Mike's Pots

Bad Blogger

2010-07-18T14:46:00.005-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything. It's been a busy time here...mostly due to my 'real job'. Periods like this make me appreciate even more the bloggers that seem to post every day or so. That's dedication!

I have wanted to buy a new extruder for some time now. The hard part was deciding which extruder to buy. I looked at several smaller ones including the four inch Northstar extruders. I have a friend who has a Big Blue. She's very happy with it and never worries about needing a larger extruder. Big Blues are quite expensive and I don't use an extruder that much. After thinking about it for months I decided to go ahead and get the Big Blue. It's....uh....big!

It arrived in two boxes:

I knew this thing was solid the minute I picked up the boxes. The larger box weighed over fifty pounds. As I unpacked it I could see the quality workmanship in this device. It's really put together well. I went to Lowes and got a small sheet of thick plywood and some lag screws. I mounted the wood to the wall studs in the studio and then mounted the Big Blue on the plywood. It's very sturdy and I should have no problems with stability. Here's what it looks like all setup:

It's a beast but I've used many different extruders before, including the Big Blue. No extruder out there allows a user to extrude clay as effortlessly as the Big Blue. Besides, if you're doing a lot of work it's the only one I know that holds an entire twenty-five pound pug of clay. While shopping around online I was amazed at the differences in price for the Big Blue. Some retailers were selling them for nearly $1000 plus shipping! I ended up getting mine for around $825 with no tax and shipping included. I was happy with that price.

I was in Orlando a couple of weeks ago and stopped by Axner. There were some new Mudtools plastic ribs there and I decided to buy a set.

I haven't used them yet but I'm sure I will in the near future.

I'm attending a workshop on 'spraying glazes' at the Jacksonville Art Center in Floyd, Virginia next week. It's being taught by Chris Lively. You can check out his website here. The workshop takes place Monday through Wednesday. I'm going to fly from Orlando to Charlotte on Saturday and spend Sunday in Seagrove. Then it's a flight back Wednesday night and work Thursday morning! Quick trip but I hope it's worth it.

That's all for now...I have bisqued pots in the kiln that need to be removed. I will post pictures from the workshop next week.

New Cups, Tumblers, and Glazes

2010-06-06T21:11:00.005-04:00

I spent yesterday making a few more mugs. Today was spent adding handles. I have been struggling for some time now with trying to come up with a mug that I'm happy with. When I say 'happy' I'm referring, specifically, to it's shape. I've thrown mugs of all shapes and sizes and never seem to be happy with their structure. I don't want one with vertical straight walls. Nor do I want too much of a curve to the wall. I also don't want one too tall or too short. It's been very difficult to come up with 'my shape'. I think I've finally found one I like:

It has just enough curve in the walls to keep it interesting. By adding the slight bulge toward the rim it adds additional perspective while also giving me a great place to attach the handle. The curve at the bottom, just above the foot, makes a natural fit for the end of the handle. The rim of the mug flares out just slightly making it a better fit to the mouth and wide enough so the user doesn't feel any 'oral claustrophobia'. I can't stand mugs/cups with narrow openings at the top!

I know non-potters reading this will think, "That's a lot of thought for a simple mug." True, but you can learn a lot from a mug. Click HERE to hear Pete Pinnell's thoughts on the mug. Very inspiring and educational...

I also played around with making large tumblers. These were a lot of fun to make. Not very difficult - just pulling a tall cylinder and widening it a little toward the top. The simplicity, in my opinion, can also be very deceiving. The devil is in the details - the throwing lines, the way the foot and rim is constructed, the alterations made to the otherwise vertical sides. I see lots of tumblers that I do not like at all. The tumbler is one of those forms that I find very challenging to throw - from a like/dislike perspective. I can love a simple looking tumbler and dislike a more complex one....and vice versa. Here are a few I threw yesterday:

I think the next time I'm inspired to throw tumblers I'm going to play around with the foot a little. Perhaps flare it out some to add width to the base.

On to glazes...I'm in the process of mixing up batches of text glazes for the reduction kiln. Over the winter my father collected a large amount of ash from their fireplace (oak). I have several wood ash glazes I plan to try. Anyone have any favorite wood ash glaze formulas they would like to share?

Foam Trimming Bat

2010-05-30T12:55:00.009-04:00

During a recent workshop in Atlanta the topic of the Giffin Grip and trimming came up during lunch. Several attendees expressed their love for the Giffen Grip. I have a Giffin Grip and I too find it very useful. However, if the pot is not perfectly centered I find that trimming can be a little challenging. I explained that I sometimes use the Giffin Grip but that most times I use my foam bat for trimming. I received an email asking me how I made the foam bat. In case anyone else is looking for an alternative for trimming I'm posting the information here.

I went to a local cloth store and bought a couple of square yards of green half-inch this foam:

I cut the foam in the approximate shape of the bat - being careful to make it about an inch or two bigger than the bat. **You do NOT want to cut it too small**. I used a pressboard bat since I stopped using them some time ago for throwing (I found they warped when wet).

I sprayed a heavy coating of adhesive on the surface of the bat. I used standard adhesive that comes in a spray can (like spray paint) that you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot. I placed the cut-out foam on top of the bat and pressed down to ensure the entire surface of the foam mat was in contact with adhesive. I let that sit overnight. The next day I cut the foam with scissors to match the shape of the bat.

View from underneath:

View from above:

The lines you see on the foam are guides to help center. I used a Sharpie pen to do this. The bat was place on my wheel and I started it spinning at about the speed I use to center clay. I held my hand very steady (using my leg as a brace) and placed the pen on the foam bat near the center. After the first circle was complete I lifted the pen, moved it out approximately one-half inch and repeated the process until I reached the end of the foam. The centering lines have really helped and I highly recommend them.

I quickly discovered that I needed to trim pieces that were larger than the bat pictured above. While in St. Petersburg I stopped by The Highwater Clay store at St. Pete Clay and bought a large bat (3/4" thick by 22" wide). I used this bat to make a larger foam bat to trim. Here it is:

From the side showing the thickness...

