Under Construction

At the end of the semester I had a few pieces that I was working on at multiple stages.  These pictures show a piece I am working on at the moment.  After returning from visiting family, I was hoping to get back on this piece, but the University had to shut down power to run electrical tests.  The power should be back on tomorrow and I'm looking forward to finishing up this piece.  I haven't figured out a "title",  for the piece, but that's the least of my thoughts at the moment.  I'll post new pictures of the piece tomorrow, when I can get back in the studio.  This piece is entirely hand built using an earthenware clay body and slabs.  I've used some press molded additions as well, with the "bolts and screws".

New sculpture-"Manual Labor", December 2011

Pictured here is the piece titled, "Manual Labor", which is hand built, using terra cotta and fired to cone 6.  This piece is actually a mixed media piece consisting of terra cotta, steel, wood, and pvc.  The red "gears" in the background are completely terra cotta and hand carved to create the teeth look of the outer form of the "gear".  The surface consists of a mid-fire glaze and cold glazes.  I created a patina on the chain using a non-toxic citrus and vinegar solution. 

What the Blue?

It's been some time since I've posted an update, so I thought I would put up another picture of the next stage I was at a couple of weeks ago with this piece.  I know the color is questionable and believe me, it will not look like this when I am done with it!  I will take a picture of it today and post the new image of its progress.  I had critiques the last two weeks and finals are over for the semester, but I still have a lot of work to finish up during the break.  I'm trying to get five new pieces finished before the spring semester starts so I can have some of my new work in my portfolio when I start applying for teaching positions.  I'll post a new picture of this piece later tonight, so you can see the transformation of the surface from this picture.

Two works in progress-November, 2011

With the holidays fast approaching, it can only mean one thing...the end of the semester is near!  I've been working through some issues with some of my molds, but for the most part they are working well.  I thought I would show you some of the pieces I've made so far, for a wall piece consisting of gears and other parts to reference a machine.  The pieces on the left of the shelf are slip cast porcelain and fired to cone 6.  The other piece pictured is a small sculpture that I will be implementing some mixed media into.   It was hand built using terra cotta, with additions of some press molded items.  I'm still working on the color choices, but I thought I would show a picture of the piece up to this point.  I will keep updating the progress of both pieces along the way.

Raku workshop at Edinboro University-presented by Kevin Rohde and Derek Decker, for Fairview High School, Fall 2011

Kevin Rohde and myself filling the container with combustibles while the kiln is firing the wares

Raku Kilns at Edinboro University

Opening the red hot kiln

Placing wares from the kiln into the container containing the combustibles

Kevin Rohde placing red hot wares from the kiln into the container

Wares placed in the container igniting the organic materials to help create the carbon needed for the glazes

Reduction process of Raku

One of the benefits of being a graduate student is having opportunities to pass on the knowledge one possesses.  Recently Kevin Rohde and myself had an opportunity to present a Raku workshop at Edinboro for Fairview High School near Erie.  The students were brought by their teacher Barb Wegner and were given Clear Raku and Copper Sand glazes to use on their wares.  Kevin and I used two different Raku kilns to fire all the work and demonstrated the whole process to the class.  I recently received some thank you cards from the students and was glad to know they enjoyed seeing the process first hand.  I can say that Kevin and I enjoyed presenting the process to the students as well.  It's kind of hard not to enjoy the process of Raku.  When else can you;  with the help of tongs and protective gloves, reach right into the red hot kiln and pull out the wares, only to place them immediately into a container filled with organic combustibles? Posted are some pictures of the event thanks to Mrs. Wegner and Mrs. Daley, who are both teachers at Fairview High School.

Multiple ceramic molds

 I've been busy working with slip-casting and making the necessary molds I need for this project I'm working on for a wall piece.  I've been really busy as usual and started working on a hand built sculpture as well.  I luckily had a chance to squeeze one of my bisque pieces into a kiln Deric Ence was firing to cone 10, so I could see if the casting slip I made up would make it to that temperature, and lucky for me it did.  I would like to cast some things for the wood firing coming up in November here at Edinboro University, so I guess I'll have to hurry up and cast some work for it; now that I know it will survive.  Here are some pictures of some of some of the new molds and some cast pieces as well. 

New work under progress Fall 2011

This week has been a busy week for me with mid-term critiques and committee critiques this Friday, so I've been trying to get everything ready to present.  I have been working on a new piece for my thesis work and thought I would post the progress up to this point.  The piece pictured is terra cotta clay.  I hand built this piece using slabs and some carving techniques to create the teeth on the gears and on the "tool".  I bisque fired the clay to cone 05, and then applied a cone 6 glaze and glaze fired the pieces to start with a base to work from.  I have thought about taking my work to the next level by paying attention to the minute details, that I think helps with the overall feel of the work, and the tromp l'oeil effect that I am pursuing.  There is still some minor issues I am still working through with the piece, but I feel the end is near.  I'll post pictures of the final piece when I am done with it, hopefully in a couple of weeks.

Triaxial Blend for Glaze development

This semester I am taking a glaze calculation and materials class in ceramics.  I'm hoping to learn a lot more about the materials I use within ceramics and possibly develop some new glazes for my own work.  I'll post a picture of some of my favorite glazes from the test I'm running.  I'll be exploring low-fire glazes within my research and hope to find some really cool glazes.  Posted is a picture of my dry materials in their designated cups, so I don't get them mixed up. 

