Clay Damp Boxes - My new best friend

Anyone who has worked with clay knows there is a lot of process involved. Certain things need to be done at certain times. But what do you do if your time and the clay’s time aren’t in sync?

Well, I’ve used Damp Boxes and kept clay wet for up to a year in these babies. And I’m finding this method is perfect for the brief intervals of time I’m able to sneak out to the studio. It’s a cheep and easy solution.

In a nutshell, it works because of the way plaster absorbs water. If plaster is dryer than clay, it will draw moisture from the clay. If the plaster has been soaked I water, then it keeps the clay from drying out and maintains a humid atmosphere within the box.

I cut these circles out in early October before Cooper was born. When I finally got around to turning them into Minis, it was the end of January but the clay was still perfect to work with!

Here’s how to make a Damp Box:

1. Fill bottom of plastic tubs with 1 -1 ½” of mixed plaster. Plaster mixing guidelines here.

2. Allow plaster to set/dry.

3. Add water. How much?? Depends on the size of the box. I add water till there is 1/8” of water and then wait till that is absorbed. With a new damp box, it could take several rounds of adding water and letting it absorb. My damp boxes are 7 years old, so I occasionally add more water to “recharge” them. Basically, you want it to be wet without having pools of water on top.

I've also heard of people using styrofoam coolers or old refrigerators to help control the drying process. What about you?

Meagan

Thank you Summer

No, not the season. (Though many of you in the cold, snowy North may be desperately looking forward to warmer weather.)

I'm talking about my Summer Best View video monitor. (Don't worry, I'm not going to turn all mommy-blog on you either.) Thanks to you and two 30-minute naps today I was able to finish up some work and get the kiln loaded.

You read that right! My kiln is firing. When I went to write the details down in my kiln log, I could hardly believe the last time I fired was October - just 8 days before Cooper was born!

That monitor truly is amazing! Firing the kiln again feels like such a huge accomplishment. And I must say, I am proud of myself!

Cheers!
Meagan

Fusing Glass in a Ceramics Kiln

I'm often asked about my firing methods. Since I work with both clay and glass, many people assume that I have two separate kilns. Nope!

Meet Lily. My L&L Kiln. (Easy Fire e23-3) I love her! We've been working together since November of 2003. I bought her in South Carolina from Clay-king.com, and we've made several moves together. North Carolina (Raleigh and Asheville), Gatlinburg, TN and now Ocala, FL. She's a bit shorter than many "standard" ceramics kilns - only 2 sections/rings rather than 3, but she's perfect for my needs. (Purchasing her his another story that I'm especially happy to share with any recent or upcoming graduates.)An article recently went out in the Skutt Kiln newsletter Skutt Hot Topics Yes, Virginia, you can fuse glass in your ceramics kiln that discusses this in more detail. I'm not sure of the author, but it goes on to explain the difference in the two "types" of kilns, and how to load a ceramics kiln for glass.

I'd like to add a few things to the article.

1. - While you can fire glass in a ceramics kiln, it doesn't necessarily work the other way around. Glass kilns traditionally don't get hot enough to fire even low-fire clay. Here are the glass firing schedules I've worked out for my ceramics kiln.

2. - I do have two sets of shelves. The kiln wash/shelf primer used in ceramics is usually thick and gloppy. I use Bullseye Shelf Primer for my glass shelves. It's thin and goes on smooth which is important since the glass will pick up any texture or brush strokes from the shelf/primer.

3. - I also have a Vent-Sure downdraft vent system. This does several things. It helps the kiln fire more evenly - important in clay, glazing, and especially glass. It also helps remove any potentially harmful vapors. Good for your health and the kiln. Less of these volatile vapors are absorbed into the kiln bricks/walls so there's less of a chance your glass will become cloudy from cross contamination and off-gassing.

If you have any questions, drop me a comment. I'm happy to share what I've learned!

Happy Firing!
Meagan

What comes next...

