My Web Page Went Viral: www.muddculture.com! Check it out

Visit: Mudd Culture

In efforts to follow my dream of entrepreneurship in the field I love I've launched a webpage devoted to clay and plaster, my development as an artist, and arts education. It took me forever to decided who I would design and launch my webpage with. The decision was an important one. I needed to find something that was easy enough for me to update and develop, something that was relatively cheap but reliable, a program that had decent themes, widgets, plug-ins...mind you all of this I had no clue about when I first tossed around the idea of a webpage for Mudd Culture. I learned all about wordpress  because wordpress is the program we used for Pottery Alley's web page. I am often responsible for adding events, updating news and information about Pottery Alley on our web page so this is where I first got to experience it. A friend at the potter studio had her husband develop the web page for Pottery Alley and he gave us a basic walk through of how to update information and it has been really easy to use. So for now I am happy with my web page. I have over 20 tabs to explore on my page. Let me know what you think! Is it too much information, should I narrow it down. You may ask what is my focus. I am thinking that eventually I will have several web pages. One that promotes just my Production Line, one that promotes me as an artist and one that promotes my interest in art education. For now however my page is a conglomerate of relative information...its just a lot to take in at once I'm sure. 

Lino Cuts: Image Printing on Ceramics

The Back Ground Story: 

I came to the conclusion that I just wasn't satisfied with the average thrown form from the wheel. I had to bring my wheel thrown work to a more personal level. Printmaking inspired me when I went back to college, suddenly drawing became fun. Linoleum was my favorite medium while in printmaking maybe because it had a similar sensibility to clay. The process is subtractive...blade gliding through the soft linoleum, but mistakes can't be fixed...there is no adding linoleum into those permanent cuts.

Choosing Linoleum for the Process

It is important to consider softness, durability and size when purchasing linoleum. For printing on clay forms you will need a soft linoleum that can wrap around the form you are printing. Soft linoleum is also easier to carve. You won't want what's called a battleship linoleum because this is a harder linoleum. Think soft and rubbery. Also look for details in the description that say durable! Through the printing process you will be waring on the linoleum so you need something that is strong. Finally size is important. I buy 4 by 6 blocks because it fits the average size of my pieces, but I can also cut down the blocks into decent sized smaller shapes. Check out my linoleum, take into consideration shipping...if you buy in bulk you will save on shipping! I buy usually 30 at a time...but I am also into production :) I prefer online purchases because it gives me more options versus shopping locally at craft shops..plus it ends up cheaper in the long run.

Choosing Lino Cutters for the Process

Choose a durable lino cutter. I like the ones that have a screw on cap on the end so that I can keep my blades in the cutter itself..the blades are easy to lose! Get a variety of blades and experiment with the lines that each blade make..its a great process. Check out my lino cutter.

Choosing Images for the Process

Pick images that inspire you. Simple images are best to start with. Research through google images. Google images gives you lots of options for your ideas. Mix up images to create something completely new. Be careful of using words as these will be backwards in the printing process. You will have to play with writing backwards or finding a program that allows you to type up words backwards. I have still yet to research a program like this...ha ha. I've just been learning to write backwards.

Get to Cutting Already

Draw on your lino with a soft pencil or rolling ball pen. Draw on a piece of paper and carbon coat the back....by rubbing your pencil across the back to create the carbon coat...then trace your image directly onto the lino surface. Practice, practice, practice with line using the different blades in your collection. Then go for the gusto. Decide wether you want to just create the outline or make up your image by cutting the positive areas of your drawing. Remember all the areas you cut away will be white..and the rest will be the inked area. 

Inking: Trial and Error and then Research

Thanks to my friend in the studio, Cliff Broussard, I was inspired to do some research on image prints on clay. As a "starving" young artist you've gotta go the cheap route. So say good bye to expensive image transfers from computer generated graphics. I found a cheaper solution through my experience with Printmaking! Plus I really enjoy drawing now and lino cuts were my favorite anyways. So I began exploring recipes for "ink" like mixtures for printing on clay. My first experiment after having cut my first lino stamp was with red iron oxide. Red Iron Oxide doesn't burn out under glazes so I thought this would be a good solution. I quickly found that Red Iron Oxide repelled from the surface of the linoleum..kind of like a resist. The image transferred was unclear. I was dissatisfied so I tried a more viscous glaze instead called Stroke and Coats. Stroke and Coats aren't true to color...meaning their color matures in the heat of the kiln...their vibrancy shows after they come out of the kiln. Stroke and Coats are also shiny after fired. These worked ok, but I wasn't entirely happy with the final outcome. I printed the images on the form and had to leave the color of the clay body and clear coating it to create the same shine the Stroke and Coat created. So I finally researched! I found a recipe for an "ink" that acted like the Red Iron Oxide..it would show through an overcoat of glaze, but wouldn't shrink from the surface of the linoleum. It was a really simple solution! 

