Pottery Blog: Emily Murphy

A Semi-Complete Tour of Ceramics Blogs (part 4)

2008-04-06T20:37:00.006-05:00

When I started out on the venture of writing this blog almost 4 years ago, I could only really find a half dozen or fewer ceramic bloggers out there writing. Things have really exploded and there are new blogs popping up every week now (as well as some casualties). I thought I'd share with you links to the blogs that I read. (UPDATED)

You'll notice that my blogroll is long. 63 blogs to be exact. There is no way that I could remember to check in with these blogs on my own, so I use the blog reader, Google Reader, to subscribe to these blogs. Instead of visiting all the sites, the newest posts are compiled into the reader automatically and keeps track of the unread ones, etc... It's very easy to set up (really...it is!).
If you're interested in subscribing to my list (below), and you're using Google Reader, just follow these simple steps.

Login to Google Reader
Click on this link and "save file": http://www.google.com/reader/public/subscriptions/user/15666827403315601321/label/public
Figure out where the downloaded file is located. (for PC users) Right click on the download and click on "open folder containing." That will tell you where the downloaded file is located
Click on "Manage Subscriptions"
Click on "Import/Export"
Click on"Browse" and locate the downloaded file.
Click Upload and then start reading! You'll be overwhelmed with posts to read at first, but once you get caught up, it's quite manageable :)

You can always use this as a starting point and add and subtract subscriptions from this list to suit your interests.

I do plan on continuing sharing my "tour of ceramics blogs" with little write ups and images, but there has been such an explosion to pottery bloggers that I thought I should take a moment to catch you up with what's happening in the world of ceramics bloggers.

I know there are more blogs out there, but it's not always easy to find them! When looking for blogs to subscribe to, I look for the following criteria (it's not an exact science):

regularly updated... or interesting enough that it's worth the wait!
the content of the blog is multi-dimensional. (it's not just a blog that is just showing what's new in the writer's online shop)
The focus of the majority of the blog posts are about clay. (pottery, tiles, sculpture, etc...)

The way that I have found out about most of these blogs is to follow the links from the blogs I read, and wander off from one blog into another. The linking and referencing between blogs has created a sort of community the exists between bloggers and readers from around the world, but within one's own computer.

If you write or read a blog that you think I'd be interested in, please let me know! I am always excited to find a new one. If I have overlooked your blog, it's not intentional, please send me a link.

And just one other thing that you might be able to help me with. I don't know the names of all the bloggers who write these blogs. It often just doesn't exist anywhere on the blog. I am sure this is sometimes intentional, but I think it's sometimes just an over site. If there are any gaps that you can help me with, please pass on the info to me. I really like knowing the names of the person writing, it allows you to make a personal connection to the person writing. A big part of why someone buys a handmade pot is because of the connection to the maker. I sort of feel like it's the same thing with reading a blog. I want to know about the maker/writer. At least their name and where they're from.

Enjoy the trip you're about to take wandering off into the land of ceramics blog. I'm sure you'll be inspired, like I am every day.

Salt/ Soda Discussion Group

2008-03-30T11:27:00.005-05:00

At NCECA I attended a discussion group that has carried on past Pittsburgh and is leading to some interesting post-conference disussions. At this year's conference, the discussion group, Salt Firing Verses Soda Firing was led by Joyce Centofanti. One of the other attendees, David Hayashida, came up with the great idea creating an email list so we could continue our discussion and share recipes and techniques after we returned home. David put the list together and there was instantly a lot of information being passed around. Another participant, Pamela Theis, decided to take it one step further and create an Ning group (an social network site) that will allow us to continue to connect with each other, but to invite others out there who weren't a part of the original group to add to the discussion.
So, if you're interested in salt firing or soda firing, or even a hybrid, join the group and join in the conversation! It just began a couple of days ago, so we're really just getting started.

Join the group Salt/Soda Firing

I've been playing around on the site and found that you can upload photos and create this little slide show creator that you see below:

Find more photos like this on Salt/Soda Firing

This is my page on the Salt/Soda Firing site, if you're interested in seeing what you can do. I'm excited about the possibilities with this group. Soda firing is still relatively new so I think that a group like this that will allow us to share, trouble shoot and brainstorm can have a big impact. I hope you join us!

Akar Yunomi Invitational 2008

2008-03-28T04:27:00.002-05:00

It's up now- Akar's Yunomi Invitational 2008.

What is a yunomi you ask? Yunomi is an informal Japanese teabowl that is taller than wide, with a trimmed foot.

Akar's site was overwhelmed this morning, but the bottleneck seems to have opened up. I am having a lot fun meandering around the exhibition. Just click here (or on the screenshot above) if you want to see my tea bowls. Enjoy the show!

Pottery and knick-knacks?

2008-03-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

In the taxi on the way to the Pittsburgh airport on Saturday morning our driver asked if we were in town with all the ceramics people. We said yes and he asked "what do you make: pottery or knick-knacks?" Isn't that a great question?

I made a promise to myself many years ago that I would make a commitment to continually further my ceramic education. This is done in a couple of ways: attending workshops, reading all clay focused books, magazine (& blogs!) I can get my hands on, and go to NCECA every year. I do pretty well with this commitment and have managed to get to all but one conference in recent memory.

NCECA is usually held in a smaller city: Pittsburgh, Louisville, Portland, Baltimore, Indianapolis, etc... I often wonder what the host cities think about "us." I don't know how many people attended this year, but I know that in the past attendance has hit about 6000. In the immediate area of the conference it can feel like every square foot of space is filled with potters and sculptors (and knick-knack makers!). I wanted to share a couple more images from my trip (again, this is just a tiny snippet of the week!).

