Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Latest Kiln Load 11/2010 and some fun stuff

 I just completed a cycle of my latest batch of mugs and miscellaneous other pieces.  This whole load was thrown with recycled clay.  I had about 100 lbs. of the stuff and decided to use it all up.  Because it's recycled, the clay body is a bit 'loose' - it doesn't throw well above 5 to 6" tall.  Because of this limitation, I threw a boat-load of mugs and lidded pots.  It was good practice though, because I was only allowed 2-3 pulls before the clay lost its character, so I used a minimum of manipulation of the clay.  I hope to use this 'conservation of contact' technique in my throwing of larger, more complex pieces.

Click on photos for larger version
The mugs will make good Christmas presents and some will end up for sale at Sally Loo's, our Daughter and her Husband's coffee house in San Luis Obispo.  I've even listed a few on ETSY.COM.

The lowly coffee mug is a good form to work with while I was refining my techniques.  Throwing, trimming, building and forming handles, all are good skill-building exercises that I will apply to my future projects. . .

Covered Casserole
Now I'm working with some fresh B-MIX stoneware and loving the way it responds on the wheel.  Here are a few of my latest:
10 in. Bowl
Wine Decanter 15" tall
Water jug - 18" tall (3/4 view)
Tea Bowl

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