Dragon Vase

So, I have a commission to do a 37 cm tall vase (a little over 14 inches tall) and I decided that I should do some practice stacker pots to make sure that I can still throw tall (I've been throwing so many mugs lately!). And the vase you see is the result.

Also, there is a wood salt firing coming up next weekend. I wasn't sure I would complete much of anything in time, but I sure was going to try. A friend had given me 3 bags of Danish White with sand clay, and since that clay takes color very well in wood firings, I knew what clay to use. Just needed to make something.

Made the vase. I really liked how it turned out. The main body is made up of two cylinders that were merged and blended and shaped together. The neck and top part of the vase is a separate cylinder that I attached after trimming. I was very pleased with it. Now, my original idea was to sculpt a dragon on the vase.  But, since I liked the shape of the vase so much, I posted a photo and asked my friends whether or not I should add a dragon. Although a few people said "no", a great majority said "DRAGON!"

And so... here you go... a dragon vase:

RAWR!

Now, the dragon is made of the same clay as the vase. I decided to add some underglaze to the dragon so that it will look different from the rest of the vase when it is fired. Remember, wood fired pieces usually get color from the type of wood you use in the firing. And although you may not get uniform colors, the results can be unexpected. By underglazing the dragon, I will add a bit of control on the end result. I will definitely post photos when it is completed.

And finally, here is a photo of me underglazing my dragon. Photo taken by a friend.

I am back! - Fish Plate #1

Well, actually, I never left. I just neglected to post on this blog since last June. So, let's catch everyone up.

The kiln I posted about in June was returned. It just wouldn't get to cone 6 as was advertised. So, I returned it.

In the fall, I started to make Minion mugs from Despicable Me and was busy making a ton of those for Christmas. Let's just say that I did not charge enough at the start. However, I was able to pay some bills and make over $300 on those mugs. I also made a number of Totoro mugs.

Thankfully, the number of Minion mugs has decreased. Also, thankfully, I received a number of commissions that kept me busy til about now. I still have a few left to fulfill, but they are not as numerous as before.

So, what have I been up to? There was a bout of naked raku pots with water color. I'll do a post about that later this week - and those were done last year. I do plan to make more and might have a new one by the end of this week. I've also been throwing platters... some have been really big. Unfortunately, my first big platter cracked in half. More about that later too.

Here's the one I'm proud of right now:

This platter was made from some left over clay. It was a bit wobbly, but around 12 inches wide at the time of throwing... I had been looking at some really pretty photos of colorful betta fish shot with black backgrounds. The photos were absolutely stunning and I decided to do a sculpt.

After I finished sculpting it, I really had no idea how to finish it. On the one hand, it is pretty much a decorative plate. I poked holes behind the tail of the fish to insert a wire for hanging the plate on the wall. I also wanted to make sure that the colors were really bright and contrasting with the black background. In the end, I decided to try underglazing the fish and see what would happen.

Here's the result. I hand painted the clear glaze on the fish and the glossy black glaze on the plate (over the black underglaze). I do need to practice the application of glazes to make it a bit more even. However, I do like how it turned out. The current price for this plate is $225. I do plan on raising the price if I put it on ETSY or take it to a show. But, for anyone reading this blog, if you want this plate, drop me a line. I'm happy to ship it anywhere (for the price of the plate and shipping/handling, of course).

Lots more to share in the upcoming weeks. To see work in progress, it's best to follow my facebook page : Spinning the Clay Fantastic.

See you soon!

June tidings

Well, I have really slowed down on my clay production. I just haven't been feeling the need to play in clay. I did make a few mugs for my co-workers and I did buy a kiln back in April.

Here is my new kiln. I'm able to fire really small pieces in this (mugs, small bowls, pendants and such) It's a good size for the limited amount of production I am doing now. And it means I don't have to transport pieces while they are green. Unfortunately, the kiln is in the shop because it's not hitting temperature or rather, it is, but the electronic display is coming up with an error. Fingers crossed it comes back to me soon.

Here is a Master Chief helmet mug made for a co-worker. He really likes the game, Halo, and he really likes coffee, so this is appropriate.

Here is a Totoro mug made for another co-worker, in the green stage.

And when it was glaze fired.

My co-workers really love coffee. I made 3 mugs for 3 of them. And now, their cups are so big that they can wipe out a whole pot of coffee by themselves.

Now my Totoro mug co-workers wants me to make a mug for myself and I'll make one for another co-worker too.

I'm still on a break from throwing clay. Been like this for the past few months. I just haven't wanted to do it and I'm enjoying painting and drawing more. Still, with this break, my creative juices are coming back and I am hoping to throw a few pieces soon. I know that once the Autumn comes again, I'll be producing more as I have a bunch of things I would like to make for the wood firing starting in November.

Will definitely keep everyone posted.

Of Hedgehogs and stuff

Made a hedgehog today. It was fun and a test. I think I need to work on the face a bit more. Still, it's on its way to be adorable.

