Thoughts on surface decoration

I am currently working on some new ceramic pieces that explore my drawings from everyday.   An example below.

 With that in mind I am going to try out  different decorating techniques.

In the past I have used red clay with a white slip, drawing into the slip to reveal the red underneath.  After bisque firing I have used underglaze colours and a clear glaze.

I want to try using a white clay body, for a clean finish on the inside of the vessels and give a more contemporary edge.  A white body me a blank canvas both inside and out, but need to explore what I want the finished piece to look like.    I could also experiement and challenge myself my using porcelain. 

Things to consider about the surface decoration:

Do I want to literally use my drawings and get these printed onto transfers.?

Or do I prefer the immediacy of drawing and painting on the clay?

Or could I use layers of slip and sgraffito to create the effects I want?

Or should I play around with different brush on glazes to get a painterly effect?

Should I give underglaze pencils a try?

Would use masking techniques get the effect I want or a combination of  all or some of the above?

The options are endless, so I need to experiment to make decisions on the surfac qualities I want.  Giving reasons for my decisions.

My initial instinct is to continue to draw into the clay and use underglaze for the colour.  I like the impact of redrawing the image into the clay creating a one off image.  But there is nothing stopping me from using slip, and putting transfers on at the end....  

Time for experimentation....

The form of the work also needs addressing.  At the moment I am throwing straight side vessels but wonder if these should be more enclosed forms like vases.  Or a flatter pieces using the inside to draw, like a platter? 

 Form, function decoration are all points to consider.  

What are my drawings in response to?

Journeys

Exploration of my surrounding

Study of objects/people.

Resources 

Fotoceramics.com.  Ceramic transfer printing company

Siddha el Nigoumi.  Great use of slip, burnishing and sgraffito.

Susan nemeth - using paper clay, slip, transfer and gold leaf/on glaze. Below is an image from CR, ISSUE 276, of a transfer to be used by susan

Studio day.

Another day in the studio.  I managed to through two large flat bottom vessels/bowls  They went okay, but not perfect so will need to throw another couple to make sure the size and shape are correct.

Here is one of them

I also mangered to draw into the smaller vessels, using inspiration from my queue drawing.

I have cut into the clay and plan to use underglaze to colour and glaze with a transparent glaze.

Here is a video of the unfired piece. 

Jerwood and Hastings storytelling festival

'Currently sitting in the cafe if the jerwood gallery.  It is a extremely windy and damp day and I have come with storybeard to Hastings for the storytelling festival.  Due to the high winds we have been unable to put the yurt up but have space in the marque, instead.

I have taken myself away from the hussle  and bustle of the event and sort refuge in the Jerwood Gallery on the Stade, what can be better than wandering around looking at art followed by tea and cake.  

Jerwood have a collection of work by winners of previous jerwood painting prize.  Interesting to see the variety of work through a period of years,  as well a collection on on loan from which included work from Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson.

While in the cafe, It would have been good to do some sketching out the window of the fishing boats, but did not have the right seat, and it was far to windy to sketch outdoors, so here is my still life instead.  

In the studio yesterday I did some throwing and managed to successful throw 3 vessels ready for surface experimentation, using my drawings as inspiration.  Future research and thought is need for these ideas but it is a starting point.  Also making some leaf tiles before all the trees completely defoliate ready for winter. 

Here is picture of the 3 vessels I made yesterday,  I have the two large ones still to throw out of the set of 5. 

After this weeks episode of the throw down, next challenge to set, myself is a coiled basin although may change the purpose slight, and make it a bird bath.   Also need to make 9 decorated tiles in 90 mins.  Will have start a separate blog with the outcomes of these challenges.  Obviously will need to spread these over a linger period as I just don't have the time that the contestants have.

Until next time.....

Great British pottery throw down

Watched the first episode this week and thought it was excellent.   Quite compelling viewing as you warm to the contestants and judges instantly.   The format is well thought out and I enjoyed the challenges, so much so I have decide to set the challenges for my self.   Perhaps not quite in the timeframe they have, but it would still be interesting to see the results .

