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

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.

Nice forks! Each batch shows serious improvement. I also have to say that other guy has some chops.

otm the first one in that post is something i'd put in my crib in a heartbeat

one more that turned out to be mine:
http://www.nynjceramics.com/academy_students/Pages/student_work_sp_12_files/Media/_FCB2790/_FCB2790.jpg

beautiful work, forks!

practical question: where the heck do you keep all of them?

practical answer: all the ones except the one that fits over his head are approx one inch wide

lol

i have some shelves. But this new set of 24 has gotta be put away. basically i need to give them away or tuck them away on top of shelves. gonna do that after i photograph.

i give away the older,less interesting stuff as i upgrade to work i'm more proud of

by 'upgrade' do u mean lionel richie head, y/n

okay are you ready for the apotcalypse?

https://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpcqs3y91qzyx8yo1_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Seacrest Celadon glaze.
5 and 3/4 inches tall. 3 1/2 inches at base. 8 inches wide across handle and spout. 5 inches wide at rim.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpcqs3y91qzyx8yo3_1280.jpg
This is my first pitcher. I'm reasonably pleased with the spout and the shape, even though it torqued a tad. Firing straightened the bottom out considerably. The handle is a little sloppy but the whole thing is entirely usable, which is (as I understand it) something of a triumph when it comes to making a pitcher.
The glaze is warm and honeyed and intended to not distract the eye from the form or to make it stand out. I may actually park this by my bedside table as a legit ewer... or I would if I had thrown a lid. That's a challenge for the next class.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpcqs3y91qzyx8yo5_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Buttermilk glaze on interior and rim. Davidson Purple glaze on exterior.
7 inches diameter. 2 1/2 inches tall.
Part of an ongoing set of faux-Japanese bowls that I'm doing in both purple and green. The exposed raw-clay faux-kanji 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.
I discovered that the shallower shorter bowls don't lend themselves as well to this technique; it's a little overly busy. Plus the drippy white rim that runs down and that generally looks good doesn't work too great when there's no room for it to run. Learning.
On the plus side, this was thrown fairly well; the walls are thin and the piece is fairly light. You don't HAVE to throw pottery with thin walls and bottom or make the piece feel balanced; I threw some pieces intentionally heavy. As a general rule though, light pieces are harder to make and a sign of some skill.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpcqs3y91qzyx8yo6_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Lapis Blue glaze with Mamo White glaze ladled over.
4 1/2 inches tall. 2 3/4 inches at rim. 3 1/4 inches at foot. About 5 1/2 inches at widest midpoint.
I'm very pleased with how this turned out; it's a thick, squat vase good for single blooms. This glaze combo is a definite winner and one I'll want to come back to in the near future.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpcqs3y91qzyx8yo7_1280.jpg
Reduction firing.
Ox Blood glaze exterior over Teadust Tenmoku glaze interior.
4 inches at rim. 3 1/4 at foot. About 4 1/2 inches at widest midpoint.
The photos here don't really do justice to the depth of the red; when this isn't under direct light, it's a very moody and fiery piece and the interior cracks in the glaze are basically invisible. This glaze combo feels really good to me. I'm also happy with the throwing on this: there's not much excess clay, the foot is really clean and the bottom is flat. Pretty proud of this one.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpcqs3y91qzyx8yo8_1280.jpg

