My Pottery Blog

2009-07-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Etsy Mud Team Feathered Friends Challenge

7/12 through 7/20, the Etsy Mud Team is hosting a challenge for functional items made specifically for birds. There's a screen shot below of some of the entries (mine is in the bottom left corner). To see the rest and vote for your favorite, you can go directly to the team website here.

2009-07-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

Enough

What is enough work? Since preschool ended for the summer have been sorely missing my chunks of work time. It's been difficult with the new schedule, and teaching kids classes, and summer shows, and a disastrously messy studio (that I've been trying to clean out) to get much in the way of actual clay work done.

However, I have been spending some wonderful quality time with my daughter. We've made cakes and cookies and bread, practiced reading, played with play dough, sang silly songs together, and read our way through wonderful novels like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Dragon Rider, and some of The Series of Unfortunate Events. I'm insanely pleased and proud of the way she's started reading more difficult words on her own, and the way she likes to read easy readers to me "without help". I know that I will miss all of this when I go back to school in the Fall and she goes to full-time preschool, so I try to make the most of our time together. Still, I have a nagging itchy feeling when I'm not able to devote solid time to working with clay and I wonder at times if I'm just being lazy when I sit to cuddle with my little one and watch an episode of Star Trek from our recently purchased DVD collection.

In many ways, whether what I'm doing is "enough" comes down to who I'm trying to be. I often feel pulled a million ways by mothering, housework, extracurriculars for my little one, teaching, and making pots. Do I "really" want to be an artist, a supermom, or a teacher? And what if I want to be all of those things at once? Something has to give, and right now I feel like it's the art. Maybe that's ok.

2009-06-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

Birthday Cake

Last year, when my daughter turned three, I made a flowered cake for her. This year, she wanted to make one with me. We bought colored fondant and a cutter/press to make flowers with. She cut out the flowers and sprinkled them with sugar. We laid them in a cupcake tin to set the curve and then the next day, put the cake all together. She especially enjoyed tasting and coloring the frosting and sprinkling sugar on everything. The whole time we were working on the flowers and the cake, she kept commenting, "I'm so glad we're making these together!"

2009-06-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

This week, my local paper featured my polymer clay work in their arts and entertainment section. They talked about my clay work as well as my polymer clay stuff. Here's an excerpt from the article:

BOUNTIFUL — Loving one art form doesn’t mean that a girl can’t have fun with another.

After the economy caused pottery sales to slow down considerably, local potter Tara Robertson started creating whimsical animal and flower jewelry with polymer clay. Those birds, bugs and flowers have expanded enough to earn Robertson feature artist status June 5-8 at ArtFire.com, and gives her the chance to explore her flights of fancy.

“Polymer clay comes in these bright, beautiful colors,” she said. “I try to use it to its advantage and make things that are bright and colorful.”

Robertson’s introduction to polymer clay came when she started teaching kids’ classes using the material, and found that it was the perfect thing to take along when the family went on vacation.

“It’s a really good way to keep my hands busy,” she said. “It’s not as if you can take a pottery wheel on vacation with you.”

The speed of polymer clay jewelry also appeals to Robertson, allowing her to see a design come to life much faster than with pottery.

“With the polymer clay you can go from start to finish in about a day, where with pottery it takes about a month,” she said. “It’s kind of instant gratification.”

That immediacy also allows Robertson to fold her work into playtime with her young daughter.

“She’ll just say ‘oh, let’s make birds,’” she said. “She’ll sit down and squish her clay, and I’ll work on my stuff.”

So far, Robertson is planning a future that holds both pottery and polymer clay jewelry. She’s planning on going back to school in the fall for ceramics, and this summer she’ll continue teaching mixed media and polymer clay jewelry classes at her home studio in Bountiful

2009-05-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Newly glazed Birdhouses

There is a little robin that lives in a tree in front of our house. Every day, several times a day, it will perch on the ledge of our big front window and sit for a while looking in. My daughter has named it "Cinderella" (you'll never guess where she got that name from) and will come sing to it when it perches there. I finally finished and glazed my new birdhouses, so maybe I'll put one outside and see if another "Cinderella" or even an "Aurora" comes to roost.

2009-05-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Beehive Bazaar

I just set up for the Beehive Bazaar last night. I'm really excited about this show, walking around, I loved the style of most of the booths. I even bought a purse from Noelle O Designs with cute appliqued birds and a t-shirt from Scatter Brain Tees that says "Buy Handmade" with a totally awesome illustration. The show started last night and will run through Saturday. If you're local in Utah, this is one not to miss.

2009-04-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Playing on the Wheel

My daughter tried out the wheel for the first time last night. We coned up and down and she made little bowls by pushing her fist down into the middle of centered lumps while it was spinning. While we were working on her pots, she positively took charge. "Look Mom, I'm going to show you how to do this because I don't think you know how." What on earth would I do without her?

2009-04-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

Spring Sale and Open House
Saturday, April 25th from 12-7, I'll be hosting my semi-annual home show. I'll have some yummy food and music playing, and of course, all my pottery out on display.

2009-04-08T05:28:00.000-07:00

New Work
I've been working on making a birdhouse. I figured with spring (hopefully) on its way and the birds starting to show up again it would be fun to make some funky birdhouses. Here's my first attempt from yesterday afternoon. It has not been fired yet.

2009-04-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Contest on Giveaway Today

Do you know a mom who deserves to win something special this Mother’s Day? One who works hard, shows an abundance of love, and knows just the right words to say and when to say them? If so, you can nominate her to win one of three amazing Mother’s Day packages on Give Away Today. Give Away Today is a great blog that does pretty much what it says: gives away great products. My Smoky Pendants Jewelry shop is featured on the site this month.

Here are the great packages being offered:
They will choose one mom who is from the state of Utah. She will win:

“The Utah Package”:
A Sitting and Photography Package Worth $250 from Amanda Alexander Photography
A Sego Lily Retreat Package (includes a massage, facial, and pedicure)

a second mom who is expecting a baby or who has had a baby within the past year will win:

“The Newborn Package” will include Products from:
My Simplicity Boutique
Close to My Heart
Smoky Pendants

Our third Mother’s Day package is open to anyone who is already a mom or who would like to become a mom. She will win:

“The Mom Package” will include Products from:
Scentsy Gift Package
Dimples in Dresses
ShopbyM Jewelry

To enter a mom you know (she could be your own mom, your mother-in-law, your wife, your sister, your neighbor, etc), please email giveaway2day@yahoo.com by midnight MST on April 15th. In your entry you must include the following information:

*Tell in 350 words or less why the mom you are nominating deserves to win one of our Mother’s Day packages.
*You must indicate ONE package you would like for her to win.
*You can attach one image if you would like.

The picture above is my wonderful Mommy with my daughter last summer.
Check it out, and turn in your entries at Give Away Today

2009-04-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

Preschool is Expensive SALE

I stayed up late last night thinking about where my daughter should go to preschool and arrived at one conclusion. Preschool is expensive. Help me save up for it by purchasing my jewelry this week for 30% off at http://smokypendants.etsy.com.

Just type "Preschool$" in the notes to sender and wait for a revised invoice.

2009-04-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

New Love Mug Sets!

I love making these things

2009-03-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Didn't make the cut

I posted a while back that I had applied to graduate school. I received a letter yesterday that I was not being considered for the program. I always knew that the school I was applying for was very competitive (they only take 2 new students a year) but somehow I always felt like applying for the program was the right thing to do. It's close to home, and they have excellent pre-schools on campus. The timing seemed so right, too. My daughter has two more years before she can go to elementary school--my program would take two years. So she could come to school with me everyday and I could drop her off at the excellent pre-school just a hop, skip, and a jump across campus.

Now that one avenue has closed for me, at least for next year, I need to consider what to do next. Of course, I'll apply again for 2010. But in the meantime, do I want to go back to school and just take courses till I can get into the program I want, or find a job, or create more art and try to get into more galleries and shows, or teach more classes at home? What's the best choice for my family? What do I want to do?

2009-03-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

Fun with a Clay Gun

Orange Lizard, by boy, age 9

I got a gift certificate for Bigceramicstore.com for Christmas. When I saw an industrial sized clay gun, I just couldn't resist. I justified my purchase because I thought it would be helpful for making the sides of my short trays that I put with my love mugs and because it was heavily discounted after Christmas. But really, I thought it just sounded "cool" and that the 8-10 year old boys that I teach in clay class would really go for it. The clay gun is big and golden. In demo, I held it up like a rifle "Wha!". I let the children choose different dies and design an animal with dixie cups as support for longer legs.

Here are some of the things they came up with:

Horse and Saddle, boy, age 7

Poodle family, girl, age 8

Sheep, girl, age 8

Snake Family, Boy, age 7

2009-03-06T05:14:00.000-08:00

This Spring, I will be participating in several local boutiques (trying to save money for grad school). The Spring Spectacular Boutique in Salt Lake City will feature my smoke-fired ceramic jewelry, as well as some newer polymer clay work. I've attached the official flier below.

Spring Spectacular Boutique

Saturday, April 11, 2009

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Courtyard by Marriott

10701 S. Holiday Park Drive

Sandy, Utah 84070

High quality vendors & crafters!

Raffle & door prizes!

Participating Retailers

a Bit of Color

Bead for Life

Chic Boutique Jeans

Close To My Heart

Elv Stitches

Full Give

Handmade Cards

Lia Sophia

Lily Pond Soaps

Little Keepsakes

My Daisy Diva

My Shoe Shoppe

Purse Party, Inc.

Salt City Design

Scentsy

Smoky Pendants

Tastefully Simple

The Cupcake Goddess

Tomboy Tools

Tweedy Baby

Tweedy Lane

2009-02-27T13:08:00.001-08:00

New Smoke-fired Post Earrings

I've been experimenting with making smaller designs to use for post earrings. First, I make a prototype out of soft clay. Then, when that has completely dried, I press the prototype in soft clay to make my mold. I'll usually impress the the actual mold some more to make elements that will pop up rather than recede in the final piece. Finally, I press the actual pieces into this mold. With this style, I like to press the clay into the mold lightly, to give them very loose weathered feel. I'm hoping this will mesh well with the smoke-fired finish. Here are some pictures from my first batch of finished products.