KACA Material Mastery and Members Exhibition 2011

"Precious", Terra Cotta, 2011 (KACA Material Mastery)

"Fossil Fuel", Earthenware, 2010 (Members Exhibition)

I found out recently that I will have two pieces in two different exhibitions coming this October sponsored by the Kansas Artist Craftsmen Association.  The first one is titled "Material Mastery", which will run from October 17-November 5, 2011(Exhibition reception is November 4, 2011), at the Norman R. Eppink Gallery, Emporia State University, 1200 Commercial St., Emporia, KS.  The National Juried exhibition was juried by Elaine O. Henry, who is the editor of Ceramics Art and Perception and Ceramics TECHNICAL magazines.  The Members Exhibition will take place from October 25-November 5, 2011, at the Emporia Arts Council, 815 Commercial St., Emporia, KS.  The exhibition reception will take place on November 4, 2011.  Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the exhibitions due to the fact that I am still finishing up my last year in graduate school at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.  If you are able to attend the shows I would recommend it...it looks like there will be a lot of great art from the list of those showing in the show this year!  The works pictured, are the pieces that will be in the upcoming exhibitions.

Clay Club Sale 2011

On October 6th and 7th the Clay Club had it's annual sale.  Everyone did a really great job producing the work for the sale, and we were fortunate to have really nice weather.  I thought I would post a picture of Gratia Brown(2nd year graduate) and myself working our shift at the sale.

Screen Printed Ceramic Tiles

Last semester I took a screen printing class with Franz Spohn who is one of the print making professors here at Edinboro University.  I had never tried screen printing and really wanted to learn how to screen print underglazes onto ceramic work.  As with any new process an artist is learning, mistakes happen and though it may be slow going at first, the time put into the process will eventually pay off.  In times of frustration, I always like to remind myself that I had to learn to walk first, before I could run.  It's exactly the same with art, when learning new techniques and processes.  I really would like to explore more of this approach within my work, but for now I need to just make work for my thesis exhibition and explore more of this surface treatment after graduate school.  Pictured are the tiles that I screen printed with underglazes and made up a cone 04 clear glaze that I sprayed on top of the underglazes.  I used commercial bisqued tiles to save time, rather than making my own tiles.

Outside the studio

I know I have to post a picture of the other collaboration piece I had talked about in my last blog, so that is the first picture posted.   The collaboration piece was created by Michelle Ghisson and myself.  I created the form and handed it over to her to finish the surface.  I really enjoyed the imagery she used and the process of decoupage.  The following pictures are of my piece in the show "Supersize:  Bigger is Better?"  I unfortunately was unable to attend the opening of "Supersize: Bigger is Better?", but it was really nice to see it still up when I arrived to pick up my piece at Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center.  I am posting two other works that were also in the show, but unfortunately didn't write down the titles of the pieces, so I thought I would at least give credit to the artists who created the works.

Mayan Robotics, 2010

My piece, "Excess" in the show "Supersize:  Bigger is Better?"

Damian Yanessa

Emily White

Summer work 2011

With summer soon coming to an end and school starting within 28 days, I thought I might show what type of things I've been working on lately.  I know in my last post I said I would try to get the last piece I did in the collaboration series photographed, but I kept forgetting to bring my camera to the studio.  The way our room is set up for photographing work it is best to photograph at night, so I still have not done that, but I will try to this week.  So in the mean time, I thought I would show what I've been working on in the studio.

The above pictures show a piece underway, which I'm working on at the moment.  If you notice the second picture in this series, you will notice the "coupling" nearest the viewer has some carving.far  I tried exploring the surface a bit, by going back to a decorative carved relief on the surface of the form.  I thought by going back to carving a bit more with elements of decoration that it may create a different feel to the object.  I'm not sure yet, and will have to hold my thoughts on it at the moment.  The "couplings" as I call them, will go with the tool I am working on as well.  I have already fired a cone 6 black bronze glaze on the tool form of the piece and still have to finish the surface with cold glazes, along with the addition of found objects to finish it off and make it complete.

The pictures below, shows forms that I've been working on for a wall piece. I still have to create more forms to complete this one, but you can get an idea of where I'm going.  The forms are all hand built using slabs and hand carved, with additions of some press molded accents(bolts).  The idea behind the piece is to create a machine, that represents what we use in our daily lives.  I will have to add some slip-cast additions later, but hopefully it turns out...I'll have to keep updating posts on this piece as it progresses. 

Collaboration work

Last semester in graduate school we took upon an idea to exchange work with the other grad students in our class, and have those students finish the work.  This image represents one of those pieces that was part of the original three I originally made and exchanged with those graduate students that chose my work to finish.  This piece was chosen by Gratia Brown and she ended up finishing the surface. I think she really did an interesting look on my form.  When I asked her what we should title the piece she came up with the title of "Doll House Artifact".  I think it fits, and really enjoyed the exchange between the other graduate students in class.  I have one more to still photograph out of the three, but I should be doing that this week, and then I'll post that image as well.