Tips for centering your pot:

I place the pot in the center of the bat and get it as close to the nearest marking as possible.
I start the wheel turning very slowly and place my finger near the bottom of the pot.
As the wheel head turns you will be able to judge how centered it is. Stop the wheel and adjust accordingly.
Once centered push down on the pot to help stabilize it.

I can usually center a pot on the foam board in about 30 seconds. I like using it so much for trimming that I only use the Giffin Grip when I have to.

Good luck and I hope this explanation has helped!

New Tumblers

2010-05-27T14:56:00.004-04:00

I've made a lot of mugs throughout the years but never tumblers. I've always liked tumblers, but never made the time to try throwing the form. Yesterday I decided it was time to make a few:

What do you think? I'm happy with them. Now I'm thinking about what glaze(s) to use. I might try the same glaze combination I use on mugs: a liner glaze that turns out a very light blue and a fake ash glaze on the outside that is applied thicket toward the top so there's a small amount of running.

Any suggestions?

Getting Ready to Fire

2010-05-24T10:07:00.004-04:00

For months I have been promising myself that I would take a day to make a bunch of mugs. I always found that I had other things on the agenda and the mugs got pushed to the end of the list. This weekend I stopped procrastinating and Saturday was 'Mug Day'. I threw about three dozen of them.

I found that setting them out back on the kiln in full sunlight drastically cut down the time I had to wait until they were ready for handles. No more covering them overnight with plastic, checking every few hours, etc. About an hour or so in the Florida sun and they're ready to go...

It's much less time consuming for me to throw a few dozen mugs, set them outside, and start putting handles on them an hour or so later.

This coming weekend I will be bisquing a full load in the electric kiln. Finding the time to bisque fire is tough for me. I will not leave the electric kiln on while I'm away. Also, I like to monitor it just in case something goes wrong (see my earlier post). I'm paranoid about the possibility of a fire. I might be too paranoid, but I usually play it safe when it comes to having something at 2000 degrees that's pulling 40+ amps. Due to all of this, I have to be home during the firings. This mean I have to find a weekend where I will be at home during the entire firing. That's easier said that done. This weekend my band is playing Friday night and Sunday night...so it's Saturday or bust.

Next weekend I plan on doing a raku firing. Michael Nagy, someone I met at the Charlie and Linda Riggs Workshop, lives in Tampa. He is going to drive up and do the firing with me. He is considering purchasing a clamshell raku kiln (like I have) and wants to see how it performs. I plan to try out the one-step naked raku technique I learned at the Riggs Workshop.

That's all for now. Enjoy your day!

Vases, Vases, and More Vases

2010-05-20T22:58:00.003-04:00

I've been throwing a ton of vases lately. I have a commission (my first) to produce a vase. Here's the latest batch:

I plan on using the one-step raku process on these vases that I learned at the Riggs' Workshop earlier this month in Atlanta. Click HERE to see videos I took during the workshop.

More Kiln Repair

2010-05-13T10:33:00.004-04:00

Not only did my electric kiln require repair but I discovered that my Olympic Torchbearer gas kiln wasn't working properly either. They way the Torchbearers work is that you ignite the pilot ring located below the kiln. This keeps the four main burners firing should one go out. This is accomplished by holding down a red button on the baso-magnetic value. After 30 seconds or so a magnetic value causes the gas supply to the ring to be continuous. This also enables the firing of the main burners. After some troubleshoot I discovered the baso-magnetic valve was no longer functioning properly. Here's a picture of the baso-magnetic valve:

I called Olympic Kilns and the technician I spoke with was very helpful. He said, if not covered properly, water can get down into the valve through the button assembly. I had not been covering my kiln well enough and I'm positive this is what happened. I had to order a new bas0-magnetic valve ($105.00). It arrived within a few days and installation took about five minutes. The kiln is now working properly.

Since this event I cover the kiln much better than before to assure this problem doesn't occur in the future.

I have wrapped the baso-magnetic valve especially well:

I hope this information helps anyone with a Torchbearer kiln. Keep it covered well!

Kiln Repair

2010-05-12T09:19:00.006-04:00

Last week I started a bisque firing in my electric kiln. I have an L&L Jupiter kiln and I've been very happy with it. I typically use the 'easy fire - slow bisque' program to cone 08. I checked on the kiln periodically and things seemed to be going normally. Then, after several hours, I noticed the temperature was rising too quickly. I turned the kiln off (using the switch on the control panel). I continued to hear the elements heating up even though the kiln was 'off'. I pulled the plug from the wall and heard the elements stop heating. Once the kiln cooled down I began the investigation.

First I unplugged the power cables to each element set from the controller. I immediately noticed a problem with the zone 1 outlet (that controls the top two levels of elements). This is what I found:

The cord to the controller was also damaged at the plug:

I replaced the outlet as well as the cable. L&L was great to work with. I phoned in the order and the items were delivered just a few days later. After replacing these items I plugged the kiln into the wall and immediately heard the elements start to heat up...even though the kiln was turned off at the controller. Therefore, I had replace the damaged items but the problem wasn't resolved. I determined the only other thing it could be was the relay. I called L&L and ordered a new relay:

I installed the new relay and then tested the kiln once more. Everything worked perfectly.

This was my first experience with kiln repair...other than replacing elements. It wasn't too bad. I've got lots of greenware to fire. Time to get busy!

Go Gators

2009-11-28T23:52:00.003-05:00

I know this is a pottery blog but tonight I watched the number one ranked Florida Gators defeat the Florida State Seminoles at Ben Hill Grifin Stadium. It was a beatdown...37-10. Beating your rival is always enjoyable!

It was Tim Tebow's last game at home and I was there to see it. After the game he walked around the field shaking hands with fans. 30 minutes after the game ended 90% of the crowd was still there. He is the greatest college football player in history and makes me extra proud that I'm a Gator. Not only is he amazing on the field but he is just as special off the field.

It's great to be a Florida Gator. It's the SEC Championship game next Saturday against Alabama and then, after beating the Tide, the National Championship game! Go Gators!

Tim Tebow, #15. Resume includes: one Heisman Trophy, two SEC Championships, two National Championships, and playing for thirds! Oh yeah baby!

Reduction Firing Video

2009-11-24T23:34:00.006-05:00

Here is a video I made while firing my kiln for the first time. I will post more pictures as soon as I have time. Enjoy!