2009-02-23T19:31:00.000-08:00

Stamp Exchange

The Etsy Mud Team is having a stamp exchange. As a texture junkie, I am more than stoked to receive some new stamps from other team members. As my part in the exchange, I've made two polymer clay stamp sets. I went with poly clay because it works well with ceramic clay and, frankly, because I didn't know if I'd be able to get some regular clay ones through bisque in time. One has a heart pattern, the other is abstract lines. I'm shipping them both off in different directions tomorrow and will post the new stamps I receive when they arrive.

2009-02-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

Kid's and Clay Face Jug Project

I just got some of my kid's classes Face Jugs out of glazing last week. As always, I was impressed by the incredible creativity in my groups. It would be nice to be so uninhibited when creating new work.

The assignment was to create a jug from two pinch pots joined in the center with a coiled rim and foot. We spent one week (1 1/4 hour) making the jug and another class period with the facial features.

We talked about the legend in the Appalachians where face jugs were made and used. People would place a face jug on the grave of a family member after they died. If the jug cracked, it meant that person was "wrestling with the devil".

Children were encouraged to make their jugs "ugly". I was hoping this would free them from trying to make it look like a real person, and allow them to have fun with things like warts, beards, funny teeth, etc.

2009-02-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

Mommy's Little Helper

Whenever I have my 3-year-old daughter come to the studio with me, I am amused by her choice of activity. I offer her clay to play with and she'll putter around for a little. I offer her paintbrushes and paints and she'll do that for a while, too. But the whole time, what she really wants to do is.....clean. That's right, clean. She'll beg me for a sponge and a bucket of water. She LOVES cleaning the bits of clay and smudges off of my wheel, cleaning my bats till they shine, and even sponging the floor. She loves what I usually avoid at all costs. I don't get it, but I'm not going to complain :)

2009-02-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

Featured in a Local Newspaper

My gallery show with all the Offspring vessels was recently written up in our local newspaper. Below is an excerpt. To see the full story, click here.

"For Cindy McConkie, Scott Nelson Foster, and Tara Robertson, all of whom have work on display at the Bountiful/Davis Art Center (BDAC) now through Feb. 16, the proximity between the three artists shows off several different parallels. From the different ways that an artist can play with light to the fluidity of images, the work highlights all different kinds of connections."

"Potter Tara Robertson, whose work sits in the center of the gallery, reaches out to McConkie’s art in the way that her work flows and twists. Unlike the other woman’s abstract swirls of light, however, Robertson’s work is meant to be evocative of a very real woman holding her child.

The series, which Robertson has named “Offspring” as a whole, evokes mothers and children of all shapes and sizes through the use of different heights, thicknesses, and curves where shoulder meets body and neck meets head. Taken together, it seems to say something about the universality of motherhood, drawing lines between different people in a way that connects all of humanity."

I love the different perspectives I get when other people comment on my work. The whole thing sounds so much grander than me playing in the mud in my garage :)

2009-02-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

Applying for Graduate School

This last week I finished and turned in my application for graduate school. I want to get an MFA in ceramics. I've been thinking a lot in the last month about how I got into ceramics and where I want to go from here. I owe a big thanks to my hubby who read draft after draft and kept telling me to be more confident. Below, I've copied and pasted part of my finished draft of my letter of application.

I became involved with ceramics during my undergraduate work in Elementary Education. Once I took my first clay class, I became infatuated with the medium and just kept finding ways to come back. After years of taking ceramics classes on the side, I found that I was much more interested in a career making and teaching ceramics than that of a full-time elementary teacher. However, by this time, I was nearly finished with my degree and several months pregnant. When I gave birth a month after graduation, I decided to use my “time off” from work and school to explore my possibilities with clay. After nearly a year of creating, experimenting, and developing a coherent line, I started submitting work to galleries, selling at fairs and festivals, and getting my work online. I’ve used knowledge gleaned from my education background to develop child and adult courses in clay. Between selling and teaching, I have managed to build a professional ceramic career while being home for my daughter’s early childhood.

My practical and professional experience with clay before and since graduation has been extensive. I run and manage my own ceramics studio. I mix all of my own glazes from scratch, many of which I have developed for my own personal preferences. I am experienced at loading and firing electric, gas, and wood-firing kilns at low, mid, and high-fire temperatures as well as saggar, pit, barrel, and raku firings. With Clay Arts, Utah, I participated in a saggar-firing experiment in which we tested several additives for fuming effects over a 13-week period. As an active member of this group, I have attended several workshops and taught a section at their first Educator’s Workshop this past year. My work has been juried into several local and national exhibitions, one of which was juried by Val Cushing, whom I was privileged to meet at the opening reception in New York. Through gallery shows and online sales, my pottery has sold all over the US and Canada. In addition to preparation for an upcoming solo show at the Union Station Gallery in Ogden this summer, and filling orders for galleries and individuals, I currently teach clay classes for children and adults.

My recent work has been moving towards more sculptural and abstract vessels. My main emphasis is an exploration of attitudes and relationships. I like to manipulate the stance of a vessel and look at what it implies about the emotion or personality of a pot. Especially in my Offspring series (currently on display at the Bountiful-Davis Art Center), a group of paired works with a parent and child figure, I explore how two vessels can interact, and how differences in sizes, stances, and attitudes change dynamics between vessels. I ask myself questions like, “Is this one too overprotective, crouching over the other?” or “Does the way these tilt away from each other show emotional distance between them?” I draw inspiration for this series from my work as a stay-at-home mom. Technically, I have been striving for larger works, experimenting with creating plaster molds to further stretch my size and shape capabilities.

Ceramics is much more than a hobby for me. I am somewhat obsessive when it comes to clay, and always eager and willing to learn and grow. I feel the MFA program at the University of Utah will help me further expand my abilities and open up increased opportunities to teach, especially at the college level, where I am most interested in working.

Wish me luck! :)

2009-01-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

Gallery Show

This last weekend was the opening night for my first large gallery show. The show featured 17 of my Offspring sets, all grouped together in one of the large showrooms.

My Offspring Vessels have evolved from the idea that the parent and child relationship is complicated. These vessels show two individuals, one small and the other large (and somewhat chubby around the hips--I wonder what this is saying about myself?). The parent pot supports the child which literally cannot stand on its own. However, depending on how you look at the vessels, they are either facing away from each other, beaks held high (everyone tells me they look birdish) and ready to leap away from one another, or looking at one another in rapt attention with crazy hair streaming out behind them. This contrast embodied in the work and peoples competing perception of it explains my feelings about motherhood. My daughter and I support one another. She still needs me for so much of her daily necessities. And I need her in so many ways. We face away from one another towards our separate interests and desires. Sometimes I feel slightly trapped or smothered in a relationship with so much daily demands and long to turn away. I'm sure my daughter feels "trapped" being with me sometimes--especially when i enforce time outs. But at the same time, we mirror one another, and in a very real way complete one another. She is my inspiration and my friend. My companion in good times and bad. Just like these pots, we make a pair that looks incomplete without both pieces.

It was especially enjoyable to see several of these pieces placed together. While creating and selling, I've usually thought of these as individual sculptures. When put together, they look like several moms in conversations while holding their little ones. This larger context of how mothers relate to one another was an unintended result, but one I'd like to explore further.

Here are some pictures from the show.

2008-12-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

Sales for the Holiday
As I get ready to leave for Christmas, I'm listing several sales in each of my shops on holiday items.

In my pottery shop, all holiday sculptures and ornaments are 25% off

In my smoke-fired pendant shop, several items (not necessarily holiday) are 25% off

In my new polymer clay accessory shop, all holiday items are a whopping 50% off!

2008-12-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

New Offspring Shape

I've been working on some variations on my Offspring Sculptural vessels. Here's the new shape I'm most excited about. It's still drying and will be bisqued and glazed later this week.

2008-12-09T21:22:00.001-08:00

New Batch of Personality Pots

Here are some of the latest additions to my Personality Pot series. They were saggar fired at the Bountiful U of U Ceramics lab (it's getting too cold to pit fire--brrr.)

Phillina the Personality Pot

Europa the Personality Pot

2008-12-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

I've just updated a bunch of information on my Trunkt profile. Here's a preview of my new and improved profile.

2008-11-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

New Worldwide Women Artist Showcase
This international group of women has gotten together this month to feature functional art for the holidays. I've attached a slide show of all the pieces below.

2008-10-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Little Critters
I've been working on something different for holiday ornaments this year. They are little critters--dogs, cats, and pigs that I've made all the components in separate pieces and wired together. For the first time this year, I've tried out underglazes for coloring instead of staining or just painting with acrylics. I've added little yarn scarfs for accents, too. Here are some pictures from the first batch.

2008-10-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Child Creativity

I'm always impressed by what my students come up with in my Kids and Clay classes. The assignment here was to make a handbell. We made the bell section with a simple pinch-pot, and then the kids were free to handbuild whatever they wanted on the top for the handle. This girl chose to make the bell a hill and the handle a tree. She made individual leaves for the tree-top and even added little squirrels. The ringer inside was an inchworm.

2008-10-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

Big Pots from Big Molds

With two solo gallery shows coming up next year, I've decided to make it more of a priority to work big. Since throwing big is out of the question for me (10 lbs is about my limit) and I've done quite a bit of coiling, I've decided to experiment with plaster molds and slab-building. Above is a picture of the plaster mold. Below is a pot I'm working on that I've altered from two joined slabs out of the mold and am adding a lip to.

2008-09-29T15:33:00.001-07:00

Sale Item For the Week

This week's special is this three-pendant necklace. Normally $22, you can get it for $15 through Saturday.