So this week/month I need to make:-

5 bowls that stack inside one another.

Throw off the hump.  Have done this before but no that good at it.

Experiment with different handles buy using the pulling method.

I will post images of my final pieces later his month.

August, September, October

Where did the summer go.  It has been 3 months since I last posted on my blog.   Sorry It has taken me so long to write anything for ages.  The main reason is a struggle to motivate oneself,  September and October are always difficult months due to personal reasons and therefore I haven't been getting into the studio at all.   

However , now making a concerted effort and finally made my nieces piggy bank.  This is a work in progress, but has potential to make a nice gift for Christmas open house selling.  Will make a few different ones and see how they come out.  

I have some exciting new work I want to make, which include throwing some straight sided bowls, and drawing  / painting on these using my observational drawings.  Look forward to developing this work and exploring its for and direction.  Also have plans to continue my bird chatter work, but start using white clay.  I will have to rethink the decoration for the birds it will be exciting to experiment with different medium.

On apersonal note, after successfully designing my tiles for our hearth at home I have decided to make some for the fire surround, and watch this space to see how this designed progress for these.

MA Ceramics

I have been reconsidering doing an MA starting in September 2015, as I don't think I have enought evidence to support my application.  All my recent sketchbooks are very sporadic and to be honest not so much books but bits of paper in many, many places.  But here are a collection of books from my Degree and aftewards, plus recent drawing sketchbooks.   Just need to bring together the ideas developed inbetween....

 

Over the next two weeks I am going to try to bring order to these and start developing my ideas and do some reading and gallery critques.   I need to demonstrate that I have the analytical and research skills required for MA level.

This may also be a good opportunity to start to group my 'finch365' drawings, so they are more meaningful.

I have the opportunity of meeting the tutor at UCA (MA Ceramics) to discuss my work, so I need to sort this out and then decide if 2015 is the year to start this or work more on new projects, and decide on 2016 entry.   May also be worth considereing the MA Craft at Brighton, although do I want to do a degree where I work and where I previously studied?

On that note I am going to start a seperate Research Diary blog.   So all, exhibition visits, book/article reviewed or comments, plus websites visited will be listed here.   It is a staring point.    It will be quite general to start with exploring different ideas and interests, but it should start to become more focused as i develop my ideas further.  Will need to transfer some of my earlier posts on this blog over to the new area, or provide links to this blog.

Inspiration/ ideas while camping

Last week I went camping, or rather glamping may be an more accurate discription, at a wonderfl campsite in Dorset, Riverside Lakes (Horton).

Great opportunit to relax, read, play silly games, eat and explore.   The weather was fantastic, although it did rain on a couple of occasions.   The evenings were spent round the campfire and on clear nights, we did a bit of stargazing.  Now have knowledge in the old brainbox of 3 new constellations.

The Crown
Libra
The Eagle
Also refreshed my memory as to where  Cygnet (The Swan) and the Herdsman were.

Sunday (5th) was the perfect opportunity to see Venus and Jupiter , very close together, or a least from our perspective.

During this trip I had time to think about ceramic work/projects that may be good to develop.  One is looking at the stories about the UK native trees.   There are many stories linked with myth and legends about our trees and I think it would be an interest area  to explore.  Would like to link drawing and ceramics together to explore this subject.    Something to think about!

Another idea is to work with my observational drawings, but transfer onto the ceramic surface.  Did to think about context for these.  What form should they take, how should they be seen.   What reasons am I doing these drawings?  They are a collection and therefore be represented as such?  Should there be one piece per drawing or several drawing at one, telling a story over a period of time?  My journey?   Things to think about here and research to do.   What artists use ceramics as form to storytelling?   Grayson Perry, Alex McErlain, etc.


Need to go a leaf collection at the weekend to make some impression moulds of native leaves and any seed heads.

During my camping trip, we went to Poole Pottery, interesting mix of things going on there.   Initally, when I walked in I thought I had gone into the wrong place, but at the back of the shop, there were the makers and their work.  there was also a collection of past work from poole pottery dating back many years, all for sale.   I managed to find the dinnerset that my mother-in-law has, would have phoned her to ask if she need any replacement pieces, but the lack of electricity supply in the yurt, meant I had no battery on the old telephonic device.

