Friday, July 22, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Ceramics
Now that I have a membership in this new pottery studio, Monday is my pottery day.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Thumb Lamps
It started with one little Thumb Lamp that our friend Norm bought while on a visit to Israel. He asked me to make several similar Lamps so that they could be given out at a Church conference.
I threw them in a plastic bag and tried a gain. I must have made over a 100.
So, I made several. I also made a lamp-base mold.
I had been told that the clay would stick to the plaster and would not come out of the mold. I found that when I coated the mold with butter, the clay came out easily.
The clay sits in the mold until it is slightly dry (leather hard), then I can remove it.
Too dry: it will crack. Too wet: it won't hold its shape. Very delicate!
I work on the lamps during the day. Every night, I wake up in the middle of the night to check clay dampness, and to work on the pots. Then, I go back to bed.
Here I am trimming the edges off a top, after pulling it out of the mold.
I prepare the edges and put liquid clay (slip) on them so that the top and bottom will stick together.
Everything has to fit together nicely. Next, I will add the handle.
After the assembled lamps had rested and dried a bit, I cut a hole for the wick.
Now, any little bumps and imperfections need to be carved off (cleaned.) Each pot will be cleaned for 45 minutes to an hour.
I carved trees on the pots that were my own particular design.
Lots of cleaning.
Through out this project, I have been washing my hands in a bowl of water because the clay would stop up the sink.
The water is poured in the back yard.
Finally, the big day arrives!!! After weeks of phone calling and asking every one I know, I have found a kiln! Days before the conference, Larissa Chadwick kindly fired the lamps at the Blacksburg YMCA's brand new ceramic facility.
The day to pick up my lamps comes. For the first time, I hold the completed lamps in my hand...they look really good to me!
They came through the process without any cracks. Amazing!!!
I check them regularly to make sure there are no cracks.
Clay cracks easily, so it must dry slowly and evenly.
They came through the process without any cracks. Amazing!!!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The Unveling
I talked about where the rip had been, and about how it had been repaired.
I showed the patch on the back.
Mr. Tyler Easley made the painting come alive for me because he looked so much like the image on the canvas.
It was fascinating talking to people who had known the painting's subject, or "Uncle Milt," as they called him.
Mr. Easley has done so much for Bluefield College by helping build the Easley Library, and the Easley family in general has done so much as well, I was glad that I could do something for them.
Thank you.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Dollhouse
See those tired eyes? Yep, I'm a real artist. Lots of work and little sleep: that's the artist's motto.
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