2008-09-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Mounds of Mugs

I've had a lot of mug orders lately. Here's some of them piling up on the shelf.

2008-09-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Wall Pocket Lesson Plan

Purpose: Students will learn basic techniques for working with slabs. They will create a wall pocket with unique decoration on the front.

Adjustments: Older students (8 and up) can roll their own slabs and cut out the shapes using templates. For younger students, have pre-rolled slabs with shapes already cut out and on bats or paper plates.

Supplies: Clay (figure 2 lbs. per student), Large paper clips, Pencils, bats or Chinet Platter size paper plates, small cups for water, newspaper or scrap paper for wadding.

Procedure: Introduce the vocabulary word, “Slab”. A slab is a thin, flat, piece of clay. Demonstrate how to roll out a slab (even if your students are using already prepared ones). Talk about the importance of keeping slabs you want to stay flat after firing in a flat position while working on them. Slabs have “memory”. If they’ve been curved during creation but dried flat, during the firing, they will actually re-curve. Try to move slabs a minimum of times. Roll it, cut to size, and place it directly on the bat or paper plate you will be working on.

I’ve found it helps to demonstrate the entire project before handing-out clay. Depending on time constraints, I will also have them sketch out how they would like to decorate their pocket before having them do it with the clay.

Students will decorate the top slab before joining it to the base. They may roll out long thin coils of clay, wet them, and then attach them to the top and decoratively press with a pencil into place. When the top is decorated, students will score the attachment point on the base and run water along it with a finger or paintbrush. They will take a wad of newspaper that is skinnier at the base and wider at the top and place it on top of the base. They should be careful not to leave newspaper hanging over where the top will be joined. The newspaper may be left in place for firing, as it will just burn out. Then, they stretch the top section over the newspaper, being careful to line up all the sides and not to tear the clay. Once the top is in place, students will use their thumb to press (forcefully) the top into the bottom. This should leave definite prints all the way around the joint. At this point, they may add decoration to the top edge of the base and around the join. For most students, the whole process takes about 30-45 minutes. Allow 1 hour for the entire lesson.

Variations/Enrichment: Students can use stamps instead of clay additions to decorate the pocket. Advanced students may design and create their own templates for other wall pockets. This project can be incorporated into a unit about plants. If the pockets are glazed, they can actually be used as a planter with some pebbles for drainage in the bottom. For younger children, this project may be used as part of a unit on shapes.

2008-09-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

Elementary Teachers Workshop

This coming Saturday, Clay Arts Utah is doing a free workshop for Elementary Teachers. I was a little disappointed when I learned that the workshop was only for public school teachers--because I wanted to attend. I'm always looking for new ideas to use with my classes. Then I realized that I could sign up to teach a section and "sneak in" on the rest of the workshop. So I'll be doing a demo on working with slabs and teaching how to make wall pockets. I've attached some pictures of student work when I've done this project before. I'll put up the full lesson plan tomorrow.

2008-09-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Sale Item For the Week
Sept 15th-22nd

Each week, in at least one of my shops (trpottery and smokypendants) I'm going to have an "item of the week" for sale. This week's special is this original handmade pendant necklace. It usually sells for $22, but this week only, it can be snatched up for $15.

2008-09-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Back in the Saddle Again

So I know it's been simply ages since my last post. I feel like I've been away from home or insanely busy or just insane for the last couple months. Here's my life for the last four months:

My little brother got married in Washington State so I traveled there and stayed for a while at my parents. Here's my mom and daughter hanging out together in a park.

I taught my first kids 3-D art class in my home. We worked with clay, modeling dough, spackle (really), and paper mache.

Here's one of my student's clay pieces from the class.

My little one turned 3 years old. Here's her Birthday cake. Mmmmmm.....fondant.

We took a family trip to the beach. This here is me. Though I don't know it yet, I'm getting a massive sunburn because I mistook SPF 15 for 50.

I taught a second week-long course--this time, all in clay. This is a porcupine that a really creative student made from a bowl.

My husband and I traveled to Bolivia with Choice Humanitarian--an amazing NGO that works in rural villages in the country.

I opened a new Etsy shop at http://smokypendants.etsy.com selling smoke-fired pendants.

It's been one heck of a summer and I'm glad to be "back in the saddle" again--making pottery, working on my shops, and slowing down a bit :)

2008-05-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

Home Sale--a review

The show went from 10-5 and it was slower than slow (actually not a soul came) until 1:30. That was a little depressing. I sat around reading Twilight (again) and waiting for the sound of the doorbell. A slow trickle of people after that, some modest sales, and I was feeling better. Then about 4:00, there was a steady stream of friends and visitors, some who purchased, some who came to look and chat, until well after 5:00. When I finally took the sign off of my door and officially shut down for the night, I had sold more pottery than I had ever done at any single home sale, gallery show, or outdoor festival.

So here is what I learned: Give better directions or a map on my invitation cards. (I had a friend who nearly turned around because she is from another city and couldn't navigate my cul-de-sac ridden town.) Start the show later and go longer. (Thank heavens for the people who came a little late and made purchases.) And last but not least, do not read addictive fiction to fill time. (I ended up spending the next couple of days finishing Twilight and reading the rest of the series because I can't put a book down once I've started)

2008-05-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

"Mudders" Day Jewelry Contest

The Mud Team and the Lampwork Etc. Team (LEST) will be hosting a dual challenge. Participating members from both teams will create a piece of jewelry for Mother’s Day. The piece can be any type of jewelry – bead, pendant, earrings, etc. Participating members are to pick an adjective from the list below and create a piece of jewelry that reminds them of or evokes the feeling of the adjective.

Frustrated * Chaotic * Ancient * Lively * Groovy * Flirtatious * Gruesome * Edgy * Tame * Curvy

Visitors to our website will be asked to vote for their favorite piece. Voting will automatically enter voters in a drawing for a free prize. Three voters will be randomly chosen to receive prizes and will select their prizes from those displayed on our website. Prizes that were not selected will be returned to the donator. Keith-khphillips will contact the three donors whose items were selected and inform them of the winner’s name and shipping address.

I've put some pictures of favorite pieces up above. To see all of the choices, and to vote, click here.

2008-05-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Home Show

I'm hosting a home show today! Here are some pictures from my set-up downstairs. I'll let you know how it goes later on.

2008-04-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Sale
Interior Design Etsy Team is hosting a mother's day sale.
All of my Offspring (mother and child) pots are 10% off from May 1st to May 11th. Below are some pictures of other items up for sale and a list of participating shops. Each shop has different specials, so check them out :)

trpottery.etsy.com
mepottery.etsy.com
nicoleraephotos.etsy.com
quiltswithheart.etsy.com
CoconutPalmDesigns.etsy.com
Feeldesign.etsy.com
citrustree.etsy.com
Floradorainc.etsy.com
Straythreads.etsy.com
matechuk.etsy.com
Dianeclancy.etsy.com
Kathannah.etsy.com
Chaanda.etsy.com
Artenzie.etsy.com
Shadedmemories.etsy.com
Lightleak.etsy.com
Susannahtucker.etsy.com
TiffanyTeske.etsy.com
patspottery.etsy.com
Kristinalaw.etsy.com

2008-04-12T12:40:00.001-07:00

Thunder Cake

My daughter and I have been doing "pre-school" lessons together. This week, the sound was "th" and the theme was thunder. While reading "Thunder Cake" by Patricia Polacco about a grandmother who helps her granddaughter overcome her fear of thunder, we found a fun recipe to try. This is a rich, chocolaty cake with a somewhat random secret ingredient (tomatoes). We mixed it up today and tried it out. The only thing we were missing were some fresh strawberries. Instead I flaked dark chocolate on the top. Mmmmmm. I've added the recipe below, but I thoroughly recommend getting the book to read the story, too.

Grandma's Thunder Cake

Cream together, one at a time
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, separated (Blend yolds in. Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.)
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes

Sift together
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup dry cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Mix the dry mixture into the creamy mixture.
Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2-inch round pans at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Frost with chocolate butter frosting and top with strawberries.

2008-04-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Designing a Dish Set

My big project over the last month or two has been putting together a coherent design for a dish set. I've had several goals. The biggest was that the set needed to be reproducible for me on my current schedule with a potty-training toddler with inconsistent naps. That meant no wheel-thrown components. Don't get me wrong, I love to wheel-throw--but I'm finding it nearly impossible to do lately as I can be interrupted at anytime with "Mama, I pooped and have yucky stuff on my fingers!" Second, bowls and plates needed to be stackable and consistent sizes. Third, all pieces needed to look work with the few cone 6 glazes that I have fiddled with enough to be reliable in my kiln. Fourth, they needed to have carved components to match my current work.

Because throwing wasn't an option and I wanted pieces to be consistent in sizing, I figured molds and slab-building from templates were the best way to go. I decided that if I was going to move away from wheel-thrown, I wanted to move away from round, too. If I couldn't throw, I might as well go for a look that couldn't be thrown. I created a model and plaster cast of a square dinner plate with slightly rounded corners. For the salad, I went triangular. Cups were slab-formed and squared.

My biggest issues have come from the bowls. After playing around with slab-bowls made from a circle with three long darts to make a triangular bowl, I realized that the resulting bowl was not very consistent and took quite a bit more work than they were worth to get them to stay together. I made a mold only to find that the lip never quite worked because if I cut down into the bowl to make the rim look clean, the resulting form was too short. Then I tried adding a slab rim to the top. This made an aesthetically nice bowl, but was way too large to fit well with the salad plate. Finally I placed a coil on top of the rim and blended it down into the bowl--viola, a bowl that fit the set and looked clean on top.

For carved accents, I decided to go with an organically tweaked geometric line pattern to match my geometrically themed dishes. The cups and bowls got a repeating zig-zag line with a bit of a curve and the plates received a modified version of the same pattern around the rim.

