Posts Tagged “platters”

Hand built stoneware cup with square base

I’m continuing to work on the lessons I learned in the workshop that I took last weekend in an effort to make the work my own.  This cup is one of the results and one I’m going to continue developing.  I like the square base and the round top.  My original intention was to make the entire cup square, when my husband mentioned that a square rim might make the functionality tricky.  He asked if the user would have to drink from a corner.  Given that it’s a fairly large cup with a large rim expanse, I tended to agree with him.  So, this cup was the result of our discussion.

Poppy relief printed stoneware box

Remember my lino-cuts?  I finally finished one of the boxes 2 days ago.  It’s drying slowly to minimize warping and cracking.  I also switched my slip from a regular slip made from my clay body to a paper clay slip made with my clay body, which happens to be a white ^6 stoneware called Ash manufactured by Mile Hi Ceramics here in Denver.  It’s gray in color before bisque firing, but will be white once fired.  It’s not as white as the porcelain I throw with, but it does the trick.  In reduction, this clay body (ash) would have a gray cast, unlike porcelain.

Top view of the Poppy Box which is larger at 7″ t x 5″ w not including knob and feet

Hand built stoneware platter with hollow handles

I made this with a combination of the techniques I learned in Annie’s workshop and another Pottery Making Illustrated article titled, “Plate-o-matic” written by Paul Wandless about the work of Amy Santaferraro.  I can’t find a live link to PMI, so here’s the pdf:  Plate-o-matic by Paul Wandless if you want to give it a go.

Side view of platter

The plate was made using Amy’s technique and then I added double sided textured and hollow decorative handles like I learned how to do in Annie’s class.  The hollow handles are pretty darn cool if you ask me and  I need to come up with my own templates now.

In the meantime, I must go and make some more work!

~Cynthia

Mary Cay and I at the opening standing in front of 2 of her pieces

I drove up to Evergreen by myself yesterday evening for the opening of the “Fine Art of Craft” at the Center for the Arts Evergreen where some of my work was on display. Unfortunately, my husband and daughter did not attend because my daughter came down with strep this past week and wasn’t feeling 100%. It was a fun evening, and while I had peeked at some of the other items on display when I dropped off my work last Monday, it truly was a feast for the eyes to see a variety of different crafts on display together ranging from glass blowing, fiber art, beading, ceramics, to wood working.

The gallery is fairly small, but at its busiest, there were about 150 people crammed in there (that’s my guesstimate). My ceramics mentor and good friend, Mary Cay, had some of her wonderful work on display, including groupings of her bone china canvases. Some former Art Student’s League classmates of mine also came up for the opening and afterwards we all enjoyed sitting down and catching up at The Wine Bar nestled in the pines by the Evergreen Lake.

On my drive up to Evergreen I snapped this photograph of a local landmark - the Spaceship House in Genessee, CO. I would love to tour it someday, but, it’s privately owned. Built in the 1960’s by architect Charles Deaton, its futuristic design is so unusual that it was used in the filming of Woody Allen’s movie, Sleeper in 1973.

Cone 10 porcelain platter freshly thrown

Meanwhile, last week in my studio I threw quite a bit of work to add to the gas firing at the guild taking place this weekend. Out of necessity, I threw bigger than I normally do in an attempt to take up real estate in the kiln since one of our firing partners dropped out at the last minute. I used the tutorial on Emily Murphy’s blog that she calls the “quarter trick” to throw this platter. I normally have a hard time centering more than 5 lbs of clay at a time, so I used 4 lbs as the base, and since I couldn’t find a quarter, I used a 1970’s nickel in the center. Then I centered another 5 lbs on top of the nickel. Once I opened it up, I removed the nickel and was pretty pleased with my 12″ platter. While that’s not as big as the 24″ raku platter I saw on display last night by Bob Smith, I was pleased with my efforts. After the guild sale next weekend, I’m going to practice throwing larger.

I just unloaded the bisque kiln this morning and was so happy to see the platter in one piece, with a nice deep foot. As expected, I lost 4 mugs that went into the kiln damp. I should have made them tumblers instead of trying to add handles at the last minute. Live and learn!

With that said, I have some glazing to do!

Happy weekend,

~Cynthia

PS.  By the time I got up to Evergreen, 2 of my pieces had already sold!