This is the exhibition hall where vendors, schools, publishers, etc... have booths set up. It felt a little smaller this year than in the past (the whole conference felt that way). But that in no way means that there wasn't enough to see, hear & buy! I got some fun new tools that I'll share with you in the near future.

Most of the images that I am sharing with you were from the La Mesa tableware show from Santa Fe Clay. It's always one of my favorite shows, and one that I usually go to see 3 or 4 times. There were 150 place settings from different ceramic artists this year. Amazing!
This group of images is more black and white (the last NCECA post was more colorful). It was a different day and I was drawn to different pieces.

Julie Johnson. The gestures of the lines are irresistible.

Molly Hatch I've been eying Molly's work for a while. I love how she outline the shapes with a sketchy line.

Michael Kline I'm a big fan: I eat my steel cut oats out of one of Michael's bowls every morning and I'm a faithful reader of his blog. I love this (new?) work with the white slip and wax resist lines.

Yunomis and Postcards

2008-03-27T10:49:00.005-05:00

A few updates:

In a few hours (March 28, 2008. 10am ct) the Yunomi Invitational 2008 exhibition at Akar is opening online. You'll find several of my tea bowls in their online exhibition(!). My artist statement & resume are up on Akar's site now. I can't wait to see the show tomorrow. My tea bowls are in very good company! More to come on the show...

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My friend, Gary Jackson, put together this wonderful super sized postcard for me to take to NCECA last week. If you've come upon my blog via this postcard, welcome! If you'd like to sign up for the potteryblog.com mailing list, just go here. If you sign up, you'll automatically get an email whenever there is a new post. Or of course you can always sign up for the RSS or Atom feeds. I'm looking forward to hearing from the new readers out there. I've got a lot of interesting things in the works, many of which are responses to suggestions from potteryblog.com readers. Thanks for all of the emails and comments!

Live! From NCECA 2008 - Pittsburgh

2008-03-20T22:42:00.004-05:00

Greetings from Pittsburgh! It's been quite a week. I've met a lot of great people, put faces to names that I've come to know through this blog, caught up with old friends, bought pots, bought tools, heard great speakers, participated in lively discussions, and looked at and picked up what must be hundreds of pots and the conference is only half over!

I wanted to share a handful of images of pieces that I've seen at shows this week. This is just a little itty bitty taste of what I've seen. Enjoy! (click on the images to see a bigger image.)

Beth Lo. I find this piece incredibly endearing.

Justin Rothshank. This has a dinosaur on it! Fossil fuel... get it?

Naomi Cleary. I just love how the drawings are on the inside of this cup.

Diana Fayt. I love Diana's work and this is the first time I have gotten to see her work in person. It's even more impressive in person.

Ursula Hargens. Her works makes me crave spring even more than I already am!

Simon Levin. I am such a fan of Simon's work. I don't know anyone else that gets surfaces like his out of a wood kiln (or any other kiln for that matter!).

The Quarter Trick

2008-03-14T10:02:00.003-05:00

This is a little trick that I picked up from my friend Jordan Taylor for throwing platters. I find it extremely useful so I thought I would pass it on to all of you and maybe you'll find it useful too.

The quarter trick solves three problems that arise from throwing platters:

Instead of having to both wedge and center one large mass of clay, you can break it down into two pieces which reduces the strain on your body
It helps you more easily judge the thickness of the floor of the platter and adds consistency if you're doing multiples.
And it allows you to compress the floor of the platter REALLY well so you don't have to worry about any future problems of cracking.

So here is the quarter trick:

Wedge up and center your first lump of clay. This piece is going to be the floor of your platter. I used 8 lbs of clay which gives me a slightly narrow but thick foot (great for putting holes into so you can hang it). You can vary the weight depending on the ultimate size of your platter. But I find that the 8 - 9 lb. range works for a variety of sizes of platters since the size foot isn't necessarily that different.

Center your clay and compress the heck out of the floor. Place a quarter in the center of your centered clay (I use a 1974 quarter).

Wedge up your second piece of clay and place it on top of the quarter. I tend to use between 8 - 12 lbs. of clay for this second piece, depending on the ultimate shape of the platter.

Open up the platter and establish the curve.
TAKE OUT THE QUARTER!!!!
And clean it off so it doesn't become part of your reclaim. (I speak from experience on this one.)

Then finish off your platter as usual and be aware of the thickness of the floor.

This platter isn't actually the platter that is throw above. That platter is sitting in my studio waiting to be trimmed. But this platter was thrown in the same way.

1000 True Fans

2008-03-05T15:45:00.004-06:00

Thanks to BoingBoing, I found interesting article that seems applicable to ceramic artists.Kevin Kelly's thesis is that one approach to make an good, steady living is to build up a base of 1000 "True Fans."
from Kevin Kelly's article:

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

Each of these True Fans will spend, on average, $100 per year on your work. You end up with $100,000 gross annual income. After all the expenses (taxes, insurance, materials, show fees, etc...), you end up with a solid living.

1000 fans probably seems like an overwhelming number. But if you look at as 1 person per day for 3 years, that's a little easier. Or maybe you have 500 True Fans that spend $200 per year. And it's possible that you aren't selling directly to that group. You can have super loyal fans that are buying your work through galleries and shops.