I'm still tweaking the glazing, but my first batch of full sets are firing up in the kiln right now. I've attached some pictures of prototype pieces below.

Triangular salad plates --detail of carving

Dinner and salad plate together

Salad bowl prototype--the rim makes the overall bowl to large to fit with the set.

Cups--slab built, squared, and carved.

2008-03-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

Etsy Mud Team presents
CLAY CRITTER CHALLENGE and HIDE & SEEK GAME
March 23 – 30

Please visit our website – etsymudteam.craft-sense.com – and vote for your favorite Clay Critter.
A photo of a clay critter has been hidden in participating Mud Team members’ shops. Anyone who finds the hidden bunny in my shop during the contest will receive 10% off any purchase by typing in CRITTER and the ID number of the listing with the hidden critter in the "notes to seller" during checkout. A list of participating Etsy Mud Team shops can be found on our website.

2008-03-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

Fun Etsy Finds

I love browsing through other potters shops on Etsy and drooling over their cool work. I thought it would be fun to start putting some of my favorites from other shops up on here to share the love. My find to for today is this amazing Melting Cruet Set from annaspots. The cruets look like they are giving each other a long embrace.

I thought this other view of them separated was really fun too:

Lovely work, annaspots!

2008-03-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

EtsyMom's Charity Auction

I didn't have time to take part in this promotion, but I decided that I had to do a plug for it. EtsyMom, a group of mothers who sell on Etsy, has gotten together to create a Spring Gift Basket which they are auctioning off on MommyAuctions.com. Half of the money will go to the Ronald McDonald House Charity, the other half to the artist whose product is voted the favorite of the group.

I have had a very close family friend who needed to use the services of Ronald McDonald House and I was very impressed with the organization. She had a baby that had (what ended up to be) a fatal heart defect. The closest hospital that could take care of her baby's needs was several hours away from home. A poor family, they had nowhere that they could afford to stay while paying the massive medical bills for their daughter. Someone introduced them to Ronald McDonald House. They were told they could stay there for a very minimal fee (I think it was a couple of dollars a day) and use the communal kitchen which was well-stocked with cooking supplies. It was clean and safe and a life-saver for them to be able to stay there when so far away from home. Although I am not a huge fan of McDonalds by any means, I do believe the charity is a good one and worthy of support.

2008-03-03T05:48:00.000-08:00

Worldwide Women Artists Self Portrait Online Show

Several women artists from all over have collected together their interpretation of the idea "Self Portrait". They are on display at http://www.robinhernandez.com/WWAO.html

I included one of my Offspring vessels.

2008-02-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

That Bunny is Eating My Oatmeal!

My 2-year old daughter has a Beatrix Potter bowl. One day, while eating some oatmeal, she looked up at me, very distraught. "That bunny is eating my oatmeal!" she cried. She thought that the little bunny on the bottom inside of her bowl was taking a share, too.

Later, when trying to think of something to make for the Etsy Mud Team Critter challenge, this story popped back in my head and I knew I had to make a greedy bunny polishing off my daughter's oatmeal.

2008-02-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

Artist Statement

How does one encapsulate their work and motivations in one paragraph? I made an artist's statement a couple of years ago when I first started applying for shows. I pulled it out to use in an application this week and found that it really didn't fit anymore. Here's my attempt at a new one:

My life and art are a study in controlled chaos. As a full time stay-at-home mother/potter with a two-year old toddler, I am constantly challenged to embrace the spontaneous while at the same time endeavoring to create structure and stability. So it is with my art. Randomly carved leaves and textures sprout from vessels built over days and sometimes weeks of repetitive coiling and pinching. Other carefully constructed and tediously burnished forms are subjected to an open pit-firing where their final coloring will be a serendipitous combination of fire, smoke, and breeze. My never-ending aspiration is to keep balance between the controllable and  chaotic, to create artwork and home that are both coherent and full of vitality.

It was slightly ironic to latch on "controlled chaos" as my thesis this week as my husband, daughter, and I are all in recovery from a nasty flu bug, the house is a disastrous mess, and I'm about a week behind in my studio. Life is good :)

2008-01-08T16:01:00.001-08:00

After-Holdiay Funk

My house is finally back in working order (meaning there aren't gifts and Christmas decorations strewn everywhere) and dusted and vacumned. My husband is back in school and my daughter is back on a normal sleeping schedule. It feels liberating to have regularly scheduled time to work and less housework to keep me from my studio. But at the same time, I miss having family noisiness all the time and novel things to do everyday. I miss having a steady supply of other adults to talk to and I think my daughter does too. I'm in a bit of a funk today and I don't think the freezing weather and grey skies are helping much!

2008-01-02T07:33:00.001-08:00

Etsy Mud Team Post-Holiday Sale

2007-12-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

Article in the Local Newspaper
In advertising for my studio sale, I emailed a submission to the local paper's calendar. To my surprise, a couple of days later, one of their staff writers phoned me to see if they could do a feature on me and my work. I was so flabbergasted when she called that I think I responded to her statement, "We'd like to write an article about you." with "Really, are you sure?" Luckily for me, she went ahead and wrote it anyway.
Davis County Clipper

2007-12-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

Studio Sale

On Saturday, I hosted a Open Studio/Holiday Sale at my house. It went really well and was oh-so-nice to do a sale without leaving the comfort of my own home. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy fairs and festivals a couple times a year, but this was a surprising delight to find that when someone was not here, I could go back upstairs or out in my lab and work on other things. Below are some photos of the show.

I "borrowed" furniture from all over the house for the set-up downstairs.

Most of the artwork was courtesy of my two-year old daughter and my 22 year old brother who is a fabulous painter. The paintings in the picture above are drips and splashes from my daughter.

This is a close-up of the center table.
I definitely will be doing a similar sale next year. The only thing I'm planning on doing differently is having it a little earlier in the month of December. A lot of the people who dropped by seemed a little stressed running around trying to get stuff ready for Christmas.

2007-12-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

Holiday Sale and Open Studio

I'm hosting my first ever open house and sale next weekend. For advertising, I created postcards, printed them, and spent all of tonight getting them addressed and ready to send out. Because I've never done a sale like this before, I'm interested to see how it all goes. I've attached a pic of my postcard below. I'll be spending this week cleaning out my studio and house and making sure everything has price tags.

2007-11-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

The Butter Dish

Simply a place for a stick of butter, or much, much, more?
Here's the latest from the studio :)

2007-11-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

Join EtsyMom in the search to save Rudolph!

This is a fun little holiday promo that the Etsy Mom Team has banded together to create.

Here is the official shpeel:

Rudolph ran off and needs to be found before Christmas Eve. He is
hiding in EtsyMom shops. When you purchase the item with Rudolph, you
will received a free gift. Prizes vary from shop to shop, see item
description for prize details. Santa can't leave the North Pole
without him, so please hurry!

Thank you for shopping Handmade with EtsyMom!

To find these elusive items, you can just type etsymomrudolph in the search box at the top of the page on Etsy and press Enter. Not every item with this tag will be a winner, only the ones that also have this picture in the listing:

2007-11-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

Mud In The Trees
Ceramic Ornament Giveaway

2007-11-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

New Pit Fired Work

These brand-spanking-new pots were pit fired Halloween night.

2007-10-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

Etsy Mud Team Autumn Challenge

2007-10-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

History in the Making

Here is Charlotte and me at the History in the Making show in Rochester, NY. My husband and I flew to the opening last Friday night. It was an amazing exhibition with lots of remarkable pottery. A highlight was being able to listen to Val Cushing give the opening remarks and hand out the prizes. One of my favorite quotes from the show: When speaking about the jurying process, Val said, "I always told my students that if they didn't get accepted in a show, it didn't necessarily mean their work wasn't good. I also told them that if they did get accepted in a show, it didn't necessarily mean their work was good either." What does this say about Charlotte? Val hastily added, though, that "I was quite impressed with all the pieces here tonight." Below are some pictures from the show.

A nice thing about no-one knowing what I looked like was being able to "listen in" while people talked about my work. While I snapped this shot, the man whose finger is shown above was giving a great critique about the colors and textures on my piece.

What a crowd! There were a lot of people packed in there Friday night.

One of my very favorites was the wavy bowl you see here int eh middle of the shot.

I just adored the glaze on this tea-set. This piece was even more impressive in person.

2007-09-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

Vote for me in this contest!

2007-09-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Etsy Mud Team Teapot Competition

2007-09-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

Avenues Street Fair

Last Saturday, I participated in an arts and crafts street fair. There was an amazing turnout and my pottery did quite well. Here are some pics of my booth from the show.

Avenues Street Fair
Last Saturday, I participated in an arts and crafts street fair. There was an amazing turnout and my pottery did quite well. Here are some pics of my booth from the show.

2007-08-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

Press Release for Worldwide Women Artists Online Exhibition

Local artist, Tara Robertson is proud to announce her participation in
an International Online Exhibit. She will be featured along with 33
of her fellow artists from the World Wide Women's Artists Online
group. The World Wide Women's Artists is an international collective
of women artists showing and selling their original art through the
worldwide web.
Texas artist, Sharon K. Shubert will be the first WWAO member to host
the new series of international group exhibits on her website!
http://redladyart.com
The artists are from throughout the United States, Canada, United
Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and Bangladesh!
The 34 exhibiting artists will be showcasing a variety of different
mediums. Mrs. Shubert has put together an excellent, creative and
interesting, must see show!
The exhibit will be available for viewing during the month of
September, 2007.
All works are for sale!
Don't miss this wonderful International showing of creative
women artists!!!
http://redladyart.com

The Soup Bowl and Saucer pictured above will be part of the exhibition. It is also currently listed for sale on Etsy.

2007-08-27T06:04:00.001-07:00

BUYER INCENTIVE SALE ♥ ◦ ♥ ◦ ♥ August 27 - August 31

BUYER INCENTIVE SALE ♥ ◦ ♥ ◦ ♥ August 27 - August 31
Visit any participating Etsy Mud Team shop listed below - Look for the "Buyer Incentive" item - Make your purchase and get the "Buyer Incentive" item FREE!