Celebration of Seagrove Potters

2009-11-23T17:01:00.020-05:00

This past weekend was spent attending the Celebration of Seagrove Potters festival in Seagrove, North Carolina. This is the fifth year in a row I've attended and the quality of pottery (and people) is unequaled. The first year I attended I found a bed and breakfast in nearby Siler City named Celebrity Inn Dairy. It's a working goat dairy farm that is also a bed and breakfast. The place is great - super nice people and wonderful animals. Here are few pictures I took while there:

We attended the Gala on Friday night at Luck's Cannery. This was an opportunity to meet the artists, enjoy some food, listen to the band, and be the first to preview and buy pots. It was well attended!

We returned Saturday and walked through again. I bought a few more pots but was quite content with what I purchased Friday evening.

Friday night was spent in nearby Pittsboro having dinner at the General Store Cafe. This place is amazing and it was quite a find. The atmosphere is great and the food is amazing. The Gravy Boys rocked the house for over three hours. The Gravy Boys are a semi-local band that plays Americana music (like that in the movie 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou?'). These are some of the finest musicians I've had the pleasure of hearing.

After a great breakfast at Celebrity Dairy on Sunday morning we headed over to Mark Hewitt's. Mark is such a nice person and we spent about an hour chatting with him and looking over his pots. I bought a few and will upload pictures of them soon.

After leaving Mark's we drove up to Creedmoor, NC to the Cedar Creek. While strolling through the gallery I spotted a Melon Pitcher by Steven Hill. I couldn't leave without it. The picture I took (with my cell phone) isn't that great. Here it is:

It's blurry and this photo doesn't do it justice.

It was a great four-day weekend of pottery! Unfortunately it's back to work tomorrow!

Well, that's it for now. I will post more pictures of new pots I bought once I photograph them. I also finished firing my gas kiln last weekend (firing #1). I will be posting photos and a video of that adventure soon. Thanks for visiting!

New Trimming Tool

2009-10-26T14:50:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I received my new Bison trimming tool.

My friend John Tilton has used them for years and has nothing but great things to say about them. The tools are made by Philip Poburka in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are made from tungsten carbide and stay very sharp. I love the rounded wooden handle. The shape keeps the tool firmly in your hand as you trim. The Bison tools website is located here.

If you have used these tools please share your feedback.

Getting Centered

2009-10-13T21:57:00.004-04:00

This evening was spent throwing a couple of new forms. I have never made 'chips and salsa' platters before and decided to give it a try. I was happy with the outcome:

The walls of the bowl in the middle is higher than the walls on the rim of the platter. After throwing them I stood there trying to determine the best way to trim the bottom. Any suggestions?

Over the past couple of months I have been working with larger amounts of clay on the wheel. As I increase the amount of clay I have found that centering can be quite challenging. As part of this process I have spent considerable time thinking about my technique and paying very close attention to every movement I make (in preparing the clay as well as centering it). This has helped me learn a valuable lesson - DON'T HURRY, TAKE YOUR TIME. I used to try and get the clay centered quickly and had a lot of trouble. It works on two pounds of clay but not on ten. Once I slowed everything down I found that clay is much easier to center on a wheel. Another lesson I learned - PREPARE THE CLAY PROPERLY BEFORE PUTTING IT ON THE WHEEL. After kneading the clay I spend some extra time shaping it into a nice cone. A nice cone shape does so much to simplify centering.

Tonight I felt like I reached a milestone. I was able to center twenty pounds of clay - by far the largest amount I have ever attempted to center. Now when I look at ten pounds, which used to be very intimidating, I have the confidence to know I can handle it without a problem.

Test Glazes

2009-10-12T22:13:00.005-04:00

After months of procrastinating I finally made up batches of test glaze. All glazes are cone 10 reduction glazes and are best fired using the R1 firing profile in John Britt's book The Complete Guide to High-Fire Glazes. The glazes I will be testing are:

Malcolm's Shino
John's Red
Rutile Blue 1
Winnie Blue
Choy Celedon
Penn State Shino
Leach Clear
Ice Trap Celedon
Hamada Temmoku
St. John's Black
Tilton Gator Skin
Hanna's Fake Ash
Haynes White

Here is a picture of my scale and empty cups on the new table:

The scale at work:

All the glazes have been mixed and the cups sealed:

I need to fire at least one more bisque load (in the electric kiln) before I'm ready to fire the gas kiln. Trying to find a day on the weekend to fire it has been challenging. This weekend I will be attending a workshop at St. Pete Clay with Elmer Taylor. The workshop is a throwing and trimming workshop with concentration on lids, spouts, and handles. I'm missing the Florida Gators football game vs. Arkansas to attend this workshop. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I must love throwing pots...because I don't miss Gator football games!!!

Just a quick note before I sign off - I've been captivated lately by soda firing. I've looked at a lot of soda fired pots online and I find myself amazed by the colores and textures. I'm starting to educate myself on the soda firing process. In addition to testing the glazes above I am contemplating mixing some slips and having them fired in the soda kiln at Atlantic Pottery Supply in Jacksonville (about an hour and a half away). More to come...

Goodnight!

New Table

2009-09-29T23:00:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I constructed a new table for the studio. The old table, built mainly as a wedging and kneading table, was just too small. I needed some table space upon which to work. I lowered the height of the new table (compared to the old one) to make it more comfortable to knead clay. It's now less stressful on the arms and lower back. I bought a wooden stool to sit on which puts me just where I want to be (height-wise) when sitting at the table. I added two sheets of white, thick canvas on the top. Here are a couple of pictures:

I've been throwing lots of porcelain cups and mugs lately. I haven't thrown with porcelain for some time but lately I've been really enjoying working with it. I will post some pictures soon! Thanks for visiting.

Raku Firing

2009-09-08T20:47:00.003-04:00

Here's a photo of a piece from todays raku firing. The glaze is called Holly Red.

I will post more photos in the next couple of days.

Why Are My Plates Exploding???

