forks throws pottery (and maybe you do too?) - An ILX Ceramics Thread

as a person who does pottery i have never heard of such a movie

"Ghost" starring patrick swayze and demi moore

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27y6yrLhG1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

192 stoneware.
Reduction firing. Davis Shino glaze on body. Davis Red Shino glaze on handle.
4 inches tall. About 4 inches wide at lip, 6 1/2 wide with handle.

This is one in an ongoing series of attempts to make a working stein. The bumpy "crawling" texture is a hallmark of the Shino glazes ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shino_(glaze) ). They break up once they're applied to pottery and can lump up like acne or break apart like psoriasis. In any case, it's bad skin replicated as a covering on clay and that makes for some bizarre effects on something you're meant to drink out of. Thankfully the glaze "breaks" differently along edges; it runs off steep angles and leaves a rock-colored but smooth-to-the-touch finish.

Unfortunately, this cup got an extremely common bit of damage when throwing: the "s-crack". This happens when the clay at the bottom of a piece isn't properly compressed or there's water left in the bottom after you throw it; you end up with a serpentine or curved crack in the base of the pot. Some s-cracks don't penetrate all the way through and are simply cosmetic flaws that are more or less sealed during glazing and some render a piece practically useless. This one is the latter; you can see daylight straight through. Ah well, back to the drawing board.

;_;

pity about the s-crack, it's a great looking mug! and the glaze looks A+

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27yjxdzAK1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

As an exercise this semester, I threw about eight teacups in succession that started out roughly 4 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches tall and then trimmed and glazed them drastically different. This is one of the more successful pieces in my opinion: it's eminently functional, the color is nice, the crackle in the glaze is pretty and the general construction looks almost factory built (which appeals to the perfectionist elements of my aesthetic).

182 white clay.
Reduction. Blue Ying Ching glaze.
3 3/4 inches wide at lip. About 2 1/2 inches tall.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27ykudSUq1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
Another piece from my now-four-deep, faux-Japanese, green and white serving set. The exposed raw-clay dagger shapes are achieved by applying wax to the bisque-fired clay prior to glazing. The glaze runs off the wax and, after the piece is fired, the wax vaporizes to leave exposed stoneware.

192 stoneware.
Reduction firing. Buttermilk glaze on interior. Randy's Oribe glaze on exterior.
4 inches wide at lip. 3 1/4 inches tall.

I was particularly pleased by the spotting up by the rim with this piece; this is as refined as I've gotten this particular motif thus far.

moved this outta 77 because i can't see if the images are lolhuge when i log out

also not especially 77'y.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27ylrk5Pg1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

Process here was that I took a teacup, then painted the entire exterior with black "slip", which is a liquid colored clay with the consistency of thick syrup. Once it dries, you can treat it the same way as you would the clay body and once the pot is fired, it bonds permanently. Having applied the slip, I went in with a wire tool and carefully crosshatched out tiny strips of slip, exposing the white clay beneath. After it bisque fired (that's where you take the wet clay and bake it so that it turns into porous pottery, like a rough flowerpot), I dipped the entire thing in a glaze called Ox Blood that tends to leave the surface translucent and jadelike so that the cup is smooth to the touch. Kinda proud of the end result.

182 white clay with black slip cover.
Oxidation firing. Ox Blood glaze.
4 inches wide at lip. 2 1/2 inches tall.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27ymxcjgj1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

I painted the rim with black "slip", a liquid colored clay, and carved wormlike gouges out of the body. I like the way the black slip and the blue glaze play off each other.

182 white clay with black slip on rim.
Reduction. Blue Ying Ching glaze.
3 3/4 inches wide at lip. About 2 1/2 inches tall.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27yorKCBx1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

192 stoneware.
Reduction. Charlie D Black glaze on interior and lip. Norton Red glaze on exterior.
4 inches wide at lip. 3 inches tall.