Regarding the work at poole pottery, some interesting mix of work, which was very well made and can appreciate the work gone into these pieces, and the prices reflect this.   Way outside my price range but good research as to pricign work!

There was a maker that stood out for me, but I didn't write down her name and now cannot find her work.    She used a drawing techique - negative drawing - taking away the background by scrapping into the clay to reveal a lighter colour beneath the redish slip.    All based on natural forms and using a vasel like structure as the form.   I will post the name should it resurface to memory.

Bramble baskets and other thoughts.

Been a while since I have posted a comment here.  Although you can see my regular posts via my sketch a day blog.

Since my last post, the open house finished on 24 May, almost a month ago, we have had the Eurovision Song Contest, in which Sweden won, with qute a good song with brilliant animation running alongside, and I have been on a wild bramble basket making course.  In same place as the wild pottery.

Firstly, the open house, brilliant as ever being involved with the Trojan house once a again, and great to part of such a fab group.  However due to both illness and other commitments, I was not able to be at the house at all to talk about my work and just generally be involved.  I did make a few small sales, but it is time to think about new work,  and am in the process of doing just that.

Last weekend I went on a bramble basket making weekend, which was truly fab, although my finished basket perhaps will not win any awards, it was truly fantastic being in the woods again and making a basket out of , what most people would agree, is a nuisance of a plant as it is so prolific.  I have to say my fingers where a rather scratched and sore at the end of the weekend,  but it was worth it.  I have learnt a new skill, one which can be used with other plants that have a long stem.  Clematis being one of them.

Would love to do some other courses, but for now I will be content with reading more around the subject.

During the weekend we stayed at the hidden springs campsite in one of their yurts, a truly wonderful 2 evenings as it was warm weekend. Later in evening we did a bit of star watching. Found the herdsman and the swan, and saw 3 planets , Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.   The old favourite constellations were out as well, the plough and Cassiopeia, as well as the North Star and vega. 

Back to the present, today I have had a look round the degree show, amazing as usual.  There is always something to be great by.  This year I think, it was the work of souzana petri's wonderful ceramic vessels remeroisant of Greek vases, but with her own unique style.  

Watch this space for my own design ideas as they develop during the rest of the year.  For now I will leave you with a few images from my weekend away.

Another evening in the studio..

Beginning to forget what a normal evening at home is like, oh well it is all enjoyable.  I put a glaze firing on last night and , while the kiln was still to hot to unpack this evening, I did take a quick peek and all looks good.  

I spent this evening finishing decorating and glazing the final pieces ready for the last firing for the week.  However, would you believe I ran out of glaze before I could finish my 3 bird chatter pictures.  See below.  Should look fab when they are glazed.

Here is are the pieces ready for firing when kiln is free tomorrow.  

I am almost home so will sign off now.  Stay tuned for pictures from the kiln firing.  

Studio time

OoBeen in the studio getting things finished for the open house.  Finished drawing into my new mugs yesterday and they just need to dry before I first fire them.  I am thinking about changing the handle on further mugs back to the original round handle I used to make, but for the moment am happy with the outcome of these.  

Shown above are some sugar pots, and mugs, large and small.

I have almost finished glazing my bird chatter ready for their firing to 1150oC. I will put these on tomorrow evening.  Right now though I am on the bus home and very weary.  Look forward to having some nosh and a cuppa a while putting my feet up and watching game of thrones.

At university tomorrow, which will likely be a busy day as we have an exam board on Wednesday to prepare for.  However I will try and get to the studio at lunch, but if not will put kiln on in the evening.  

Kiln emptying day.

Here are images from my firing on Friday.  I have painted them and they are now ready to glaze and go back in.

Here I am with my super duper dust mask.

And finally here are some mugs I have thrown this evening, some small, some large.  I will put the handles on tomorrow, if they are dry enough to handle.

Wild pottery day 2

Well where do I start, I learnt so much on the course, it will be difficult to recap on all of it.