2009-08-30T20:06:00.002-04:00

I bisqued a load of pots a couple of days ago. When I opened the kiln this afternoon I noticed several of the plates had literally exploded. These plates were ones to which I applied slip. I threw the plates using Highwater Raku clay and then put Highwater Helios porcelain slip on the inside of the plates. I'm 99.99% sure the plates were completely dry at the time of firing. They had been sitting on a shelf in the studio for over a week (in Florida with no central AC).

Has anyone experienced such a problem? Could it be a difference in shrinkage rate? Could it be that some moisture was still present?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

New Stuff

2009-08-24T22:43:00.010-04:00

I finally got the studio organized the way I want it. To be more specific, after lots of trial and error, I have discovered how much stuff I can get in there and still have space to work. I now have most of my tools located within 'reaching distance' of my wheel. No more walking across the studio with clay-covered hands to get something

I recently bought a large metal shelf with wheels. Very useful:

I liked the large cart so much i bought another, smaller metal cart to hold slip, terra sig, and miscellaneous other items:

Here's a closeup shot of the small cart. It holds slip I made for each type of clay I use: Zella Stone, Loafers Glory, Raku, and Helios (all Highwater Clays). Additionally, I created a mixture of Helios porcelain with red iron oxide (8% RIO). On the bottom shelf is terra sigillata as well as some Magic Water I use to connect clay (mainly for handles).

I recently ordered some new tools from Kentucky Mudworks. They carry a line of tools made by 'Dirty Girls Pottery Tools'. I have found them to be very well made. I bought two sling shot tools, one is a straight wire and the other a wiggle wire:

The other tools I ordered were the 'Great Big Facet Tools'. Again, one straight wire and one wiggle wire:

I love the roller on these facet tools. I can't wait to use them.

I have some more things to post, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. It's getting late and I can barely keep my eyes open. Goodnight!

Terra Sigillata

2009-08-02T18:50:00.008-04:00

Today I made a batch of Terra Sigillata. To be accurate, I made it yesterday and harvested it today.

I've been wanting to test some slip on raku ware. I made some small test plates with slip in the middle. My plan is to cover the slip with a copper black glaze and put a copper/green glaze on the remainder of the plate. I hope to fire this in the next couple of weeks. I will post my results.

I threw a stoneware plate and once again put some slip in the middle. This time I put a layer of helios (porcelain) slip with red iron oxide around the remainder of the plate. Not sure which glazes I will use on this one.

I've discovered when applying slip a little thick (as in the photos above), you must do the following:

1. The slip must not be too watery, and
2. You must dry them very slowly

Otherwise the slip will crack.

I recently purchased a couple of paint sprayers and I am about to get into spraying glaze. Until now I have only dipped and brushed. My friend John Tilton is going to give me a few tips this week at his studio. I'm looking forward to it!

That's it for now but there are currently a lot of things taking place in the stuido. There should be more postings very soon. Thanks for reading!

Upgrading the Command Center

2009-06-22T22:08:00.007-04:00

I decided it was time to alter the setup around the wheel. I need tools to be closer while I'm throwing. Until today, if I needed a tool while throwing, I would have to get up and walk over to the shelves on the north wall of the studio. Well, no longer! I added space for tools:

I have various tools on the left

...and wooden, metal, and plastic ribs, as well as sponges on the right

For the past eight weeks I have been taking an Advanced Throwing course at Atlantic Pottery in Jacksonville. It's been a great experience. This Wednesday is the 'Pickup Party'. The last regular class was two weeks ago and we glazed all the pieces we made in class. They have been fired and we get to take them home this week.

I have one more load to bisque in the electric kiln before the inaugural firing of the new gas kiln. I plan to bisque fire mid-next week and then fire the gas kiln a week from this Sunday.

It's been a while since I've posted and I apologize. Things have been busy lately but I promise to do a better job in the future.

Thanks for visiting!

Tile Results

2009-04-25T23:02:00.004-04:00

I fired the tiles to 1580 degrees F. It was a good opportunity for me to test out my new Oxyprobe. At the end of the firing I decided to do some reduction. The reading on the Oxyprobe was between 0.01 and 0.1 indicating an oxidizing atmosphere in the kiln. I reduced this to 0.65. I didn't do enough to drastically affect the tiles. It was more to see how the Oxyprobe worked before firing my new gas kiln. Here are all the tiles:

Here's a closeup of a few...

That's all for now.

Tile Testing

2009-04-24T17:00:00.005-04:00

For some time now I have wanted to experiment with various chemicals applied to tiles and wrapping them in aluminum foil (fuming). Today I made the time and prepared the tiles for firing. In addition to ferric chloride, I applied the following substances to the tiles:

Cobalt Oxide
Copper Sulfate
Copper Oxide
Copper Sulfate Solution
Chrome Oxide Green
Red Copper Oxide Solution
Cobalt Oxide Solution
Copper Carbonate Solution
Cobalt Sulfate Solution

In total I prepared twelve tiles. I grouped the tiles into sets of three. Set one contained one coating of ferric chloride, set two was given two coats, and so on. Each tile was divided into nine sections (like a tick-tack-toe pattern). I put a substance in eight of the sections and left one with only ferric chloride. Here's a picture of the entire group of tiles:

I had two tiles left over so I coated them completely with some solution. Here's a closeup of one tile...

Each tile also has a few sprinkles of sugar and rock salt.

I will be firing it to approximately 1500 degrees Fahrenheit later today. I will post my results whether they are great or horrible!

Talk with you soon.

Studio Day

2009-04-19T18:20:00.008-04:00

I spent most of today in the studio. It's been a busy weekend. Friday I took the day off and spent a good part of the day in the studio. Saturday it was the Cedar Key Arts Festival and then dinner with friends, and today it was an 'all day studio day'!

Lately I've been going through a sponge phase. I've been trying to find sponges that I like to use while throwing. I've tried several types and still not totally satisfied with any particular type. While in Cedar Key yesterday I noticed a guy selling bags of sponges on Dock Street. They were sea sponges that were harvested right off the coast of Cedar Key. I bought two bags and tried them out today. I have found my sponges!!! I love the way they feel while throwing. Furthermore, they seem to hold just the right amount of water! Here's a picture of two of them:

My cat, Moose, has been hanging around the studio a lot lately. I'm not sure if he wants to spend time with me or he's bored and has nothing else to do (probably the later). He was hanging around today so I put one of his beds in the studio. He immediately got in it and stayed there for hours...