This flowerpot mushroomed out a bit and is notably less clean looking in person. The inside got sanguine from the incisions at the bottom. Don't really think I needed to wax those irrigation holes; will avoid doing that in the future.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27ypzAtso1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

So when you fire "Ox Blood" glaze under a level of heat and intensity known as oxidation, it comes out translucent. Fire it at a higher rate called "reduction" and it turns shiny apple red. Yellow Salt "breaks" in such a way that it tends to leave a tan line across a raised surface so I wanted to use it on a piece with a great deal of carved striation.

182 white clay.
Reduction. Yellow Salt glaze. Ox Blood glaze accents.
4 inches wide at lip. About 3 inches tall.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27yraePWz1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

Here's a case where an accident turned out to produce one of my favorite pots: when you are trimming your pieces to remove excess clay, the potter affixes the pot to the spinning wheel head and then judiciously carves off unwanted thickness. Sometimes the pot can come off the wheel head and when it does the pot is generally destroyed. That's what happened with this piece, but it was salvageable to the extent that one side was mashed completely flat. I took a wooden paddle to the other sides to flatten them out in the same way and the pot was thankfully thick enough that it didn't break apart. It fired up pleasingly square and in one piece.

182 white clay.
Reduction. Academy Mix glaze. Yellow Salt glaze accents.
4 inches wide by 3 inches wide. 2 1/2 inches tall.

The depth of the Academy Mix glaze in reduction is really interesting; there's brown and black and cranberry and orange in there. The foamy wash of Yellow Salt on either side of this square little sugarbowl was applied by Robin; the effect is really quite pretty.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27ysi3USn1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

The Candace Oil Spot glaze in oxidation fires up shiny and, well, oil spotted. If, after you put the glaze on, you paint over the top with a cover glaze, you can get some neat effects. I gave the exterior a thin coat of Harding cover and, under direct light, it filled in the space between the oil spots to make it look almost cheetah-ish. Bear in mind that when it's _not_ under direct light, it just looks black. It's a cool effect.

182 white clay.
Oxidation. Candace Black Oil Spot glaze with Harding cover.
4 inches wide at lip. 2 1/2 inches tall.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27ytnSDrp1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
This knobby little vase was first dipped in a blue glaze and then had a white glaze ladled over it.

192 stoneware.
Oxidation. Lapis Blue glaze accented with Mamo White glaze drizzle.
3 1/4 inches wide, 1 3/4 inch wide at lip. 3 3/4 inches tall.

The interactions of the glazes when they touch varies widely and intensely depending on the temperature the pottery is fired and the composition of the glaze. It can be violent or pretty and either destroy or make a piece complete. Better living through chemistry!

omg forks, these are fantastic

thank ye! they're all less interesting in person.

pretty doubtful!

I love the ox blood glaze upthread, such a great color

Wow forks, you've got some really good work here.

appreciated! guess I'll go ahead and throw em all up.
http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27yudNwxd1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
The white smudges on this vase are dollops of slip (liquid clay) daubed on prior to the first firing.

182 white clay.
Oxidation. Ox Blood glaze.
3 3/4 inches wide at rim, 2 1/3 inches wide at lip. About 3 1/2 inches tall.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27yv9kUyK1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
My first go at a candlestick. The glaze gave it a hammered bronze look and dulled some of the too-sharp division lines. The interior is hollow, so I guess you could use this as a very odd cup if you wanted?

192 stoneware.
Reduction. Dolly's Hotel Russian Shino glaze.
3 3/4 inches wide at base, 1 inch wide at lip. 3 3/4 inches tall.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27yw4sMmH1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
This is my second go with this particular color combination and I don't think it was as successful as a similar, smaller piece I did before.

192 stoneware.
Reduction. Shaner Gold glaze oninterior and top exterior. Glick Red glaze on exterior.
6 inches at widest point, 4 1/4 inches at lip, about 4 inches at foot. About 3 3/4 inches tall.

The Shaner Gold and Glick Red can overlap to create a dark stripe where they meet; I was hoping for something more cleanly delineated.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27yxmnSEr1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
Rustic. I like the throwing of the piece but the glazing didn't really reflect what I had in mind.

