Tuesday tools of trade

This weeks tools of trade interview takes us to the hamlet of Sayville, Long Island, New York ... Sayville was founded by a man named John Edwards who built his first home there in 1761, the hamlet was accidently named 'Sayville' (it was meant to be called 'Seaville'), when the error was discovered the people wrote a letter to Washington to have it spelt correctly, that request was turned down as it was felt there were too many 'Seaville's' in the world and that 'Sayville' was unique ... speaking of unique, the very talented ceramic artist, Jill from GlazedOver is here (in Sayville) to give us an insight into the tools she uses to create her rustic and vibrant ceramics and indie jewelry. So, without further ado - let's go!

Wabi sabi nesting bowls pumpkin and blue handmade

Would you take us through the tools you use in your creative process?

I'm very grateful to say that now my creative process begins with my beloved pugger.




Instead of me wedging the clay manually (at the costs of my wrists), the pugger processes all of my recycled clay mixing dry with moist flawlessly and then de-airing the lot. Thanks to my pugger I can now spend my time more productively and more creatively.

There are so many ways to work clay, but I'm partial to slab built and wheel thrown work. Depending on which whim strikes me (or which custom orders are on the roster), I'll head over either to the slab roller or to the pottery wheel and the process takes off from there.




There are various small tools - like pin tools, ribbon tools, sponges, ribs, calipers, and wire tools - that are appropriate to each method and sometimes even unexpected things can be useful tools. Lace, a corn cob, a shell, or a barnacle can be used to create texture, for example. The sky's the limit!

When I've finished tweaking a piece, I set it on the drying shelf. Once it is 'bone dry' (absolutely, completely and utterly devoid of all moisture) it goes into the kiln for the bisque firing. After it comes out, I glaze it and put it back into the kiln for the glaze firing.

Often, people don't realize how time intensive clay work is. From start to finish, depending on the size and structure of the piece, it can be upwards of 3-4 weeks before the bisque firing is even appropriate.

Can you give us some sort of indication on the monetary outlay you've had in setting yourself up with the equipment that you have?

From the kiln to the wheel to the pugger to the tools ... ugh. Clay equipment is very expensive. Not including electric hook up, shelving and supplies, I've spent upwards of $10,000 on equipment over the years.

What special care and/or cleaning is required to keep your tools in optimal working order?

Well, clay dust is a biggie. Left unchecked, it can have serious effects on one's health. Other than carefully washing clay off of my tools and wheel after use, I regularly vacuum and wet mop the studio. I keep my studio as clean as I can. On a practical level, it is nice to start each day's work on a clean surface. And now that I am teaching children's classes there, it is absolutely necessary for the studio to be in top shape at all times.

Other than that, there is no real equipment upkeep except for making sure that all parts (especially kiln elements and bricks) are in working order.

Do you need to wear any kind of safety equipment when creating your items?

For mixing glaze ingredients or using kiln wash (which contain toxic elements), I wear a dual cartridge mask. For viewing progress during firing I wear heat resistant gloves and dark goggles (which also help me look really cool!).

If you could own any kind of tools that aren't related to your own craft what would they be?

I think I would want to own a lathe for metal work. Metal strikes me as a material that is akin to clay in as much as it can be negotiated into any shape. It needs a different kind of coaxing, but the creative thought process necessary for metal work seems compatible with the way my brain works.

Other than that, perhaps a money printing machine with 20 dollar plates. And oh yes, that special cotton paper that goes with it. That should do me.

(Notice my studio manager by the ceiling at the top right corner)

Seaside Echoes wind chime handmade mobile

Sunday Details

drip

tannerglass

GlazedOver

Furiousdreams

Creative Fire

This is a new series of inspirational quotes and poetry, intended to fuel our creative fires. Today's focus: Getting Started:

  

 LaTouchables, MarciG

Unless a capacity to dream and fantasize is there, derivative things shall be made.  -Peter London

 

MDaisleymoffitt, Munieca

When you start a painting, it is somewhat outside you. At the conclusion, you seem to move inside the painting.   -Fernando Botero

 

3fun, steinschmuckdesigns,loveandknit, glazedover

As artists, we belong to an ancient and holy tribe. We are the carriers of the truth that spirit moves through us all. When we deal with one another, we are dealing not only with our own human personalities, but also with the unseen but ever-present throng of ideas, stories, poems, songs, sculpture, art-as-facts that crowd the temple of consciousness waiting to be born  -Julia Cameron

 

wolfartglass

post by OneClaybead/Lee Wolfe

What are you working on now?