When I was done working I started to close up the studio. He wouldn't get off the bed. I picked him up and set him down outside. As I closed the door he shot back in the studio and got in the bed. So I left the door open and I'll go out later tonight and lock up. I just looked out the window and he's still lying on his bed.

Today I put handles on some cups I made Friday. Even though I had them covered a few got a little dry. Hopefully the handles will stay on. I have them heavily covered now.

I threw a bowl and wrapped the edges back underneath and attached it to the walls. This is an experiment. Not sure if I like it but it's something different...

I finished the day by making a vase. It stands about 12 or 13 inches tall.

I hope to have enough pots to do a bisque firing next weekend. I would like to fire the new (gas) kiln within the next couple of weeks. I should have enough to fill it soon. I have a bunch of test tiles ready to go for the firing. Now I need to select some test glazes and make small batches of glaze. I've been procrastinating because I hate mixing glaze. But, it's something that has to be done. Perhaps I'll get to it this week.

Cedar Key Art Festival

2009-04-18T17:31:00.006-04:00

I intended to get up early this morning and drive out to Cedar Key. I didn't get up until later in the morning, however, thanks to Naked Ed! Before you start getting crazy with your thoughts I will explain. Last night Tina and I went to the Great Outdoors Restaurant in High Springs. My friend Mike Gianikas' band County Road was playing on the patio. We sat outside, had an appetizer, dinner, and I had a few Naked Ed's Pale Ales! I had just a few too many! It made the morning come around earlier than I expected.

This afternoon was spent strolling through the Cedar Key Art Festival. I have been enjoying this festival more and more over the past few years. During the past decade or so there tended to be more and more 'crafty' people there and less and less 'art'. A few years ago the committee that oversees the Festival decided to focus more on artists. They did this by no longer allowing 'crafties' in the Show. The first couple of years after that decision was made the number of participants dropped significantly due to the 'crafties' no longer showing their work. I'm glad to say that the number of artists participating has risen and exhibitor levels are approaching what it was before the change.

Today I purchased a platter from Bill Colby and I've already hung it in my foyer

I also purchased one of his bowls

It was nice to chat with my friend Brenda McMahon. Her booth was located near the main entrance to the Festival. I attended a saggar workshop last year in Sarasota that was taught by Brenda. I encourge you to checkout her website.

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend!

New Mug

2009-04-17T11:55:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I received a cup I bought online from ceramic artist Kim Westad. I've included a picture of it below. Very nice!

I took today off work to spend time in the studio. It's been a lazy morning - I slept until 10, had a bagel for breakfast, and now I'm spending some time online. I'm about to head out there now.

Lately I have been throwing larger pots - 8, 10, 12 pounds of clay. This is above my normal comfort range but there are times where I just do it. You can't improve unless you work in that 'can I do this?' zone. To my surprise I've been able to work the clay the way I want at these weights. Throwing two or three pounds of clay seems like nothing when you've thrown several twelve pound pots in a row.

I wish I could get out there more. I know my skills would improve faster if I spent several hours a day out there. If I only didn't have my day job.

I've been thinking a lot recently about potters (as well as other artists) and day jobs. It depresses me to think about income in relation to talent. What I mean, specifically, is that I know many artists who posses unbelievable talent and skill. They produce amazing work. Their craft is what they have chosen for a profession and it shows in the quality of what they produce. They put in numerous hours every day and frequently don't take the weekend off. Most of these artists barely make a living doing this.

One potter I know in Pennsylvania recently removed her work from most of the galleries she was in. It just wasn't selling. She is now working part-time jobs to get by. I was told that another potter in that area, Jordan Taylor, was thinking about giving up pottery full-time to get a 'regular job'. Jordan produces fantastic work. It's a shame that someone like Jordan may have to give up his full-time devotion to clay in order to pay the bills.

When it comes to fiscal matters I am super-right-winged-conservative. I believe that Government should be involved in the economy as little as possible. I believe the Government should play the same role in the economy that the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) plays in college sports. If a college wants to participate and compete in athletics they must be a member of the NCAA. The NCAA basically says, "Here are the rules, follow them, and if we discover you are violating the rules you will be punished." That's what the Government should do with the economy - set up the rules and monitor compliance. Otherwise, get out of it and let businesses run the way they determine is best for business.

With that being said, I am a supporter of letting the market determine supply and demand. Obviously there is not enough demand for quality art and thus artist income suffers. There is one other component, however: most buyers of art are uninformed and uneducated (about art). They don't know what it takes to produce the work and how much effort and devotion it takes to develop those skills.

While at the Spring Arts Festival one year I stopped to look at some watercolors at a booth. They were stunning. I spoke with the artist who informed me that he had been painting for forty years. While looking at a painting I noticed two women standing next to me looking at the same. The price for the painting was $2,000. One woman turned to the other and said, "...$2,000?! I can get a painting like that at Wal-Mart for $25." It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut. With much of the buyers market consisting of people like this it's no surprise that talented artists barely scrape by. Thankfully there is a small part of the overall buyers market that appreciate fine art and don't mind spending the money to acquire it.

Well, it's time to head out to the studio. I've vented enough for one morning!

New Gas Kiln

2009-04-03T21:28:00.006-04:00

After attending the Reduction Firing Workshop at John Britt's Studio back in Feb/March I decided to purchase a gas kiln. I didn't have the room nor time to build one. I checked with some companies that made downdraft kilns but in the end I didn't want to spend that much money (since this is a hobby). The models I wanted ranged anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. Tom Turner and John Britt both recommended I look into Olympics Torchbearer kilns. I did some heavy-duty research on these kilns. They are updraft and aren't the simplest kilns to fire. After speaking and emailing tons of Olympic Torchbearer kiln owners I discovered two things:

1. Most people who were having serious problems had no idea what they were doing.
2. The people that did know what they were doing had some issues when they first got the kiln but made (and recorded) changes such as shelf positioning, damper settings, flame redirection, etc. It didn't take most of them long to get consistent results. One potter I spoke with last week said he can fire his to less than a 10 degree difference between the top and bottom shelves. Not bad.