So how do you do it? I think the best possible way is to make direct connections with the buyer. It makes a lot of sense for potters. You're making work that is meant to connect the maker with the buyer. Your artist statement, wording on your website, the writing on your Etsy shop can have a more personable tone to help establish that connection. The time that you spend meeting with customers at your studio, art fairs, gallery openings, workshops, classes, wholesale and retail shows are invaluable. And of course, a blog is a great way to connect with people :)
After you connect with people that really love your work, you'll have to figure out ways to maintain and build up those relationships. Special sales and discounts. Early alerts to sales, personal emails, etc...

As a full time potter in the year 2008, I definitely get the questions (often from other artists): how do you do it? how do you make a living as a potter? This is an interesting way to look at it, and is an interesting approach to your business if you're looking to build it up or try to
make it more stable.

I hope you take some time to read the article. Kelly goes into quite some depth and looks at different scenarios and ways to gain True Fans. What are your thoughts?

I'm getting ready for NCECA...are you?

2008-03-03T22:09:00.007-06:00

I'm getting ready to head out to Pittsburgh in a week and a half to attend NCECA. One of my favorite parts of it is the cup sale. I love donating as many mugs as I can fit into my carry on (along with cups from friends who aren't attending). I really love spending time pouring over the hundreds of cups that are just sitting, unpretentiously, on long folding tables. Cups of all shapes & sizes from potters of all skill levels and from many corners of the world. The variety of designs and finishing techniques always amazes me. And unlike a normal gallery setting, you get to pick up almost every single piece if you want to and study them.
A little info on the cup sale from the NCECA website:

At the Louisville 2007 NCECA Conference, 745 cups (of every design and ceramic material imaginable) were donated to the Annual Cup Sale
An estimated 2000 viewers – many of them returning several times – visited the Cup Sale exhibition
Hundreds of eager buyers gathered throughout the morning hours on Friday to purchase their favorites
Within 3 hours of the Sale’s opening, a record $20,483 was raised for the NCECA Fund for Artistic Development!

And if you're not able to make it to NCECA this year, it's not to late to mail in a cup or two for the sale. You can ship your pots so they arrive by March 14th to:

Josh Green

(for NCECA Cup Sale)

Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild

1815 Metropolitan Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15233

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Is anyone else out there spending part of their mid-March in Pittsburgh? Let me know if you'd like to meet up in person. I'd love to get together with other bloggers and blog readers in person(!) Send me an email if you'd like to figure out a time to meet up for lunch, dinner, coffee or a beer (emily@sodafired.com).

And if you're not able to go to NCECA this year, I'm hoping to do some somewhat "live" blogging from the conference. I'll have my laptop, camera and an internet connection at my hotel. Check back to see what's happening!

Surface Decoration Techniques: faceting with a wire.

2008-02-08T12:15:00.002-06:00

Faceting the walls of pots is a great way to change the surface of a piece. The facets can be highlighted with atmospheric firings and glazes that break on high points. There are many ways to facet a pot - wet or leather hard, with a wire or a special faceting tool, with a straight wire or a curly wire. Each choice will give you a different final look. I do have a personal preference for faceting while wet. If you facet right on the wheel after your piece is thrown, you can still alter the shape while pushing out from the inside of the piece and you can "re-throw" the lip which is great for a drinking vessel! And if you happen to go through the wall of your pot, you can still re-wedge the clay and try again.

Below are images of a sample cup of wire faceting techniques:

top left: a curly wire that I made that you can see in a previous blog post.
top right: a Bill Van Gilder Wiggle Wire.
bottom left: a Mud Tool straight wire tool.
bottom right: a Mud Tool curly wire.

And below you can see the finished result of the sampler cup:

clay body: Lillstreet Soda Clay
firing: soda fired, c. 10 reduction
slip: top half dipped in Bob Briscoe's Slip for all Occasions
glaze: rutile blue

This is part of my "Surface Decoration Technique" series.
I have been creating, soda firing and documenting simple straight sided cylinders with a variety of surface treatments for examples for my classes and this blog. The original idea was to create demos to show students that aren't specifically "my pieces." The fun result of this project has been that it's given me an excuse to return to things long forgotten and to try some new techniques.
Watch out for upcoming tutorials with lots of pictures and slip and glaze recipes.

How to: make a cut off wire

2008-02-07T10:54:00.000-06:00

I have some issues with the standard cut off wire. They can break and it usually isn't easy to replace the wire. Sometimes you need a longer wire to cut off a big platter. And sometimes you want something different from you wire - either a thinner wire or maybe something that will add texture.

To make a cut off "wire" that fits your needs, this is what you need to get started:

A pair of corks. I prefer the rubber wine corks.
A drill with a small drill bit.
A wire of some sort: fishing line, thin wire, a stretched out spring.**

Drill a hole into the center of your cork.

Thread your cord, wire or spring through the cork. If you're using fishing line, thread it through multiple times and tie a couple of knots. If you're using beading wire, use a crimp bead. If you're using a spring or other single ply wire, twist the wire after you thread it through the cork.

An added bonus: they float!
Next blog post will have some images of the wires in action.

**Some ideas for "wires:"

Fishing line of whatever thickness you prefer. You can find it as hardware stores, Target, craft stores, sporting good stores, etc...
If you prefer to have an actual wire, beading wire is perfect! There are a bunch of different brands out there. Look for multi-strand braided wire. You can find it at craft stores and anywhere they sell beads. Or you can find it here.
To make a wavy texture wire, you need to find a spring that is made from a thin gauge wire that will be easy to stretch out. I have found the BEST springs at one of my favorite stores - American Science Surplus in Chicago (and they only cost 20 cents!). Unfortunately, they don't sell the exact wire online, but you can get a package of assorted springs from them here, and I'm pretty sure that you can find something that'll work in the package.