The Image Transfer Ink Recipe

2 parts mason ceramic stain of any color 

3 parts Linseed oil

Mason Jar with Tight Lid or Glad Ware Container

I use tablespoons for my parts ratio. Its best to use smaller portions because leaving excess Ink in your container will eventually crust up. Use a container with a tight lid so that you can shake it up for each use! Once you mix up your ink its best to let the ink "soak"...meaning allow the mason stain particles to mix thoroughly with the oil. 24 hrs is best.

The Inking and Printing Process Described Through Images from the Studio

You will need:

Pre-mixed Mason Ink (recipe above)

Small Plexi glass or plastic square for inking surface (to be used only for this ink only...you can reuse!)

Odorless Mineral Spirits for Cleanup ** Read up on the Safety Data Sheet linked here!

Your Lino Cut

A Bisque Fired Ceramic Piece with even walls

A flat piece of foam (sofa foam or pillow foam works best) craft stores usually have pillow foam (Hobby Lobby!)

An ink roller (I used foam hair curlers!)

Your choice of Glaze (I use cone 6 Oatmeal Matte or something simple in color and I enjoy the matte surface so that the shine doesn't detract from the image itself- this is a personal preference)

Printing From Start to Finish:

Choose a form that has large flat surfaced areas.

Choose a lino cut that is small enough to press onto your form. This is a print of a character I created called Sookie.

This is the print straight onto paper. Notice how the image is reverse...including the words.

This is the Pre-Mixed Ink, my inking surface (an old metal tin) and the roller (similar to the hair roller-but found at the craft store in the aisle with stencils).

Place your lino onto the pillow foam after you have inked up your lino cut. This create a soft surface that allows even pressure as you press your cup into the lino stamp.

Position your cup over the image and then press it evenly across the surface..I rotated  the cup a little to get all of the image.

Here is the finished printed image on the cup.

I finished the top of the mug off with more ink just for a more cohesive piece.

We have 5 gallon buckets of glaze. I dipped my cup straight into the bucket after the ink had dried for about 5 to 10 minutes. You do not have to fire the piece and then glaze it. You can glaze it the same day you print the image. Again I used an Oatmeal Matte cone 6 glaze.

Please feel free to email me at muddculture@gmail.com if you have more questions about the process! Good luck to you :)

Invaluable Artistic Experiences: La Fete' Ecologie 2011

I had the opportunity Sept 24th to participate in La Fete' d'Ecologie! For those of you who do not know what this is check out their website at http://lafete.btnep.org/LaFeteHome.aspx.

La Fete' d'Ecologie is a festival that celebrates Louisiana's environment, history and blend of culture in the Barrataria-Terrebone National Estuary. They have musicians, educational demonstrations, food, and folk life artists that show off what Louisiana has to offer. Its a festival worth checking out if you missed it this year. There is lots of hands on activities for kids! There are frog races, alligator pettings, cast netting, face painting and much more. This year the festival was held at Lake End Park of Morgan City. This is one beautiful area!

The Beautiful Lake End

Alligator Petting

Nature's Wonder and Awe

Dance to that Folk Music!

I had the wonderful opportunity to be able to participate as a Folk Life Artist this year thanks to a dear friend of Pottery Alley. Mr. Doug if you ever read this cheers to you! He gave my name to an inquiring friend of the Barrataria area. My booth was under the name Mudd Culture by Erin Lafleur.

One of my kiddies finished pieces!

