Tis the Season....of workshops !

October was a busy month, and I am not talking shopping for a Halloween costume ! San diego saw a myriad of ceramics-oriented activities across the county and beyond, including several exhibit openings, like the San Diego's Craft Revolution at the Mingei Museum, or the COVA Invitational Exhibition at the San Diego Art Institute. So many things to see but so little time. I finally made my way to both exhibits today, and I was blown away by the quality and originality of the work. Some of the artists at COVA are friends and seeing their pieces on display, under bright light, made me appreciate the details and craftsmanship they put into it even more. The Mingei, as always, did a wonderful work at rendering the vibe and feel of the Craft era that swept Southern California in the 50s through the 70s. I was amazed by the wonderful woodwork on display, notably some very curvy furniture and a huge pendulum clock. The ceramics were interesting, in a very much earthy kind of way. More focus on forms and details than on the glazes.

But October was also a month of workshops. I focused my attention on three.
1) Moldmaking at Palomar College with Peter Pinkus.
Making mold is unkown territory for me, so this was perfect. In 3 hour time, Peter demonstrated the use of a mold by making his trademark colorful designs on slipcast pieces, as well as preparing plaster and casting a mold. That was very nice of Palomar College ceramics department to open this free workshop to locals. From what I heard, the visit was paid by the sales of the student's work. Awesome !

2) Salt and soda firing at Francis Parker High School (CASD sponsored).
CASD sponsored another salt and soda firing at Steve Cook's ceramics studio. Much more hands-on than the workshop at Idyllwild. I got to spray soda ! What a rush !

3) Brushmaking workshop at Clay Associates Studio with Glenn Grishkoff (CASD-sponsored).
 "The brush both as function and art" was a titillating title for a CASD workshop, I had to check it out. Glenn came down from Palm Desert to teach us how to make our own brushes from scratch, mainly bamboo sticks, animal hair (as well as feathers and straw), and strings. It was fun, intense (hardly stopped for lunch), and greatly rewarding. I went home with 9 original brushes, with skunk tail, squirrel tail, moose hair, deer tail, horse mane, hackle feather, among other things. Now we need Glenn for another workshop, so we can use them !

Another Exciting Raku Workshop !

September Class
Ron, Elly, Mark, and Linda

What a day yesterday ! This was our third Raku workshop at Gets Centered Studio for Lee and I, and it is turning into a well-oiled machine. All was set up in 30 minutes or so, while the students trickled in, giving an hand here and there. Many thanks to Mark for helping Lee with taking her big horse trough kiln out of her truck!
This time, our host Elly decided to join in the fun, donning her student hat. Though she knew what she was doing, with her glazing already planned, and she had no qualms taking her pieces out of the kiln.
It was very gratifying to have the September class willing to try out more than the standard Raku glazes. Ron committed himself entirely to Naked Raku, experimenting with white bodies and colored slip bodies. Mark touched a bit of everything. His horsehair vessel turned out a real beauty ! Linda was fascinated with the choice of metallic glazes and made them her focus.
Our class picture tells it all. Look a their big grins ! So happy to take home quality pieces. Or maybe it was the Gin and Tonic Ron brought along for our end-of-day happy hour ???!!!!

Next and final workshop for 2011 will take place on November 13th. A special alternative firing workshop: horsehair and naked Raku only ! For more info go to Gets Centered Studio website: http://www.getcenteredclay.com/.

Some pieces from the Soda workshop

With a brand new Flotone graduated background, I am having all kinds of fun taking pictures ! I used some of my best pieces from the Soda firing workshop as a practice run. So now you finally get to see the end results of that amazing workshop (see post http://potterybypierre.blogspot.com/2011/07/back-from-idyllwild.html) !
The first two pieces were made at home, from cone 10 half and half stoneware. Both were glazed with a combination of flashing slips and cone 6 glazes. Interestingly, most of the cone 6 glazes at the studio were able to withstand cone 10 firing, with some great colors. The oxblood was amazing. By the way, that glaze is normally used in electric firings at cone 6-7. The 0.5% silicon carbide ingredient maintains a local reduction environment for copper in the glaze.

