Category Archives: Glazes

There are no mistakes.

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When glazing, I often dip one glaze over another to get the results I want. Some turn out beautifully and become main studio glaze and others, not so good. I have had anything from swamp scum brown, to burn scar pink/yellow, to simply running off the pot and destroying shelves. Much like Christmas morning, you are never really sure of what you will get when combining glazes.

I had my last Tuesday night Clay Class a few weeks ago. It has been a busy time, and keep in mind I am so unorganized. I was running fairly fast for me. I had the trade show looming, pot orders to get out and working at the Post Office. When I set up the studio for glazing, grabbed the wrong bucket for the ladies to dip first and then second to get my Moonshadow glaze.

This is the glaze I thought I was setting up for.
This is the glaze I thought I was setting up for.

It’s a small studio, 600 square feet. I use  32 gallon garbage cans for glaze buckets and I had out six large buckets and three, 5 gallon pails for glazing. There are 7 ladies in the class all glazing at once. In the mix, I put the wrong bucket out. All the ladies used it thinking they were getting Moonshadow. The glazing class is fun and a little crazy.

We all love the way it breaks.
We all love the way it breaks.

 

 

 

It

 

 

 

It wasn’t until the next day, I discovered that we used the wrong bucket. All the ladies that wanted Moonshadow had glazed it wrong. I had no idea what the glaze would be. I had a good idea it would be in brown family, but what brown? Swamp scum brown, snot green? I was fairly sure it wouldn’t run off the pot, both glazes were the same base so they would work together, but to do what? I told the ladies it was wrong and asked if they wanted to come back, wash it all off and reglaze. In my mind I was saying ” no, no no” I had no time for another class. As it turned out, neither did they. They/ we decided to let it go and see what we would get…..what could happen…… What happened was beautiful. I am so happy to add “Sage Brush” to my line of glazes.

Sage Brush glaze in a sage brush.
Sage Brush glaze in a sage brush.

This is the first text I did. We took it out and put in a sage brush, just for fun. You can see where it got its name.

Then I applied it to more pots to get a better idea, and it is a keeper!

 

Mugs for hot and cold beverages.
Mugs for hot and cold beverages.
I like the way it breaks on the texture.
I like the way it breaks on the texture.
Inside and outside on a bowl.
Inside and outside on a bowl.

 

There are no mistakes. I thought I really goofed up and ruined everything. This is the result. It’s my new glaze, Sage Brush. It is the colour of the local sage brush.  I would like to say that have been working all this time to formulate a glaze that represents the area and our new home…..

I guess I could say that….. Yeah… that’s it…..The new glaze is the result of two years of study and represents where we live and the impact the local environment has on my work………Yeah…..

 

 

Give me a bit more time and I will work that into an artist statement. ……Maybe not.

 

Until next time.

Cindy

 

Video blogging is easier than writing a blog.

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I try to write a blog. I see things that are funny or interesting and I want to share it here. However, as you  from the frequency of my entries, I’m not that good at finding the time, or making the time to talk about my day.  I have added a couple of video blogs. It’s fun and a lot easier to stand and talk than sit and type.

 

 

 

 

We will unload the kiln today and I will post the results here.

Until next time,

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AKA Mrs. Clay

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How does it feels to be shot?

Art and Motivation, Glazes, Life in a small town., New Video, News, Pottery, Studio Life, Throwing, , , , , , , , , , , ,

We have been creating videos and them putting up on YouTube for a few years. It is a little odd and uncomfortable to see yourself up there. Over the years I have gained, lost  and gained weight, aged and have gotten better at speaking. I have often said that I am much taller, thinner and younger than I am in real life.  This next venture or adventure is exciting. Recording my day to day life in the studio will be something that I, if no one else, will find fun to follow. To be able to look back a week, month or in time, years, and see what I was making and how I made it, will be, again, for me at least, interesting. To be able see how much work I do, or don’t do. We will include town people, friends, and anyone else who will let us aim a camera at them and talk. The interview with Sharon the Librarian was only the start.

How does it feel to be shot? I guess the best word I can think of is flattering. I am always sensitive to how I look, not being tall, thin or young, but we get new subscribers daily. People must like what we are doing and what I have to say. We all want to be liked. “They” seem to like the videos. It feels good to be shot.

Here is Episode 7.

Friday afternoon the kids came and we made Garden Gnomes. It’s not quite spring  or gardening time, but we will be ready with Gnomes when it is.

They made wonderful gnomes! It was a fun afternoon.

It was a good weekend. Winter left with temperatures in the teens and high winds to blow all the snow away. I am glad to see it go. I am sure it will be back, but tomorrow is to be another day of temps in the teens. I will enjoy the warm days while they are here.

Until next time.

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AKA Mrs. Clay

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Out of the Fire Studio

The Clay Teacher

 

Ugly new glaze and no seniors walking, except us.

Art and Motivation, Glazes, Life in a small town., New Year, News, Pottery, Resolutions, Studio Life, Throwing, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jim and I have been am trying to get more people using the school. Here in Coutts, there is this wonderful old school that is no longer a public school but an Arts and Rec Centre. It houses my studio, the local library, a massage therapist, and a storage/ practice room for the local country/ rock band. There is some use of the facilities, but for the most part, it is underutilized. Monday was to be the start of the Senior’s Walk. The school has a gym and weight room that are almost always empty. Since I am at the school  and in my studio weekdays, I opened the doors to the local seniors. The idea was to get people out of the house and have a safe and warm place to get a little exercise. However Mother Nature had plans of her own.

 

Minus 20 Celsius and 70 Kilometer winds is not a good way to start the week, or to get seniors, or anyone else for that matter, out of the their house. The school was quiet this morning, so I cranked the music and cleaned the studio. She looks good, a great way to start the New Year. Clean and tidy. It won’t last, but ….. so

Looking at the wheel in a very tidy studio.
The studio after a morning of cleaning.
Another look at the tidy studio.
Looking the other way.

I should have had before pictures to go with the after shots, but trust me, it was an unorganized mess. I had the ladies clay classes with a Christmas party and then the kids class and party. There were orders to get out, a couple of little trade shows and the Galleria in Calgary. Last year, when I was done, I walked out and shut the door. It was on its way to Hell in a hand cart, but it got refused at the door for being too messy.

Last year I was playing with what I thought was to be a new blue glaze, but it’s not what I had hoped for. I plan on working on some new  glazes later this month, but I have never really liked experimenting with glazes. We will see how it goes and how much I get done. My next blue has to be better than this syrupy sweet, baby powder blue.  The test looked interesting.

Small light blue bowl.
Little blue test bowl.

But as it got onto larger pieces, it reminded me of eating chocolate. The first little taste is good, but once it gets big, it is just too much. Candy Blue will not be seen again.

Yucky powder blue platter with bland splash.
Yucky blue platter with bland washed out iron splash.
A table of an assortment of wet pots.
First pots in 2015.

It felt good to back at work today and in such a tidy work space. I use a blend of two clays, and I have to pug to blend  all the clay I use. Before the Christmas break, I pugged a couple of bags or so, and today I threw what was mixed. When I ran out of clay, I had the option of pugging more, or walking laps in the school. Jim came down and we walked in the school. Fourteen times around, the inside, is one mile, a bit boring and a lot safer than walking outside on the ice.

 

Until next time.

Cindy

 

 

 

AKA Mrs. Clay

Old Blog

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Out of the Fire Studio