11.07.2016
A sneak peek into the kiln while unbricking the door. Looks like good things to come…
and more mugs for Mugshot Monday!!!
11.04.2016
Moving right along. Still glazing & wadding for tonight’s soda kiln loading.
It’s gonna be a LONG night!
11.04.2016
Lots of mugs still waiting for their liner glaze!!!
10.30.2016
This morning started early with some stamping of the porcelain cylinders. Then some trimming… and then handles needed to be attached. So the afternoon was a porcelain process. A little more fidgety than stoneware… but still went pretty smoothly.
I started with nugget cubes of wedged porcelain. I don’t measure things…
I just “guess”, and hope, that each cube will be enough clay for the handle.
Then I take each piece and “slam it” against the table repeatedly. Rotating the piece each time until it becomes a carrot shaped wedge of clay.
Then I pull my handles the old-fashioned way. A bit of water. A lot of friction. And a slight childhood memory of milking cows by my Grandfather’s place in Missouri. As I finish pulling each handle, I like to flip it into a curve shape and set it up on itself. I let them sit like this until the clay sets up a bit. When they are no longer sticky, I can start attaching them.
To attach the handles, it’s a lot of “scratching & attaching.” Always careful not to squish or mis-shape the cup as I’m attaching them. Making sure the handle looks proportionate to the cylinder. And that the attachment is secure and clean. Soon enough… another dozen porcelain mugs!!!
10.30.2016
This morning started early with a bunch of stamping. My goal is to get them all stamped, trimmed and handled today. I’m “rushing” to get everything in one last bisque so that they can make it into my soda kiln next Saturday!!! These porcelain cylinders were thrown yesterday… and stamped this morning!!! Yes, of course I am running a bit last minute… again.
10.24.2016
Just a few more mugs headed off to my next bisque kiln.
Couple days away… plenty of time to dry. And maybe even make some more???
10.21.2016
Just adding some colored flashing slip accents to this most recent batch of mugs. I like to color the top section of the mug, as well as a small dab of color in each stamp. The flashing slip will become more colorful after soda-firing. Or at least that’s the plan…
10.20.2016
It was a long & productive night… but I can handle it. And now all forty cylinders have become MUGS!!! They’re now under wraps over night. For tomorrow I’ll paint them with some colored flashing slip accents.
10.20.2016
A lot of stamped cylinders require a LOT of pulled handles
if they’re going to become mugs!!! Which they are… tonight!!!
Of course they all started out as little, carrot-shaped nuggets before pulling the clay into strap handles. I like to bend them over and tap the ends together so they stand up on their own. That way they already have the curve established as they start to stiffen up.
10.20.2016
Trimmed & signed… 10, 20, 30, 40… next up HANDLES!!!
