Playing with Color & Dreaming
I spent a good part of last weekend in the studio. It was cleaner than it had been in ages, thanks to the tidying I did before the arrival of my new kiln, and the temperature was pleasant making frost bitten fingers a thing of the past (at least temporarily - it is still March afterall).
On Sunday, I loaded the Paragon kiln full of kid’s work for my Monday and Tuesday after school clay classes and then debated what I wanted to make. I stood there and looked at my clay - but I didn’t really want to make any one particular thing. I remembered all the slip that I had stored in my studio and my intention to do a little murrini (most often associated with glass or polymer clay) work with colored porcelain.
Bascially, I added mason stains to porcelain slip in the range of about 10- 15% depending on color. Some are more intense than others. I started each batch out with 1000 grams of slip and then added between 100 and 150 grams of mason stain. At this point, I have a robin’s blue, yellow, and French green. I already have some black, cobalt blue and green slip made up. I intend to make some patterned loaves which I will cut paper thin to apply to wheel thrown work. I may also make some smaller ones to use for jewelry. To mix the slip, I used an immersion blender - and the results look just a bit like a thick creamy milkshake. 
The last image shows the new robin’s egg blue slip drying on plaster. Once the plaster has sucked enough water from the slip, I can wedge the clay up and use.
Meanwhile, I had the most vivid dream ever the other night. I think I must be feeling some anxiety - I have a show coming up in mid-April and I’m participating in the guild’s sale taking place on the first weekend in May. I haven’t been terribly productive lately and am slowly slipping into panic mode. Anyway, the other night, I dreamed that I was making the most wonderful ceramic piece unlike anything I’ve made before - I wonder if I should attempt to make it?
If successful, it will be shown at the:
“Fine Art of Craft: Artists Invite Artists” Invitational
Center for the Arts Evergreen
April 25 - May 23, 2008
Opening is April 25, 2008 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm
I’d better get on it! That’s it for today,
~Cynthia
