I just sold this porcelain bowl, which is decorated with real bits of Arizona turquoise. I like the color of the glaze next to the stones, creating a bit of interest and dimension.Grateful for a sale, non the less, I have to say good bye to my little friend.
I believe there is a bit of the artists' spirit in each individual creation that comes forth from our hands; our minds; the invisible influence of "who knows where?" I think of clay as a living entity. Mostly it is playful and cooperative.Sometimes it is not going to follow my intention. Clay will crack, or the glaze will misbehave, even if I am doing things as always.
Is it my spirit or these elements which are not cooperating that day? Who can say? I do feel that if you own a piece that I have created, my spirit is within.
Here it is! The magic is revealed as I unload the kiln. The end result of a month or more of hard work. This is a photo of the second shelf down. The posts you see with the holes are called the furniture, on which the shelves rest.
My heart always beats faster at this moment. Will there be success? Are the colors what I wanted? Are there any flaws that will make it not refined enough to sell in the gallery? I do everything my experience teaches me to insure the best results. I like what I see here.
However, there is always the element of chance in high fire ceramics. The clay is a large factor. Is there a hidden weakness that will result in a crack? Then there is the application of glaze. Did I put on the right consistency? Did I rub too hard at a drip and leave that spot bare? An important question is whether or not the kiln gods are smiling that day. Yes, we clay artists are superstitious folk. I did have an unexpected crack. I can live with that. It is a good firing.
Here is a small turquoise bowl that just came out of my kiln.It fits so perfectly in my hand it almost feels like a miniature. Yet it is totally functional. In fact this is the size I start out my day with, containing some yogurt or fruit.
It started out bigger than this, by almost 18% . There is quite a lot of shrinkage when firing ceramics. The first thing that goes is the moisture within the clay body itself. I like the smooth white texture and results of a porcelain clay body. Hopefully it is Very dry when I start the kiln, or it can blow up or crack. That doesn't happen too much to me now, but it can and it has. This hot dry climate of Arizona is a real boon to clay artists. Things dry quickly and well.
With the first firing there doesn't seem to be such a decrease in volume. The second firing is to a much hotter temperature, and that is when the size changes. It seems so big when I make it, then it gets down to its true size. It is then very strong with the clay inside and a glaze to make it really waterproof and decorated.
I guess that is like a lot of things in life. Something starts out very grand, and ends up more in proportion. If it is a good thing , we feel happy. If the story isn't what we anticipated, than it is not so much fun. I have the same thing each time I open my kiln. The art and surprise in both life and art.
I have been glazing this week. Taking the plain white porcelain clay I have bisquie fired, and adding the glazes that will make it look like this, I hope.What I do has so many stages to it. I love best creating from raw clay, and then doing the final high fire in the kiln that creates the finished piece.This is a small "Porcelain Pueblo" piece, that has a lot of steps before I get to what you see.
I guess that exists in every creative process, actually in so many things we do in life. First we get the idea,and that in itself can be a long, even painful process. Then we start to implement it. There can be many steps in between. For me it involves a lot of clean up. I make the clay item and then I have to let it dry to what is called " leather hard". It still has moisture, but is firm enough to clean up with a sponge. Somehow, there are always small lumps or flaws I want to smooth out.
Maybe a corollary to interactions among people? Often things aren't as smooth or clear as desired. We want to make sure our point of view is clearly heard by that person.Often I find it helps me to go back and check in with them to see what they actually heard me say. That can be a surprise.At least it gives me a chance to smooth out those little bits of misunderstanding that cling, like the unwanted bits of clay. It is all a creative process.
I love flowers.This is a handmade porcelain "Flower Bowl" that just came out of the kiln. The shape is more triangular, which I like because it is individual.Who says all bowls must be round? It measures approximately six inches across by two and a half inches high.Perfect size to hold anything! I make each little petal out of rolled porcelain, then attach them to the rim in a small blossom. I then hand roll each tiny stamen so it has a true floral dimensional feeling. First I fire it in the bisque, so it is solid enough to take a glaze. Next comes a second, high temperature firing with my magic turquoise glaze.This is totally lead free, food safe, and strong enough to use in the oven . Delicate but durable. These are qualities I try to bring to all my ceramics.
I think flowers appeal to all of our senses. I like the colors, textures, and sweet smells that some emit. They make me smile.I just went to the hardware store and found myself in the garden section.I was compelled to buy some flowers for my garden. I hope I get blossoms all fall. When I go to the grocery store, I have to check out the bouquets of flowers, as much as the fruits and vegetables. Sometimes I just must take some home with me. I know they will not last too long, but oh what a joy for the time they are with me.