Check out some more of my "How to" posts. If you have any suggestions for future tutorials, send me an email or add a comment!

Ask a Potter: Photography

2008-02-03T14:50:00.001-06:00

I regularly get questions emailed to me about clay, kilns, the business of clay, etc... I have decided to start a series "Ask a Potter" where I answer some of these questions on PotteryBlog.com that I think will be interesting and helpful to other readers. Please feel free to share your 2 cents and join in on the dialog!
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Who takes your photos? What kind of camera do you use?
-Diane in Georgia

My "professional" images are taken by Guy Nicol in Chicago.
His studio is also at Lillstreet Studios. If you're not in the Chicago area, don't let that stop you, you can ship your work to him.
I have been using Guy for my photos for the last 7 years, and his work is amazing. He specializes in studio arts such as ceramics, jewelry, fibers, etc... I've used the images he taken to apply to shows as well as promotional materials (postcards, business cards, etc...). Some of Guy's images of my work published in exhibition catalogs, 500 Cups (2 images), 500 Pitchers (2 images) and Ceramics Monthly.

Some examples of photos that Guy has taken for me recently:

I do take lots of photos myself that are posted on this blog. I got a new digital camera early last fall, the Canon PowerShot A570 and I've been really happy with it.

I would say the photos that I take myself fall into 3 categories - personal, studio shots/ works in progress, and images for online selling. I've been dabbling in online selling for a while trying to figure out what outlet I think is best. I'm finally ready to jump into the Etsy pool (more on that to come!) and easy, high quality photos are a necessity.

Below are some photos that I have taken with my digital camera:

Busy busy!

2008-01-29T15:14:00.001-06:00

I have some fun blog posts in the works, but they're a bit ambitious and it's taking me longer to get them posted than I thought it would. Here is some other stuff that I'm up to (in no particular order).

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Earlham Alumni Event at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago

Feb. 16th, 2008
I'm so excited to teach a workshop for Earlham Alums! I learned to make pots at Earlham where ceramics was highly supported by the students and faculty. Over the years of having a studio at Lillstreet, I've had a lot of EC alums visit me. Their support of clay as students at Earlham has transformed into a life long appreciation of handmade pots.
If you're an Earlham alum in the mid-west, I hope you can make it to the workshop. Or if you know someone else who is... pass it on!

Join fellow Earlhamites, parents, and friends of the College at Lillstreet Art Center for a hands-on workshop with Emily Murphy '99. Each participant will have the opportunity to learn hand building techniques and create his or her own mug or vase. Pieces will be fired and available for pickup approximately 2-3 weeks after the event. All work will be completely non-porous, food-safe, and microwave and dishwasher safe! We will gather at 11:30 for pizza and an opportunity to hear an update from campus!

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Another Cup? at Baltimore Clayworks curated by Deborah Bedwell.
Jan. 12 - Feb. 23, 2008

I was excited to be invited to be a part of this exhibition. See the pictures 0f the show here.

An invitational exhibition featuring cups from established and emerging ceramic artists. The curator, Baltimore Clayworks’ Executive Director Deborah Bedwell believes, “… that a beautifully made cup, which satisfies its utilitarian and/or artistic intention is exactly what our culture needs and answers the question “Does the world need another cup?

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Yunomi Invitational at Akar
I have also been invited to be a part of the Yunomi Exhibition at Akar. I'll keep you posted when the show is online. Right now the pots are in the mail, on their way to Akar.
They have the tea bowls from last year's exhibition online. Take a look, there are some amazing vessels!
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My plan has been for a long time to redo my main website: sodafired.com
But everything else gets in the way (like making pots, my blog, etc...). But I am trying to at least keep some of the info updated.
Here's the latest:

updated resume

updated artist statement

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A new class session at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago began a couple of weeks ago. Spring session starts mid-March. The classes I'm teaching will be the same next session, but with slightly different days & times.

Advanced Wheel - Throwing and Altering
Tuesdays, 6:30 - 9:30pm

This class is for the proficient thrower to take their wheel work to the next level. We will push, pull and cut the clay on and off the wheel to create new forms on and off the wheel. We will use the wheel to make the basic forms, and then incorporate hand-building techniques to build forms that are out of round.

Advanced Topics in Soda: Investigating Materials
Wednesdays, 7 - 10pm

This class is for advanced students who have had some experience in soda and atmospheric firing, and are looking to investigate the process more deeply. We will be focused on exploring and understanding different clay bodies and dozens of slips. We will look at slides for inspiration and will identify particular finishes that are interesting and exciting. From there, we will study individual materials and how they react in the soda kiln. The end goal will be to create some new and unique finishes through the investigation of materials

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The Conversation Continues...
You might remember the show that I was a part of last fall: Being to Being: Collective Conversations in Clay. Check out the website- there are new images of the show (installed) and the process. And it sounds like there will be another show this fall with a new twist. As always, I'll keep you posted!

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Ask a Potter
I regularly get questions via email from other ceramic artists seeking my advice. There are certain questions that I get over and over again: new graduates asking advice on what to do after graduation; questions about kilns and soda; people coming to visit Chicago wondering what clay focused things there are to do an see when they're in town, etc... I try to answer these questions as best I can within the limitations of my time and knowledge. Last week I got a bunch of emails, many of which are variations on common questions that I get. I thought to myself: "I should use each question and my answer as a blog post." So that's what I'm going to do. And I'm hoping that maybe a dialog can open up and the Pottery Blog readers can help fill in the gaps in my advice with their own knowledge and experiences.

