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.

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

ONLINE STORE

WEBSITE

Ceramics, Odds and Ends Edition

I made some footed bowls for the first time that weren't too bad...I got some Mid-Century melamine bowls from my mom and used them as a form to push balls of clay onto the sides and played with different glazes.  And of course I used bits and pieces of clay to make some jewelry.

Fresh from the kiln!

Four bowls made the same way with different stonewares,
cone 6 and cone 10, and different glaze techniques.
I call them Cloud Bowls because they especially look cloudy from the top.

I made a boatload of pendants with my left over clay and tried out new stamps
and glazes.  Then I strung them on leather cord and learned a little about tying
decorative knots.

Slip experiments...

I wound a strip of vinyl around their little bodies (slip was applied before bisque) and
then dipped them in white glaze.  After the glaze dried I pulled off the vinyl to reveal the
raw clay beneath.

The stencil experience looked silly during the process.

See previous post for BEFORE photos on those last images.

Spring Ceramics, Vase Edition

I have been thinking about using manhole and utility covers in my ceramics for a very long time, and I finally got around to taking impressions to use as stamps.  Then I used paper clay (clay that has paper mixed in for stability) to make the forms.  So many stamps...so many possibilities!

Throw on some olive oil, press in some clay, pull off, wait a while,
bake at 1000 degrees or something, wah lah.

I used a lot of mason stains to rub into the designs so they'd really pop.

Hand for scale!

Don't forget!  I'M ALL OVER THAT INSTAGRAM THING.

Spring Ceramics, Drinking Vessel Edition

I continued working at the KC Clay Guild on handbuilt tumblers and mugs, even venturing into "pulled handle" territory, which is a fast way to knock you off any sort of "I'm getting the hang of this" high horse you might be riding on.  

When I was offered a copious amount of mason stain to use in my ceramic work from another artist, I took it, because I am a garbage disposal and waste is bad.  I mixed the stain in with slips and glazes to see what would happen, and I wasn't altogether disappointed! 

Yellow Ochre slip with white glaze on stoneware.
Available on Etsy.

These kitty stamped mugs are currently for sale at Purrfect Pets.

Pulled some handles on these and experimented with stains and stamping; white stoneware

Stained slip with a vinyl resist and white glaze, stoneware.

Sprayed glaze through a stencil I found in a Dumpster, stoneware.

Return of the Tab Tumblers!  I love how the cobalt runs with this clear glaze.

Beautiful nubs!  Made from a stamp made from a grate in my basement with
runny cobalt reactive clear and red glazes.
Available on Etsy.

Tumbler 27

One of my favorites so far!  I wrapped the tumbler with a vinyl belt then dipped the bottom in light blue.  Then I dipped the top half in Kook's blue (love how it goes purple), doubling the glaze up in a thick pile over the resist.  When I removed the vinyl, some glaze flaked off, and you can see the result left a little residual fingerprint.

Recycled cone 10 stoneware, glaze

In progress.

Drippy goodness.

Tumbler 26

Another vinyl resist piece--this is actually one of the first ones I experimented on.  The recycled clay shows its pretty natural color in a nice contrast to the turquoise and blue (that was supposed to be copper red, but whatever).

Recycled cone 10 stoneware, glaze

Tumbler 25

Because I know how the clear glaze makes the cobalt run upon firing, I have started playing around more with the dynamic aspects of the ingredients.  For this one I mixed mason stain with white glaze and dipped the lip in a nice, thick pool.  I then dunked the whole thing in clear.  The colorant ran down in a lovely, delicate, watery way.

White cone 6 stoneware, mason stain, glaze

INSTAGRAM!

Tumbler 24

Like yesterday's post, I added dots to this before firing, but due to the chemical makeup of the applied glazes, they didn't saw up AT ALL.

In progress....

Final product.  White cone 6 stoneware, glaze, mason stain.

 I brushed on a mason stain with a lot of cobalt in it.  It fluxed with the clear glaze I put on over the whole thing after I peeled the dots off...properties of the clear glaze make the cobalt run, and it filled in all the dots.  But it looks cool anyway!

I also love how the clear runs into the white I glazed the inside.

Tumbler 23

I had some fun with vinyl dots as a resist with this one.  Before glazing I stuck on dots (cut at home with my trusty vinyl cutter, of course) in a simple belt around the cup.  Then I brushed on some jade glaze/stroke and coat, and after it dried, pulled off the dots to reveal the raw clay behind.  I wanted to see if the glaze would drip or degrade the dots, and mostly the glaze stayed where it was.  A few dots have a slump on the top curve, but otherwise this cup has a nice no-slip grip.

white cone 6 stoneware, stroke and coat

dot it up, friend!

Yes...these are all for sale on Etsy.  Go there!

Tumbler 19

Stripey experiment here...I painted on this mason stain+glaze concoction (originally it was a rose color) in a few thick spots, then dunked the top half in white.  It ran a little and washed it away just a bit.  This particular mason stain has been a real pain and let me down many times, so I gave it one more chance.  As long as I don't do a wipe on/wipe off thing and make it nice and thick, it seems to do okay.  Okay?

handbuilt, cone 6 white stoneware, mason stain, white glaze

up the skirt with a little maker's mark

Snake Eye Tumblers

More fun with Stroke & Coat!  I started out thinking of these as having a brick pattern, but then I decided they were more like eyes (especially the yellow one), so here we are with a pattern name.  I made another one with green, but I got the clear top glaze too thick and it basically washed away the design, so I was more careful with just brushing it on these.  Figuring this all out takes a while.

cone 6 white stoneware, handbuilt, stroke and coat, clear glaze

cone 6 white stoneware, handbuilt, stroke and coat, clear glaze

More Cat Mugs

Still playing around with my digitally cut vinyl stamps.  I might have to (gasp!) go purchase some commercial glaze because I just don't love many of the colors the Clay Guild provides--that's why I do a lot of mixing mason stains and such. 

But these little guys are pretty cute, and once I get a large enough group I'm going to take them to Purrfect Pets in Overland Park--a wonderful cats only shelter that placed my foster kittens in a fabulous home last year.  They have a small boutique section where I have sold a few clocks as well.

cone 6 white stoneware, hand built, dipped antique green and purple with white inside and bottom

put some tea in this

or some coffee!

 INSTAGRAM IS MY FAVE!