nice. Love that blue & white one. I like your progress reports that accompany each piece.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpcqs3y91qzyx8yo9_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Blue Ying Ching glaze.
4 3/4 inches tall. 3 3/4 at rim. 3 inches at rim. About 4 1/4 inches at widest midpoint.
A possible sake decanter? The carving at the base is meant to evoke mountains. Blue Ying Ching does a neat thing where it bubbles up under the glaze in a way that can make the pottery seem effervescent and can create distance from the surface to the clay underneath.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpcqs3y91qzyx8yo10_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpfnYxQg1qzyx8yo1_1280.jpg
Reduction firing.
Ice Trap Celadon glaze.
4 inches tall. 7 inches diameter at rim. About 3 1/4 at foot.
The focus of this session of class for me was to make usable, attractive, nicely weighted bowls that would be big enough to handle a can of soup or a pint of ice cream. This was one of about eight finished pieces that meet those standards and it might be my favorite. More and more, I'm discovering that I prefer simply glazed pieces or, at most, two color glazings. It's likely just that I'm not skilled enough to pull off more but the simplicity and cleanliness of the glaze nicely accentuates the bowl itself... and I did a pretty good job throwing this one! Clean lines, good balance, effective foot, thin walls.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpfnYxQg1qzyx8yo4_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Academy Mix glaze.
6 inches wide at greatest diameter. 3 3/4 inches tall. About 3 1/2 inches at foot
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpfnYxQg1qzyx8yo6_1280.jpg
Once the clay dries to leather-hard, you can mold it with your hands. That's how you get the scalloped top here. The etched lines were carved out while the pot was in the same state. I was going for a verdant Miro feel with a dominant spider holding the forest together. The photos make this read much greener than it actually is; in person, the piece is a mix of blue, olive and black.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpfnYxQg1qzyx8yo5_1280.jpg
"Academy Mix" is a proprietary mix of our studio; it's basically all the glaze runoff mixed together. The results are very unpredictable; I'm glad this came out the way it did.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpfnYxQg1qzyx8yo7_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpfnYxQg1qzyx8yo8_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Candace Black Oil Spot glaze with Harding Cover.
7 inch diameter at rim. 3 inches at foot. 4 1/4 inches tall.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpfnYxQg1qzyx8yo9_1280.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. I made a similar piece at roughly half the size last semester; it's nice to be able to replicate a specific look and feel when you go back to the drawing board.
I'm really happy with the throwing on this, especially the work I was able to do with the foot. Unfortunately, the glaze gunked up on the gap separating the rim of the foot and the body of the bowl. It's not really noticeable unless you know what you're looking for but it's a minor bummer on a piece I'm otherwise happy with. Oil Spot is thick and not especially well suited to accentuate details, so there's a lesson learned.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpfnYxQg1qzyx8yo10_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpjibMbR1qzyx8yo1_1280.jpg
Reduction firing.
Peach Bloom glaze with Norton Red glaze accents.
4 1/4 inches tall. 3 3/4 inches diameter at rim. 3 inches at foot. About 4 3/4 inches at widest midpoint.
I was going for a very hefty piece here and thats what I got. This could put a hole in a piece of sheetrock.
Stoneware pottery is surprisingly dense and versatile; all of these pieces are dishwashable, microwavable and if you break them (which would take a bit of work generally) the pieces don't come apart. It's effectively rock under glass. That's why you can still find pottery sherds in fields and on playgrounds; this stuff lasts forever. It certainly CHIPS easily enough though; I've discovered that several times over... most recently when I was moving some old pieces to make room for new ones and an old clunky vase whacked against the body of a newer piece and badly fragmented the rim.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpjibMbR1qzyx8yo2_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpjibMbR1qzyx8yo3_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Shaner Gold glaze top and interior over Glick Red glaze bottom and overlap.
3 3/4 inches tall. 5 inches diameter at rim. 3 1/4 inches at foot. About 5 1/2 inches at widest midpoint.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpjibMbR1qzyx8yo5_1280.jpg
This is my third and most successful attempt with this glaze combination; the Shaner Gold and Glick Red can overlap to create a dark stripe where they meet. I managed to get this dead on where there was a lip on the clay so the break emphasizes the shape nicely. Very pleased with the throwing, the foot, the weight and the colors here. I believe this is over white clay and not stoneware, which likely had some impact on the final look of the glaze. You'd be surprised how much of this work is luck.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpjibMbR1qzyx8yo6_1280.jpg
Reduction firing.
Ox Blood glaze.
3 3/4 inches tall. About 6 3/4 inches wide in diameter at rim. About 3 1/2 inches at foot.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpjibMbR1qzyx8yo7_1280.jpg
Reduction firing heats the pot up to a notably higher temperature than oxidation firing. This causes neat chemical things to occur. Ox Blood glaze, for instance, turns scarlet in reduction but pale green in oxidation.
This bowl is slightly lumpy on both the interior and exterior but nothing that would stop it from being useful. The glaze draws attention away from those imperfections with its slightly mottled strawberry jam color; everything is dark and dense. Both the weight and the foot are decent; I'm pretty pleased with this piece.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpjibMbR1qzyx8yo8_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpjibMbR1qzyx8yo9_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Bauer Clear glaze on interior over blue and red slip. Cushing Red glaze on exterior.
3 3/4 inches diameter at foot. About 6 1/2 inches wide at rim. 2 inches tall.
Having thrown this bowl with white clay and then trimmed a series of thin grooves on the side, I painted the entire interior with blue "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 blue slip, I painted on a red sunburst over the center and then trimmed out radiant lines. After all that fired, I didn't want to lose it, so I covered the interior with Bauer Clear, the glaze equivalent of clear nail polish. I did the outside up in a bright red to make it all pop. The final product is a tad juvenile and cutesy but I think this should make a nice kid's plate for some nine year old out there.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpmiUKxm1qzyx8yo1_1280.jpg
Reduction firing.
Civil War glaze.
5 3/4 inches diameter at rim. 3 inches tall. 3 3/4 inches diameter at foot.
White clay and Civil War resuls in a pastel purple flecked with black that makes me think of this as an Easter egg bowl. I'm pleased with the throwing, trimming and glazing here; it's a purely functional piece.

