The workshop covered how Ronan throws and builds the forms from the clay and how he builds the surface decoration.  One of the steps he stressed a lot during the forming process was to compress everything very well.  This may sound pretty elementary but it is something easily forgotten when we start working in new ways and I was glad to hear it.  It’s so sad to take pieces out of a kiln that are broken because of a lack of compression.

Surface decoration consists of lots of layers using slip, slip trailing, tera sigilata, wax & paper resists, and glaze.  The beauty of learning all of this in one workshop is that, even if you don’t use all of them on one pot, as Ronan does, you’ll have them in your bag of tricks.  He did give out the recipes for the slips, and some glazes also.

After the workshop I’ve been working in my studio thinking about the processes that Ronan showed us and trying to apply them to my work.  As expected some things I tried worked well, some need more practice.   I like that, I feel like if I practice with a new process I’ll also be inclined to work it into my style.

Check out the gallery page – Future Relics Gallery

Wally is also very through in his teaching.  He gave everyone very detailed handouts and then reviewed them to be certain everyone was clear on the content and how that pertained to their pots.  After explaining the process of naked raku and how to think about the surface decoration it was time for everyone to try it.  People spent a lot of time decorating pieces and trying the different options available to them via the naked raku process.

One thing that Wally did that I’ve never seen anyone do during a raku workshop was to teach people how to use the tongs and maneuver the pots (we used test pieces).  I thought this was brilliant and now use it whenever I teach anyone how to raku.

Participants Smoking Pots

The workshop was a complete success.  Everyone got some very nice pieces, the loss was the least I’ve seen in any raku workshop, everyone learned, and (it seemed) everyone had a great time.

Wally Asselberghs hails from Belgium but frequently does workshops in the US, he is also the moderator of the naked raku yahoo group that is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about naked raku.  Of course I highly recommend a workshop with Wally also.

Akira has lots of positive energy that just filled the room for three days.  No question was too big or small, nothing was held back, all the details of each of Akira’s processes was shared in a way that inspired people to go forward in their work with something that was learned in the workshop.

Akira says his work is “inspired by nature” and that is easily seen in his Kohiki technique.  The work resembles the bark of a tree or a rock carved by the forces of erosion.  It’s also seen in his traditional Japanese work and he did discuss and demonstrate the Japanese aesthetic in detail.  He also gave us an extensive list of potters, both American and Japanese who incorporate this aesthetic into their work.

This was a hands-on workshop and people made a lot of beautiful and interesting pieces during the workshop but they probably made less than they anticipated due to the amount of time Akira spent sharing his techniques.  So instead of going home with a big box full of pottery they went home with a head full of new knowledge and ideas.

An Akira Satake workshop would not be complete without some banjo music.  Akira is not only a brilliant ceramic artist but also a very talented musician.  Although he does play music that I think of when I think of the banjo (jig’s & the like) he also makes music that we in the Southern US might not associate with the banjo, and it’s really beautiful.  Everyone who bought a CD said they really enjoyed it.

I’d highly recommend taking a workshop with Akira, you will learn something and have a great time.  Check out a short video of the workshop by clicking this link:  Akira Workshop Clip

Elisa is very energetic and exuberant, she tried to help the students in the workshop try new ways of thinking outside of our normal boxes.  Of course this is one of the reasons that one takes a workshop but she did it in ways that I have yet to see other instructors use.  The workshop was about creating pots for food and the focus really was to get us to consider shape, form, function and color for the possibilities of each pot.  But something else was involved in the workshop.  Elisa has a teaching style and a personal charisma that is infectious.  It did not take long for a bond to develop between her and the students.  Where this is nice and makes for a great workshop it also makes for a strong desire to continue growing the process and continuing the bond through our own work.

I highly recommend taking a workshop with Elisa, it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

The short video clip that shows a little bit of Elisa’s teaching style and also her excellent English skills.

ElisaHelland-HansenShort

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.