Parallel Journeys: Two Mentorships

A bunch of us (20 like-minded potters) are showing our most recent ceramic work that we created as part of a Mentorship Program with Angelo diPetta and Bruce Cochrane. Check out this group exhibition of the Fusion Clay & Glass Association at the Ontario Crafts Council Gallery at 990 Queen St W, Toronto. The opening reception is on Thursday 9 July 2012, 6-9pm. And what a surprise for me: my photo made it onto the invitation! Please join us for the reception.
http://www.craft.on.ca/Exhibitions/Upcoming_Exhibitions

Metal/Mettle/Meddle

I was busy Monday night photographing my new work in preparation for an exhibition in August (more to follow!). They are porcelain vessels decorated with metal salts and glazed with celadon.

Little Pump House Gallery opening - 26 July 2012, 4-7pm, Gananoque

Check this new gallery out! It's small but it has lots of great art! Painting, glass, pottery, wood! And it's grand opening is next month. Please join us!

Ruins! 16 June 2012, Newburgh

It sounds awful to mention the word ruin and art in the same sentence! It can either make you think of fabulous cultural riches that have been decimated, or the cultural treasures of antiquity! Or neither, in this case...Art Among the Ruins is a fabulous art event set in the beautiful ruins of an old mill in Newburgh on Saturday 16 June 2012 (10am-5pm). Join us for art, music, and a great family day in the ppogarden!
www.artamongtheruins.com

Casting a new light!

Literally. I am in the middle of a new project. It involves making moulds, slip casting vessel forms and decorating them with metal salts.

The result is fragile, thin, objects that transmit light (seen here on an illuminated plinth).

It is part of the mentorship project at Fusion. Stay tuned for more...

3-5 Dec 2010: A Busy Art Weekend in Kingston

Well, I had a harrowing time last weekend after my flu shot! I had a subsequent infection that has really set my health back (and caused me to miss the Kingston Potter's Guild Show last weekend)...however, I am on the mend and getting ready for two very fabulous shows next weekend.

Firstly, on Fri 3 Dec - Sun 5 Dec, the Gift Giving Show is at Fort Henry. It involves lots of art, fine craft, food and drinks (and even some military history!) Please join us if you can. Parking is free (you can drive right into the fort...how fun is that?!) and admission cost $5.

The other show that is going on this weekend, Sat 4 Dec and Sun 5 Dec, is the Kingston Holiday Fayre at the Upper Canada School of the Performing Arts on across from St. Mary's Cathedral on Brock St. It is free admission and parking and it will involve lots of very nice giftable art and fine craft. Grass roots but very high quality! Highly recommended.

Size Matters!

Really. But not exactly like you might assume!

A set or series of functional pottery should be of similar size. This will give the customers confidence in the quality and craftsmanship...and it will stack nicely in cupboards. But aside from these obvious issues, the size of a piece can have a significant effect on the quality of the glaze. Many potters complain about inconsistent glaze effects but can figure out why. Perhaps we should investigate the thickness of the pot wall! A thicker wall picks up more glaze than a thin walled pot. Keep this issue in mind when you make your test tiles...the tiles should simulate the wall thickness of the pot you intend to make.

So, yes, in order to ensure consistent height, diameter and thickness, it is recommended that we weigh and measure our clay. Even if it sounds scientific for no obvious reason!

Here's how I do it. Use a scale to weigh the clay...if you start with the same weight , there is a better likelihood that the finished pieces will have the same dimensions.

Then, I throw the pot to a specified height and diameter using a gauge (and yes, I actually measure it with rulers). This is how I ensure a consistent thickness in the wall of each of the pots in the series.

Consistent wall thickness for each piece in a series will ensure that each piece picks up the same amount of glaze with each dip...and the glaze effects are closer from piece to piece. Of course, there are lots of other factors in the firing of the pot that can effect the glaze, but at least we've ruled out one variable.

So, size (weight, height, diameter, thickness) is important to consistent glazing.

Size Matters!