More cat stuff

Since I've visited my blog here, I've been continuing to make ceramics and GUESS WHAT MORE CATS.

I was jokingly/cynically trying to make a fast/cheap thing to sell, and as it turns out, that's impossible.  Even a form I can make relatively quickly is a canvas for a drawing that I can get overly involved in.  

This was one of the first ones:

Kitten vase
stoneware, glaze, underglaze

 Simple, yes.  But even a line drawing needs to be done to a certain standard, so these took a little more time than my original goal.  (A big part of the time factor is that underglaze really looks best when it's applied in three layers, so I had to go over lines multiple times.) Then I got addicted and decided to make a few dozen, because that is how I do everything.  Some of these are available in my online store, and some I'm holding back for the KC Clay Guild Holiday sale happening Dec. 3rd - 5th.  I'll be set up at the Mother Ship (the Guild itself, 200 W 74th St, KCMO), as opposed to cleaning my own space at home and hosting there.

The pieces are still affordable, but not, like $15--you want stuff like that, go to a big box store and buy junk made by a robot or underpaid labor.

Cat vases
porcelain, underglaze, glaze

mugs!
porcelain, underglaze, glaze

I started out just making drawings from my memory of what a cat looks like (I'm pretty familiar), but then I started looking at cats I know and using their markings as inspiration.  Prepare for cuteness:

Zevon

Clover

Tilly (foster)

Bruce (foster)

Pauline

It's been a while, hope you come around my many digital neighborhoods and reach out if you ever feel like it.

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KC Clay Guild Spring Sale

Last year at this time we were wondering if we'd be able to have a Spring Sale...like, it's a likely chance this whole Covid thing will blow through by that time, surely!?

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAAAAAA

Anyway, with proper safety precautions, widespread vaccinations, and careful planning, we ARE having a Spring Sale this year at the KC Clay Guild, and I am ready. for. it.  Even though I took six months off from producing ceramics, I have more than made up for it since we got access back to the Guild, and I'm excited to share my work with more than just my humble social media circle.

PREVIEW!

Drawn flowers on mugs and vases

Hand drawn with brush in underglaze on B-Mix

CuPu series

Hand built cut and pushed vases, bowls, and planters in B-Mix with heavy glaze

Cat planters

Hand built cat planters in various clay bodies

Nubby things

Hand built vessels pushed out with a nubby motif and experimental glaze combos

I got my vaccine over a week ago, so by the time the sale is here, I'll be basically as protected by science as I can be. We will all be abiding standard safety guidelines and the artists won't be hanging out at their displays as in years passed.  Small price to pay to be able to share!

You can browse and still purchase from my online store until Thursday, when I'll be blocking sales until after I can take inventory on Monday.  The Guild only receives 20% of each purchase price--a good deal if you've ever sold consignment anywhere and a way to support both the artist and the facility that makes our work possible.

When:

Friday, April 23, 5-9pm (this is when I'll be working the sale)

Saturday, April 24, 10-5

Sunday, April 25, 11-3

Where:

KC Clay Guild

200 W 74th Street, KCMO

Links:

Facebook Event Page

KC Clay Guild website

My Instagram

My Facebook

My Online store

Tell your friends!

Neighbor

I do not currently have any neighbors who disguise themselves as humans but underneath are good-natured trolls...so I had to make one!  I'm not entirely certain why I titled this one Neighbor, but I'm sticking with it.  Seems delightfully open to interpretation.

Before first firing.  I dotted the surface with brown slip for some nice
mole action and liver spots on the skin tags.

Before glaze firing.  I knew the colors wouldn't be this vibrant after it was all
said and done, but oh I wish...

Finito!  Recycled clay fired to cone 10 with mason stains
and oxides.

I used the Clay Guild's "G White" glaze on the lips to bring out some of
the iron in the clay.

This is the biggest face I've made so far, about 9 inches wide.  I'm looking forward to going larger but I need to complete the ones I have still ready to be glazed before I move on.

Tumbler 18

I applied a vinyl strip on the raw clay surface before dunking it in glaze.  After the glaze dried I peeled off the vinyl and this is the result...Although the glaze is pretty neutral color (supposed to be celadon, but whatever),  you can see some flashing showed up on the raw clay, giving it a bit of a red tinge.  I love that the line is super crisp and simple.  More of these for sure!

recycled stoneware, cone 10, glaze

flashin'

Tumbler 17

Watery goodness for a water cup.  Top glaze is glossy white, bottom is turquoise oribe (or-ee-bay), which is a little metallic and pleasingly vibrant.

recycled cone 10 stoneware, two glazes

Tumbler 16

I covered this whole tumbler in brown slip and you can see where some of it built up along the edges of the brush.  Glazed the top half in white and the bottom half in Carmel 14, which left a nice overlap in the middle.

mason stain slip, recycled cone 10 stoneware, glazes

drips happen

I took a type writer key and labeled the bottom of this series of tumblers with a T for Cone Ten (I did the same with a 6 for cone 6) because it can get pretty hard to tell them apart after they've been fired.  If you glaze fire cone 6 in a cone 10 kiln, it melts, and that is very bad...and expensive because it can ruin the kiln shelves and others' pieces.

Tumbler 15

 Back to tumblers!  These are made of recycled cone 10 stoneware.  This particular one I striped with chocolate brown mason stain-ed slip before firing.  I never know if the stripes will show up once glaze is applied, but this worked quite well.

mason stain, Carmel 14 glaze, cone 10 recycled stoneware

mason stain, Carmel 14 glaze, cone 10 recycled stoneware

I left tracks behind where I was holding the tumbler when I dipped it in glaze.
It's like a signature I guess.