When I saw Donauluft's blog post today I felt thrilled by the mere fact that what she had been working on wasn't what she sells in her shop; rather, she had been working on a way to present what she sells.  The creativity and ingenuity excited me and I asked if I could her include her project here.

This is what it means to be an artist.  You find ways to overcome barriers and that includes the presentation of your work.  I never really gave much thought to the how's of taking pictures for jewelry, I think too I take it for granted that on etsy many jewelry artists take amazing photos of their work by laying it this way and that way or having a model wear it so I never think about how challenging it must be.  What I loved about Viktoria's project was she doesn't have a model and was wanting another way to show her work.  How unique is this, she made her own model!  Rather than buy a mannequin head she set out to make her own.

Her description:
This is an experiment I never did before. I really would like to have a model to take one picture of all my earrings to show the relations of size. Not a perfect, flawless, but a funny one, with big ears,...a striking character. So I bought modeling clay and started to shape a head. Clay would have been better than this "modeling clay" which is smelling awful and not very smooth.  

 ..of course it has to be sanded and finished after drying complete, and maybe some hair would look nice.............to be continued.

You can read more description on her blog.  Click the above image to go there and be sure to look out for her new model in her etsy shop! thank you for letting me post this Viktoria!

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Next is Gretchenmist. Her love of art combined with a background in graphic design and publishing sets the stage for her works in progress, a 2011 calendar. She also blogged about these calendars which you can read here.  This isn't her first time making calendars either and this year she has a few changes.  She writes:  there was a method to the image~month matchup this year: I chose an image for each of my family members! I've had this habit from childhood ~ checking to see if my favorite happens to be on my birthday month and was so happy when my oldest son made a request for the November image! Hope you like your month!

Above are some original collages made with mixed media on paper. I scanned the originals then colour corrected in photoshop. I designed and layed out the pages using indesign.

I print and trim each page to size and get a neat hole drilled at the top. lastly: thread the blue lacy yarn through the hole to hang.

and the finished product:

The 2011 calendar is here! To celebrate I'm including a 13th image** for free with all pre-orders placed up until September 27th. {i'll be posting pre-ordered calendars on September 27th}.
The calendar has 12 pages featuring a brand new mixed media collage on each page and hangs from a beautiful lacy ribbon/yarn loop {which can be removed}.

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And lastly, Jill of GlazedOver.  She is sharing her Salt and Pepper Shakers. Her profile description says a lot about the unique personality that wafts off of each piece she creates.  "I've been hand throwing and slab building clay forms for over 15 years. Most of my work is functional and tends toward earthy design vocabulary with an occasional inclination toward the eccentric or anthropomorphic. I am partial to earth tones and warm hues but can also find inspiration in a bold, splashy palette." 

Her above description:  Seeing the trees for the forest - these are freshly pugged logs of clay ready for use. Makes a potter drool!

Salt and pepper shakers and mugs in process. The salt and pepper shakers in the foreground are complete, those to the right are not. The tub on the right margin is filled with slip which is the "glue" that is used to connect pieces of clay together. Finally, in the back are some mugs (the handles are what are looking so neat in the middle of the shot) and at the very top margin is a stack of more slabs waiting to be shaped into mug starters.

On the drying rack - scroll handle mugs and S&P shakers (plus an oddball bowl made from a coconut shell mold and some buttons)

Above, the end results!  Lime Popsicle S&P Shakers and Lime Popsicle Ginormous Stoneware Coffee Mugs w/ Curly Handle (set of two).

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Thank you so much everyone for sharing what you do!  If you are a team member and want to share your works in progress visit our flickr forum for details.