Folk life artists were to demonstrate a domestic and or occupational craft that potentially increases the experience of festival goers and increase their understanding of the areas customs and resources. So I came up with a lesson for kids called "Nature Fossils". Nature Fossils are made by first creating a clay pinch pot. The pot is then flattened into a bed, much like the bottom bed of mud where fossils begin to form. Kids took items found from the park ground itself: acorns, leaves, grasses, rocks, tree branches, and even a feather. Imprints of these nature items are made in the clay bed. We then talked about gypsum (or its more common name: plaster). Plaster is a rock ground into a fine powder that hardens through an exothermic reaction when water is reintroduced to it. We poured plaster into our pinch pot creations and cast our imprints. The final step was adding a paper clip for hanging. The end result was a piece of artwork and a reminder of the importance of our natural surroundings around us.

I had two wonderful helpers! My friend David and my cousin Maddie. They were great with the kids and the demonstrations. David helped me sell my artwork and we kept each other company. Even splashed around in the lake...and in the sand.

Me and my little helper Maddie!

Thanks for helping Daveed

My booth was a tremendous success with the kids and parents. We ran out of supplies about 2 hours early, but the kids learned a lot and enjoyed the project. You should have seen their eyes light up when they found out we were making fossils. One little girl said she had just learned about that in school! For so many of the little ones it was the first time they had ever touched clay or for that matter even seen plaster. My booth was part of the kid scavenger hunt. Kids were given a list of trivia questions that pertained to each booth. My question was, "What is the smallest sediment found at the bottom of the Mississippi River?"...I gave hints. Can you guess?! I have the answer at the bottom of this page.

This little girl was so curious :)

I also had the opportunity to display my folk life work. So I brought along bowls, coffee, cups, coaster tiles, necklaces and sculptures. I sold a good number of my pieces and it felt good to break into the world of festival life. I handed out a bunch of my business cards. I had someone wanting to get in touch with me about working with a group of girl scouts. She even asked me how I got into ceramics! People legitimately cared about where I came from as an artist.

Zombie Princess Coffee Mug- Sold

Midwest Inspired Vase

Paisley Coaster Tiles- Sold

Decorative Tray ( business cards, soap, jewelry)

Necklaces- people loved these!

Overall the experience was wonderful! I would do it again in a heart beat. Next weekend I have another festival, Shadows on the Teche with Susannah, my boss lady at Pottery Alley.

I also got to visit my mom in Mississippi this weekend at her restaurant. My aunt and mom insisted that I leave some of my work with them and I had more necklaces sold that day :) Ceramic Life is so worth it.

From Drawing, to Printmaking, to Ceramic Work- an Artistic Evolution based on Consumer Necessity and Artistic Voice

So after much ado about…well nothing. I’ve come to the conclusion that an artist must bridge the gap between artistic voice and consumerism. Much of my college career was spent creating a voice, creating “my” style. I found my style steeped in conceptual thought. I modeled my work after ideas pushed by modern artists. (Thanks Art 21 for showing me the elite, the commissioned and seasoned) I wanted my work to stir up thought provoking ideas from viewers. I wanted my work to be viewed as if it were made up of a thousand words. I believe I achieved that in a sense. It certainly got talked about…but not bought.

Xenocentrism…who would have thought no one had a concept of what this is exactly. It’s quite the pun in that sense.

Case in point: A glimpse into my senior thesis work from college:

Babies made “creepy” out of context from the entire installation

Work simply too large to place on the wall in the comfort of anyone’s home 

I’m not saying that for an artist to feel accomplished their work must get sold. After all some artists are made more famous by what they haven’t sold; that which instead travels from show to show across the world. My work is a far cry from that status without a master’s degree at least.

So in order for me to feel accomplished I must some how bridge the gap between artistic voice and consumerism….so why not capitalize on what’s at the current peak of consumerism and something dear to my heart….coffeeeeeee.

Coffee mugs have quickly become another way of displaying self-identity after the 2000’s buzz on coffee culture. People want their daily brew and they want it in a cup that says something about themselves. So I let my wheels begin to turn.

So allow me to digress and explain the beginning of this evolution from voice to consumerism. In 2010 I returned to UL for my certification in Art Ed. Ms. Lynne Bustle suggested I take one more studio class so that I would be very prepared to teach youngsters many forms of art. All I needed was printmaking. One semester of this in my undergrad and I may have double majored….life has its way of skipping over details. Any who, printmaking became my friend..suddenly all those years of seemingly pain staking drawing paid off. Suddenly I loved the fact that I could make multiples of one thing. Linoleum was like subtractive sculpture…you had to think about the details…and I loved the challenge…I loved the potential for detail. I finished Printmaking with an A and shortly after I stopped having access to “drawing” multiples. Little did I know that this technique would surface again.