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Europe, clay?
Ian and I are planning a trip to Europe in mid to late August. We have a wedding to go to in Germany, but other than that, we don't have any specific plans. We're in the VERY early stages of planning (I think we're heading north, Denmark, etc...). Does anyone have any suggestions for clay related things that we should consider doing/ seeing and maybe take in account in our planning? Thanks in advance for the suggestions!

Those are all the updates for now. It's nice to be back!

A potter is a person in your neighborhood.

2008-01-23T13:15:00.001-06:00

I have always been a fan of kids books. Having 4 little nephews gives me an excuse to add books to my collection. This one book holds a special place in my heart: ABC and 123: A Sesame Street Treasury of Words and Numbers.

You can see the obvious reason below:

A Holiday Tour of Lillstreet Studios

2007-12-06T18:39:00.001-06:00

I thought I'd give a little tour of what some of the studios are offering this holiday season at Lillstreet Studios in Chicago. It's truly a unique shopping experience to be able to shop directly from the artists in their studios. I'm including photos of just a sampling of the studios. There are over 50 artists under one roof - and that's not including Lillstreet's Gallery!

ceramics by Emily Murphy

jewelry by 2nd and 3rd floor studio artists

ceramics by Lisa Harris

pottery by Karen Avery

pottery by Gary Jackson

porcelain by Joanna Kramer

porcelain by Karen Patinkin

ceramic and glass beads by Amy Lemaire

jewelry by Christine Simpson

porcelain by Deborah Schneider

agricultural art by Cathi Bouzide

Photography by Guy Nicol

pottery by Mike Szostak

jewelry by 2nd floor metals artists

Many of the studios are open daily...
check in with individual artists for their hours

Monday - Friday 12noon - 6pm
Saturdays 10am - 6pm
Sundays 12noon - 5pm

Studio Holiday Sale

2007-11-30T10:45:00.000-06:00

Tonight's the night! It's the opening night for the holiday show at my studio at Lillstreet Studios in Chicago.

If you're in the area, I hope you can stop by tonight, or any time over the next 3 weeks. Details and some pictures to tempt are below.

Opening Night Reception

Friday, November 30, 2007 - 6pm - 9pm
Lillstreet Studios
205 west
4401 N. Ravenswood
Chicago, IL 60640

I have a studio full of new work including the ceramic pendants that you see above that hang on a cord of hand dyed silk. You'll also see the familiar faces of mugs, serving bowls, honey pots and more.

Studio hours for the holidays:

weekdays: 12 noon - 6pm
Saturdays: 10am - 6pm
Sundays: 12 noon - 5pm

There are over 40 artists at Lillstreet Studios making functional pottery, tiles, sculpture, jewelry, photography, handmade beads and more. If I'm not at my studio, one of my studio mates can help you out. If you want to be sure to meet up with me, just send me an email (emily@sodafired.com).

You can probably find something for everyone on your list at Lillstreet Studios. I have some ridiculously functional things that everyone can use. Why shouldn't your soap dispenser be as beautiful and functional as your favorite mug?

Directions to my studio.
I accept cash, checks, Visa and Mastercard.
It's easy to get to with lots of parking for cars and bikes.
There is a ton of public transportation to help you get there. And the exciting news is that the Montrose Stop on the Brown line is open after a year of renovations!

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And on a much more personal note...
I haven't been writing to my blog much lately because I've had a very happy distraction. My sister, Nora, had a little baby boy, Shiya, on November 18, 2007 at 4:12pm. Congratulations!
I've been spending a lot of time with my sister, baby Shiya and big brother Ayrie. (The happy new family is in the picture to your left!)

Happy Holidays!

A Happy Soda Firing

2007-11-11T09:00:00.001-06:00

I fired last week. When I'm done glazing, but before I load the soda kiln, I sit down and roll hundreds of wads for the bottom of my pieces. It always takes a ridiculously long amount of time. Time when I'm feeling a bit anxious about getting things done on schedule. When I was rolling my wads for this last kiln, it was a sunny day, and the morning sun was hitting them in the most beautiful way. I took this picture to share with all of you. My happy spin on a less than fun job.

Wadding Recipe for the soda kiln (pretty standard) (by volume):

1 part EPK
1 part alumina hydrate
medium grog to taste (not really, but you know what I mean...)

I roll my wads ahead of time and put them in a plastic container (the ones from the local Thai take-out place are the best). Then I glue them to the bottoms of pots before loading (Elmer's glue). Breaking up the wadding into steps keeps my hands cleaner and helps me avoid the problem of getting wadding where it doesn't belong.

A shot of the front of the kiln. It was an interesting firing. I reduced the amount of soda that I added by about 25% or so.

(new) Soda Mixture:

1.75 lbs. of soda ash
2.25 lbs. of soda bicarb
4 lbs. of whiting

Mixed together with 1/4 of a 5 gallon bucket of wood chips. Mix together well, then add enough water (while mixing) to the consistency of oatmeal cookie dough. I add it on an piece of angle iron through the ports on the front of the kiln when c. 9 is soft. (More on this in a future post.)

Below are some tea bowls that I got out of this firing.

How to: Make a texture roller for clay

2007-11-10T13:50:00.000-06:00

This project is instant gratification. Something that is not that common in the world of clay. With this texture roller, you can use it as soon as the hot glue has cooling, which is very fast. It's a great project to do in a class, or on your own so you have a custom tool that no one else has.

