Happy 2011!

Hello everyone – long time no talk…unless of course you’re on Facebook and then you’ve been subjected to snippets & nonsense that pertains to my life all along.  I’ll get to the point of this post:

I’ve been ruminating how best to return to clay while still attending school full time.  It’s something that nags at me…but don’t get me wrong – I’m really happy to be in school studying landscape architecture.  It feels right and there’s so much potential.  Guess what?  I’m halfway through the program and have only 3 semesters left until May 2012 – my expected graduation date.  Given the current economy, however, I may very well end up toiling (happily) back in the pottery studio upon graduation with a few extra letters behind my name.  Let’s face it – I’ve  lost momentum in the clay studio after returning to school and now it seems right to start thinking about pottery again since I’m getting better at juggling multiple activities every day.  It could also be that I’m currently on winter break and am starting to get bored with 3 weeks remaining till the start of the semester. ;D

The Essential Guide to Mold Making & Slip Casting by Andrew Martin

A couple of days ago, Andrew Martin, author of Mold Making and Slip Casting, “friended” me on Facebook with a note that he had read a past post where I mentioned his book.  Nothing really note worthy of clay people befriending clay people – I think 1/2 my friends on FB are fellow potters.  But, I had forgotten about the book until the request and have been thinking about the possibility of molds in the past couple of days and how it coincides with a lot of the technology & software applications I’ve been using/learning in school.

Also related – my past hand built work was jumpstarted after taking a workshop with Annie Chrietzberg a couple of summers ago. Annie teaches the use of paper templates to make hand built work – not to mention that her work is fantastic!  Lightbulb – ding dong – I have decided to explore the use of technology to try to advance some new work in the clay studio combining molds and templates as the facilitator.

AutoCAD or any cad (computer aided design) software for that matter, is a tool used by those in the architecture/engineer/industrial design field (and more) to “draw” precisely using real time dimensions that can be scaled in paper space.  Some days, it’s the bane of my existence in school – it’s dry and unforgiving. But, the software has its place in the world so that people know how to build something – be it a building, a park or a toilet. Potters build stuff too – I’m sure this insight in using a software like AutoCAD in art isn’t revolutionary by any means, but I have never thought about using it as a tool in pottery before.

So…I design something in AutoCAD – then what?  I can print out the design on a large format printer (or size appropriate) and then either cut out a template old school using scissors, or could take the design to the laser printer at school and make the template in a more durable material such as chipboard, wood, plastic, etc. Templates are fantastic for making multiples.  AutoCAD renders in 2d or 3d making it really valuable to making a 3 dimensional mold.  Which leads me to another wonderful opportunity that I have at school – access to the wood working shop for those tasks that a laser printer can’t handle.  Though I confess that I’m still skittish around power tools.  I’m excited about the possibility of combining newer technology with clay, which is such an ancient art, as a means to get back in the studio.

This seems like a bit of kismet in making this revelation the eve before New Year’s Eve – opportunity, possibility, and it feels good! So much better than the doom and gloom in the news every day about the economy, politics, etc. I’m going to forgo a resolution this year in favor of thinking forward instead of something that I need to change about myself.

Hope you do too – Happy New Year everyone!

Cynthia

P.S. Andrew is teaching a workshop at Anderson Ranch this summer if you’re interested in mold making.