Here's the kiln:
I built a small concrete foundation to hold the kiln. Olympic now offers casters on the kilns so it rolls easily.
I added short walls to keep out any breeze that might come along.

The gas company come out this week and installed the tank and line.

I fired it up today and opened up the gas. It reached 1000 degrees in about four minutes. So, I would say that I have enough pressure. It didn't come with a pressure gauge so I installed one

I keep the kiln covered with a tarp and roll it away from the studio to fire.

I plan on firing a bunch of tiles with test glazes in a couple of weeks. I will post the results from that firing. That's all for now!

More Pictures From The Reduction Firing Workshop

2009-03-10T21:04:00.009-04:00

Fire, Fire, Fire!!!
Inside the kiln during firing...
During the firing, in between checks of the kiln every 30 minutes, John lectured.
Happy nothing blew up in the kiln...
John answering questions...
Sunday afternoon snow...
John reviewing all the work that was fired.
If you ever have a chance to take one of John's workshops I highly recommend it. Information on his workshops can be found here.

Reduction Firing Workshop

2009-03-05T14:55:00.008-05:00

This past weekend I attended a Reduction Firing Workshop given by John Britt in Spruce Pine, NC. It was my first experience firing a gas kiln. Not only did I have a blast (pun intended) but I learned a lot about reduction, glazes, etc. We glazed our pots Friday evening and placed them in the kiln. The firing started around 7 AM Saturday and was done around 5:30 PM. At noon on Sunday we opened the kiln.
John went over each pot explaining the different glazes, how they react in reduction, and how we might improve upon the next firing given the results.
We also got some snow (about three inches). The first two days were mostly rain and then it started snowing. I spent a couple of days in Mars Hill, NC working with Tom Turner. Tom is one of the most talented, if not the most talented, porcelain potters in the U.S. Here is a picture of us standing next to some large pots he recently acquired. They are the largest pots ever thrown in the States and each weighs approximately 1500 lbs.
Just south of Mars Hill is a small town named Weaverville. I found a great restaurant with live music six nights a week. The place is called Blue Mountain Pizza. I wish we had one here in Gainesville. I spent every evening in Mars Hill at Blue Mountain listening to local live music.

After the Workshop ended early Sunday afternoon I drove up to Bakersville to visit with Joy Tanner. Not only is Joy a super nice person but she makes amazing pots. I bought a tile (to hang on the wall)...
and a cup...
Her website is http://joytannerpottery.com/ and her blog is located HERE.

That's all for now.

Reclaiming Clay

2009-01-25T19:54:00.004-05:00

Until recently I didn't have a way to reclaim the clay I discarded. I threw it out. Don't get me wrong - there wasn't much waste. I throw out very little. A couple of weeks ago I bought some plaster and made a couple of plaster slabs. Now I can reclaim my clay after it dries on the plaster boards. Here is my discarded Ellen Buff clay that is drying out to be wedged, kneaded, and used again:

I will be attending a reduction firing workshop at John Britt's studio next month. This is in preparation for construction (and firing) of my own gas kiln once I get back. I have only fired in an electric kiln so far and I'm looking forward to being able to fire in reduction. My friend John Tilton gave me a bag of cone 10 porcelain clay to make a few pots and test tiles to take to the workshop. The clay was formulated for John by Miller Clay. It throws very nicely! Here are some test tiles I made yesterday:

That's all for now. See you soon.

Take A Good Look...It Won't Stay Clean For Long

2009-01-20T22:38:00.003-05:00

Today I took the splash pan off my wheel and gave it a good cleaning.

I keep my studio super clean and organized but lately I had let my wheel go. It got pretty nasty. Well, no longer!

Mission Accomplished

2009-01-15T23:15:00.007-05:00

I finished the moving and installation of the electric kiln. It used to be inside the studio and is now located in the covered addition on the back of the studio.

I have a lot more space inside the studio now!

The five shelf metal cart (with wheels) was the best purchase I've made in a long time. I now have places to store green ware, bisque ware, test tiles, containers of test glaze, etc. Nice!

Recently on a trip to Atlantic Pottery Supply in Jacksonville I purchased a bat which holds small tiles upon which you throw. I was skeptical at first, but after throwing a couple dozen cups on them, I now have grown the love it! After throwing the form you can just pry off the small rectangular bat and set it somewhere to dry. The ware will pop off once it reaches the leather hard stage. He's a picture of the rectangular pieces:

and here's a picture of the bat that fits on the wheel:

I got inspired and threw some cups. Here they are drying and awaiting the attachment of handles:

That's all for now! Sorry it's been a while since posting...but the Holidays were a busy time!

Cups, Cups, and more Cups!!!

2008-12-07T20:50:00.002-05:00

I finally ran out of room in the kitchen for storage of cups I have purchased recently. Over the years I have bought a lot of cups. In addition to those in the picture below I probably have over 200 in boxes in the attic. Why do I continue to buy them you ask? Good question! Today I had to sort through the ones in the kitchen cabinets as well as those purchased recently to determine which ones went in the cabinet and which ones went to the attic in a (yet another) box.

Photos From North Carolina

2008-11-18T20:38:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted much lately. I've been busy doing other things. I did, however, fire a load of pots this past weekend. Didn't turn out how I wanted...but I have some theories about why. I will explain in another post coming soon. In October I traveled to Mars Hill, NC to work with Tom Turner. Tom is a world famous porcelain potter, artist, and great guy! Being able to spend three days with him at his studio was such a great opportunity to learn. His pottery collection is unlike any I've seen. Here is a link to photos I took on the trip. They include photos of: Tom's studio, Tom's pottery collection and works, Penland School of Crafts, working in the studio, art from the Blue Spiral Gallery in Asheville, and more. Enjoy!

http://www.thestringkings.com/nc_trip_2008

More Preparation

2008-09-27T11:26:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy week at work so I haven't been in the studio very much. Yesterday I did manage to throw a few mugs. I haven't been too happy with the shape of the mugs I've been throwing lately. I have a ton of cups from other potters that I love but I find myself struggling to develop 'my style'. I suppose the only way to get past it is to keep experimenting. I'm sure one will appear when I least expect it.