Supplies:

a roller of some sort (cut up pieces of PVC, empty rolls of tape, couplings for PVC, plastic rolling pins from the dollar store or craft store).
a sharpie.
a hot glue gun. They only cost a couple of bucks.
extra hot glue sticks.

Draw your pattern onto the rolling pin. It's easier to work out the pattern before with a Sharpie than it is later with the hot glue. Think about some sort of connected pattern, they tend to have the best results. And don't go overboard with the lines, you'll regret it later. And remember that the hot glue line aren't going to be perfect, so just go with the imperfection.

While you're drawing, plug in your hot glue gun. Make sure that you do it on a surface that you can toss when done, like newspaper or cardboard. When you're done drawing on your design, start gluing. Be a bit heavy handed with the glue. If the lines are too thin, they won't show up on the clay as well.

After the glue seems cool, start rolling away... The first attempt might stick a bit, but after there is some dusty clay on the roller, it won't really stick.

If you're not a hand builder, a nice use for one of these textured slabs is in the bottom of a thrown and altered casserole.

Useful web tools for the potter

2007-10-30T11:06:00.001-05:00

There are some great web tools out there for ceramic artists that are simple, straightforward and easy to use; not unlike a good pot. You probably aren't surprised that I spend a lot of time both in my studio and online. When a question or problem arises in my studio, I head to Google.

I have put together a collection of these (free!) tools that I use to make fast work of some of the less fun parts of clay- like glaze chemistry and shipping.

Get ready to do some bookmarking!

calculations for the ceramic artist:
Celsius to Fahrenheit calculator and vice versa
weight conversions (grams to pounds, etc...)
basic glaze calculatorMetric/Imperial Converter
metric/ imperial converter from Clayzee
volume calculator - how much does that pitcher hold?

shipping:
compare carriers on iShip. Figure out the best deal on shipping your pots.
USPS postage calculator
UPS time and cost calculator

firing information:
Orton Cone Chart - pdf download
firing temperature color chart - pdf download
firing chart - what happens to clay

other helpful things:
this to that - tips of what sort of glue you should use (surprisingly useful)
picassa - a FREE photo organization program that makes it easy to edit, print & upload images. A program that I can't imagine owning a digital camera without.
doodle - create a poll and figure out the best time for a meeting. I have used this a lot when organizing meeting times for an organization (like a guild or co-op).

If you have any web tools that you like to use, send me the link!

Simple Tweaks to a Better Wheel Set-up

2007-10-19T09:59:00.001-05:00

I have seen too many potter friends suffer with back problems over the years. It's made me be very conscious about the health of my back and my efforts to stop any problems before they begin. Every potter who throws at a wheel has a different set-up. Although mine is based on a pretty traditional set-up, I have tweaked it enough to be both a more efficient work space and back friendly.
You might notice that there is a 2nd wheel in the background. I have a throwing wheel and a trimming wheel. I love being able to move back and forth between the two wheel and not have to clean up and change the set up. I keep either my Giffin Grip or my foam bat on my trimming wheel. I have it set up in the corner of my studio so I do not track any clay trimmings around my studio.

I know many potters who throw standing up to alleviate any potential back problems. For me this just creates another problem from being on your feet all the time. I think the most important thing I can do is to constantly change my tasks (throwing, trimming, wedging, decorating, glazing, paperwork, cleaning, etc...) and my sitting and standing positions throughout the day. Sometimes I will even give up efficiency for this.

Another thing that I did to help keep my back happy is to get a new throwing stool. After a ridiculous amount of research, I found this great stool from Creative Industries. It's totally adjustable- both the height and the tilt. It tilts your hips into your work so your back can stay nice and straight. This has made a HUGE difference for me. I also put my non-pedal foot on a brick to keep me balanced and symmetrical.

You might have also noticed from the picture the mirror in front of my wheel. I started doing this a couple of years ago and it has also made my throwing life much happier. It took me about 2 days to get used to it (I had to remember to look up!). It stops me from constantly cranking my head over to the side to see what my piece looks like. It also makes a huge difference in the forms that I thrown. I can see exactly what is happening by looking straight ahead. You can make sure that each piece you throw actually has the shape that you think it does. The result is that both me and my pots have better posture. My back and neck are straighter and my pots end up having more lift.

I feel like I've lost a lot of time over the years looking tools on the other side of my splash pan. To stop this problem from continuing, I built this little shelf on the right side of my wheel. All the tools I use regularly are kept right there- nice and easy for me to find. (The mini-Altoids tin is perfect for a pair of bat bins). The tools in the picture are on the list of "clay tools that I cannot live without." (I'll talk about that in another post.) This little shelf mean less bending forward trying to search for the clay covered rib that has slipped under the splash pan.... My throwing bucket sits right in front of the shelf also for easy access (I'm right handed).

I realize how much I miss my tweaked space when I am teaching and do not have this set up.
A couple of (cheap!) things that you can do, even if it's in a shared space, like a classroom:

Tilt a standard throwing stool by sticking a 2 x 4 under the back 2 legs. You can even drill into the wood about 1/4 - 1/2 an inch so the stool won't accidentally slip off the wood.
Get a mirror. A hardware store, thrift store or Ikea are all great places to find a mirror. The just lean it up against whatever is in front of the wheel- shelves, a table, a wall. You'll really see a difference in your throwing, and your back might be a bit less achy.
Keep your tools and water bucket on a stool next to your wheel. You can keep the stool clean by putting a bat on top of the stool, and tools and bucket on top of that.

update (10/29/07)- a post from John Zentner about his standing wheel set-up on his blog pots and other things.

update (10/30/07)- another great post from Anne Webb at Webb Pottery about her favorite tools and her wheel set-up.

update (10/30/07)- an article from the archives of Studio Potter magazine on back problems and potters.

update (10/31/07)- a post from Jeanette Harris about tools that she can't do without.