182 white clay.
Oxidation. Hamada Green glaze with Iron Oxide underglaze.
5 1/2 inches wide at lip, 3 1/2 inches wide at foot. 3 1/4 inches tall.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27z3xKKOP1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
Playing with profiles. This pot has a heavy and thick base; would counterbalance any heavyweight arrangements easily enough.

192 stoneware.
Oxidation. Potter's Turquoise glaze on interior and top exterior. Lapis Blue glaze on exterior.
About 3 1/4 inches wide at lip. 4 3/4 inches tall.

I was enjoying the pics on your tumblr but a little more info is nice. Off to a fine start forks! You've made leaps and bounds since the first semester work. kudos.

Thanks man! I'm starting again on Thursday; really wanna do some big bowls and focus on strong pieces as opposed to a gazillion works like I did this last semester.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zbjUvgL1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

This vase was striped with white slip but the density of color on the glaze obscured it entirely. Blue Chun on these taller pieces can, weirdly, produce an odd bubbling that doesn't much change the look but does leave it pockmarked to the touch. You can pick out those rough spots in the photo if you try.

182 stoneware.
Reduction. Blue Chun glaze.
About 4 3/4 inches at rim, about 3 inches at base. About 5 1/2 inches tall.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zczxb9v1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

That "Y" motif" in this flowerpot is one that I am continuing to experiment with as a quick shorthand for growth. Less is more in carving sometimes.

192 stoneware.
Oxidation. Reitz Green glaze.
About 4 inches wide. 4 1/2 inches tall.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zepDXKr1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
When you throw, your hands tend to naturally suggest certain shapes. This bottom-heavy diamond shaped is one I keep finding on my wheel. Accentuating the fold in on the upper lip is one way of making it more aesthetically pleasing and challenging for me.

182 stoneware.
Reduction. Peachbloom glaze.
About 5 1/2 inches at widest point. 4 1/4 inches wide at lip. 3 3/4 inches tall.

Peachbloom lays on a muted, strawberry skin with a healthy glow; it's a warm and organic looking glaze.

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zfkuk241qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
The shino overglaze here runs like sargasso for an feathery, liquid effect.

I painted the overglaze on in a uniform pattern around the bottom of the vase but it fired a little different all over. Some of the accents look a bit like Irish Setters... or is that just me? Lots of Rorschach at play here, no doubt.

192 stoneware.
Oxidation. Ox Blood glaze with Shino overglaze.
About 5 inches wide at rim, 3 3/4 inches wide at rim. About 3 3/4 inches tall.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zg8q4lb1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
My very first plate!

192 stoneware.
Reduction. Seacrest Celadon glaze with iron oxide concentric circles.
8 inches wide at rim. 1 inch tall.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zgtF2141qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
This was the first class that I threw white clay; it's all been stoneware till now. Stoneware has more sand in the clay and, though it holds a shape under greater pressure, it can be a real pain to center and to mold. White clay relaxes and moves around easier but can collapse under its own weight. It also holds a glaze differently.

182 white clay.
Reduction. Civil War glaze.
About 5 1/2 inches wide at rim, about 3 1/3 inches wide at base. About 2 3/4 inches tall.

Civil War's lavender pastels are just this side of easter egg, but I find them awful pretty.

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27ziaCcar1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

This is my third try at a "desert bowl": a piece that's meant to look as if it were made of scorched earth, sand and blood.

192 stoneware.
Reduction. Davis Red Shino glaze on interior. Shaner Gold glaze on exterior. Ox Blood glaze accents and rim.
About 6 inches wide at rim, 3 1/4 inches wide at foot. 3 inches tall.

I think doing a million pieces when you're still learning is the way to go. It really shows in the consistency of shape and glaze finish you've achieved.

Im excited to see what you can do with some larger work too.

ooh - really like the green vase with the Y.