Fast forward to fall 2010. I am working at Pottery Alley teaching wheel and sculpture and my boss Susannah asks if I would like to help her with a production pottery line. The Super Cooper 5k Run needs 70 trophy mugs all with stamps on them that read “1^st place Women’s,  2^nd Place Men’s, 3^rd place Kid’s, etc.” I decide to use my plaster casting skills to make stamps. I stamp letter stamps for each word into a bed of wet clay and then cast these imprints in plaster. The result is a positive stamp of the words I need. Problem is the recess isn’t deep enough, but the stamps make due for our first bout with production pottery.

Super Cooper Mugs 2010

Its not until now Sept 2011, after having invested in 30 linoleum blocks and a cutting tool for printing blocks on paper that I’ve discovered the multipurpose use of linoleum blocks. One: the cut stamps can be rolled up with ink to create a negative  image of the stamp and Two: the cut stamps can be rolled in a slab of clay to create a positive of the cut stamp. The positive clay image can be used as appliqué on clay ware or by itself as a work of art, coaster, ornament or magnet. Thus birthed the idea of pop culture imagery on coffee mugs.

Example of one of my recently carved stamps printed on newsprint...a trial run to see if I like the image

The cut linoleum block itself

The stamp printed on a stark white mini thrown ceramic vase 

The real Gusto- the "Sookie" Stamp printed on one of my thrown mugs

Thats all for now folks!

Look for an upcoming blog on the Process of Lino Block Prints on Ceramic Ware

Thursday Night at Pottery Alley: Our Kickin Students (Part 1/3)

Many walks of life tread through the welcoming doors of Pottery Alley, whether for the love of art or for the desire to instill a new and creative hobby. No matter the reason we are all here to get Muddy. I have poked, prodded and pounded our Thursday Night Handbuilding and Wheel students into fessing up some juicy detail so that you readers out there who have never experienced the wonders of clay may see that it doesn’t take an artsy type to become an artist. We mold you into one creative machine….pardon the irony there.

Kelli Ka-Slam Smith           

Comes to us from: the good ole city of New Iberia; born and raised.

What does she do for a Living: She’s an Assistant Project Manager at JC Construction.

Her Background in Art: She grew up with an interest in the arts; taking classes in middle school and with local New Iberia Artists. She continued her love into college. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2007 with a degree in Architecture and Design. Her dream is to make a living as an artist and she’s paving her way via an at home studio and online shop on Etsy. Check out her store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/kellismco. When she’s not making inspired sculptural works she’s painting custom Toms, purses, bracelets, pot planters and more. Follow her blog at http://kellismco.blogspot.com/ or check out her website at www.kellism.co.

How long has she been with us: 2 months and counting

Who inspires her artistically: Sculptor and Painter Alberto Giacometti and Vincent Van Gogh; esp. Starry Night!

What she’s most known for in the Studio: Kicking derriere and taking names..in the most polite way possible.

Some of her work: (pictured below)

Amanda Hopkins           

Comes to us from: Venus (otherwise known as Lafayette)…her husband from Mars.

What does she do for a Living: She is the bookkeeper at Pottery Alley. Has a Bachelors from UL in Psychology and a Masters in Library Science and Information Studies from Florida State University.

Her Background in Art: She took up an interest with clay after taking 3 sessions with Bryce Brisco at Pottery Alley back in the day. She’s been hooked ever since.

How long has she been with us: 1 yr plus 3 sessions back in the day with Bryce (you hunk)

Who inspires her artistically: Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Scott Radke and Pablo Picasso.

What she’s most known for in the Studio: Her wicked laugh and most wonderful monster mugs.

Some of her work: (pictured below)

Kelly Huntsberry           

Comes to us from: the small but great city of Abbeville…she travels just to see us!

What does she do for a Living: She is an Independent Living Skills Instructor at Affiliated Blind of Louisiana.

Her Background in Art: She may not dub herself the most creative, but she’s definitely a right brained kinda gal. She’s tried her hand in many extracurriculars: from tennis to violin to jewelry and now to ceramics..this girl one well rounded lady.

How long has she been with us: 6 beautiful months

Who inspires her artistically: “Anyone that can draw a straight line”

What she’s most known for in the Studio: Her keen sense of patience and a knack for detail and craftsmanship in her work. She can get into the “zone”.