Firstly, I am pleased to say that my pieces I made yesterday survived the drying process and we went on to make the fire to 'cook' these in the open fire.  Amazing experiencing watching the fire take hold and burn down.  Towards the end of the firing while the pots where still hot we put a milk glaze on them.  Yes that is pretty much as simple as it sounds, poring milk onto and into the pots.  This is an ancient technique of making them less porous.  Of course, in today health and safety standards they do not pass muster for liquid but can be used for dry foods, such as nuts.

The second exciting thing of the day was making fire.   We did a one match challenge first where we had one match, one sheet of newspaper and a stash of  dry wood we collected our selves.  I have to say I failed on this challenge.  I did not collect enough very fine twigs or I did not stack it correctly as while newspaper had some embers it but did not light the wood.  

Things learnt.

Two useful shapes to help light a fire.

The raft,  using dry wood to create a raft for the fire to sit on.  This takes it away from a damp surface and gives it a dry stable surface.

the figure A.  Place the V of the A shape with the open end facing the wind.  Place a piece of wood to make the line and use this to stack small twigs in the middle.  At the bottom of the place the newspaper.  The wind blows into the open A tacking the embers from the newspaper and lighting the twigs

Last but not least the newspaper itself should not just be rolled up into balls but twisted into loosely curled rope to create as much air as possible so it catches well.

From using matches we went to on to learn about more traditional means of lighting a fire using Flint and carbon rich striking tools.

For the ember we used a choice of carbon cloth, dried fungus (bracket fungus and king Alfred cake) this could also be or made into charcoal.

Make nest using nesting type of dried climbing plant or grass,  and place Sycamore bark, fine seed head material, clematis tendrils and dry rotten wood into the nest.  Place the charcoal ember and fold it all into itself.  Allow to settle then use the length of the arm to sway your arm back and forth to create air flow.  When smoking quite well hold up and blow into the nest and when it catches quickly place in your spot and add you collected fuel,  going from small, medium to large until a good fire is established.

It has been a fantastic course and a great group of people.  I highly recommend it to anyone.  Detail can be found at :  http://www.nativehands.co.uk/

To sign off here are images of the pots I made.

Wild pottery

Well what a day.  Spent the day at Dernwood make pots from clay dug up this morning.  Spectacular setting, weather superb and loved the pure minimalist nature of making a pot using ones hands alone. Not a throwing wheel in site.

The day started with digging up clay in the woods then taking a silent walk through the woods to the camp area.  Here we watched ruby light the fire, using traditional fire lighting skills.  We looked at some designs of previous pots made, before going on to making our grog for adding to the clay.  Grog is used to help prevent thermal shock as the clay is fired quickly in an open fire.  

Lunch time where we ate and shared some food and discussed the dawning of civilisation, cave paintings, anthropology and more.  I took a stroll through these beautiful woods and made a mental note of the trees, the  light and feeling to try and capture in a drawing later on.  Here is the result.

I over worked it and it has come out too dark, but hey I haven't done a drawing from memory before.

The afternoon led to finishing the prep of the clay and making sure the spread of clay and grog was even.  And the making began.  A globe pot, a pinch pot and a oil lamp later and it was time to leave.

It is difficult clay to work with as it cracks a lot so there needs to be a level of spontaneity to each piece, over working makes the clay dry out and crack.  We shall see how well I have done tomorrow as the test of the fire will leave no weakness in unexposed.

Here are our finished pieces and roll on tomorrow.

Sun trap on the beach

II am sitting down beside the pier in a magnificent wind and sun trap.  The tide is quite far out and it is very calm.  There are even seagulls on a sand bank the tide is so far out.  I cannot believe it only April.  

I am trying to muster the energy to drag myself away from this relaxing position to go into the studio and see how well the kiln firing went that I put on this morning.  A varity of plates, beakers, tiles and some more dog key charms, all waiting to be glazed now for the open house in May.  Will post some images later, but to keep your visual stimuli interested here is a sketch from current position.  