And I had a commission to make a bowl and a cup for a child. I will have to paint a rainbow on each of those.

Happy New Year!

It's the beginning of a new year and I'm heading in a new direction. First up, painted porcelain pendants. I slab out some porcelain, fire them to cone 10, sand them with 200 and 400 mesh Diapads so they are super smooth. Then, I use paint pens to paint on them. The above sugar skull kitty was inspired by an assignment at work where I had to create a sugar skull kitty. The above is similar to what I created digitally.

Back in December, I made a test version of the sugar skull cat which long time customer bought. Afterwards, a friend ordered some earrings and a pendant. So, those shown above are the result.

I will have more create in the next few weeks. I've got a bird shape and a manatee shape. I think I shall also create some of these kitties and attach them to a clip with ribbons. They should be cute!

And finally, here is a shoe that I am in the process of underglazing. I hope to make more shoes and maybe some boots.

As for functional ware, I will continue to do those, but only on commission.

Lots of other ideas are floating around in my head. Hope to get all of them out by year end!

Winter update

I realized that I have show a lot of in progress work, but not too many of the completed work. So, here goes.

The completed Chawan Mushi cups! These turned out well. I wish the red had gone more red and less brown or maroon-ish, but that's what happens when you don't get to fire your own pieces and have to trust someone else. Most of the lids fit well, so I was happy. Until I decided to make wash the cups and then couldn't figure out easily which lid went with which cup. For the most part, they are the same size, but there is variation. And so, when I decided to make my own cups, I made sure the glaze each one differently. Much easier to match.

Now, I haven't made any of these long necked cats in a really long time. But, a friend came over and saw the one I kept for myself and commissioned me to make one for her. The glaze was too thick on here and I was using someone else's glaze, so I couldn't thin it down enough to get some color variation. Ah well. Live and learn and next time, make my own glaze up.

And here is a pitcher. I threw a party in the summer where I served margaritas. At the time, I only had a martini pitcher that just wasn't big enough. And so, I decided to make myself my own big pitcher. I used the Flambe glaze from Clay Planet and added a splotch of black glaze. I was very pleased with the result! Now, this pitcher is big enough that it takes two hands to lift it when it's about halfway full. Well, it certainly is big enough!

 Years ago, when I started selling pottery, I made some Raku angels. They didn't sell too well, so I stopped making them. Recently, I came across a photo and decided to post it on Facebook. I had some interest from friends, so I decided to redesign the shape and came up with the above. Pretty happy with them and I've already sold 3 with an order for one more. I think I'll be making a few more of these.

 Finally, here's my latest sculpture. He's kind of a sea dragon/sea horse creature. I had just seen Wreck it Ralph where the old video game character, Q-bert, makes an appearance. So, the mouth was kind of influenced by Q-bert.

 Here's a side view.

Oh, and I'll leave you with these snails. A friend at the studio was making them, but then she and her husband had to move out of the area. I asked if it was ok if I started to make them. She gave me her permission very kindly. Now, mine do not look like hers, so there is some bit of me in them. At any rate, these are all sold. I guess I'll have to make some more.

Things are changing for me. I'm not sure how much longer I will be at the studio where I fire my pieces. I might look for a new place to fire and just continue working in clay in my own home. Plus, I've been very busy with work and with painting. I do know that I have a lot of ideas to create in clay and hope to continue to work in this medium, but it might be a lot less than it is right now or has been in the past year. Or, it might grow as I think I might start selling more online. We shall see.

It has been far too long...

Since I last posted! Rest assured, I have been quite busy. I've made another hippo (commission for a friend) and a few other regular items.

Currently, I am obsessed with Chawan Mushi, a Japanese savory custard. My mom was a big fan, but I never really ate it while I was growing up. While living in Japan, I couldn't get away from it. Now that I am back in the States (for the past 12 years or so), I'm getting a craving for it. A local restaurant serves chawan mushi and it was a bit more full of vegetables than I was used to. So, I've decided to try to make it myself.

But first, I need the chawan mushi cups...

A friend has asked me to make two for her, so I shall be making those next week.

Speaking of "commissions", my mother asked me to make her a few frogs with their mouths open. In Japanese, the word for frog is kaeru. Kaeru can also mean "to return". And so, the frog is something of a good luck charm. Anything you give away or send off will return to you be it money or friends. If you go to the California hotel in Las Vegas, you'll see a lot of Japanese people from Hawaii carrying around frog good luck charms.

The pig in the center was a demonstration of making a closed form (in this case, a sphere) and then cutting open the top to form a lid. In fact, all  of the frogs were made from closed forms, the mouths were cut open and feet were added. You can't see it in the picture, but some legs were formed on the side of the frogs. I suppose the frogs could be used as sponge holders, but only the one on the far right with the wide open mouth would be good for that.

Finally, more yarn bowls for The Knitting Room in San Jose. I'm selling my bowls there exclusively, though, I am thinking of trying to get into Stitches West next year.