Some of her work: (pictured below)

Melissa Nero Boudreaux           

Comes to us from: the lafayette suburb of Scott, La!

What does she do for a Living: She is the very friendly Assistant Body Shop Manager at Hub City Ford

Her Background in Art: She needed a creative outlet, found us in 2007 and learned the wheel and now she’s back with a zing! She took class with her Sister Sarah Anne and he daughther Alyssa Boudreaux! She’s often inspired to make garden and outdoor decoration for her home.

How long has she been with us: One session with Emily and now two with us this year!

Who inspires her artistically: Ceramicist Lena Liu

What she’s most known for in the Studio: Her festive Garden Pieces

Some of her work: (pictured below)

My Wee Beginnings as an Artist: 2nd Grade Through High School

My artistic evolution started way back...back in the 2nd grade when my First Grade teacher Ms. Granger nominated me for entry into the talented arts program in St. Tammany Parish. I worked that year to create a portfolio, took the entrance test and by 2nd grade I was adopted into the art world. I credit my very beginnings to Mr. Douglas Brewster, who is still a practicing artist. I met him once again at his showing at a local gallery in Lafayette and I will never forget his passion and kind demeanor. I can still remember our marionette project. We got to make our own puppets with moveable parts and clothes. He always played music for us in the classroom and had a very supportive classroom climate.

Each week, along with about 6 other students, I would ride a bus to another school where we would meet our teacher and explore different mediums, learn about artists, and create. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to see the benefits of smaller student teacher ratios, observe classroom climate, and instill a love of art education in me. I took particular interest in the artist Georgia O'keeffe. I enjoyed her artistic sensibility, the way she depicted the undulating forms of flowers through darks and lights. She created intricate watercolor and acrylic paintings using value shapes instead of line. I valued her work and keen eye.

By 5th grade, when I started learning a little about art history and artists...in particular Vincent Van Gogh...I announced to my parents that I wanted out. I didn't want to be crazy like those artist people I said. Lucky for me my parents were very supportive of my endeavor and encouraged me to continue. They reassured me that not every artist was crazy. In fact, I looked up to every talented art teacher I had and they were artists too! 6th and 7th Grade was no different. I had Ms. Barbara Dooley those two years. She was serious about challenging her students and very supportive of our progress. I remember that year vividly; one project we made Mardi Gras masks/hats from giant pink foam. I made a crawfish hat and wore it proudly to a parade. We also did wire sculptures, paper mache and ceramic tile mosaics. This was the year that developed my love for sculpture! Ms. Dooley also sponsored an after school Art Club. She was the most enthusiastic and dedicated teacher I had for Art Club. She encouraged other students to attend art club; one of my best friends in fact. That made the year! In fact, if I end up teaching in the public school system I would prefer to work with middle school or high school students so that I can sponsor an art club modeled after my middle school experience.

At times I was so focused that I got lost in my work. So lost at times that my other subjects suffered. I remember 7th grade year...just like every year before I would miss two hours from the regular school week. That year it just so happened that I missed my math class. I struggled adding and subtracting negatives, missed important tests and got called on when I had no clue what was going on. It waned on my self esteem as a student. Luckily my dad, the petroleum engineer came to the rescue. He tutored me regularly and helped me bring my grades up and by the end of the year we were beating other parent student teams in a math competition at open house night!

High School was a new and challenging endeavor. Our talented art classes were broken down into more depth of process, we had to keep regular sketchbooks and do research on ideas and artists. Our senior year we had a show locally..much like a practicing professional artist shows their work. We hung our show, made announcement cards, prepared food for the opening night and talked about or work with visitors. This was a pivotal time in my artistic career. Showing your work can be nerve racking. Your work succumbs to the critical eye of both seasoned and first time art viewers. This was an invaluable experience for us.