14" high vase; soda fired;
Celadon glaze, Avery flashing slip

11.5" wide bowl; soda fired;
Oxblood glaze, Yellow Mustard slip

The next two pieces were made during the workshop. Richard Burkett is a mug expert, I suspect he makes them in his sleep, his collection is endless. I usually don't make mugs, I quickly run out of patience when it comes time to make and attach the handles. So I was a bit apprehensive the first two days when most of the demos centered around mug making and decoration. I never made so many mugs in one day before ! Mug this, mug that, in all kind of shapes and forms. It was quite fun actually ! And Richard and Joe shared their techniques for quick fun shapes and no trimming. Suddenly, my fear was gone and I was enjoying myself. I think I see more mugs in my future.
Another element I discovered and embraced was the use of slabs and extrusion elements for sculptural pieces. I never used an extruder before. What was I thinking ? Pop in the clay, and here it comes out in multiple forms and shapes. So easy, so simple. It opened the door to another world of creativity. Now my studio must-have list is growing longer: extruder, slab-roller, more shelf space...That's a lot of mugs to sell, better get started now !

5" high mug; soda fired;
Matt Long's yellow flashing slip; Tenmoku glaze (inside)

16" high sculpture; soda fired;
Avery flashing slip; Mustard Yellow slip; Tiger Ash glaze;
frog: Green Soda slip 

Getting ready for Idyllwild !!!

I am all giddy ! I cannot contain my excitment ! Every year the Idyllwild Arts department has a very busy Summer program, open to anyone. Ceramics is one of the subject, aptly called Hot Clay. I signed up back in February for a week long class on Salt and Soda Firing with Richard Burkett and Joe Molinaro. I kinda forgot about it until late May when I realized I had to bring a few bisqued pieces. One bisque load next week and I'll be ready !
Oh yeah, did I mention it is an entire week ?!!! Throwing, handbuilding, altering, stamping, firing...you name it. All clay, all day. And in an absolutely gorgeous setting too ! In the mountains overlooking Palm Springs, surrounded by conifers and pure air...I am ready to get dirty !
You know what, they may have some spots left. Go check it their website, you never know: http://www.idyllwildarts.org/summer.aspx

Some great work at our April Raku workshop

The graduating class: Fred, Sara, Yanna, and Paul

The day started uncertain, with a mix of blue skies and big menacing grey clouds. A few waterdrops scouted the parking lot behind the studio where we had set up our two Raku kilns, just as Lee was getting ready to do her Horsehair Raku demo. Air was unusually brisk for April, not a bad feature with two kilns going. Then the skies cleared up around noon, and we knew it was going to be a nice day.
And what a nice day it was ! Everyone did extremely well. Good glazing, nice pieces. Every one was patient, organized, receptive. It made the day exciting and fulfilling. Fred, Sara, Yanna and Paul all left with some wonderful pieces to remind them of the experience, as well as a new appreciation of Raku firing. Paul was so enthused he is considering converting his old electric kiln into a Raku kiln ! For her second Raku workshop, Yanna was prepared. She knew the glazes and used them to great effect on her pieces, with pleasing combinations of copper glazes and crackle glazes. Our metallic glazes had a huge appeal on Sara, embracing completely our selection of copper glazes to match her cake-decorating style. Fred had a good ol' time throughout the day, trying it all with equal glee.

Horsehair Raku lesson with Lee

Unloading the big kiln

Some postfiring work to make it more interesting

Big jar by Fred
Copper glaze

Mask by Paul
"Naked Raku" style

Layered vase by Yanna
Mix of copper glazes and white crackle glaze

Faceted vessel by Sara
Copper glaze

Our raku event was covered in an article by Chris Lavin, editor of e-news LaMesaToday.com. Chris, and his publisher Gina Garcia, took some really great shots of us throughout the workshop and arranged them into a 2-min slide show at the end of the article. Check it out !

