Tip stands in front of the classroom in something of a ballerina pose and in a very soft, sweet voice explains what the face does when we are experiencing various emotions.  If you study emotions you can see slight changes in brow and cheek as well as eyes and mouth.  It helps to really try to feel the emotion you’re trying to create in your sculpture.

Getting good flesh tones is something that many artist find difficult, I know I have.  Tip taught the class various methods she uses for creating her very real looking figures.  She uses a combination of methods including adding house paint with a toothbrush and brushing on chalk pastels.

This workshop was fun.  Tip really has a passion for her work but she also doesn’t seem to take life too seriously.  I never had the feeling that she was running through a planned script and trying to fit in appropriate jokes at an appropriate time but we all laughed a lot throughout the workshop.  It seemed that her spirit and intellect was infused in the class.  I don’t do much figurative sculpture but I still learned some things that I will use in my work (I already have some new ideas for my plates) and I met someone who I’d love to just hang out with and discuss art or politics or whatever.  I would highly recommend taking a workshop with Tip Toland.

The first treatment was with Ferric Chloride, sugar and horse hair wrapped in aluminum foil.  This was by far the most dangerous method as Ferric

Charlie discussing Ferric Chloride

Chloride is very harmful to the skin and other body tissues but with proper safety precautions it will give beautiful results.  Ferric Chloride will return a range of colors from a light cream color, to browns and the deep reds that were so prevalent throughout the first firing.  The colors are heat sensitive and can be controlled by kiln placement and proximity to other pieces.  I wrapped a small fern frond and two young maple leaves on my pot, the leaves burned off leaving a carbon mark which when heated with a blow torch turned iridescent.  All of the pots were beautiful and nobody suffered any breakage because of very minimal thermal shock.

We also did a one step naked raku firing and a two step naked raku firing.  These had more mixed results because of the slips sticking to the pots or breakage due to thermal shock but what the heck, it’s a workshop.  For control over the outcome two step naked raku would be my preference; it seems to me you have more control over the results because you can mask, carve or do splatter patterns.  One step naked raku is easy and when successful the results can be amazingly beautiful.  Actually, even when unsuccessful the results can be beautiful as evidenced by the person who accidentally ended up with a black on black piece that was striking.

We also did a firing of pots that were decorated with horse hair immediately after being removed from the kiln.  I filmed this process and posted the video here. Although I did the pots in the video a few months ago and loved the results I also learned quite a few tricks from Charlie & Linda about how to get better results.  Participants were also given the opportunity to spray the hot pots with Ferric Chloride after applying the horse hair.  Which ads some dramatic color to the pieces.

Linda showed us how to make a newspaper mummy sagger using thick slip and newspaper.  It was fun to see a bunch of adults sitting on the ground smearing mud onto newspaper.  I used too much sawdust in my saggar which resulted in a very dark pot but I did get some interesting blushes which make me want to do more with saggers & pit firing.

Charlie did a lot of throwing demonstrations throughout the weekend, which is something I love to watch.  I always learn something from watching another potter throw.  Of course I came home and started experimenting with what I learned.  No matter how experienced a ceramic artist is it’s always possible to get ideas from others.

Linda & Charlie are a very fun couple who don’t seem to take things too seriously, they are there to have a good time and to help everyone else do the same.  It was a very full weekend of learning, playing and laughing.

As a member of Toastmasters International I have learned what makes a good speaker and Debra has it.  One thing that struck me was how focused her eye contact was, it made me feel as if she was teaching directly to me, yet she did it to everyone in the room.  I suspect many participants noticed the same feeling, whether they recognized the reason of not.

One of the favorite parts of the workshop was when the artists were given the opportunity to share their work with the other artists in the room.  It was wonderful to see the art and hear the stories behind it, I think it also helped to develop the bond.

If you ever get a chance to take a workshop with Debra Fritts do it, even if you’re not a sculptor.  You’ll learn valuable information about how to manipulate clay and how to manipulate surface treatments and you’ll get to know some wonderful artists.  I do recommend bringing a very large box and ample padding to bring your new sculpture home.

Ryan McKerley demonstrates his technique

One of the reasons I enjoyed this workshop is because Ryan is very entertaining.  The workshop wasn’t filled with uproarious laughter but more of a genial smile and quite a few chuckles yet at the end of three days we had all discovered we had learned quite a bit.  Not just how to carve into clay using wax resist and water but different throwing techniques, some hand building and attaching processes, glazing tricks, how to design a and fire a salt/soda kiln, glaze recipes and even a little bit about the city of Austin, TX (where Ryan lives & works).

I highly recommend taking a workshop with Ryan, it’s very through, moves at a comfortable pace and is a good balance of hands on and lecture.  I also recommend picking up some of his pottery while it’s still affordable.  The Gallery at Mudfire almost sold out this weekend just from people who took the workshop.

