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Saggar Construction


2010
12.22

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Posted in Ceramic Musical Instruments, Glazing and Firing, Wheel-Throwing | Comments Off on Saggar Construction

This is a bit off-topic for my normal ceramic musical instrument theme, but some of my newer ocarinas are destined to find a place in a newly constructed saggar.   Saggars have been around since the Chinese used them to protect wares from ashes in a wood firing  that would otherwise land on a piece and alter the intended look of the glaze.  Oddly enough, saggars today are used primarily to create unusual firing atmospheres within a kiln to protect the kiln and the other wares from being altered by the vapors created within a saggar. Go figure.

Saggar - Approximately 10 in. clear on the interiorThose who know me won’t be shocked that my saggar creations include a touch of whimsy.  Each new saggar is topped with my own version of a kiln god… generally (in my style) a Nordic-looking dude with a menacing facial expression.  It is a tradition among potters to set kiln gods of varying creatures atop a kiln during the firing process to appease the immensely powerful flames within the kiln to be kind and produce beautiful works.  Don’t go all fundamentalist on me with the kiln god references…it is just me having some fun with a new (to me) clay used for saggar construction.  I am seeing some potential for future sculptural projects that may be born from the saggar womb of  Sagar the Glazinator.

saggar kiln god saggar kiln godsaggar kiln god

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Wheel-Thrown Bottles


2010
11.03

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Posted in Construction Techniques, Wheel-Throwing | Comments Off on Wheel-Thrown Bottles

Tall Porcelain BottleGiven the choice between making vases or making bottles, I chose the latter. The decision probably has something to do with a home that is full of great examples created by the real ceramic artist of the family…and something to do with the cool factor of making tall bottles with unusual stoppers. I have no idea what I will do with any survivors from the bisque and gas firings, but I suspect that empty Etsy account may finally have entries just in time for Christmas.

The Pricing Dilemma

Each bottle takes about an hour to throw and join…excluding some drying time between throwing and joining the sections. Add another hour for trimming, decorating, and clean-up and I have a greenware piece ready that must dry slowly. Stoppers generally take another hour to throw, carve, clean-up, and fit. By the time bisque firing and glaze firing are complete, each tall bottle has nearly 5 hours of my time committed to the project in a process that takes about two weeks from start to finish. A quick Google of handmade ceramic bottles returns pricing results that range from $55 to $200, so, somewhere in the $60 to $75 range seems to be a reasonable target. Your thoughts are appreciated.

The Details

Any bottle that I make that is over 12″ tall is thrown on the wheel in two pieces (usually about 8″-10″ each), then joined and completed while still attached to the wheel head. Stoneware clay is my preference, but porcelain makes highly polished bottles possible although they are a bit more challenging to produce. I have not ventured into the world of really tall bottles, made of three joined pieces, but the possibilities for horn shaped pieces constructed using that technique are certainly a possibility (with kiln height limits taken into consideration). I am including the MugPhlute stamp on all of these pieces since they do include a unique stopper with an instrumental musical theme.

Glaze images coming soon (I hope).

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Sew & Throw Circus


2010
10.17

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Posted in Humor, Wheel-Throwing | Comments Off on Sew & Throw Circus

Debbie and I enjoyed a gorgeous weekend at Cedars of Lebanon State Park with a full campground of folks who had the Fall weather in mind as much as we did. By the time we arrived at the park, all of the prime camping spaces were occupied. We were grateful to find even one, reasonably level space to park, even if it meant that we’d have very little privacy due to the nearby entry drive.

Paul at the Potter's WheelOur plan was to take some time to play with our toys. For Deb, that meant a sewing machine on the park provided picnic table. For me, that translated into trying out a potter’s wheel that I purchased several months ago but had not found a time (or place) where I could make a big mess at the house. The Sew & Throw Circus was a success although neither of us set any world records for production.  What we did produce was entertainment and conversation for many of our fellow campers as they walked by…and stopped by.  I probably mentioned before that making ceramic musical instruments in a state park draws a crowd, but this time we seemed to draw a lot of conversation.  People are fascinated with folks who do strange things in campgrounds…probably like some people are entertained by shoppers at Wal-Mart.

I count myself as one who is still fascinated by  potters who make things on a wheel, and make it look so effortless.  I am not part of that effortless fraternity, but I do have fun with it.  As it turns out (no pun intended) there are people who seem to enjoy watching someone who is giving it the ‘ole college try. To all those new friends, we say Thank You!…and be sure to catch the circus the next time it passes through a campground near you.

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To ‘Turn’ or to ‘Throw’


2010
09.20

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Posted in Artist's Thoughts, Wheel-Throwing | 3 Comments »

The choice of terms for potters is probably just semantics.  Whether a pot is thrown or turned implies a mechanical pottery wheel of some description either way.  What appears to be a trend is that crafts people tend to throw pots and artists prefer to turn clay.  There may be something in the marketing world that subliminally tells us that turned ceramics are somehow more valuable than thrown ceramics.

The expression, wheel thrown,  makes a lot of sense to me considering the mechanics of the device and the physics (centrifugal force) of the clay spinning on the wheel head.  On the other hand, turned pieces bring images of a craftsman working at a lathe…where pieces seem to emerge from within a solid block of wood. There are some economics to the word turned that I like as well.  Calling something ‘wheel turned’ seems redundant…and turned could easily concatenate what happens on the pottery wheel with what often happens on a banding wheel during construction and decoration.

Six Inch Tall MugsTo fan the flames of the artist-craftsman feud, perhaps turned requires verbalization with the head kicked back slightly, the nose pointed skyward, and the word sung as if it is a very long, one syllable word.

All that being said, I’m turning mugs this week.  For the most part they will become test pieces for glaze experiments and exercises to help me improve my throwing skills.

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First Pots – Let the Wheel Throwing Adventure Begin (Again)


2010
09.04

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Stoneware - Test CylindersAfter a couple of hours or working on a potter’s wheel for the first time in years, my body reminded me of several parts that are ill-prepared to do this without practice and attention to form (mine, not the pots…well, maybe the pots too).  As a mental break from writing and research, signing up for a clay class looks to be one of the better decisions I have made.  It is fun. The class is full of students plus an great instructor, all young enough to be my children.  I have had more than a few curious looks from my fellow students as I played in the mud the first session or two.

I do have a few ulterior motives.  There are things that a skilled potter can do on the wheel that would make great pieces/parts for ceramic musical instruments…and some of my older sketchbooks attest to the fact that those ideas have been fermenting for some time in the back of my head.  The class also provides me access to a great gas kiln to do reduction firing…a method that produces great color in glazes and from the clay bodies alone.

These practice cylinders are my first.  I suspect that they will end up in the slop bucket, but the picture is a reminder of my first steps back into the (wonderfully addictive) world of wheel-thrown ceramics.

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