Some brave souls have just gone into the sea,  partially clothed, the tide is so low that they sea is only a knee level about 10 meters out.   Of course it has not stopped the frompusing each other into the sea and getting totally soaked.

As for me I am very happy just sitting observing, sketching and just taking it easy.  5 more minutes and then I must be off.  Well okay perhaps 10...., 

Sketching and meditating

From doing my sketch a day I have come to the realisation that you can pretty much draw anything and make it look interesting.  The personality and drawing style of the artist creates interest.  It is also all about what you leave out, the palette you use, if you colour at all and the composition chosen.  

How you present a collection of drawing is also important, the collection should say something and you need to be clear what you are trying to say when grouping paintings.  If you take a look a my drawings a day I have begun to see groupings in subject matter, that could easily be taken out and a separate blog made.

Taking about the drawings blog, It has been a week since I have drawn anything, so will rectify that today.  Been feeling a bit low, and despite the fact that I know drawing will help with my mood, I avoid doing it.  I must muster some willpower when I feel like this and not think so much, just do!  Although saying that I have just started doing Zentangles.  These are a bit like a doodle but with more structure to them , they are a way of meditating throught drawing.  I have always been a bit rubbish mediating, as I cannot still my mind, it always goes wandering.  However with drawing I can focus on just that task and get lost in the moment.  See example below.

This is day 6

@ The British Museum

Collecting ideas for work on the woodwife.  Looking at ancient Britain and Roman Britain.  Pottery urns and amphoras are a great shape.  A lot of the items discovered were in burial sites , possessions sealed into a tomb or earth mound for the afterlife.  These groupings tell a story.

Questions to ask myself.  

Do I want to create representational 'vessels'

Or vessels/objects that would have been used.  

Think about the historical links to a vessel shapes.  Does not have to be ancient history.  Think Steven Dixon's oil can work - references political power.

An urn is linked with death.

Chalice, with religion.
Ceremonial vessels are a good area to follow for this projec.  Each vessel would demonstrate an area of power they had/represented.

Animal form is also a good area to explore.  There are links with shape shifters or spirit forms in certain cultures.  Hern the hunter, linked with the wood /green man.  Identify an animal that represents each form.  Could also look at one self and try to identify an animal form that could interact, placed with others..  For want of sounding new age hippy this idea is linked with spirituality.  

If one thing today has taught me is that, collections and how they are show is important.  

All that aside, I am sitting in the magnificent inner court if the British museum having a cuppa.  This place is magically.  So much history under one roof it is just overwhelming ,  but the modern architecture linked with old, is spectacular.

Before getting a cuppa I went into the Enlightenment gallery, which formed the basis of the BM collection.  A real cabinet of curiosity from around the globe, what a wonder to behold it must have been back in the 19th century.  Well it still is a wonder , even in this modern world we live in.  

At 5.30 the museum started to close, so went into the Contemporary Ceramic Centre which is literally across the road.  So many well known potters and ceramicists in here as well as people I have not heard off.  Such diversity.  I still love the painterly pots of ..... , so expressive.  

Food for thought.  The trouble is I have so many ideas that I want to try out I do not know where to begin, but that is why the research statement is so crucial and it proves the ground work and direction. 

For now though I want to explore simple large cylinder forms which allow me to draw on the outside, using my daily sketches as a starting point.  Or perhaps start sketching  journey's to get some narrative to the vessels.

Magnificent obsessions@ the Barbican

A very fascinating collection from a diverse group of artist.  It was worth coming just to see the small collection from Edmund da Waal and the Hare with the Amber eye.  Superb collection of Netsuke.

However one of the most thought provoking pieces for me, not from content, but by the fact an artist, Dano Wo, bought the life time collection of American kitch and chinese objects by the artist Martin Wong after Wong's death and turned it into a piece of art named I M U U U R 2 (2013) and exhibited it the Guggenhiem.  I have to confess that I was shocked by this because it is someone else's lifetime of effort and interest, presented as an art work by someone else.  This seems strange to me.  