Purchase requirements vary within shops- please check each shop for details!!

Ant's Pottery ◦◦◦ Averly ◦◦◦Baily Bowls ◦◦◦ Blue Sky Pottery ◦◦◦ Ceramica Botanica ◦◦◦ dgordon ◦◦◦ DK Pottery ◦◦◦ Earth 'N Elements Pottery ◦◦◦ GinPin's Shop ◦◦◦ Into The Fire ◦◦◦ Jessica Sharrah◦◦◦JMNPottery◦◦◦ JudyBFreeman ◦◦◦ khphillips ◦◦◦ Montezuma Mudd Pottery ◦◦◦MudPuppy◦◦◦ NKP Designs ◦◦◦ Tara Robertson Pottery ◦◦◦ Vegan Dish ◦◦◦ Vessels & Wares

2007-08-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

New Product!

I've always wanted to have some ramekins to cook cobblers and souffle's in. Perhaps it's egotistical, but I always figure if I want something, someone else it bound to--so I made a bunch of them. I listed the first pair (pictured above) for sale on Etsy tonight.

2007-08-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

Burn, Baby Burn (A pit-firing picture diary)

Pit firing 8/4/07

An innocent pile of bisque-ware, awaiting their fiery trial...

The initial chemical coatings; computer etchant (ferric chloride) and a thin mixture of cobalt water
Selected pots are painted with a 1/2 water 1/2 etchant solution (warning--be sure to use gloves and plastic coatings on surfaces whenever dealing with ferric chloride.)
Pots painted in ferric chloride are wrapped with copper carbonate, hay, salt, and cut-up copper scrub pads.

Salt and copper carbonate are sprinkled liberally on a bed of hay on top of a sheet of newspaper. The pot is placed on the hay bed, then coated with scrub pad pieces, more salt, copper carbonate, and a sprinkling of hay.

The whole thing is wrapped loosely and secured with a little bit of tape (any kind will do)

Other pots are selected for a Cobalt treatment.
The Cobalt pots will be coated with hay, Miracle Gro, and salt.

They are layered and wrapped in the same fashion as the etchant vessels

All the pots are packed away to take to the firing site. As a bonus, the newspaper wrappers also keep the pots from getting broken on the way.

Supplies that I bring to a pit firing; more copper carb, salt (table and rock), sawdust, matches, newspaper, red iron oxide, lighter fluid, more hay, and wood chips.

The back of my car all loaded and ready to go

The empty fire pit

I create a bed of chemicals and combustibles for the pots to rest on. This includes (from bottom to top) charcoal from any previous firings, large wood chips, sawdust, rock salt, copper carbonate, and red iron oxide.

Newspaper bundles are gradually layered on this bed with kindling
Hay and more chemicals (salt, red iron oxide, and copper carb) are added loosely to the growing bonfire.

When the whole thing is piled up, it is doused with lighter fluid and lit on fire.

Burn, baby burn!
Sometimes when logs settle, I can actually see pieces in the fire while the flames lick them. I don't stoke the fire after the initial building, I'll just adjust logs occasionally for even heating.

Unfortunately, during this fire, it started to rain. The cloud just sailed in from nowhere. The fire still burned, but was not nearly as hot and did not go for nearly as long. As you can see, some of the logs didn't burn all the way down. As it looked like it might rain again, I cut my losses and let it cool down rather than re-positioning and re-lighting.

The hot pieces waiting to be pulled from the ashes

Pots are placed on the stones around the fire-pit to cool down

The pots wait to be packed back up in newspaper and taken home for cleaning and sealing

Results

Some nice oranges, reds, and pinks came out on the Ferric Chloride treated pots.

I wasn't very happy with the Cobalt pots this time around. They needed to get much hotter than they did to receive the characteristic blue blushing from the cobalt/miracle gro combination. Some pots had still-interesting black, brown, and tan coloring. These I kept and sealed (see next two pictures).

Two had nearly no coloring at all. These I will re-fire.

2007-08-06T10:01:00.001-07:00

Sculptural Leaf Vessel

My work has been accepted on trunkt. This is a fabulous new website that showcases and helps to promote independent designers from all different fields. Artists are juried before their work can be displayed.

Check out my portfolio at http://www.trunkt.org/client.listing_preview.cfm/id/1367

2007-07-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

History in the Making

"Charlotte the Personality Pot"(above) was just accepted into the juried show, "History in the Making II".

I wrote a couple of months ago here about my application to the show. To apply, artists needed to cite their historical influences and what part they have in shaping current work. The Juror, Val Cushing, would select pieces that he felt showed both a strong connection to historical influence and a high level of individual artistic interpretation, as well as contributing to a diverse representation for our gallery.

The show runs from September 28th-October 27th with an opening reception Friday, September 28th from 6:30-9:30 pm. Juror Val Cushing will be on hand with opening remarks and to award first, second, and third place.

2007-07-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

More pictures--the latest work out of pit-firing

2007-06-26T08:48:00.001-07:00

Latest Pit-firing...More pictures to follow!

2007-06-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

2007-06-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Etsy Mud Team Opening Sale

This last week, the potters of Etsy united by putting together the Etsy Mud Street Team. It has come together surprisingly fast, and now we have a complete up-and-running blog and flikr group with pictures from our members.

To inaugurate our new group, we are holding a grand opening sale on Etsy. The official advertisement is below.

Etsy Mud Team welcomes you to our Gallery Opening Sale

Monday, June 25 through Friday June 29

Enter the code EMT-Open in the comment section when making your purchase and receive a 10% discount off all merchandise in participating shops (visit our blog at http://etsymudteam.blogspot.com for a complete list of participating shops). Please wait for a revised discount invoice to be sent to your e-mail address before making payment. Thank you for your purchase and your patience.

2007-05-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Historical Influences

"Feather Bowl" by Maria and Julian Martinez

In creating an application for History in the Making II, a National juried pottery exhibition, I was forced to think about my historical influences; what inspired me to make the forms I do and the methods that I use to make and finish them. My thoughts fell to the first potter that I was introduced to in my first college ceramic class. I remember watching a very old documentary about a Native American potter named Maria Martinez and being simply amazed at what she was able to accomplish with such limited tools. I have since watched that same video several more times and studied her work more extensively. She has been a major inspiration in my current "Personality Pot" series, though our forms and finishes couldn't be more different.

Maria Martinez’s (1887-1980) handbuilt pottery began with a slab of clay placed in a puki, or bowl-shaped form used to support the base of the pot. My personality pots are likewise started with a slab of clay laid in a puki. However, instead of building up from the puki with coils as traditionally done, I take two slabs formed in identical pukis and attach them together. I then cut and alter the form to make feet and add coils and slabs for a neck and head.

Maria Martinez used tightly controlled outdoor firings to create her beautiful, simplistic black on black ware. More can be read about her firing techniques at the Museum of New Mexico's Site. Learning about her methods, I became intrigued with the idea of finishing vessels with nothing more than an open fire. Rather than meticulous control for specific color, I encourage spontaneity in my firings by stacking pots loosely and sprinkling on several organics, metals, and salts.

"Remy the Personality Pot" by Tara Robertson

2007-04-07T19:53:00.001-07:00

Empty Bowls, Utah

Empty Bowls, Utah is the annual Clay Arts, Utah fundraiser to feed the hungry. Artists throughout the state donate food safe soup bowls. On May 5th, the bowls will be sold for $15 each and all proceeds go to Catholic Community Services’ Vincent de Paul Resource Center which provides meals to the homeless as well as families in need. The fundraiser takes place May 5th, 2007 from Noon to 4:00 at St. Vincent De Paul Resource Center located at 437 W. 200 S. in Salt Lake City, Utah.

2007-03-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

New Offspring Vessels

I just unloaded a new kiln-full of Offspring Vessels and wheelthrown work this morning. I was very pleased with the way the glaze turned out and (thank heavens!) there were luckily no hairline cracks or other problems with this batch. Below are some pictures of the new pieces.

2007-03-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

Wall Art Sale!

I just posted a sale on all Wall Art for the entire month of April in my Etsy shop. There is a large variety of Tile art and Mixed-media collages in this section and they are all 10% off. You can check out the sale at www.trpottery.etsy.com.

2007-03-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

Now that's more like it!

I opened up the guts of my Skutt cone 10 kiln today to see if I could bring it back to life. After unscrewing a few things here and there, I found the issue to be a worn-out thermocouple. Of all the things that could be wrong, this was the very best option. I replaced the part, screwed everything back together, reloaded the kiln, crossed my fingers, and started it up again. Now, 8 hours later, the kiln is nearly finished with the glaze firing cycle and I'm feeling at peace with the world.

2007-03-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

Kiln Woes

I have spent the last month producing a large mass of both sculptural and functional pottery. Over the past week, I spent all of my daughter's nap-times and most of my nights in my lab mixing and applying glazes. With a very full kiln (and still two shelves full of glazed work waiting to be fired), I started my kiln this morning. Three hours later, the kiln just stopped. ERR1, it said. Basically, that means that my kiln is no longer able to heat fast enough. Best-case scenario, I just need to replace a thermocouple. Worst-case scenario, there is something wrong with the heating coils. If there is something wrong with the coils, it means the kiln will be out of commission until I can get the only kiln repair guy in Utah out to my house (yes, there really is only one in the great state of Utah!)

Argh!! Right now, I have to wait until the kiln cools down enough for me to take the stuff out and open up it's electrical innards. It is such a depressing thing to see all the cheery rows of bisque-fired pots with powdered glaze on them and to wonder if they will get to see the inside of a hot kiln any time soon.