This was One of Tika Hasslock's Blue Crab Platters

I also opted in my senior year to do an internship in the arts. I was set up for the first semester working with Tika Hasslock of Hasslock Studios of Covington, La. Hasslock Studios was a production pottery studio that decorated and sold production ware. I worked alongside their shop assistant who showed me tools like the jolly jigger, slip casting vats, slip casting molds, jigger molds, and their collection of electric kilns. I worked refining their green ware by sponging sharp edges before the first bisque fire. Then I observed alongside a decoration artist who worked with majolica glazes. She painted designs by hand and then personalized orders with monogramming. The majority of their business came from online orders. I also worked a bit in the office filing finished orders away for safe keeping. My second semester I worked with Ms. Mary Elaine Bernard at Stone and Paper Art Center LLC of Mandeville. Stone and Paper was a Community Arts Center. Several local artists taught classes there such as oil painting, watercolor, potters wheel and handbuilding and kids classes. I worked on studio maintenance. I regularly sieved glazes, scraped and kiln washed kiln shelves, wiped overglazed bottoms of work, cleaned and organized tools. I also answered phone calls and registered students for classes. I also observed and helped out with the kids classes. I regularly picked Ms. Bernard's brain about art education and starting her own business. She had a very strong spirit and she knew how to make things happen! She was very organized and on top of her business. I learned a lot from her! Both studios have since closed.

I can remember almost every teacher from high school from Mr. Ralph Townsend, to Ms. Cindy Rowen, to Ms. Jane Hill and Mr. Warren Heintz. These were the teachers that directed my future after high school. Ms. Hill taught us 2D Art and Mr. Heintz 3D. I developed my skills in ceramics, printmaking and drawing. More importantly they were my mentors. They extended their artistic and education philosophies. They encouraged me to attend college as an art student. I developed a mentoring relationship with them outside of the classroom after high school as professional artists. They helped me see the transition from classroom artist to studio artist. I worked the summer in between high school and college with Ms. Hill as a studio assistant. She created forms from clay inspired by mother nature. She taught me how to cast these forms into paper mache replicas that she would then reconfigure into new pieces. She taught me studio process, showed me her sketchbooks, shared her ideas. I left that summer feeling confident I was heading in a promising direction in college. I kept in touch with Mr. Heintz and Ms. Hill when I needed advice and they were always willing. I still try and keep in touch with them to see how they are doing to this day.

I won first place for this drawing I did at the Three Rivers Art Festival in Covington Louisiana while in High School. Ms. Hill suggested I submit this work.

When I left high school I didn't have my own artistic direction. I knew I wanted to do sculpture and my experience with ceramics was already instilled. It didn't take me long to decide that I was meant for a BFA. I got accepted to UL in 2004. My artistic saga continues....look for college and beyond in the upcoming weeks.

Refining Throwing Skills for Charity

Ok so this isn't necessarily an intrinsic reason for giving back, but aren't all parties supposed to benefit some how when you do service for others? I doubt I'm the first to make this confession.

Here goes: I've started throwing cups, along side my boss, one of our pottery students and a dear pottery friend.... for Charity! My boss is not only the Owner of the shop I work and teach at, but she's also the die hard director of Camp Bon Coeur (visit www.heartcamp.com). An organization that plans camp two weeks out of the summer for kids with heart defects. There the kids are monitored by staff and nurses while enjoying camp activities: swimming ( not just any old swimming...snorkeling, fake fish spearing, and junior life guarding), archery, art, cake decorating, heart class, bug class, french, horse back riding, fire club, games games games, sports and aerobics, and other specialized activities and events. As you can imagine its a blast for the kids and an opportunity for them to experience camp with kids who have similar difficulties and stories about their hearts.

I've been witness to and participated in a number of their fundraising events. Since my boss is the owner of a ceramics studio and the director at camp...well it only makes sense that the two would partner up for an event.

So Monday nights a few of us get together to make mugs for charity. Its a drawn out process....from 25lb bag of clay to wheel, to centering, opening, pulling and shaping, to drying, making handles, stamping bottoms, bisque firing and then finally glazing...well its a process well worth the outcome and makes lots of money for all our coffee loving compadres of lafayette. So if you have the need or want to better your throwing and glazing skills and you have a soft spot for kids then join us!

Here is what I have so far :) email me at muddculture@gmail.com if you would like a custom order...all proceeds go to charity until we are done with this fundraising event!

Slip Casting, Slip Trailing and the Altered Form: O'keeffe Inspired

 I've always dug Georgia O'keeffe's watercolors. Especially Cow Skull with Calico Roses......

This time I took my inspiration to ceramic design. 

A Word on Molds

Just and example of a mold and the clay skin

     I work with plaster molds for slip casting. I have made my own...as you will see with the cow scull mold or you can buy commercial molds sold at local ceramic pottery stores or online. I will be using a mix of both my own and commercially bought molds. I will not go into mold making here, although I fully believe that making your own mold of a piece you have made yourself is far more artistic that using someone else's mold. I plan to do lots of this! Its more technical, challenging and fun.

