this could be an awesome class.  If  this is ever going to materialize, it is time for Mud to Music inspiration to move from paper to proposal.

Tags: , Category Artist's Thoughts, Ceramic Musical Instruments |

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Wheel-Thrown Bottles

2010
11.03

Tall Porcelain BottleGiven the choice between making vases or making bottles, I chose the latter. The decision probably has something to do with a home that is full of great examples created by the real ceramic artist of the family…and something to do with the cool factor of making tall bottles with unusual stoppers. I have no idea what I will do with any survivors from the bisque and gas firings, but I suspect that empty Etsy account may finally have entries just in time for Christmas.

The Pricing Dilemma

Each bottle takes about an hour to throw and join…excluding some drying time between throwing and joining the sections. Add another hour for trimming, decorating, and clean-up and I have a greenware piece ready that must dry slowly. Stoppers generally take another hour to throw, carve, clean-up, and fit. By the time bisque firing and glaze firing are complete, each tall bottle has nearly 5 hours of my time committed to the project in a process that takes about two weeks from start to finish. A quick Google of handmade ceramic bottles returns pricing results that range from $55 to $200, so, somewhere in the $60 to $75 range seems to be a reasonable target. Your thoughts are appreciated.

The Details

Any bottle that I make that is over 12″ tall is thrown on the wheel in two pieces (usually about 8″-10″ each), then joined and completed while still attached to the wheel head. Stoneware clay is my preference, but porcelain makes highly polished bottles possible although they are a bit more challenging to produce. I have not ventured into the world of really tall bottles, made of three joined pieces, but the possibilities for horn shaped pieces constructed using that technique are certainly a possibility (with kiln height limits taken into consideration). I am including the MugPhlute stamp on all of these pieces since they do include a unique stopper with an instrumental musical theme.

Glaze images coming soon (I hope).

Tags: , , , Category Construction Techniques, Wheel-Throwing |

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Sew & Throw Circus

2010
10.17

Debbie and I enjoyed a gorgeous weekend at Cedars of Lebanon State Park with a full campground of folks who had the Fall weather in mind as much as we did. By the time we arrived at the park, all of the prime camping spaces were occupied. We were grateful to find even one, reasonably level space to park, even if it meant that we’d have very little privacy due to the nearby entry drive.

Paul at the Potter's WheelOur plan was to take some time to play with our toys. For Deb, that meant a sewing machine on the park provided picnic table. For me, that translated into trying out a potter’s wheel that I purchased several months ago but had not found a time (or place) where I could make a big mess at the house. The Sew & Throw Circus was a success although neither of us set any world records for production.  What we did produce was entertainment and conversation for many of our fellow campers as they walked by…and stopped by.  I probably mentioned before that making ceramic musical instruments in a state park draws a crowd, but this time we seemed to draw a lot of conversation.  People are fascinated with folks who do strange things in campgrounds…probably like some people are entertained by shoppers at Wal-Mart.

I count myself as one who is still fascinated by  potters who make things on a wheel, and make it look so effortless.  I am not part of that effortless fraternity, but I do have fun with it.  As it turns out (no pun intended) there are people who seem to enjoy watching someone who is giving it the ‘ole college try. To all those new friends, we say Thank You!…and be sure to catch the circus the next time it passes through a campground near you.

Tags: , , , , , Category Humor, Wheel-Throwing |

Comments Off on MugPhlute Heresy

MugPhlute Heresy

2010
10.06

It has been almost a month since I constructed a playable ceramic instrument but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking (and sketching) about it.  For over a year, every instrument that I constructed was purely pinch-pot-handmade…and now I am discovering new possibilities with pieces and parts that are wheel thrown.  Case in point: Trumpet Mugsthe two mugs pictured include horn-like appendages but they do not  play, but the whimsy of MugPhlutes is still there, lurking just beneath the surface.  These are more like steins than mugs, but they open the door for a musical instrument genre of semi-utilitarian sculptural pieces.  These two were designed to rest either vertically (for function) but to appear more sculptural when setting horizontally.

To avoid breaking a record for consecutive months of instrument building, there shall be an ocarina forthcoming soon, even if it is very small…we can’t commit MugPhlute heresy, now can we?

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

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Art Show Show Thoughts

2010
10.03

I will be showing ceramic musical instruments in a public show next February and March and that is pretty exciting. Other than a few craft shows and private sales, this really qualifies as my first exhibit…and that makes me a little nervous.  There are several pieces that are show ready now, but I’d like to do something that specifically addresses the theme: Invention and Creativity.