I suppose when you think about a Collection, aren't they a grouping of objects made by other people and presented as the collectors own effort.  Certainly without Wo's intervention this collection of objects would undoubtably been lost forever and we would not get to see the influences the objects had on Martin Wong's work.  Dano Wo has also spent a considerable able amount of time cataloguing this work, but does that make it a piece of art?  This whole discussion leads to Grayson Perry's book, Playing to the Galley and what is art?  Is art what we say it is?  Further reading on this required.

Back to the exhibition itself, I felt some of the collections are a wonder to see,  and for me this is, in no small part, because of the way they are displayed and the singular nature of the collection.  Take the Pae White's collection of printed textiles they have focus and the common link which gives it merit to viewer.  Perhaps because as a viewer you can see a reason for the collection which may feed the work the artist, for others the collection is more obscure, it just looks like a you have walked into a charity shop.  The obsession for collecting was clearly the compulsion to acquire pieces that were liked but put it all together in a pile and it either looks like a cluttered room or junk.  So for me the way the work is displayed is important,  there needs to be a sense of order to see the collection in full.
 Circling back to the collection of Martin Wong, where it has been ordered this works as a collection me, ignoring my misgivings about who has 'presented' this to me.

It would be interesting to listen to the app to see what the artist themselves have to say about their collections, why and whether it has influenced there work.  However, I had trouble connecting to the app.   Will try at home and update post if I have any further thoughts.

Check out the Creative Review comments on this exhibition @ http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2015/february/magnificent-obsessions

Here is my sketch from the cafe at the Barbican.

Books to read

Alan Garner, book about old Gods just below the surface.

Joan Fontcubert 

Gossip from the Forest - Sara Maltland

The coyote road, antholgy

The green man, anthology

Playing to the Gallery: Helping contemporary art in its struggle to be understood- Grayson perry.

Mister Finch - Living in a Fairytale World.

The armless maiden, by Terri Windling

A history of the world in 100 objects , Dr Neil Mcgregor

500 paper objects - Gene Mchugh

Breaking the Mould - new approaches to ceramics - Black Dog publishing

Evocative Objects:  Things we think with, Sherry Turkle.

If I am to thinking about the placing of objects and connections made, look at collecting and how these are placed.  Collections are usually about collection around a theme.  This can be one particular object like spoons, mugs, or the more bizare of unused soap that is too small to be useful.
Read the following:-

Evocative Objects:  Things we think with, Sherry Turkle.
Narrating Objects, Collecting Storie, Sandra H. Dudley, 2012
To have and hold, An intimate history of collectors and collecting, Philipp Blom
Museum Materialities: Objects Engagement Interpretations, Sundra Dudley (2009)
In Flagrante Collect (caught in the act of collecting (Marilynn Gelfman)

Women & Domesticity

What a morning,  I have been doing some embroidery for an art project and needed to finish it this morning to post off.  Can you belive I ran out of thread on the last letter half way round the g.  I then proceeded to drop my needle and while looking for it spilt a whole cup of tea over the sofa.  it could.only have been worse if it had gone allover the embroidery.

Anyhow, a trip to C&H fabrics sorted the problem and I finished the 'g' in Churchill Square ready to post by 1pm.  

Information about the project, which is in aid of Women's aid is at https://domesticdusters.wordpress.com/ 

Here is a quick image that I took on my phone before posting.  It does not do it justice but you get the idea.

Doing this duster project, however, has had an impact on my drawing a day project, but at least I have reason for not getting drawings done over the past 5 days.  

Galleries and Museums to visit

 Pitt Rivers Musuem, Oxford, http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/

Ashmoleon Museum, Oxford.  http://www.ashmolean.org/

Horniman Museum, London.  http://www.horniman.ac.uk/

Booth Museum, Brighton.  http://www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk/Museums/boothmuseum/Pages/home.aspx

One more to add:

Magnificient Obsessions: The Artist as collector atthe Barbican until 25th May).
Heard an interview on the  radio about this and it sounds quite fascinating.
http://www.barbican.org.uk/news/artformnews/art/visual-art-2015-magnicent-obsess

Terri windling blog

http://windling.typepad.com/blog/2013/05/wild-folklore.html

Great blog about the green man and jack and other folklore.