2007-03-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

My Art Profile

MyArtProfile is a Free website dedicated to Artists and Art appreciators that lets them meet friends and display their works. MyArtProfile is developed with Artists in mind and therefore if Artists wish to buy, sell or swap Art, Myartprofile charges ZERO Commission. This a very nice switch from auction or fixed-rate sales-oriented sites. Artists are free to list their works and then handle the transaction side on their own. Myartprofile facilitates by helping artists/sellers message back and forth.

The site itself has a very modern, professional feel to it and individual artist mini-sites have some nice features. Each artist mini-site has a large photo at the top that randomly circulates through the artist's gallery photos. There is ample space for information about the artist and the ability to create several different galleries that people can browse through. Overall, I was very impressed with the look, feel, ease of use.

To check out my newly created Art Profile, you can go to
http://www.myartprofile.com/trpottery

2007-02-22T07:43:00.000-08:00

Silent Conversations

Some of my work has just accepted in a national art competition with the theme "Silent Conversations" hosted by the Craft Alliance.

The Craft Alliance Exhibition Gallery features the one-of-a-kind work of several different contemporary craft artists in 6-8 themed exhibitions per year. For every exhibition, professional curators are selected to identify themes and choose artists and works from submissions. Each exhibition consists of 12-20 artists, both emerging and established in their careers.

Two of my works were accepted into the exhibition, both from my Offspring series. The Offspring series explores the relationship between parent and child in vessels that, though separate, literally rely on each other for balance and completion. They are especially personal for me because they reflect my own feelings about raising my daughter and being a stay-at-home mom.

The opening reception will be on Friday, March 16, 2007 from 6-8 pm and the show will run until May 6th. The Craft Alliance Gallery is located at 6640 Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis, Missouri.

To learn more about this exhibition, visit the Craft Alliance’s website at http://www.craftalliance.org. If you would like to see more pictures from my Offspring series, they can be viewed at www.tararobertsonpottery.com and http://trpottery.myartplot.com.

2007-02-16T01:26:00.000-08:00

My Art Plot

MyArtPlot.com (MAP) is a global artist/buyer website. It is a global art community and market venue, armed with functional tools. MAP is trying to create an "Art World" with the active support and participation of artists around the world by bringing together artists and interested buyers.

I just found out about MAP today and immediately got on it. It's a free site that may be used as an online portfolio (you don't even have to have things up for sale) so I figured there wasn't anything to lose by creating my own artist plot. Every little bit helps to get your name out there, right?

My new site can be viewed at http://trpottery.myartplot.com

2007-02-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

Two Great Art Shows!

Solstice Picture Framing and Gallery, who represent my work in the Salt Lake area, are hosting two art shows this month which will include quite a bit of my work.

The first show is Friday, February 16th with an open house from 5pm to 9pm. The show will feature Matthew Gaulke, a local artist who created colorful abstract oil paintings. There will be a meet-the-artist session with refreshments.

The second show kicks off Friday, February 23rd, also with an open house from 5-9. This show features several up & coming Black Artists from the area and will be in celebration of Black History Month. In addition to great art works, there will be a raffle to benefit the “Youth Empowerment
Scholarship Fund”.

If you are in the Salt Lake area, these are two shows that shouldn't be missed!

Solstice Gallery is located at 355 E. 3300 S. in Salt Lake City, UT.

2007-02-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Etsy Treasury List!

For those of you that aren't acquainted with Etsy, it is an amazing site that sells all handmade arts, crafts, and clothing. I've been selling on Etsy for a couple of months now and have come to really appreciate how easy it is to use (and how addictive searching it is).

The treasury is a place where members can create a list of 12 items that appeal to them. There are only 101 lists at any given time, and they run for 2 days each. Because of the limited amount of lists, they are often very hard to get. I had never put together a treasury list before, but last night when I logged on to browse, there was a list free, just sitting there. Not believing my luck, I snapped it up.

Take a look at my list at under the name, "bea" at http://www.etsy.com/treasury.php
It will expire in 1 1/2 days. It has a blue theme and is comprised of painters, photographers, and potters that I admire.

2007-01-25T20:56:00.000-08:00

Random thoughts on Wheel-throwing

For the last two years, I have worked nearly exclusively with handbuilding. I've handbuilt my pottery, and have assisted in handbuilding classes. Because I felt that it was time to become re-acquainted with the wheel, I decided to assist in a wheelthrown class this semester.

Teaching others to throw has made me think a lot about what it takes to change a lump of clay into an aesthetically pleasing (one hopes) vessel.

Among beginning students, the biggest challenge that I've seen is simply holding still. The clay obstinately pushes against the hand and makes the arm bump back and forth. Sometimes a student will decide to push back hard, and end up throwing the lump off the other direction. When this happens, the spinning lump gathers force and pushes back even harder the next time around. It is easy to explain--yet so hard for new students to do-- to brace their elbow against their thigh, their hand against the clay, exert an even pressure, and just hold still. The entire body must be tensed, calm, and very still.

It occurred to me tonight that centering clay is a lot like parenting. With my daughter, when I get distracted or busy or lazy, I find myself being "bumped around". Whenever I get frustrated and push too hard, it always comes back to bite me. But when I can be steady, calm, and "still", things go so much better for the both of us.

2007-01-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

Worlwide Women Artist Show--Press Release

WHO: Progress Energy Art Gallery
WHAT: Worldwide Women Artists' Organization Exhibit & Art Sale
WHEN: February 2 – March 31
WHERE: 6231 Grand Boulevard, downtown New Port Richey

Progress Energy Art Gallery &
Greater New Port Richey Main Street
6231 Grand Boulevard, New Port Richey

January 17, 2007

Contact: Lia Gallegos, Director
Email: lia@nprmainstreet.com
Phone: 727.842.8066

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A WOMAN'S WORK IS NEVER DONE
Women Artists From Around the World Exhibit To Aid Czech Photographers

New Port Richey, FL – The New Year is starting off with a definite
global flavor at the Progress Energy Art Gallery in downtown New Port
Richey. During the months of February and March the Worldwide Women
Artists Organization members will be exhibiting artwork from local
members as well as from members all across the globe in the show, A
Woman's Work is Never Done. The exhibit opens Friday, February 2 at
6:00 p.m.

This dynamic group, led by artists Laura Milnor Iverson and Teresa
Turner who created the group in May 2004, has a long history of using
art to help nonprofit organizations and charities. Ms. Iverson has
been a leader in the online art community, setting a fine example for
other artists and encouraging artists to take on the role of
philanthropist. She has been featured on MissionFish.com
(http://www.missionfish.org/toolsforall/Iversoncasestudy.pdf) for her
efforts.

The February exhibit is dedicated to the strength, passion and
compassion of women and their impact on the world around us today.
The art collection will be as diverse as the women who create it;
with influences from all around the world including the Canada,
Brazil & Greece.
Local members exhibiting will include, Toni - K, Michelle Astuto
Collins, Margaret McKeehan, Michele Palenick, Paula Showen and Karren
Doll Toliver. "This exhibit is going to be absolutely fantastic,"
says Exhibit Coordinator Michelle Astuto Collins. "It's something
I've wanted to do for a long time and now to see all of this artwork
from around the world here in our Gallery is just an amazing
accomplishment. I know the public is going to love the diversity and
quality of this exhibit."

The Gallery will be donating its percentage of all sales from this
exhibit to raising funds for the following exhibit A Czech Dialogue:
Images from the 7,65foto Club located in the Czech Republic town of
Liberec. This exhibit will take place April through May 2007 and
several of the artists will be in attendance to personally share in
this exchange of cultures.

The artists from WWAO are also going to be hosting an online art sale
during the month of March in which they will also be donating part of
the proceeds to the Czech exhibit. The online sale will begin March 1
and go through March 15. Sale items may be found at the Gallery's
website, www.nprgallery.com.

Artist Spotlight:

Laura Milnor Iverson is a professional artist who has been painting
since the age of 12. Iverson, a native Californian, takes much of
her inspiration from the beautiful natural landscape of the San
Francisco Bay Area. She expresses her love of nature in both Dreamy
Realism (realistic landscapes and seascapes with an impressionist
overtone...the imprint of a scene on the mind, with the soft edges of
memory) and Contemporary Zen (botanical abstracts in a modern Asian
style, such as autumn leaves, florals, cherry blossoms, and so on).

Teresa M. Turner became a full time artist in 1992, creating mixed
media sculptures and paintings. Teresa works in a variety of media,
though most of her two dimensional pieces are acrylics or oils on
canvas. Other two dimensional media she employs include watercolors,
pen and ink, photography, graphite, and gouache. Teresa's sculptures,
employing a variety of ancient techniques, are often done in leather
and porcelain.

Frequent travel in the US and Canada, as well as travels in Europe,
provide Teresa with the ideas and inspiration for many of her pieces.
She has great appreciation for impressionist art, as well as a
lifelong love of the outdoors, which greatly influence her work.

Teresa's work appears in private collections throughout the US and
Canada, as well as throughout Europe and the UK. Additionally, pieces
have been added to locations in the public sector for permanent
display in city offices and art and educational centers. Her work has
been exhibited at such locations as the Royal Botanical Gardens in
Hamilton, Ontario, the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC,
among many others.

A complete list of participating artists and their biographies is
available at: http://www.nprgallery.com/

The Progress Energy Art Gallery is a community gallery which was
opened by the not-for-profit organization, Greater New Port Richey
Main Street with a grant from Progress Energy, to encourage the
growth of art and culture in our downtown. All proceeds from sales go
toward keeping this valuable asset to the community operational.

The Gallery is located at 6231 Grand Boulevard, downtown New Port
Richey. For further information please call 727.848.6500 or see our
web site at www.nprgallery.com.