One Form of Marketing

The workshop touched on the importance of an artist statement and what should be included in one, then we wrote and shared “elevator speeches” which are 15 – 30 second speeches designed to inform and start a conversation about your work. I’m a member of Toastmasters International but have never tried to write such a short speech, it’s not easy but it’s very important for catching someone’s attention. I highly recommend working on creating one and learning it now.
From there we moved on to one of the hardest articles for me to write, the press release. We read through several and came to several conclusions.
1. Even artists aren’t interested in a three page press release, keep it short and simple.
2. Get your vital information to the reader within the first two paragraphs or you might lose the reader.
3. Think about what the journalist and the audience want to know, not what you want to say.
The workshop also addressed timelines in getting press release out to the media and how to find the correct media contacts. It’s no good to write the worlds best story if nobody can read it because you missed a deadline.
Any discussion about marketing would be sorely lacking if social networking were not addressed. Todd and Kathy did well by discussing ways to use Facebook and Twitter to our advantage and even sighted examples of how they have seen it used very effectively. Nobody really wants to know how many cups of coffee you drank today or if you’re pretending to be at work but really exploring Facebook, but they do want to know what interesting things their friends are doing…like going to a workshop on Marketing Your Art.
We also discussed one of my favorite marketing strategies; donating to your favorite charities. Todd and Kathy discussed it from a business point of view where concerns like target audience demographics are considered. I don’t normally take those things into consideration. When I’m donating to a non-profit it’s because I believe in the cause. I want to support what they are doing to help society. I figure, if I’m not reaching my target audience directly I may be reaching people through karma, and that can’t hurt either.
What are some ways that you have marketed your art?

Open Kiln

Chris opened the kiln and let us remove our still warm pieces from the chamber.  Naturally, we said lots of “oos” and “ahs” over each piece.  Chris explained to us why we achieved the results we were seeing.  Apparently when one loads a salt kiln one needs to think about the placement of the pots & how the salt is going to impact the piece.  We had a discussion about whether to place the handles of mugs and pitchers facing in or out and what effects to expect with the different positioning.  He also explained the difference between a cross draft kiln and an updraft kiln.  The kiln he uses is a cross draft which was originally designed for soda.  Considering the results I saw and the ability to use salt or soda I’d build a cross draft kiln.

We also learned that sgraffito works best using thicker lines than what I used.  The underglaze filled in the places where I scratched in an image of a fern with very fine lines.  Chris warned me about this but I am stubborn.  The effect is more textural than visual now.  We also saw severe cracking in the thick porcelain that was overlaid onto the Lizella clay.  The effect could have been great; I intend to experiment to find a way to make the effect work.

Porcelain/Lizzela lesson

One of my favorite pieces is a tribute to a salt glaze potter whose works I greatly admire, Kyle Carpenter.  The piece is a replica of one of his, and can now be found on my mantel, you won’t find it in my on-line gallery.  One day I will own an original, but this will do for now.

My Tribute to Kyle Carpenter

This piece is Highwater Clay’s Orangestone with a tenmoku glaze over a wax resist.  The dark areas are where carbon was trapped in the glaze.  I’m really happy with this piece and with the way the Orangestone looks after the salt glaze firing.  This is fast becoming one of my favorite clays.

Orangestone/Tenmoku Pot

To see more of the salt glazed pottery, please visit my on-line gallery.

The first technique was to create a bas-relief on the platters from the previous class. We each had a platter or two with a thin skin of porcelain over Lizella . We drew broad patterns on the platters then painted part of the pattern with shellac. After the shellac dried we started wiping away the porcelain with wet sponges. The shellac will burn off in the kiln leaving a great contrast between the white porcelain and the dark Lizella clay. It will also leave a relief texture. I have one piece where the porcelain is very thick; this gave quite a deep bas-relief. I’ve used a variation of this technique on porcelain pieces without any other clay underneath; I’m excited to see the results of this adaptation.

Greenware Platters

Next we did some sgraffito on greenware. This process involves coating a piece with a thin coat of slip or under glaze and then scratching through the veneer to reveal the color of the clay body underneath. We put black underglaze over light colored stoneware. One student also coated the black underglaze with wax before scratching the surface which is supposed to keep the lines cleaner. The drawing I did has very fine lines and no major areas of glaze removal. Chris is worried that it will be too dark and not show much, if any, flashing. I might just be wasting the salt glaze on this piece, we’ll see.

When we were done with the sgraffito pieces we did some work with wax resists . We painted a pattern onto our bisque pieces and then glazed the entire piece. The glaze will not stick wherever the pot is waxed. Just like the shellac on the previous pieces, the wax will burn off in the kiln. When one does this on a pot that is fired in an electric or gas kiln the wax will reveal the raw clay body. When this is done in the salt kiln the salt should glaze the entire piece with a variance in color between the standard glazed areas and the waxed areas.

Bisque pots

The hardest part for everyone in using these techniques was the need to visualize backwards as we were working with negatives. A lot of thought needs to be put into which part of a design is staying and which part is being removed by the wax, shellac or scratched off in the sgraffito. If a mistake is made on sgraffito more glaze can be added to cover the mistake, wax can be burned off with a torch but shellac is not as forgiving so careful planning is recommended.

Next Saturday we unload the kiln, I can’t wait!

