Monday, August 17, 2009

Cone 6 Oxidation





more "expirements" from the electric kiln!
the idea is to stay within the realm of what i have been working towards, while not fighting the inherent qualities of firing in an electric kiln. i am using a white midrange stoneware clay. i have been testing celedons and ash glazes with some pretty good results. i am also striving for a nice matte glaze, which is hard to acheive in an electric kiln. ugh. still shiny! even with the slow cool. anyway, i guess i'll have to keep you posted on that one.
i have always been interested in carving flowers into my pots. something i really appreciated about the salt kiln was the way the carvings came out in the fire. when i was switching gears to electric firing i was driving myself crazy trying to figure out a way to translate what i was working towards in the salt kiln to something i could love in the electric kiln.
then one day.... i found it! mishima! the answer to all my problems! mishima, in its most simple definition is inlaid clay. the process is still that of carving the flowers into the surface of the pot in the same manner in which i always have. but now i inlay the lines with slip. this creates the fine lines and hard edges that i love. and the best part is.... no rough surfaces. just a few flowers as a border on a pot might be enough for some potters, but no-no, not this one! more flowers please! this approach is great! now i can run my fork across my plate. and i can cover the pot in ash glazes and the images stay crisp! something, i couldnt achieve witha brush, lord knows i've tried.
so i threw together this little pot trying to work out the skills i need to make these things look good. this new quest is not without challenges. but i am excited and motivated and refreshed by my happenings in this little electric kiln. take this little pot as a "sketch" if you will, and stay tuned for what is to come. yay!
thanks for reading!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

4-H Pottery Day










One of my favorite parts of being a potter is being able to share my skills and my love for clay with others. A few times a year I work with the 4-H ers here in Haywood County making pottery for a day. This year we made sculptures of fish and sculptures of birds in a nest.


Usually we start with an assignment and before long the kids are over flowing with ideas of what to make next. I love giving them their initial "assignment" and watching how kids let their creativity go crazy. They don't hold anything back. Its amazing! And not to mention inspirational!








Monday, August 10, 2009

Electric Glazes




my first "decent" glaze results in the electric kiln. celedon and basic white glaze with wax resist.

4-H Pottery Preview




finally! i have found a non-commercial glaze for the 4-H pottery i have been working on. here's a little sneak preview....

Finding me:

asheville river arts district
95 roberts street
asheville, north carolina


email: tristahudzikpottery@yahoo.com