Slipped Rim

This project spun out of this winter’s bowl marathon for the Tidewater Gallery’s annual soup feed. I throw about 7 batches total, 10 to 17 bowls at a time and break these down into smaller separate groups for handling the surface decoration. This is how I generally prefer to create my work. I enjoy working in series of 5 -15 pieces at a time, this lets me explore any new idea or technique a little before drawing any initial conclusions and making any changes in my approach.
This started with a big 3 gallon bucket of white slip I made using the trimmings from my standard white clay body. The trimmings were added to the water and allowed to soak overnight. After a night of soaking I mixed it up with my trusty paint mixer on a drill and added a tablespoon of deflocculate (sodium silicate) and more water until the slip reached the consistency of a thick heavy cream. The sodium silicate lets the clay platelets to slide over each other easier so I don’t have to add so much water to the mix to get the slip to the consistency I want.
Next, I had an idea of what I wanted to try… might work, might not. Going to find out though. So I made some thumbnail sketches to keep me pointed in a direction. I’ll usually have 2 or 3 experiments going on at any one time and I have a tendency to become easily distracted. I’ve learned it’s a good idea to leave a trail of bread crumbs leading back to the project at hand.

With this idea, I’m using a contrasting red

stoneware clay for the body and I’ve applied a simple paper stenciled sponged cobalt slip design around the lower half of the belly.
After the stenciled design has dried sufficiently to gently handle, I invert the bowl and pour the slip over the upper half.

I really like the effect and I’m excited about trying a dynamic gaze combination I’ve been thinking about…

stay tuned...

Click below to view the process.

TideWater Souper Supper

What do you say if the local gallery asks you to produce 250 bowls in 60 days?They’ll pay for the materials, the firing costs, provide floor space at their gallery to host a spring show, and even feed you at a fantastic gourmet soup feed surrounded by 250 local patrons of the arts.

I say “YES!”

Since 2002 I’ve been part of the stable of ceramicists that have helped contribute to this event. I’ve always looked forward to this event, being very happy to be just part of the background. It’s always been an amazing opportunity to explore and develop new ideas for surface designs and forms. It’s a project that’s never failed to propel me forward into a new year.
This year was something very new though… they asked me to recruit and organize the ceramic artists needed for this year’s event and I’ve found 10 amazing local ceramic artists to stand with me so far. With 27 days left, and over 200 plus pieces still in green ware, we’ll see how this all works out. You’ll be hearing more about this as the due date February 6th approaches.
Stay Tuned…

FetishGhost's One Year Etsyversery!

What a difference a year can make!
Last month my wife and I noted of one year Etsyversery, but it’s this month that we are celebrating a year since our first post on Etsy.

Quite honestly, I think that first post was one of those amazing unexpected pivot points where you can feel your life shifting and moving in a completely new direction. This change was no small thing for me… I literally couldn’t turn on the laptop my wife had gotten

me, I had no idea how to get on the internet and just about lost it the first time the damn thing went into hibernate.

Now, really big chunks of my studio activities are connected in some way to the web and I’m thourghly enjoying learning to work as part of larger communities. Another big thanks to Etsy! I’ve met so many great customers, craftsmen, and artists through our stores and street teams. A big shout out to the Etsy Mud Team and the always amazing SteamTeam! Thanks everyone!

It’s been an incredible year! This just keeps getting better!

Licks, Love, & Luck…
-Zygote-

Ahh! The Joy of Getting a Rocking New Yunomi

I wish you all could reach out and touch this piece.

I just got this in the mail from a new friend in the Bay Area who happens to be the artist and craftsman behind MossBeach.etsy.com.

This is an amazing soda fired yumoni with a fantasticly flashed and crackled slip exterrior that's compleate with "mineral tears" that oozed and harden on it's surface at the peak of it's firing, giving it a fun surface texture that feels really cool.

This is a potters cup. It's a true work of he(art).

Not only is he a top notch ceramisist, but he's also a pretty darn good writer too. I love a well worded explanation of what I'm seeing. Here's part of his discription for this piece...

This cup has a shino exterrior that blushes orange in proportion to the soda available in the atmosphere of the kiln. Where there is a particularly heavy hit of soda, the soda forms gray to green rivulets down the side of the cup. The Japanese asthetic of wabi sabi implies the imperfection, incompleteness, and impermanance of all things. These yonomi helps focus the owner on the uniqueness and beauty of the moment as they are held and used.

Hey Matt... You're the Man!
Thanks!!!

Licks, Love, & Luck...
-Zygote-

Smash Pot Day

Swinging the hammer of judgment is one of the most anticipated yearly studio activities for a lot of potters.

Some artists choose to just swing the hammer all year round, but I prefer to save up all of the messed up pots, setting them in the nooks and crannies of the firing room and garden.

I save them for a special day... SMASH POT DAY!

I traditionally save this special day for the end of the year, but I really can hardly wait to swing the hammer on this year’s accumulated ware. A lot of these pieces are gorgeous, but they have one flaw or another... a crack, a stuck lid, a glaze that ran off, kiln wash fired into the surface, the list goes on and on.

This is a ritual of necessity, ensuring the quality of any studio’s line-up. This year I’m happy to say I’m letting go a 140 pounds of fired work. DOH!


“Smash it up and plan for the next year”… that’s my motto.