There are things you just can't learn from a book or video! I have many books on pottery and a couple of DVD's. These are great for ideas and tips and tricks but to really get started you need to take lessons or be shown by someone first hand. Pottery is such a hand's on skill and a lot of things can be learned by handling clay to see what it will or will not do, by pushing the clay and yourself to the limits. But the basics of centering and throwing clay are rarely self-taught.
I have been fortunate enough to be taking a beginners class in pottery fundamentals - hand-building, throwing on the wheel and glazing right here in Squamish. I already had some basics but I have much to learn and have learned so much in this course. I'm very excited about the up-coming wheel throwing class with Kay Austen!
Needless to say, I have many pieces right now. Luckily I have lots of family members!!!
Oh and I pick up a kiln on Saturday!!! My very own kiln! It needs a little work but it should be running in a week or so!!!!
More to come on that!!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Quote's
Pottery is very individual and very personal. There are two quotes which sum this up:
Jenny Smack is a local potter here in Squamish, BC. "I have an inner urgency and passion for clay, as it allows me to indulge my senses into creation....the raw tactile connection I experience with the clay. " http://members.shaw.ca/jennysmack/
Bill van Gilder from the DIY Network in the US "The more we sit behind our computers, the
more we need that handmade mug, serving bowl, or plate that grounds us. They not only connect us to earth materials, they connect us by touch to all the thought, emotion and creativity that went into making them."
Jenny Smack is a local potter here in Squamish, BC. "I have an inner urgency and passion for clay, as it allows me to indulge my senses into creation....the raw tactile connection I experience with the clay. " http://members.shaw.ca/jennysmack/
Bill van Gilder from the DIY Network in the US "The more we sit behind our computers, the
more we need that handmade mug, serving bowl, or plate that grounds us. They not only connect us to earth materials, they connect us by touch to all the thought, emotion and creativity that went into making them."
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Greenware
Here is my first batch of "stuff" that I made on the wheel. Although not perfect, I am pleased with the results. I have learned a lot of "what not to do" in this process. Drying is a slow process (1 - 2 weeks) and should not be rushed. The pieces are flipped over so that they have a chance to dry uniformly to prevent stress on the piece which could lead to cracking. I dry my pieces for 3 - 7 days in the garage where it is cool and damp and then move them into the house after trimming.
Once the greenware is completely dried it is ready for the first firing in the kiln. Once it is fired, the bisque ware is ready to for glazing. Then it will be fired at a higher temperature a second time to set the glaze. More on glazing later!
The majority of these pieces will also be used to test my glazes and different types of glazing techniques.
For more information about pottery visit http://www.answers.com/topic/pottery
Trimming
Today I trimmed a bunch of my work which I have thrown on the wheel. Trimming is the last stage before bisque firing. Work that is thrown on the wheel often needs to be trimmed or turned to make its thickness uniform and/or to form a foot on the piece. This process is done when the piece has stiffened enough to survive manipulation. This condition is called leather hard. As you can see by the picture, the finished work is placed upside down on the wheel and held into place by bits of soft clay so the piece does not fly off of the wheel. The piece is allowed to air dry until it is hard and dry to the touch. At this stage it is known as greenware. Items of greenware are very brittle but they can be handled with care. Greenware items are occasionally sanded with fine grade sandpaper to ensure a smooth finish in the completed item.
The greenware is often given a preliminary firing in a kiln. Once it has been fired the articles are known as biscuit ware or bisque.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Welcome to my Blog!
As a child growing up in Scarborough, Ontario I always knew two things. One was I did not want to live in a big city and two was that I always wanted to be creative. I wanted to be able to create something with my hands. Something I could be proud of because I made it.
I moved to British Columbia in 1994 and fell in love with the mountains and the ocean but Vancouver was still a big city. In 2002 I moved to Squamish and for the first time in my life I felt like I was home to stay. Squamish is everything I every dreamed of as a child and I feel so fortunate to have found the perfect place to live and grow.
I have tried many different mediums of art over the years but nothing really captured me until I tried pottery. In 1999 I took my first course in pottery focusing on hand-building techniques and I fell in love with clay. I dabbled a bit but did not have the adequate environment as an incentive to be creative. I always wanted to try out the pottery wheel but I felt a little intimated because I knew I wanted to do it, but what if I couldn’t do it? Patience was never one of my stronger attributes but the desire and need to create with clay was lurking inside and looking for an avenue of escape.
In October 2006 I had the opportunity to take a wheel-throwing course at Clayworks Community Pottery Studio in Squamish and I was immediately hooked. Since then I have taken more courses, set up my own studio with a wheel, a kiln, an assortment of tools and I make and experiment with my own glazes.
I am completely addicted to clay. I lay awake at night thinking about different forms, methods, ideas and glazing techniques. I have a constant urge to get out into my studio and immerse myself in a project. I like to push myself and push the clay to its limits to learn what the clay will do. Clay used to control me, then I controlled the clay but now we cooperate.
I enjoy all forms of pottery from slab-building; coil-building; using extruded shapes; sculpting to throwing on the wheel. I use a multitude of mediums in my work and I am always thinking of the next 100 techniques I want to try or things I want to make. There are just not enough hours in the day.
I have found my home here in Squamish and discovered my passion for pottery. I feel very fortunate for the opportunities I have had and I am looking forward to growing and developing my skills. I am proud of my accomplishments thus far and I am excited about advancing my skills to the next level. This is a dream come true for me as I have a persistent inner desire and passion to get muddy and “play clay”.
I moved to British Columbia in 1994 and fell in love with the mountains and the ocean but Vancouver was still a big city. In 2002 I moved to Squamish and for the first time in my life I felt like I was home to stay. Squamish is everything I every dreamed of as a child and I feel so fortunate to have found the perfect place to live and grow.
I have tried many different mediums of art over the years but nothing really captured me until I tried pottery. In 1999 I took my first course in pottery focusing on hand-building techniques and I fell in love with clay. I dabbled a bit but did not have the adequate environment as an incentive to be creative. I always wanted to try out the pottery wheel but I felt a little intimated because I knew I wanted to do it, but what if I couldn’t do it? Patience was never one of my stronger attributes but the desire and need to create with clay was lurking inside and looking for an avenue of escape.
In October 2006 I had the opportunity to take a wheel-throwing course at Clayworks Community Pottery Studio in Squamish and I was immediately hooked. Since then I have taken more courses, set up my own studio with a wheel, a kiln, an assortment of tools and I make and experiment with my own glazes.
I am completely addicted to clay. I lay awake at night thinking about different forms, methods, ideas and glazing techniques. I have a constant urge to get out into my studio and immerse myself in a project. I like to push myself and push the clay to its limits to learn what the clay will do. Clay used to control me, then I controlled the clay but now we cooperate.
I enjoy all forms of pottery from slab-building; coil-building; using extruded shapes; sculpting to throwing on the wheel. I use a multitude of mediums in my work and I am always thinking of the next 100 techniques I want to try or things I want to make. There are just not enough hours in the day.
I have found my home here in Squamish and discovered my passion for pottery. I feel very fortunate for the opportunities I have had and I am looking forward to growing and developing my skills. I am proud of my accomplishments thus far and I am excited about advancing my skills to the next level. This is a dream come true for me as I have a persistent inner desire and passion to get muddy and “play clay”.
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