As a part of my preparations for testing new glazes I am analyzing everything I can that has an effect on glaze makeup, firing, etc. I have a computer controlled kiln but I plan on placing cones on each shelf (and in various positions on the shelves). My goal is to get as accurate of a picture as possible of what's happening in that kiln when firing. Yesterday I made cone supports for both the glaze and bisque firing.

As you can see, I have poked holes in the bases. Earlier this year during a raku firing the clay holding my cones burst. I thought all the moisture was out of them but apparently not. As a result two pieces were ruined. I got a recommendation from a potter to poke holes in the bases which really helps get the moisture out. We'll see how they do next week!

Test Glazes

2008-09-10T22:08:00.007-04:00

I have selected fourteen cone 6 glazes that I want to test. That's a lot you ask? Yes it is! I have made a ton of test tiles and I will be mixing up 100 gram batches of each glaze over the next week or so. I should get a lot done this weekend since the Gators don't play. Here are the glazes along with their formulas:

Floating Blue

Nephaline Syenite 47.30

Gerstely Borate 27.00

Kaolin/EPK 5.40

Silica 20.30

add:

Cobalt Oxide 1.00

Red Iron Oxide 2.00

Bentonite 1.00

Rutile 4.00

Randy's Red

Silica 30.00

EPK 5.00

Soda Feldspar (Kona F-4) 20.00

Talc 14.00

Gerstley Borate 31.00

add:

Red Iron Oxide 15.00

Nutmeg

Dolomite 23.30

Spodumene 23.30

Ferro Frit 3134 6.80

Kentucky Ball Clay (OM4) 23.30

Silica (Flint) 23.30

add:

Red Iron Oxide 1.07

Yellow Ochre 3.24

Tin Oxide 4.85

Bentonite 1.94

Cream Rust

Custer Feldspar 26.60

Strontium Carbonate 3.30

Ferro Frit 3134 30.60

Wollastonite 10.60

Talc 2.30

EPK 8.40

Silica 18.20

add:

Red Iron Oxide 6.00

Tin Oxide 13.00

Grey

Tennessee Ball Clay #5 20.00

F-4 Feldspar 50.00

Gerstley Borate 5.00

Whiting 15.00

Zinc Oxide 5.00

Flint (325 Mesh) 5.00

add:

Black Nickel Oxide 2.00

Cobalt Carbonate 1.00

Eggshell

Whiting 9.50

Zinc Oxide 5.50

Ferro Frit 3124 44.50

Custer Feldspar 20.00

Bentonite 7.50

EPK/Kaolin 5.00

Silica 8.00

add:

Tin Oxide 9.00

Red Iron Oxide 3.00

Speckled Glaze

Gerstley Borate 59.00

Talc 41.00

add:

Rutile 18.00

White Glaze

Dolomite 23.00

Nephaline Syenite 72.00

Ball Clay 5.00

add:

Tin Oxide 8.00

Red Iron Oxide 1.00

Bentonite 2.00

Brown Slip

Ferro Frit 3124 10.00

Nephline Syenite 10.00

EPK/Koalin 40.00

Kentucky Ball Clay (OM4) 30.00

Silica 10.00

add:

Red Iron Oxide 8.00

Ron Roy Black

Talc 3.00

Whiting 6.00

Kona F-4 Feldspar 21.00

Ferro Frit 3134 26.00

EPK/Kaolin 17.00

Silica 27.00

add:

Cobalt Carbonate 1.00

Red Iron Oxide 9.00

Waterfall Brown

Formula not printed - see book Mastering Cone 6 Glazes

Caribbean Sea Green

Formula not printed - see book Mastering Cone 6 Glazes

Variegated Blue

Formula not printed - see book Mastering Cone 6 Glazes

Raw Sienna

Formula not printed - see book Mastering Cone 6 Glazes

Am I crazy for testing so many glazes? The answer is most certainly 'yes'. More to come...

It's Time To Make The Doughnuts

2008-09-09T20:39:00.004-04:00

Extreme times call for extreme measures. In this case, extreme climate and heat call for extreme measures. My studio has a wall AC unit but it is only used when I'm in there. During the day it can reach 110 degrees. The clay I use (Highwater) comes in a box with two twenty-five pound pugs of clay. Each is wrapped in plastic and it's end is folded over. The weight of the pug keeps the fold closed so the clay doesn't dry out. That's not always the case. I do find, more often than I would like, clay that has gotten somewhat dry. Clay that, at the time of purchase, was soft is now not nearly as soft. Therefore I decided to remove the pugs of clay from the boxes and wrap each in another plastic bag. The outer bag is taped closed. This should keep the clay nice and soft.

I got a great suggestion from a pottery website for mixing small 100-gram test batches of clay. They recommended using a milkshake maker to mix the glaze. I went out and bought one yesterday ($19.95)...

I should be posting the glazes I will be testing, along with their formulas, in the next couple of days.

More Test Tiles

2008-09-07T21:38:00.006-04:00

My goal today was to make test tiles out of the new stoneware (Ellen Buff). I like throwing test tiles as a ring and cutting them out. I add a pattern to them to see how the glaze breaks as well as a hole so I can hang them from a nail to save space.

All done...

I also made some terra sigillata out of Highwater Raku clay. I have a batch that I made using Little Loafers (Highwater white cone 6 stoneware) that I use for stoneware. I wanted some for raku to really shine up the surface of the pots. The Red, Blue, Black raku glaze I use really has a nice shine on a smooth surface. Below is a picture of the first step - dissolving clay in water...

Tomorrow I will add sodium silicate to it and wait another 24 hours before siphoning off the terra sigillata.

I didn't spend too much time in the studio today but got some things done that needed to get done. I hope to have enough greenware to bisque fire again in a couple of weeks. After that firing I will start the glaze testing. I am about to decide on the glazes to test. I will post them as soon as I know which ones make the cut! Talk with you later.

Studio Pics And New Tunes

2008-09-07T13:49:00.009-04:00

One thing, in my opinion, that is critical for a studio is music. Until today I had been using an old stereo box from the early 1980s. It didn't work so well and I've been complaining about it since setting up the studio. I put aside my procrastinating ways yesterday and bought a new stereo. I can now connect my iTouch! I ran the speakers to each side of the studio and mounted them in the corner below the ceiling.