2007-01-21T19:42:00.000-08:00

Potters Workshop

I went to an amazing workshop this weekend hosted by Clay Arts Utah and taught by local potters. The workshop ran all day Saturday, and featured demos, recipes, and discussions. Suzanne Storer shared her terra sig recipes and processes. Ken Marvel demonstrated how to throw monster-sized pots and also spoke about his horsehair and saggar finishes. Sharon Mikkelson showed how overglaze brushwork can enhance pottery and also shared her recipes. Dawn Atkin explained the results discovered during the summer Saggar Firing Experiment and also the basic process of Saggar firing. Aaron Ashcraft (isn't that a great last name for a potter?) spoke about the business side of pottery and how he made the transition to a professional potter. There was an excellent panel discussion with several potters on how they price their work. Cheryl Glenn shared her display ideas for exhibiting work in fairs and festivals. Last but not least, Chuck Parsons demonstrated how to build a backyard kiln from a metal garbage can.

I can't wait to try out the new recipes and techniques that I saw. Sometimes I can feel very isolated between making pots alone and being home with just Emily (my 18 month daughter) for company. I really enjoyed seeing and speaking with several other local potters. I was especially interested to speak with Aaron Ashcraft. In his class, I learned that he started work as a professional potter around the same time that his son was born. In a reversal of usual roles, he was the stay-at-home father/potter while his wife worked a 9-5 job. It's inspiring for me to see positive examples of parents who make pottery and parenting work.

2007-01-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Jewelry Sale

From January 14th to February 14th, I'm having a jewelry sale in my Etsy Store. I've reduced prices on all of my unique clay jewelry pieces by 10%. Be sure to check it out at http://www.trpottery.etsy.com.

2007-01-06T19:28:00.001-08:00

Squidoo!

Strange name, great site! Squidoo is a fast way to set up a small website. I just heard about it from some other members of Worldwide Women Artists. Having never heard of it before, I had no idea what people were talking about when they said that they had set up a new "lens" or asked others to "lensroll" their site. I went on out of curiosity and ended up making a site of my own. It took me about an hour to set up a workable site, or "lens". I joined two groups of other lenses, "Self-Representing Artists" and "Fine Arts Group" and "lensrolled" or basically, "marked as favorite" a couple of other lenses. You can check out my lens at http://www.squidoo.com/trpottery/ and even "lensroll" my lens for yourself.

2007-01-03T11:57:00.000-08:00

Worldwide Women Artists

I recently joined an excellent organization called Worldwide Women Artists. It is a collective of women from all over the world who share their insights on art, marketing, and being a woman. I'm excited to have been accepted into the group. Below are links to the WWAO site and the Artists Who Blog list of other WWAO blogs.

2006-11-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

A New Venue

I just discovered a great place to buy and sell handmade arts and crafts. Etsy.com has an amazingly varied collection of artists from all over the world in all different mediums. The set-up is somewhat like eBay, but each artist receives their own storefront free-of-charge and listings only cost 10 cents apiece plus a 3.5% commission. Listings stay up for six months instead of a week and there is a built in system for contacting the artist and/or commissioning pieces. The other huge advantage to artists is that the site is specifically geared towards people looking for hand-made art.

For a whopping $2.00 and 3 hours, I made the plunge and set up my own little shop. You can check it out at trpottery.etsy.com. I'm starting out with mostly small items--necklaces and cups. As I see what sells, I can expand my listings.

2006-09-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

The Challenge
As I was setting up at the Avenues Street Fair, a woman who was jogging by stopped to take a look. She said something to me that I've been thinking about since. She said, "There is a lot of clay out there, but yours is different."
I asked, "Oh, are you a potter?"
"I'm firing up my gas kiln this afternoon,” she said as she jogged away.
Although I do make some functional ware, my emphasis since starting on my own has been making forms and surfaces that were interesting to me. Since my brief meeting with this woman (whose name I didn't even have time to ask) I've been pondering how I can continue to differentiate my work from the mass of pottery being created today. How can I keep my work original and fresh? The woman's quick comment was both a complement, and an enormous challenge. I truly hope that I can live up to it.

2006-09-05T17:36:00.001-07:00

Cobalt in Saggar Firings
I was very excited by the results of last week's saggar firing. I have tried cobalt in saggars before and never got more than blushes of periwinkle. This week, I was surprised with full-blown deep blues, as well as vibrant pinks.

Here is what I did to get these results:

-First, each pot was painted with a wash of cobalt carbonate mixed with water.

-The pots were wrapped in newspaper bundles filled with hay and a lot of miracle grow (about 1 Tbs. per pot)

-The bundles were placed in clay saggars with rock salt sprinkled liberally around them.

-The kiln was fired to 1600 degrees in about 3 hours.

2006-08-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

Pit Firing

The primitive process of pit firing intrigues me. That a vessel can be decorated by the smoke and fumes generated in an everyday campfire is amazing. I love how unpredictable and spontaneous the surface is with flashes of random colors and textures.

Contemporary potters have many advantages over the ancient potters for whom pit firing was the only "firing" available. With an electric kiln, I am able to bisque fire pieces before pit firing, thus ensuring consistent hardness in the clay and saving me many breakage headaches. Also, there are many pure chemicals and minerals available from pottery suppliers which can be used to gain some predictability in coloring. For instance, Copper Carbonate, when sprinkled around pots, will give flashes of deep red to maroon and shades of pink. In the July/August issue of Pottery Making Illustrated, there is a chart that outlines some sources of color in barrel firing (very similar to pit firing) and their results (pg. 26).

There are as many different ways to pit fire as there are potters, but mine is uniquely adapted to my present circumstances. I fire in my In-law's backyard fire pit. It has a cement bottom and fairly large stones around the edges. My In-laws live up in the hills and well away from neighbors so we haven't received any complaints for the fires yet (although we did have one concerned neighbor call worried that the house was on fire when he saw the smoke wafting up from behind it).

In order to transport my pots safely there, I first wrap them in individual bundles at home. The bundles are composed of copper scrubbing pads, banana peels, and newspaper. After painting my vessels with a half-water-half-ferric chloride mixture (Warning: ferric chloride makes beautiful colors, but must be handled with extreme care. Please read all warning labels and use proper protective materials when working with this substance) I place banana peels in strategic places on the pot and then tape or wrap cut-up copper pads on top of that. The messy pot is then wrapped in newspaper, which has the double advantage of cushioning the pot for the journey and increasing flammability around the pot in the fire.

At the firing pit, I first lay at least an inch of wood chips. On top of the wood chips is a fine layer of straw or hay that serves as a bed for the pots. A liberal sprinkling of rock salt, copper carbonate, and red iron oxide is given to the hay. The pots are placed with the largest ones in the middle and the smaller ones radiating out in a circle. I rarely stack vessels unless lack of space forces me to. I scatter more straw/hay on top of and filling in gaps between vessels and then sprinkle more of the minerals on top . From this, I begin to place firewood around the pieces, with small kindling first and then larger logs around the outside and stacked in the middle. Newspaper strips are tucked in between logs to get the fire going. The whole thing gets a very liberal spraying of fire starter, and then I drop in some lit matches. Then I just let the fire burn until dead--which usually ends up being a couple of hours.

After the fire has burned itself out, I use metal tongs to pull out the sometimes still hot pots and place them on the stones around the pit to cool. Once they are cool enough to touch, I use an old rag to wipe of the ashes and then wrap them in newspaper again and box them up for the trip home.

To finish the pieces, I thoroughly clean off the remaining grime from the fire with a lightly damp rag. I use Future floor finish diluted half-and-half with water to seal and polish the vessels. It is an acrylic finish, so it serves to seal and make the vessels more durable, as well as giving a slight sheen to the surface.

Above and Below are pictures of vessels from the last pit firing on 8/3/06

2006-08-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Saggar Fire Research Project
Clay Arts Utah is sponsoring a Saggar Fire Research Project. Every week, anyone from Clay Arts Utah may bring and fire a clay saggar for free at the Pioneer Craft House and Farmers' Market. The only requirement is that the artist bring a list of the ingredients that went into the saggar. Different temperatures and holding times are being tested. Even children that come to the farmers' market may get involved by putting together mini saggars. Results from each firing are photographed and posted on the Clay Arts, Utah website.

The exciting thing about this program is that all of the experimental information will be pooled. Artists can compare all of the firings to see which combustibles actually created which variables in color within the saggar and at what temperatures. Also, individual artists get to try new combinations every week without wracking up an enormous gas bill. In this last firing, I tested a wash of cobalt carbonate on the pot and got some very interesting pale blues, green/grays, and pinks (see pictures above and below). This project will be continuing all summer and throughout September. I'm very excited to see what fires up!

2006-05-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Selling my Work

Last weekend, I participated in my first outdoor sales event. It was amazing how much stuff I needed to pull together just to be prepared to sell. Here were some of my biggest considerations:

Payment Options
In this day and age, it's not only getting outdated, but also risky to accept personal checks. I wanted to first: find out how to cover my butt if things went to small claims court, and second: find a way of accepting credit cards from a remote location. The solution to the first problem was to avoid checks if possible, or if not possible, to get as much information about my buyer in writing as possible. I looked closely at the check and some ID--made sure that names and addresses matched up. Also, I looked at the check number. Had this person been using this account long? As far as credit cards go, I found a great solution for me in PayPal's Virtual Terminal. PayPal charged $20 a month and a small percentage fee of each transaction. The Virtual Terminal was accessed from my personal computer and funds went directly into my PayPal account, which I later transferred to my bank account. With a small, plastic credit card imprinter (I got mine at POSPaper online), cards could be imprinted and receipts created while at the outdoor function. These receipts were keyed in later on the Virtual Terminal.

Booth Design
I had to just bite the bullet and buy a canopy for my booth. Most of the other things for my display were borrowed from other family members. I borrowed two 6-foot tables and several wooden boxes and wire stands from my in-laws' house. I had two smaller card tables of my own. For tablecloths, I used old white sheets covered by burlap that I bought by the yard from a fabric store.

Advertising/Professionalism
After creating a few informational signs on my computer, I printed them off and laminated them at Kinko’s. I designed business cards and flyers using a Microsoft Word template for the cards and Pages for the flyer. I printed the business cards at Kinko’s, but made the flyers black and white and printed them at home on cardstock.