A Word on Slip Casting

Commercial Vase Mold and My Vase Cast (the skin)

Self Made Plaster Mold of Cow Skull and the Casted Cow Skull

I began working with slip casting a while back. Slip casting is using liquid clay (specially formulated to stay liquid or deflocculated-

occurs when the alkalinity of a clay or slip is such that the clay particles become ionized. Due to the electrical charge produced, clay particles will then repel each other. Deflocculation is especially useful in slip casting.)

 Slip is then poured into a premade mold (vase, soap dish, coffee cup), sits for anywhere between 15 and 30 mins depending on the size of the piece you are working with. The slip creates a skin on the surface of the plaster mold. Molds are usually made out of plaster and plaster is very absorbent. The plaster pulls moisture from the slip you have just poured and creates the skin on the plaster in the shape of the vase, bowl, or coffee cup. You will notice when you pour in slip cast clay that it is very shiny and wet looking, once it has begun to form the skin on the plaster surface it loses its sheen and thickens. So guesstimate the thickness of the skin by looking for the dull skin that has built up. A quarter inch is a nice thickness. The rest of the slip is poured out and can be reused in another mold. Give the mold a good shake upside down to make sure all of the extra slip is out and then place the mold upside down on a gridded surface (like a gridded table) so that any extra slip can drip out...leave for about 5 mins and then turn the mold over and let it sit for at least 3 hrs for most small molds and 5-6 for bigger molds. Waiting for the piece to set and deciding how long it needs to set depends on how you plan to work with the piece after you take it out of the mold. To do slip trailing you need to wait until the piece is leather hard- the surface of the clay will be very firm but not bone dry. 

The Cleaned up Vase

Once you remove the form from the mold take a feddling knife or scraper to rough and uneven edges. Run your sponge over jagged edges to refine the form and soften edges and remove seam lines from the mold itself, so that the end result is a nice clean form.

A Word on Altering the Form

     I've taken the vase, the cow skull and a bit of artistic intuition and combined them all into one form. Its about thinking outside of the traditional form. Since I used a commercial mold for the vase I was set on changing the form to make it mine. So I went immediately to the lip of the vase and took out triangles to create the zig zag lip. I then took to the cow skull. I cut down its back until I felt the angle was just right to sit on the body of the vase. Scratching and slipping is very important in connecting these pieces that weren't originally one piece. The goal is to create a bond that is just as strong as if the pieces were one. Because clay particles are plates that sit one on top of the other and slip past one another...you need to scratch up those plates. I like to equate this to your two hands, fingers spread wide. Your fingers are the plates...the action of them spread open wide is you having scratched the clay...now clasp your hands together finger between finger and feel the bond. Have someone try to pull your hands apart...its hard. If you just put your hands palm to palm it would be easier to pull them apart. I think you get my drift. So scratch, slip -add that liquid clay! and then jiggle and add pressure to the two pieces you are attaching together. Take a paint brush with a little water...and I mean a little and go around the edge of the two connected pieces so that you are sealing the bond!

Last bit I added before the slip trailing was pushing in the ridges of the vase. I did this so that the focal point of the piece, the cow skull, didn't steal the whole show. In any sculptural piece you want to see the sculpture in the round...that means if you walked around it all sides of it would be dynamic. You don't want your backsides to like like after thoughts. So add something that will catch your eye all the way around your piece!

A Word on Slip Trailing

It is important that you use the same clay body as the clay you used to create the form that you are slip trailing on. In my case I used Mackie's Lowfire Casting Slip for the from so this is what I will use to slip trail. Waiting for the piece to firm up, but not letting it dry out is important. If you wait too long and the piece dries too much and you try and slip trail, you will find that your trailing begins to crack after the piece begins to dry. This is because the slip and your form are drying at different rates. Your form is drying faster and shrinking and your slip is pulling away. If you slip trail too early on a really wet piece you will find that your slip drips more easily. So practice with a drip or trail to see how absorbent your piece is at the time. Work fast and remember that you can use paint brushes to wipe off mistakes.

The Final Piece

Feel free to leave comments, suggestions and ideas. The next Blog will be on Glazing Sculptures with Lots of Detail.