The building I use as my studio was a storage building when I bought the House. I had to run water and power to it.

Here is my wheel...

The wedging table I built last year...

My L&L electric kiln...

Glazes buckets...

Looking left from the wheel...

Looking right from the wheel...

I plan on spending the afternoon in the studio. I need to throw some additional test tiles with the new stoneware (Ellen Buff) and start organizing my glaze formulas to make 100 gram batches of test glaze.

Raku Firing Results

2008-08-31T19:05:00.018-04:00

It was quite windy today which almost caused me to postpone the firing. The wind slowed a little in the late afternoon and I decided to go for it. The firing gave me some mixed results but it was a good step towards obtaining consistent outcomes. I fired a total of six pieces (using three glazes). Here were the results:

Firing #1

Glaze: Hawaiian Blue Glaze

Glaze Application: Thin (1 dip)

Reduction: Very little newspaper. Light reduction.

Comments: Nice mix of color. Would like more blue and red.

Glaze: Red, Blue, Black

Glaze Application: Thin (1 dip)

Reduction: Very little newspaper. Light reduction.

Comments: Apparently the bottom had a heavier reduction. This glaze will come out green if there's not enough reduction. I didn't use enough combustibles in the can.

Glaze: White Crackle

Glaze Application: Thin (1 dip)

Reduction: Very little newspaper. Light reduction.

Comment: Good crazing (crackle) pattern in most areas. Some areas had little to no crazing. This glaze is best when applied thick. This thin application didn't do so well but I expected that.

Firing #2

Glaze: Hawaiian Blue Glaze

Glaze Application: Thick (2 dips)

Reduction: Very little newspaper. Light reduction.

Comments: Nice blend of colors but they are less pronounced than the previous firing. I think a thinner coating of glaze works best but I need to play around more with the reduction.

Glaze: Red, Blue, Black

Glaze Application: Thick (2 dips)

Reduction: Lots of newspaper. Heavy reduction.

Comments: The addition of a lot of combustible material really made a difference. This glaze is usually best with a thinner application but this one came out nicely. I put two pictures of it below because it's very difficult to see all of the colors in a photo. As I held it and moved it around tons of colors would appear and disappear as it moved and interacted with the light.

Here's another shot from a different angle

Glaze: White Crackle

Glaze Application: Thick (2 dips)

Reduction: Sawdust. Heavy reduction.

Comments: Much better with a thicker coat! Great crazing pattern. Overall I was very happy with the results except for one thing: there was a light brown coloring over some of the piece. A local raku potter and friend of mine, Colquitt Tanner, told me that you can remove such things with a small blow torch. It did work but it also affected the crazing. I will have to research this and try to find a better solution to eliminating this residue/coloring.

Overall I was pleased with the outcome of the firings. I learned something and that's always a plus. I have some other raku pieces that need to be bisque fired. More raku tests coming up!

I threw for the first time today using the Ellen Buff clay I purchased yesterday. Very nice. I love opening a new bag of clay. It was so soft and easy to work with. I absolutely love smelling new clay and getting my hands in it. Talk with you soon.

Time For More Clay

2008-08-30T17:06:00.008-04:00

For the past few years I have tried several different brands of clay. About a year ago, while in St. Petersburg, I stopped by St. Pete Clay. Highwater Clays has a store there. I bought about a 100 pounds to test out. I loved it. I have thrown with nothing since. This morning I drove to Atlantic Pottery Supply in Jacksonville to get some more clay (they are a Highwater distributor). I decided to try some Ellen Buff. I've heard good things about it...we'll see. Right now I'm using four different Highwater Clays - P5 Porcelain, Speckled Brownstone, Little Loafers, and Raku. It's rare that I throw with the porcelain and I don't keep much in the studio.

Hopefully tomorrow the weather will allow me to fire up the raku kiln. With Gustav and Hanna around the weather is a little unpredictable. Let's hope New Orleans doesn't get hit again. Such a great city. They have been through enough! See ya.

Waxing and Glazing

2008-08-28T21:27:00.013-04:00

I'm planning on doing a test raku firing this Sunday. I threw and bisque fired some test pieces to try out a few glazes. I have three glazes that I'm trying. The formulas are:

Red, Blue, Black

Gerstley Borate 70.0

Ball Clay 30.0

Tin Oxide 1.5

Copper Carbonate 5.0

White Cracke

Gerstley Borate 65.0

Tennessee Ball Clay 5.0

Nephaline Syenite 15.0

Tin Oxide 10.0

Flint 5.0

Hawaiian Copper Blue

Gerstley Borate 80.0

Bone Ash 20.0

Copper Carbonate 5.0

Cobalt Oxide 2.5

Tin Oxide 1.3

When it comes to waxing pots for glazing I prefer paraffin wax for the bottoms. I find that paraffin wax is easier to work with. It dries faster and goes on a little thicker. I have also found that glaze wipes off easier than with resist. To apply the paraffin wax I use a hot plate and pan (see below). If I do any detail work I will use wax resist (I'm currently buying it from Axner).

Here are all of the test pots with wax applied

Glazing...

Here are all the test pots glazed and drying...ready for the firing on Sunday

I applied the glaze a little thicker on three of the pots to see what I get. I will also play around with the amount of reduction. I will post photos of the firing and final results Sunday evening. See you then!

First Posting, First Blog

2008-08-25T21:39:00.000-04:00

Hello. This is my first blog and also the first posting! This site is intended to act as a repository for information about my pottery. I have decided to start taking a very methodical approach to developing my glazes. I've been lazy up to this point. Sometimes pieces turn out as I intended and other times not. I have done a very poor job tracking the variables that affect the outcome of my work. This site will be used to document these processes in as much detail as possible. Hopefully this will lead to more consistent results. It will also act to focus my energies and provide me with a ton of motivation (I hope!). Enjoy reading and please comment if you have something you would like to say.

This past weekend I did a bisque firing. I opened up the kiln today and removed (and washed) everything.

I went cup crazy this month...

I also made some test tiles for the upcoming glaze tests...

I pulled several handles for some cups I had to finish...

All-in-all it was a productive evening in the studio. If I just didn't have my day job...