That gold & red is wonderful!

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpmiUKxm1qzyx8yo3_1280.jpg
Reduction firing.
Davis Red Shino glaze interior under Shaner Gold glaze exterior with Ox Blood glaze accents and rim.
2 3/4 inches tall. 7 1/2 inches wide at rim. 3 1/2 inches wide at foot.
This is my most recent try at a "desert bowl": a piece that's meant to look as if it were made of scorched earth, sand and blood. The Shino glaze puddles and creeps so much that it actually leaves the clay uncovered in between the cracks it leaves. Robin pointed out this would work better if I inverted the glazes, but I like the idea of purposely making a change bowl in this look. Maybe I'll take her suggestion next go round.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpmiUKxm1qzyx8yo4_1280.jpg

gracias. I really like the acorn bowl.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpmiUKxm1qzyx8yo6_1280.jpg
Reduction firing.
Blue Chun glaze with iron oxide accents.
3 3/4 inches diameter at rim. 3 1/2 inches diameter at foot. About 5 1/4 inches at widest midpoint. 5 1/2 inches tall.
Ongoing experiments with both form and color. Somehow this doesn't work for me though I've gotten some positive feedback. Iron oxide painted directly on to the glaze results in unmistakable rust colored streaks; that plus the pock marks that Blue Chun leaves behind make for a weirdly tarnished piece that I almost like? I may be done with both this form and this color combo.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpmiUKxm1qzyx8yo7_1280.jpg

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpmiUKxm1qzyx8yo9_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Potters Turquoise glaze on top and interior under Civil War glaze on bottom exterior.
4 inches diameter at lip. 2 3/4 inches at foot. 2 3/4 inches tall.
These two glazes mix to make a blue foamy line. It's a neat effect but one that I wasted on a less than exciting and/or usable pot. I want to try this again on a taller vase or cup in the future and get a thicker overlapping line.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpozVojX1qzyx8yo1_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Ox Blood glaze with Shino Overglaze accents.
4 1/2 inches diameter at lip. 3 inches at foot.
Shino overglaze is painted on like a watercolor but when it's fired it blurs and runs like crazy. These markings were applied as extended "Z"s and "S"s that were intended to spread into lightning bolts but they melted into a spray instead. Wrong tool for the job. The pot itself is more of a planter than anything.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpozVojX1qzyx8yo2_1280.jpg