Conceptually, here is where I’m going: Imagine a small ensemble, perhaps 3 or 4 musicians playing  what appears to be a family of instruments…and not necessarily the traditional families of woodwinds, brass, percussion, etc. The ‘family’ simply looks like they need to be played as an ensemble.  The key instrument would be an ocarina and key, in this definition, means that the ocarina would be the determining factor as to what musical key the ensemble plays. The second instrument would be a lamellophone, constructed from mixed media (clay and steel), and tunable to the fixed key of the ocarina. The remaining instruments would be more traditional, but whimsically formed, percussion instruments…probably drums and rattles, all constructed from clay. OK, so now the foundation for a display is set. What would make this more creative and inventive, but an original composition?

So here is the plan: design the instruments (probably a few variations of each), construct and fire the ceramics involved, complete the assemblies with whatever media is needed, determine the range of sounds (essentially the musical palette), compose some music to match the limits of the instruments, record music, master the music for a digital playback device, procure or build a display system that includes playback capabilities…and then wonder, sleeplessly for night-on-end before the show, if anyone would have a clue as to what was involved in the process I just described?  Ha!

The answers matter little at this point.  I have just enough time to pull this off and make a decision as to whether this would make the show or not… I just think it would be sufficiently unique, that it would bring smiles to faces and an element of fun for the Invention and Creativity theme. The pressure is off as long as I keep this a secret, right?   Oh. Wait!

Inspiration and image by Barry Hall and Burnt Earth Ensemble‘s Terra Cotta album.

Tags: , , Category Artist's Thoughts, Ceramic Musical Instruments, Shows and Sales |

2 comments

Making Progress – Ready to Fire

2010
09.27

Mugs DryingThe first batch of wheel-thrown wares that resemble something usable are nearly dry enough for a bisque firing.  The bare mug forms from a previous post, now have some surface treatment and the stamp that I use on most of the MugPhlutes.  I’m thinking that a dark blue glaze on the interior that caries over to cover the lip area with be the principal color. Red iron oxide will be washed into the textured areas and shadowed lightly below…after that, a simple clear glaze will cover the handle and all of the outside (except for the lip).  Three of the mugs will be used to test other glazes.  The six that are close enough to call a set will be glazed consistently.

The ware boards on my shelves seem to be filling up with new work.  I hope that is a sign that my technique is improving. The next assignment for class is 20 bowls. That shouldn’t be a huge deal, but I have other projects that keep pulling me back to some interesting sketchbook work…I guess that’s progress.

Tags: , , Category Glazing and Firing |

2 comments

Sketchbook…Don’t let the paper get in the way

2010
09.24

Those of you who know me understand that just about any scrap of paper that happens to be laying  around is subject to becoming a canvas for some sort of sketch.  I find sketches everywhere…particularly in margins of notes from meetings that I attend (no offense to those who are running meetings, but I don’t take that many notes, it just appears that way).  For the next few months, however, all that sketching energy is focused on just two sketchbooks, one for The Sketchbook Project and one for my clay class.  There are some differences that I am discovering.

Clay Class SketchbookMy clay class sketchbook is filling up with project ideas faster than I can wedge clay to even get started.  They may be some of my best technical sketches…often looking like details from a set of architectural drawings (imagine that).  I have to show great restraint from tackling a project from my sketches because most have little application to the pieces required to satisfy the syllabus. I also know that only one other person must view this sketchbook and that the instructor’s view is more of a formality than a critical view of the contents.  Still, this one is filling up and energizing the suppressed, wheel-addicted potter within…and new projects are emerging from the clay in spite of the syllabus.

On the other hand, The Sketchbook Project seems to be stalled in concerns over the very paper that is bound between its Moleskin covers.  The paper provided does not play nice with watercolor or ink wash and I haven’t forced myself to replace it with something that will.  Now remember, that ANY paper laying around has been sufficient in the past…and now this odd circumstance (my stubbornness to use watercolor pencil)  is producing a backlog of sketches relegated to tracing paper, begging for a place to land.  But here is the kicker…this project will be viewed by the general public on a nationwide tour and I think that actually scares me a little.  My original objective for participating in The Sketchbook Project was to use the visual stimuli to overcome inertia from novel writing.  Now, the inertia of novel writing collides with the inertia of a silly paper quality conundrum, that is stalled due to some irrational fear that someone might actually see that drawings that are intended to release creative energy…whoa boy, is that ever messed up!

I recommend the sketchbook process to anyone who works through creative processes that are heavy on the visual and analytical. There are personal reflection qualities in the process that would make Peter Senge proud…my thoughts above, for instance.  Whatever delivery system you choose, however, just don’t let the paper get in the way.

Tags: Category Artist's Thoughts |

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