Yeah, I love the carving work you've done in some of these, I think that really brings it up an extra level.

EZ, i LIKE doing a million pieces; the act of throwing is still very enticing and exciting. So I'll see what my mind/body draws me to... I might not be at the point where I should be superimposing critical thinking just yet. It's far more exciting just to make and learn and not have any "this is good"/"this is bad" overriding desire just yet. Pottery is the closest I get to a meditative exercise just now; I try very hard not to attach ego to the work and the more I focus on action the better the work becomes. It's a powerful lesson.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zj22aku1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

I was tremendously proud of the profile and delicacy of the foot of this bowl and then I went and glazed it so lightly that it came out strangely patina'd and antique. My teacher informs me I need to adjust to what the glaze does rather than demanding it meet my expectations; I imagine there's another lesson in there somewhere too. In any case, it's a good flat display bowl. Should do a good job for fruit.

192 stoneware.
Oxidation. Carmine's Turquoise glaze.
7 inches wide at rim, 2 1/4 inches wide at foot. 2 3/4 inches tall.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zk6cJHw1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

Exposed clay stripe is a wax accent that left an interesting bloom surrounding it. I like the effect.

182 white clay.
Reduction. Ice Trap Celadon glaze.
6 inches wide at rim, 2 inches wide at foot. 3 1/2 inches tall.

The crackle is all underneath the glaze so the bowl is still glossy to the touch. You can see where the "Ice Trap" glaze gets its name.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zl0MRig1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
192 stoneware.
Oxidation. Candace Black Oil Spot glaze.
7 1/4 inches wide at rim, 2 3/4 inches wide at foot. About 3 2/3 inches tall.

I'm getting a bit better at making nearly balanced and weighted bowls, but this one is still just a bit asymmetrical.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zlv8w1V1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
192 stoneware.
Oxidation. Randy's Oribe glaze and Glick Red glaze.
7 1/4 inches wide at rim, 3 1/2 inches wide at foot. 3 1/2 inches tall.

This is probably my favorite piece from this semester. It was one of the very few where I was comfortable with the throwing, trimming and glazing. Depending on where you view the piece from, the overlap of glazes offer a very different profile and color palette.

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zrxfUTf1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg

Another in an ongoing series of purple and white bowls with waxed figures painted onto the body. The piece torqued somewhat in the firing and went from perfectly round to ever so slightly ovoid. The inside is painted with white slip. There's a pesky "S-crack" at the bottom here but the glaze filled it entirely so it's only a visual imperfection and not a functional one.

182 white clay.
Oxidations. Buttermilk glaze on rim and accents. Davidson Purple glaze on exterior.
Between 6 and 6 1/4 inches wide at rim, 3 1/4 inches wide at foot. 4 3/4 inches tall.

Wow! That two-tone green and red piece is a stunner!

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m27zteANOd1qzyx8yo1_500.jpg
The whole kit and kaboodle. I've got additional pictures of all these if anyone's clamoring for some reason. Finding them places around the home is a hassle; I need to find folks to give some of these to. A year of doing this adds up in terms of finding space!

Thanks EZ. It's holding my wallet/keys etc at the moment on a shelf. I think it's a keeper.

I hope you don't mind but I reblogged that one. It's striking.

go to town! someday it would be fun to get to the point where i could sell these goddamn things to defray the CONSIDERABLE cost of this hobby.
with studio costs, clay costs, firing and glaze costs I think I ran about $500 this semester... each piece averages out at like $20. Of course I'm not doing this for the pieces, I'm doing it to make a piece that matters to me many years down the line, but there's no way to do it but to do it and it ain't cheap to do!

I really love the Blue Chun vase, forks --- and the Civil War glaze is SO pretty!

everything you said about the learning process is so otm with my own experience in art classes, is to let go of the value judgement and just get zen with the technique. once you stop mentally pumping the brakes, it frees you up to really enjoy and be rewarded by what you're making.

