Today I finished up my latest batch of miniature vases. Some bud vases with proportionately small stamped details. So today I trimmed the bottoms of them using one of my all-time favorite tools… my Giffin Grip!!!

And yes, even the mini’s are always hand signed!

And then I added some colored flashing slips for colors that will become more vibrant & dynamic during the soda-firing atmosphere.

Save

Save

Throwing off the hump making some mini vases.
And yes, smaller vases need smaller stamps!!! Go figure.

So I knew ahead of time that my vase would get smashed.
I knew that it would be on Episode Eight of “EMPIRE” Season Three.
I knew that it was finally going to air last night on Fox TV.
I didn’t know the context, the scene or how it would actually go down.
Who knew that such a sexy vixen would be smashing Lucius’ collection to get his attention… as though her strappy lingerie wouldn’t do it alone?! About 46 minutes into the episode… my vase got its 30 seconds of fame!

Pose… Pontificate… then she let go! SMASH!!!
And it smashed on the floor… and she moved onto the next precious item.

As a reminder… when I last saw my vases, they were freshly thrown and “done”.
Sixteen of them for rehearsals and multiple takes during filming.
The Props Dept. at EMPIRE painted the vases on-site for their own “vision.”

Very fun to see finally on television.
It was a great project to be part of… even it they did smash everything?!!!
Special thanks to my friend Amanda for hooking me up and making it happen!

Save

Save

Save

Word on the street says that there might “allegedly” be a vase smashing on tomorrow night’s “EMPIRE” episode on Fox TV?! Can’t say too much… but watch for a ceramic vase made by “you know who” that may not survive till the end of the evening! They’ve been painted by the Props Dept. so even I don’t know what my vase might look like before it shatters!

If you see it, I’d love a good “screen grab.” Thanks!!!

So there was a gaping hole in the top layer of my bisque kiln…
I knew that I had to make something quick!

I “threw together” a couple tall slab vases… measured just to fit when the kiln lid closes. I finished assembling them JUST in time to teach my Tuesday night class. I put them on plastic grid and a banding wheel so I could rotate them in front of a fan to dry them quickly. During class, I skipped out (unnoticed) and ran upstairs to add some colored slip details and keep them spinning.

When class was finally over… they had to go into the kiln regardless of where they were at. I had to fill the space, but couldn’t wait any longer to get the kiln started. So they went in a little damp… with a bit of a pre-heat on the kiln… and fingers crossed.

Save

Save

Save

Making another batch of stamped discs that will be soda-fired and become ikebana vases. I have them drying “fast” on elevated plastic grids so they can get air circulation on both sides for less warpage.

Here’s why… When clay dries it shrinks. If the air dries one side faster than the other it can curl up on the “shrinking” side. Air flow on both sides encourages more even drying… so less warping. In theory anyways. Don’t quote me on that… unless it works for you too, and the by all means! Quote away!!!

Save

Save

Save

Sometimes a single white rose can be the perfect centerpiece in a nice ikebana vase.

And so the Battle Begins… and it sounds like my handmade vases
will make their brief appearance on “EMPIRE” Episode 8 before they get smashed!!!
Watch closely… it might be quick?!

My understanding is that Episode 3 airs this week. I’ll keep you posted.

Save

Save

Finished unpacking just in time… ART IN THE BARN has just begun. And I’ve packed my double booth with lots of pots. Probably could have filled a third booth?!! Ha!

So the past couple weeks have been CRAZY!!!
Far too many projects going on. Throwing new pots.
Stamping. Trimming. Drying. Firing. Glazing.
Times two with my recent soda kiln and the cone six firing.

Not to mention all of the terra cotta “ghouls” that I’ve been working late nights just to get them done. No time to sleep. No time to breath. I’m stretched beyond belief yet again. Not even sure if I would be able to get everything done for ART IN THE BARN this coming weekend?! And did I mention teaching Tuesday night too?! Okay, you get it right… over-committed, over-stretched.

And then this happens…
I get an e-mail Thursday mid-morning. Basically it’s a request from the TV show “EMPIRE” to make some vases for them. My Wisconsin potter friend Amanda is friends with the Props Manager on “EMPIRE” and she’s the one who connected all of us. My understanding is that they need some identical vases for them to film in a scene. Sounds like the vases are going to smashed in the scene… and they’ll have 16 times to get it right for all the necessary angles. They just need them bisque fired… as one of their Props Crew will be painting them to look like they’re expensive antiques. All sounds great… except for the fact that I still don’t have time!!!

But you know I can’t say “No” to a great opportunity like this.
So I said yes… and then I started to freak out. How can I get this done???

I made it into the studio about 4:30pm Thursday night. The plan was to throw all of the vases as fast as possible. They said they wanted the vases between 14″-16″ tall. So I started by wedging up my sixteen balls of clay.

After throwing one tall vase, I realized quickly that it was going to be too much time & effort to throw all of the vases that tall. With the incredibly fast turn-around time, I decided it would behoove me to throw them as two-part vases. So I set off to throw all of the bottom halves.

Followed by throwing all of the top pieces.

It was late by the time I finished, so I went home for a couple hours of sleep… and then returned very early in the morning to start assembling them.

After a few hours I had them all assembled, cleaned up a bit with a definitive “foot” flange and set out to dry.

Here’s the real kicker…
they wanted the vases bisque fired and ready for pick-up by Monday!!!
Yep, normally a project like this would take a week or two… not a day or two!

So I set them all on a raised plastic grid covered with a few sheets of paper. I figured the paper would help soak up & disperse the water from the clay. And then being raised up, air can get under the vases to dry more evenly. So I set a fan on them and hoped for the best. As it was, I had to get home to start packing to get to ART IN THE BARN. Good thing I could squeeze these in under such tight time restraints. I just hope the client from 20the Century Fox Television is happy with their new vases!!!

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save