Jim Romberg: Clay is his Canvas

For our first Raku workshop on March 13th, I introduced Paul Soldner's "halo" technique, utilizing Jim Romberg's white engobe recipe he demonstrated at the Phoenix workshop last month. I even showed the results on some bottles I fired in Phoenix. The technique strikingly highlights brush marks or other designs with a soft halo on a black background. I particularly love the effect, it is subtle but effective.

Jim is using the technique implicitly in his own artwork. Never at the forefront, it is however present in many of his designs as another effect in his layering of glazes, engobes, and oxides. I had the amazing opportunity to see him demonstrate his design technique on a plate.

Tall vase by Jim Romberg

Signature Plate

To aid in his work, Jim has accumulated over the years a huge collection of brushes, both commercial and handmade. The latter is a whole tale in itself (and Jim likes to talk !), so let's just say that skunks and other furry animals gave a few of their tails for Jim's cause. I have to admit they hold the engobes and oxides quite well and they slide on the clay very well. Gonna have to look in the canyon in the backyard one of these days...

A true collection of brushes

Jim always starts with a white foundation using his "dry engobe" recipe. The layer is thin but enough to cover imperfections in the clay. Though white, the unglazed engobe will absorb the smoke during postfiring reduction and turn black. The engobe quickly dries, thus setting up a clay canvas for Jim to work on. Watching him create patterns is fascinating. It is quite obvious that he is seeing the final product as he is laying down masking tape, oxide layers and brush marks. For us it looked raw and intriguing. I wish I had a picture of the final plate, post firing. Everything showed off quite nicely, and he refused to sell the piece.

50/50 iron/copper oxides application

Lungs of steel !

Knowing when to stop !

Decorating a plate was only a small part of what Jim demonstrated at the workshop. But it had a huge impact on my approach to Raku design. There is definitely more to Raku than just glazes, and it takes a true artist like Jim to combine the basic ceramic building blocks and create abstract works of art. It was an extraordinary lesson, thank you Jim !

Our March Raku Workshop: a Fun-Filled Sunny Day at the Studio

The dust is finally settling at Gets Centered Studio. It was a long day, filled with lots of glazing and multiple Raku frings. Our attendees left exhausted, cluching their lovely pots with a big grin on their faces. Lee and I are proud of our class ! They were all troopers, so eager and willing to try new techniques. Everyone was having fun, and that really made our day. Good job and thank you everyone for making today so special ! That includes you, Elly, our wonderful host at Gets Centered Studio.
Now, I'll let pictures speak and share our day.

The graduating class
L. to R.: Ruth, Rose, Yanna, Alice, Myra 

So many choices !

Caught in a creative act

Kiln loaded

Lee demonstrating the horsehair technique 

Myra dancing around her pot

Yanna is doing a great job !

Making baked potatoes...

I don't remember who coined the term, but that's what Eduardo Lazo called it during his demo of ferric chloride saggar. It was a fun distraction from the Raku firings, and the processis is very simple and stepwise. Like a cooking recipe ! So let's make some baked potatoes, shall we ?

Eduardo making his baked potato

Ingredients:
1) bisqued pots, either burnished or with terra sigillata
2) solution of copper sulfate
3) solution of ferric chloride (Radioshack sells one)
4) spray adhesive
5) aluminum foil
6) organic/inorganic matter: horsehair, rock salt, steelwool, sugar, oxide powder, seeds, cut flowers,...whatever you feel like trying

Directions:
1) paint the pots with the copper sulfate solution
2) cut a piece of aluminum foil, big enough to wrap around your pot. Make a ball then gently flatten it back. The purpose is to crinkle it so it creates air pockets around the pot.
3) spray the adhesive lightly on one face of the foil and add the organic/inroganic matter of choice, in any pattern you want. The adhesive will keep most of it in place.
4) paint the pot generously with ferric chloride and wrap it with the foil, like a baked potato. That's your saggar.
5) Fire in a gas kiln, between 1000F to 1500F in 1 to 2 hours. Both the firing time and the firing temperature can affect the colorations.
6) Cool slowly in the kiln to let the colors develop, overnight being optimum.
7) Sponge the ashes off the cold pots and let them dry for two days to let the colors settle. Then wax/treat the pots. Renaissance wax is the best for high-end waxing. For a matte finish, use a light dusting with a matte acrylic spray then wax.