Empty Bowls - Chicago Style

2007-10-16T10:48:00.000-05:00

This December, Lillstreet Art Center is hosting their 2nd annual Empty Bowls event. Last year we had a great turnout, but the plan is to really scale it up this year. Tons of bowls, a big community of people and soup galore will all come together to raise money and awareness to help fight hunger.

The request that I'm sending out is for potters, glass blowers, wood turners, and metal smiths of all levels to make a bowl (or 2 or 20) and donate it to Chicago's Empty Bowls event at Lillstreet Art Center. We'd also like for you to come a share a meal, if you're in the area on December 7, 2007 from 6pm - 9pm. For $20, guests are invited to choose a bowl and are served a generous serving of soup and bread made by First Slice Café. Guests keep the bowl as a reminder that there are always “empty bowls” in the world.

Lillstreet has a very unique restaurant in it's building (sharing space with the gallery), the First Slice Café. Proceeds from the cafe go to feed Chicago's hungry. They help fight hunger in a very direct way: the food they make for various organizations is the same amazing food that is served in their café. In addition to First Slice making the food for the event, they will also be the recipient of the event's proceeds so they can continue to create healthy meals for these local organizations: Heartland Alliance, The Night Ministry, American Indian Center Youth Program, and Howard Area Alternative High School.

If you would like to participate in this event by donating a bowl, please deliver or mail your bowl(s) by November 18, 2007 to:

Lillstreet Art Center

4401 North Ravenswood

Chicago, IL 60640

Attn: Empty Bowls

If you'd like to join us for a bowl of soup, come to Lillstreet on December 7, 2007 from 6pm - 9pm.

If you have any questions about this event, you can contact the event organizer, Joanna Kramer.
Please help us spread the word by forwarding this to a friend. Thanks!

The bowls that are in the photo above are by Gary Jackson, Fire When Ready Pottery.

A path to being a greener potter.

2007-10-15T12:05:00.001-05:00

Blog Action Day is a day where blogger from all over the world write about one specific issue: the environment. I am excited to have an extra push to write this post that I have been wanting to write a post for months on what someone can do to be a "greener" ceramic artist. I was inspired by Laura Zindel's post on one black bird; Mary Anne Davis's post on being Carbon Neutral and her list on her work's environmental impact; and on Soderstrom Pottery Blog. They have started a great discussion that I would like to help continue with within the ceramics community.

I think my aversion to actually writing this post that has been in my head is the same thing that stops many of us from creating greener lives. I wanted this post to be epic, to have all of the answers. It was going to be very complete and very satisfying. But that is truly an impossible task. When I think about all of the environmental changes that I want to make at home or at my studio, the ultimate goal is overwhelming and paralyzing. The only way to get past the paralysis is to stop for a moment, and break it down into steps. The steps will get you closer to your end goal, but they are much easier to conquer than taking a gigantic leap.

Here are some steps that I have taken on my path to being a greener potter...

I use almost all recycled materials for both shipping and retail customers. I actively collect bags, boxes, packing paper and bubble wrap from friends, family, students and customers.
I recycle my clay scraps and try to aggressively edit unfired work. I don't want to turn greenware that is reclaimable into something that is not if I am not truly satisfied with the piece at that stage.
I try to make my test pieces as functional pieces (like small cups) that might go on to live a life beyond just testing a slip or glaze.
I live close to my studio so I can either walk or drive a very short distance. I teach in the same building that I have my studio so I don't have to commute to class too.
I work in a co-operative type studio that conserves resources in many ways. One specific way is by ordering clay and materials together so there is only 1 delivery truck instead of 20.
My studio space is small and efficient. Each space has multiple uses. One table can transform from a wedging table to a decorating table to a glaze table to a display table. Much of the furniture in my studio is on wheels so it can be more easily converted.

My studio display lights are on a timer. My studio is often open to the public even when I am not there, and the timer stops the lights from being on all the time. (Does anyone know of nice track lighting fixtures that are energy efficient?)

I set up a "free-cycle" area in a common area (hallway) at my studio where the studio artists can pass on unneeded things to the next person.
I sell my seconds as "flawed yet functional." They are still totally usable, but I can't send them off to a gallery. Customers get to go on a treasure hunt, and give life to a piece that might otherwise be doomed as landfill. In response to the "flawed yet functional" sign in my studio, I once had a customer get teary eyed and tell me that that was exactly how they felt... flawed yet functional.

I know there are people reading this that are working under very different conditions from 60 different countries. Some are students working at a high school, university or art center. There are country potters with lots of land, and urban potters, like me, that are working in a smaller studio. The problems and solutions that you face are going to be very different if you're a tile maker, production potter or a sculptor. I hope that you'll share the steps you take in your clay world to being a little bit greener with the rest of us.

update- 10/15/07 - another clay blogger, Anne Webb, wrote a Blog Action Day post

update - 10/29/07 - Pam McFayden wrote a great post over at lureart ceramics about studio recycling.

Being to Being: Collective Conversations in Clay

2007-10-14T15:18:00.002-05:00

This is a virtual tour of a show that I am currently in: Being to Being: Collective Conversations in Clay at Park West Ceramics Gallery in Chicago. The concept for the show is very unsual (remember, I like unconventional things...).