My fifth three-month season's output is coming out of the kiln yesterday today and tomorrow. I'm picking up 24 pieces at tomorrow's studio showing but my teacher posted a few shots of classwork on his site.
My work this season for me was focused on making stuff generally larger and throwing bowls especially.
Obsessive discussion on this stuff shortly once I get it, photograph it and write it up, but here's the stuff that my prof liked that I can definitely claim:

http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2775/_FCB2775.jpg
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2777/_FCB2777.jpg
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2788/_FCB2788.jpg
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2836/_FCB2836.jpg
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2841/_FCB2841.jpg
^this one is big enough to fit on my head and completely cover my ears or at least it was after the first firing

Everything folks did this season:
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12.html

we had a nanophysicist in my class this semester; he's been doing this about as long as I have but the dude is already an amateur carpenter and a fucking genius and over the past three months he produced like fifteen pieces that were all experiments and daring attempts at exciting forms.
His skill at this is really nutty, to say nothing of the balls it takes to keep trying drastically different forms and methods. He bought a wheel for his home and says he's throwing a piece when he wakes up and when he goes to sleep.
Here's some of his stuff:
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2776/_FCB2776.jpg
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2799/_FCB2799.jpg
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2847/_FCB2847.jpg
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2860/_FCB2860.jpg

your new pieces all look v good. this seems like a really fun hobby.

Thanks! I don't sell as a rule so much but make me an offer and a request via ilxmail and i can see about making you a thing? Be warned I am slow!

several in progress pieces, many collabos

http://i.imgur.com/IXcIWiN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xxdLsgp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/teZz0AL.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EtfI4CH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fXMhxG9.jpg

Wow! That is trippy stuff. I took a beginner wheel class this summer and made one basic thing (a plant pot) but the idea of keeping on with making pottery was extremely tempting! But I think I would be boring and conventional and make, like dishes...your work is much more interesting.

well i hardly STARTED there, you can scroll up to the top of the thread and see my boring and conventional work up there! it takes everyone time to progress from basic forms and decoration into their own voice. I strongly recommend you keep with it; it's been a real life saver for me.

New episodes of Pottery Throwdown tomorrow

Pottery Throwdown. AJ's orange sponge walkman earphones, are they functional or decoration? looks like the leads come down and join in the middle with something ornamental there.

hahaha i have been asking myself that same question. they could be some sort of retro-enabled bluetooth thing but the fact that they are totally clean and have no clay on them leads me to think they are an affectation.

They are really fun potters by the way!

the ornamental thing looks like a tiny silver hammer. i've seen iron mongers wear something similar, like a thor's hammer (below), but this is a more modern shape.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mj%C3%B6lnir

Might be headphones to block out noise/distraction? I love AJ - in the beginning they were my favourite person but not my favourite potter, but the last couple of shows they have done amazing work.

to further my point: if you wear headphones when you throw, you are going to get clay on them. those little foam earpieces are a magnet.

been out here making stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j01zbTjxDWM

Gorgeous, forks!

thanks! just joined a new studio and am pumping out work to try to get my hands moving again. feels good man.

here's a short stack of a few more.

http://i.imgur.com/TlWq00b.jpeg
http://i.imgur.com/zbNnJvY.jpeg
http://i.imgur.com/vgkwHYv.jpeg
http://i.imgur.com/3ryuC4C.jpeg
http://i.imgur.com/NK5Ngjj.jpeg
http://i.imgur.com/3Xo7yZe.jpeg
http://i.imgur.com/tYOJi9r.jpeg
http://i.imgur.com/PaWM8uE.jpeg

Really like the third one.

The phlegmy amoeba? Thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y65PB9PTN84
unsure if shorts embed, testing

Right, well that's a new collaboration with a friend: he on sculpting and me on surface. Will revisit when it's out of the bisque kiln and ready for glazing.

And another, this one also sculpted by the same friend but out of bisque and freshly underglazed to emphasize carved textures. Next step is glazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABX-hW8Oz_g

Last finished piece of the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sosBn6wbcRM