Yes, it’s true. I confess to being a hobbyist potter. I know, some people think it’s a joke – remember the character “Fern” in the Animal House movie? Poor Fern; even though we never saw her, she was portrayed as naive, delicate, soft-spoken; “…she died in a tragic kiln accident.” The truth is that it’s hard for me to go a day without chunking off a piece of cool clay and slapping it down on a wheel head or into a slab roller. Those of you who know this feeling can relate – those of you who have never done it are missing a singularly satisfying experience. You can learn a lot from slinging mud.

1. Breathe.

Center first. Close your eyes and breathe, and you’ll find where you’re out of balance. Julie, a talented potter and PhD in veterinary research, specialized in large pieces. A group of us were working wordlessly one evening in the studio; with the occasional sound of water being squeezed out of sponges and wooden tools scraping against a wheel head. Julie chunked out her bag of clay; a twenty-five pound bag. She pounded it into a semi-round shape and banged it onto the huge bat on her wheel. She leaned in to start centering the clay. Every muscle in her body was concentrated on getting that monster centered. After about a two minutes, she sat up straight, eyes wide, and gasped a long, inhaled breath. Everyone looked up, startled, and she exclaimed matter-of-factly, “I forgot to breathe!” at which we all collapsed into gales of laughter. We’ve all been there; concentrating so hard we lose track of our breathing, our bodies, and our focus. Breathing is the most simple and powerful way to regain your purpose. Lean in and take a breath. Let it out, and begin. Keep your breathing steady, even as your instinct is to grit your teeth and tense up. Do you find when you tense up and start to fight the issue you’re dealing with, obstacles pop up and it’s difficult to get back to the point of what you’re doing? Keep it loose and keep breathing. Apply only as much pressure as you need, and don’t force it. A little laughter helps, too.

2. Be willing to start over.

Sometimes when you work hard on a chunk of clay, working it and nurturing it to make the piece you envision, some annoying law of physics kicks in and it collapses or breaks. It’s a frustrating feeling, but often the most unique pieces I’ve created have come out of these errors. One of my personal rules of clay is to make the best of what’s left. I’ve started pieces over, using the remnants of what was to create what will be, with skills I’ve acquired along the way. I’ve done this repeatedly, and have a basement full of pretty good functional pottery. It can be difficult to let go of the original vision and create something that has vestiges of the original vision. I’m currently looking for new work. It’s not an easy task, it isn’t the first time, and probably won’t be the last. Just like my clay work, I’ve had to start over, and this time is no different. I have the skill, talent and vision to create something new and exciting out of my experience, and I can form something not just practical, but extraordinary. Some different tactics may be required, but if you’re willing to start over, recognizing and utilizing your strengths, something wonderful may appear.

3. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Another friend is a technically superb potter and a funny, smart woman. She reached a point in her skill level that far surpassed the rest of us. She made elegant bowls; thin and delicate. She agonized over her bowls by trimming them beautifully and burnishing the raw clay until the surfaces were like glass. One evening she spent close to three hours burnishing one bowl. She sat up and said with a laugh, “Somebody get me away from this bowl!” She realized she was honing the piece to perfection, when it was already perfect for what she wanted to create. From then on, whenever she was agonizing over a vessel, someone in the studio would pass by her and say, “Alice, step away from the bowl!” She got it – she knew that the piece was complete and it needed to move onto the next steps of firing and glazing. As exceptional women, we can get caught up in perfection and forget we’re fine as we are, whole and valuable. Perfection is fine, but our idiosyncrasies make us powerful people able to contribute to the life of the world. If you push too hard, your piece will collapse, spin off-center, or fly off the wheel. Same goes for the projects and people in your life – if you push too far to make them (or yourself) perfect, they can collapse in frustration, spin out of control, or disappear.

4. Offer your experience to others.

Having “potted” for many years, I’ve seen a number of aspiring potters drift in and out of sessions. It’s easy(and often preferable) to concentrate on your own work and get into a state of focused concentration. Occasionally though, it’s difficult not to offer some assistance if someone is struggling with a throwing technique. A new student was having this experience, and I couldn’t help myself from offering some encouraging words. She was trying to center a lump of clay far too large for her experience level. I wanted to help, but didn’t want to intrude on her experience. The clay was so large that her entire body was literally vibrating with the effort of centering it. I said, “You know, it may help you to take some of that clay off the wheel. You’ll be able to center it without so much effort.” She seemed relieved to have the advice. I spent the next two hours showing her a few throwing techniques and encouraging her to start small to gain experience. That seemed to be all she needed; for a first piece, she created a charming pitcher that she was very proud of. I was intent on working on a particular piece that day, but she said she needed the help and I was happy to offer what I could. Later in the year, I saw her doing the same – giving some advice to a new student. Offering encouragement takes no effort and ripples out in ways you’ll never know or imagine.

I made reference to the movie character “Fern.” I can tell you that hefting fifty pound boxes of clay and twenty pound kiln shelves around is no picnic and requires someone who’s willing to do the hard work to get a satisfying end result. I like to think that I’ll go out of this world a little wiser (and in better shape) than Fern; sitting at a clay wheel watching my lovely, wrinkled hands forming a new vessel and still learning that the clay on the wheel represents more than mud.

© 2009 Gaye Markley

Gaye is another potter who works also Mud Fire Clayworks