At the workshop, because of time constraints, Eduardo opted for a speed firing (1350F in 1h, cooling to 200F in 3h), and frankly we had some good results. But take a peek for yourself, that's what I brought back home.

Isn't spraying fun ?!!

Hazmat Face

Last day of the workshop was ferric chloride day, or FeCl3 for the chemist in you. Eduardo Lazo was leading the charge. On the first day of the workshop, we all glazed a piece with a low-fire glossy clear glaze and they were fired overnight.
First thing on Sunday morning, all the pieces were loaded into the Raku kiln. Firing was slow, about 2 hours, up to glaze maturity. When it was about time to stop the firing, the "sprayers" had to suit up appropriately to handle the corrosive ferric chloride solution. In my case, double layers of gloves (nitrile gloves, heat-resistant gloves), a respirator and sunglasses.
The hot piece was taken out of the kiln and placed on a soft block on top of a banding wheel. The "sprayer", placed upwind (IMPORTANT FOR SAFETY), started applying the solution holding the sprayer upright, while slowly rotating the piece.

The ferric chloride gradually colored the outside layer of the glaze a yellow/orange color. The hotter the ware the darker the color. In my case I waited about 30 seconds before starting spraying, resulting in an orange coloration. Once a metallic luster appears, spraying is done.

The piece is then transfered to a reduction chamber. I prepared mine by lining sides and bottom with newspaper and adding a handful of wood shavings on the bottom. Once the piece was placed in the chamber, I added some more wood shavings in the inside of the pot for some good smoking of the unglazed inside. Because the piece had cooled off considerably during the spraying, I had to start the flames by fanning the chamber vigorously. Once the flames start to consumme the combustibles, time to close the chamber for some good ol' smoking.

Once the piece was mostly cool, it was cleaned up with a soft brush and water to remove the ashes. Beautiful !!!

The final piece



Raku Rodeo was an experience of a lifetime

Reduction Firing

Three days of Raku bliss under the Arizona sun ! I am finally back home, but my head is still in Phoenix, at the friendly Desert Dragon studio managed by Mishy and Kim. I learned so much, my head is swirling with ideas. I am slowly distilling Jim's, Steve's and Eduardo's lessons and looking at ways to include them in my work.
I have to say I was a good student. I spent those three days completely out of my comfort zone. I ignored the Raku glazes to experiment with stannous chloride fuming (Kosai), ferric chloride treatments, and commercial low-fire and medium-fire glazes in Raku firings. It was exhilarating ! No fear, complete freedom of expression. Jim's demos were also a true eye-opener. How he is literally using clay as a canvas, free-styling his compositions yet controlling his medium from throwing to post firing alterations. He truly inspired me to try out brushwork and slip decorations with minimum glazing.
Steve Branfman, Eduardo Lazo, and Jim Romberg are an amazing trio. Don't pass up on a chance to attend one of their workshops, it is an experience of a lifetime. Guaranteed ! Ask Mishy at Desert Dragon Studio when's the next one !
I have tons of pictures and almost an hour of videos. Going through everything will take time. I also need to take some good shots of my wares so I can share the end results with you. Expect multiple posts as I revisit the long week-end with my digital memories. For now I will end with pictures of the Raku masters in action.

The masters at work

Jim pulling his plate

Steve pulling his teabowl

Steve trimming his trademark bottle

Jim doing some heavy duty altering

Eduardo in his Zen zone

Eduardo ready for "fuming"

Mishy entertaining the crowd