Here's the idea: There are 5 artists, all with different styles of making and decorating. Each artist made 5 pieces. One of the pieces is made start to finish by that original artist. The other 4 pieces are handed off in the leather hard stage to the other 4 artists. Each participant decorates the 4 pieces from the other artists. Carving and cutting, slips and glazes, adding clay pre- and post firing, atmospheric firings and decals were some of the techniques used.

The photos in this post were taken on opening night and aren't actually the best images. Sometime in the next couple of weeks I'll add better images, but I was too excited about this show to wait for those images. But for now, you can get an idea of what the show is all about...

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Platter by Emily Murphy. Soda fired with a crackle slip and sprayed glazes.

top left: Slipped wood fired with low fire decals by Gina Hutchings.
top right: Cut, carved, slipped, glazed and wood fired by Jay Strommen.
bottom left: Slipped, glazed, punctured, reduction fired, then sewn by Joanna Kramer.
bottom right: Cut, then applied stoneware "staples" and porcelain coil then soda fired by Shane Grimes.

The next series are porcelain hand built slab "landscape" vases by Joanna Kramer.
Below is her solo piece that is actually two porcelain vases that are sewn together (post firing, of course!).

top left: Glazed and wood fired with low fire decals applied by Gina Hutchings.
top right: Slipped, glazed, cut and carved then wood fired by Jay Strommen.
bottom left: Slipped, glazed and soda fired by Emily Murphy.
bottom right: Slipped and carved with stoneware staples and porcelain coils attached and then soda fired by Shane Grimes.

Jay Strommen's pieces are thrown and altered with slips and lightly glazed then wood fired.

top left: Slipped, glazed, wood fired with decals by Gina Hutchings.
top right: Slipped, punctured, glazed and reduction fired then sewn by Joanna Kramer.
bottom left: Lots of stoneware staples and porcelain coils added, then soda fired by Shane Grimes.
bottom right: Slipped, carved, glazed and then soda fired by Emily Murphy.

The next group is from Shane Grimes. Shane's pieces are thrown and altered. His solo piece has his trademark stoneware staples and incredibly thin porcelain spines/coils attached, then soda fired.

top left: Cut, carved, slipped, glazed and wood fired by Jay Strommen.
top right: Soda fired then a decal applied by Gina Hutchings (it's a very cool spider).
bottom left: Slipped, cut, punctured, glazed and reduction fired by Joanna Kramer, then sewn.
bottom right: Slipped, glazed and soda fired by Emily Murphy.

The Geisha series is by Gina Hutchings who is also the organizer of the show.
Her piece below is glaze and wood fired with a decal applied.

top left: Stoneware staples and porcelain coils attached then soda fired by Shane Grimes.
top right: Slipped, punctured, glazed, reduction fired then sewn by Joanna Kramer.
bottom left: Slipped, carved, glazed and wood fired by Jay Strommen.
bottom right: Slipped, glazed and soda fired by Emily Murphy.

The next group of photos are some close up detail images. Because of the lighting in the gallery, it was hard to get really good photos on opening night. I hope these detail images help you fill in the gaps. (click on images to make them bigger)

Why Soda Glaze? - by Maryke Henderson

2007-10-09T10:20:00.002-05:00

Although there is more all the time, overall there is still very little written about soda (soda firing, soda glazing, vapor glazing, etc...). When I come across something that's written specifically about soda, I get really excited and I want to share my find with all of you.

I recently came across this great article on the Australian ceramics website Avicam: Why Soda Glaze? It's a lengthy excerpt from Maryke Henderson's Bachelor of Arts research report from Australian National University School of Art in 2005. It covers everything from "What is soda?" and the historical background of soda to technical information on soda introduction and it's corrosive effects on kilns. There are profiles of contemporary soda artists as well as a statement about Maryke's own work.
The photos that I have included of Maryke Henderson's work are from Avicam. They are elegant pieces that both intrigue me and make me very nervous. Enjoy the article and the beautiful images. When you're done reading Maryke's article, spend some time wandering around Avicam. It's filled with interesting things to read and some really great pots to look at.

Unconventional Vases

2007-10-07T09:15:00.002-05:00

I have been making these oval vases for a while in all different shapes and sizes. The idea for these pieces emerged out of a desire to make a vase that can sit in the middle of a table with flowers in it, yet it's short enough to see your sweetie sitting across the table. Vases are a form that I've battled with. I have high standards for my pieces (vases and others). They must be able to stand on their own, without fulfilling their given purpose. And when they are doing their duty, like holding flowers, it must function flawlessly. My battle with the classic vase form is that I am not interested in it as a stand alone form. I know it's a broad generalization, but it's something that I tackle over and over again, and the form just isn't "strong" enough for my taste. When I push and pull the classic vase form into something that I really like, it is more like a bottle and can't hold more than 1 flower... So I seem to end up venturing into vase forms that are unconventional.

And since I like things that are unconventional, I am doing a show this much that is just that...unconventional. Haus (a wonderful ceramics gallery in Chicago) has coordinated this show for Chicago Artist's Month (which is October). The tables at Anteprima, a fantastic Italian restaurant in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood have been filled with my oval vases. The vases have been filled by Sunburst Flowers, another Andersonville neighborhood business. I love all the collaboration!

The above image is of one of the beautiful arrangements for the show. The below image is of some of my platters at the restaurant. When Anteprima was opening, I was commissioned to make these platters.