Monday, May 18, 2009

Another success with Paperclay

I made this planter for an upcoming planter show at the Irvine Fine Arts Center out of salvaged ordinary clay. A big hairline crack (from the rim to almost the center of the bowl) developed in the bowl section of the planter when I used too much force to try to reshape the bowl. Paperclay slurry and slip was used for the patch.

It went through bisque fire and the Cone 10 reduction firing without any problems. The repair held up nicely. Another piece rescued with the help of paperclay slip.

The glaze is carbon trap shino. The piece was too large to be dipped so the glazed was brushed on. More glaze was hand drizzled on the bottom part of the piece.

The picture shows the completed planter with the succulents in place, ready for the show!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Making Paperclay Slip

One of the main components when working with paperclay is making your paperclay slip. I find the best way to make your paperclay slip is from your dried up, left over crumbs of paperclay. Since commercially available paperclay is more expensive than regular clay, I save my paperclay crumbs and pieces in a bucket.

When the time comes for me to make more slip, I just take some of the dry paperclay, put them in a smaller bucket and then pour enough hot water to totally cover them. Do not mix at this point. Let it sit overnight if you are not in a hurry. If you are, you'll be amazed how fast the dry paperclay softens up - uusally within the hour.  I find hot water or boiling water speeds up the softening process.

After the paperclay has soaked up all the water it can hold (technical term, this is called slaking), I pour out the excess water. You can save this water or discard it. After stirring and thorough mixing, you can decide what consistency of paperclay slip you need. To thin out your paperclay, add back the water you  just poured out or add fresh water. To prolong the shelf life of your paperclay, I add a capful of bleach (or any disinfectant) at this point and stir well.

It's best to make fresh paperclay slip as you need it, but as we all know, we tend to get lazy and opt to make a large batch and have it at our disposal.

Old paperclay slip can be dried out and remade into slip using the method described above. It's best not to mix old paperclay slip into freshly made one as you are contaminating the fresh batch with whatever is "growing" (ie mold, etc)  in your old batch.

Happy slipping!

Monday, May 4, 2009

All Cups Show at the McGroarty Arts Center

McGroarty Arts Center
7570 McGroarty Terrace
Tuhunga, CA 91042
(818) 352-5285
www.mcgroartyartscenter.org

6th Annual Ceramics Exhibition & Benefit
All Cups Show

Opening Reception: Sat. June 13, 2009,
5 - 9PM
Show Hours: June 15th - 27th, Mon - Sat. 10AM - 6PM

I will be participating in this show and will be showcasing my cup creations. This art center is located in a wonderful wooded area surrounded by oak trees in a secluded part of Tuhunga. It's certainly is a hidden gem for ceramics in the valley.

Please stop by to see works from over 30 local ceramic artists, including a show of student works by adults and children.

Friday, May 1, 2009

My Very First Art Show!

IRVINE FINE ARTS STUDIO ART FESTIVAL - SATURDAY, JUNE 6TH, 2009. 9AM to 5PM.

I'm very excited to be in this show for the first time.

I will be showcasing some of my sculptural pieces.

You will also see my signature "Summer Grasses" vase series, as well as the popular "Couples Cups", "Rice Bowls" and other pieces made specially for this annual show.

I'm at booth #17 (indoors).  Please stop by to say a big HI.

VENUE: Irvine Fine Arts Center, 14321 Yale Avenue, CA
DAY/DATE: Saturday, June 6th, 2009
TIME: From 9AM to 5PM

See you there!