Pricing/Inventory
It was a surprise to me, but this part of the whole process actually took the most time. Having not sold in this sort of event before, I was unsure how to price my items. I needed a good record of my pricing, and what sold and what did not. On Microsoft Word, I created an inventory sheet and then spent several hours filling (and re-filling and refilling--as I changed my mind about prices) it in.

Packaging for Sales
Something I had not really thought about before was what to do with the piece after the customer decides to buy it. I ended up buying some brown paper bags bulk and a roll of craft paper to wrap the pieces in.

Results
Customer turnout at the show was not nearly what we had hoped. After spending more money than I care to admit on all of the considerations above, I think I about broke even with my sales--maybe a little less. However, there were some very nice bonuses. I started a mailing list of customers who enjoy my work and got my information out there to potential buyers. I now have all of the supplies to put together a booth for another sale. I am also prepared physically and emotionally to sell again. What I treasure most is the valuable ideas and information that came from spending time with other experienced potters.

2006-05-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

Finding Inspiration in Motherhood

Janis Mars Wunderlich is an artist who derives inspiration from her role as a mother. I recently read a short article in this month's Ceramics Monthly about her solo exhibition at Sherrie Gallerie in Columbus, Ohio.

I was really impressed by Wunderlich's use of her children as a creative theme. Of her work, she says, "My recent work explores the idea of 'accessorizing' with children. Sometimes I feel as though my wardrobe consists of kids from head to toe. Instead of artsy or fancy accessories and jewelry, I have children hanging from my ears, neck, and arms! In a sense, the mother figure seems hidden or lost behind all the clingy creatures. But in reality, she is strengthened, clothed and made beautiful by them. They give her layers, textures, identity."

In today's world, where many look down upon women who make the choice to stay at home with their children, I find Wunderlichs unabashed pride at being a mother very encouraging. Instead of "giving up" a career outside of my home, I am gaining "layers, textures, and identity" and can use my experience as a source of insight and inspiration.

Wunderlich describes with almost humorous accuracy through her art what it is to be both a parent and an artist. In her own words, "My children inspire me with both their imaginative minds and animal-like energy. But parenting is physically and emotionally demanding! The tantrums, messy diapers and adolescent "sassiness" are emotionally draining."

Janis Mars Wunderlich, "Six Swans"

2006-04-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

Tin Foil Saggar

Historically, saggars were used to protect glazes and wares from the open flame, gases, and ash inherent in the process of wood-firing. This technique was used in ancient China, Korea, Japan, and even the later industrial potteries of Great Brittain. The name itself derives from a contraction of "safeguard". Saggars were constructed of large clay jars or brick boxes placed inside the kiln.

Contemporary potters use saggars in a way completely opposite to the original use intended. Instead of placing a pot in an empty saggar for protection, potters intentionally fill it up with all kinds of "gunk". Organic materials, such as banana peels, cat food, leaves, and twigs can be attached to the vessel with copper wire, masking tape, steel wool, etc. This concoction can be further covered with sawdust, salt, baking soda, copper carbonate, red iron oxide, newspaper-- you name it. The possibilities are endless with any number of the ingredients listed above as well as a myriad of other choices.

I was taught to saggar fire in an outdoor raku kiln by applying some of the above ingredients and then wrapping the entire thing in tin foil. The pots were fired until they "looked right" (about 1400 degrees) at which point they were pulled out, unwrapped, and put in water to cool.

When reintroduced to saggar at another college, I found that the method practiced was completely different. Pots were still wrapped in combustibles and organic material, but then they were wrapped in a newspaper bundle. This bundle was then loaded in a box built of firebrick inside an outdoor gas kiln. The space around the pots was filled with pine needles, sawdust, salt, copper sulfate, and red iron oxide and sealed on top with a kiln shelf. This was fired to between 1600 and 1799 degrees and allowed to cool for several days before emptying.

Intrigued by the difference in techniques and the range of possibilites, I started researching saggar firing. I found some great online resouces in Wanda Garrity , who was quick to answer my questions about her techniques through emails, Dick Lehman's site, which has a good article about a method for getting carbon imprints, and Pitfire, Matt Hoogland's personal website that has a lot of information about saggars and terra sigilata. Barrel, Pit, and Saggar Firing by Sumi Von Dassow has been a great reading resource. It is a collection of Ceramics Monthly Articles about the topic. Another good read, which was reccomended to me by Wanda Garrity, is Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques.

Yesterday, I tested out a new method (to me--I'm sure someone, somewhere has done it before) created from a combination of past experience and reading.
After painting on a layer of ferric chloride, I wrapped my pots in organics (ok, so I cleaned out my fridge and ended up using moldy peppers and broccoli), copper scrubbing pads, and sawdust with a pinch of salt and some copper carbonate. This package was then wrapped in tin foil with the shiny side out. All of the tin foil packs were tumble-stacked in my electric kiln and fired to cone 18--about 1390 degrees.

The results were not what I had expected. The sawdust only blackened the ware where there was a lot of it in intimate contact. The organics and copper scrubbers burned out a pale orange/pink. For the next firing, I think that I will use more sawdust in more concentrated areas. Also, right after firing, I read in Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques that salt can corrode the elements in an electric kiln. So, no more salt in the next firing--I'm lucky that I didn't put much in the last one. But copper carbonate, red iron oxide, and other colorants are still fair game. I'm also thinking of experimenting with pit firing in my inlaw's backyard (large) fire pit.

Below are two examples of saggar fired pots. The first was fired at the college lab in a gas kiln, the second was fired in my electric. To see more of my finished saggar pots, check out my website TRPottery.

2006-04-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Website!

I just published my very own website. It has pics of my recent work, more about me, and some of my favorite glazes. Check it out!

trpottery

2006-03-30T10:10:00.000-08:00

Glaze Development: Working towards an unknown goal

Glaze can literally make or break a pot. One of my ceramic teachers used to say that when a kiln gets opened, it’s either Christmas or Halloween. Because my kiln wouldn’t fire to glaze temperatures when I started my series, I was not able to even attempt glazing my works for a long time (see “What was wrong with my kiln”). I made a lot of bisque ware. With each pot, I improved my carving and texturing technique. I liked what the bisque ware looked like, but didn’t really know how to finish them off. I had a few basic ideas of what I wanted my glaze to look like. It should bring out the texture and carving on the pieces, incorporate a strong shade of green, and look old, like a worn down stain.

I had seen red iron oxide work well alone as a glaze. I wanted to get that same effect, only in green. I bought a ½ pound of Florentine Green Mason stain and ½ pound of Grass Green.

In my first attempt at glazing, I tried a watered down wash of Grass Green (straight up, no glaze added) with an even more watered down wash of Florentine. At cone 10, the Grass Green burnt out to light brown and the Florentine looked gray or a pale dark green. The two pots that I tried this out on were not very pretty. Below is a detail picture of one of the pots and a close-up of a test tile in the same load.

For my second try, I decided that the background needed some kind of contrast to make the pots more interesting. Also, the green needed to be--well, more green. I used red iron oxide in a wash on the background areas and a lot thicker wash of just Florentine on the leaves. When I opened up this glaze batch, I realized why the makers of mason stain advise using some sort of glaze or slip to attach their product to clay. The pots looked really dusty, as though they had been covered with chalk without a fixative (which I guess is pretty near to what happened). When I grabbed one to pull it out of the kiln, I realized that the finish didn’t just look dusty. I had green powder all over my hands. In an effort to salvage at least some of these pieces, I rinsed off most of the excess stain and then brushed a satin clear varnish over the whole pot. The effect was actually pretty good and is pictured below. Knowing I had something to fall back on if further attempts failed, I kept looking for better alternatives.

I went on the Internet and found a couple of cone 8-10 clear satin or matt glazes to try out at www.ceramicstoday.com. I ran a series of tests on these glazes with the colorants in hopes that at least one combination would work. I tested each glaze two different ways: (1) with a little glaze mixed into the colorant thinned with water, and (2) with the glaze brushed in a thin wash over the top of the bare colorant. I was looking for an aged, stained look, and so didn’t use very much glaze in the hopes that it would act as a fixative without being too glossy or overpowering. One of the combinations turned out pretty well. It was nearly what I was looking for, although the green could have been brighter still. The best results seemed to come from a thin wash of glaze over bare colorants.

Choosing some less-favorite pieces, I tested out this new combination. They turned out all right, but the green still needed more of a pop. After thinking things over for a day or so, I decided to tweak things a little. I would still use red iron oxide with no additives, but instead of using straight Florentine, I would add a little bit of glaze. After applying the oxide and the stain/glaze, I would brush the entire thing with a thin wash of clear glaze. I bravely applied this combination to four of my pots, and surrendered them to the caprice of the kiln. Twelve hours later, the kiln was opened. I was very excited by what I saw. Florentine Green came out a dark, clear green with no sign of dustiness. The brown of the red iron oxide contrasted well with the green. The wash of gaze gave the pieces a light overall sheen that unified the two colors. Below is detail from and a picture of a teapot from that first successful batch.

With this success, I finally feel able to glaze the rest of the bisque ware from the past few months sitting in my garage. Wish me luck!

2006-03-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

What was wrong with my Kiln...After opening the bowels of my kiln, it's no longer a wonder that it wouldn't reach cone 10. It's a wonder that the kiln even worked at all. Pictured above are the connectors to the number one and two relays. Obviously, there was something wrong with them. They were frizzle-fried to a crisp. However, after speaking for some time with the repair-man and the kiln company, we decided that it wasn't the relays that were at fault; it was the control box itself that had shorted them out.
The kiln company sent me a new box to use while they fixed up the old one. I had to strip back the wires and put on new connectors, but once I re-attached everything to the new box, the kiln worked great. It fired up to cone 10 without a hitch.
I'm back in business.