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpozVojX1qzyx8yo3_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Buttermilk glaze with Lorio's Ash accents.
7 inches long. 3 inches wide at rim. 2 1/2 inches diameter at foot.
This was an attempt to throw a tall, thin vase for long stemmed flowers in roughly a bone shape and color. Lorio's Ash is an overglaze that runs like crazy; having never used it before, I went light and the emphasis is really not quite there. I was hoping for something that looked worn and rainwashed with a brown/black stain running from the lip. It didn't quite come together. Still looking forward to seeing what this looks like holding a few roses though. I'm inclined to think it'll be pretty decent even if it did get a little off balance in the firing.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpozVojX1qzyx8yo5_1280.jpg

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpozVojX1qzyx8yo6_1280.jpg
Reduction firing.
Davis Shino glaze exterior under Mamo White glazed interior and rim.
6 1/2 inch diameter at rim. 2 3/4 diameter at foot. 4 inches tall.
This creamsicle colored piece is one I'm particularly proud of. The colors, the weight, the sculpting, the foot and the thickness of the walls are all pretty solid. I'm planning on actually using this one around the house to eat out of. The shino glazes have clay in them and they create really violent reactions; this one bubbled and roiled around the exterior to make a really interesting texture.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpozVojX1qzyx8yo8_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Reitz Green glaze.
5 1/2 inches tall. 5 1/4 inches diameter at rim. 3 3/4 inches diameter at foot.
Continuing to explore this form, color and the application of a sigil of sorts. In the past, I carved out a symbol; this was a try at laying down an image in wax. I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cpozVojX1qzyx8yo10_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cprrp5oE1qzyx8yo1_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Glick Red glaze under Randy's Oribe glaze.
5 1/2 inches tall. 8 1/4 inches diameter at the rim. About 3 1/2 inches wide at foot.
This is by far the largest piece I've ever thrown; before it fired, it fit comfortably over my head. Now it's a decent sized salad bowl but still reasonably light. It's my second time with this glaze combination and I'm really enjoying working with it. Depending on where you view the piece from, it offers a very different profile and color palette; the two glazes overlapping is what gave this the lacuna of speckled brown and green in the center.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cprrp5oE1qzyx8yo2_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cprrp5oE1qzyx8yo4_1280.jpg
Oxidation firing.
Glick Red glaze.
7 1/2 inches diameter at rim. 4 1/4 inches tall.
I think I did a good job throwing this and the glaze is pretty solid too; I just didn't need to leave that stripe of untouched clay around the center. It's still totally usable and looks fine; I only wish I'd left well enough alone. More and more, less is more.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cprrp5oE1qzyx8yo6_1280.jpg
Reduction firing.
Buttermilk glaze interior, Randy's Oribe glaze exterior.
4 1/4 inches wide at foot. 7 1/4 inches diameter at rim. 5 1/2 inches tall.
This was the second largest piece I made. It's the fourth time I've tried this color combo and it's continuing to be an enjoyable mix. The exposed runic 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. I was particularly pleased by the spotting up by the rim and the refinement of the foot and bottom of the bowl's interior.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cprrp5oE1qzyx8yo7_1280.jpg

Lots of good stuff here. I think my favourites are the olive/black/blue (or, well, green on my screen) and the gold and red.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cprrp5oE1qzyx8yo9_1280.jpg
And here's the whole gang hanging out on my kitchen counter with a water bottle for scale. Now they all need to find a home.
I've got a busy-working summer ahead so am taking a break for three months from pottery. I'm regretful about the time apart but excited to come back to it in the fall with renewed focus and excitement. I'm getting closer to achieving the confluence of ideas in head to execution through hands. Someday.

Really great stuff forks.

thanks! it's a hobby!

really good class tonight; trimmed six pieces and only lost one. Feeling confident and happy with this just now.