...bust a move!

Had a great week back in the studio! Actually, I was amazed how much I was able to get done.

My studio time has become precious, and I'm learning to make the most of every minute. When I walk in that door, it's on! I thought I was an efficient, productive worker before. Oh no! You haven't seen anything yet!

So, with my wonderful in-laws in town babysitting, I worked in 1-2 hour shifts between feeding Cooper. All 23 of the clay forms for that commission are finished.

And I have 40 new Mini Sculptures in progress to send to The Society of Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, PA. (No photo just yet, sorry!) Hoping to fire by this coming Friday.

I've got a lot of other big changes going on that I plan to share with you soon, but I'm still processing some of them, and will try to squeeze in time to write about it asap! (Fingers crossed "someone" takes one of his long afternoon naps tomorrow!)

Anyway, I'm off. Laundry is calling my name.

Best,
Meagan

Baby Steps towards a Big Commission

Well, I brushed the cobwebs of my newly acquired "mommy-brain" and headed down to the studio for a couple hours yesterday.

I have a large commission due the end of April, and it's time to get started on it!

Normally, a ceramic and glass wall sculpture this size would take me about 6-8 weeks. Since I will now be squeezing work time in during Cooper's naps, between feedings, on the weekends, or when my in-laws come down next week to babysit (Thank you Betsy and Al!), I've broken my tasks down into smaller, more manageable sizes.

My goal yesterday was to sketch the piece to size. Check! (It's about 3 feet high and 8 1/2 feet long - my design wall is only 6'.)
And make the paper patterns. Check!
The next phase of the project will be to roll out the clay slabs. Two slabs will be cut from each paper pattern - one for the back of the piece, and one for the domed/puffy front.

I figure I can get one, maybe 2 patterns cut out during one of Cooper's (brief, ugh!) naps.

Ok, off to get some sleep while I can. Thanks for reading!

Cheers!
Meagan

Field Trip - The Archie Bray Foundation

Tuesday afternoon I went to The Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT - a 2 hour drive from Missoula. I've known about The Bray (its resident artists, clay supply business, and support of for all things ceramic) for years, and was excited to get a chance to check it out.

Archie Bray Resident Artist Exhibition and 2010 Bray Benefit Auction

View outside the Warehouse Gallery

Met up with current resident artist Courtney Murphy who gave me a tour of the short-term and long-term resident studios. Courtney and I met briefly in Asheville, NC a few years ago through mutual friend and ceramic artist Cassie Ryalls. The ceramics community is amazing! If the rule of 6-degrees of separation is true normally, within ceramics I think it's more like only 3!

Long-term Resident Studios

It was also great to meet some of the other artists (Kelly Garrett Rathbone, Steven Roberts, Kensuke Yamada, Kevin Snipes, Gwendolyn, Yoppolo, Del Harrow, and Johnathan Read) and see their work in the Resident Artist Exhibition in the Warehouse Gallery. I was blown away by the quality and variety of the work!

Some of Courtney's work from the Resident Artist Exhibition.

It was a quick visit, but I'm looking forward to heading back there next Saturday, July 24 for The Bray Bash - thier annual auction and fundraiser.

From The Bray's Website:
"The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts is a public, nonprofit, educational institution founded in 1951 by brickmaker Archie Bray, who intended it to be 'a place to make available for all who are seriously and sincerely interested in any of the branches of the ceramic arts, a fine place to work.' Its primary mission is to provide an environment that stimulates creative work in ceramics. "

View back toward the resident studios and kiln yard

If you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend it! (And I was only there for a short visit!) In addition to offering ceramic workshops and classes, The Bray offers ten 3-4 month short-term summer artist residencies and ten 1-2 year long-term residencies.

Cheers!

Meagan

In the kiln...

Loaded and fired an electric kiln with fellow resident Danny Crump yesterday - my first firing at The Clay Studio of Missoula. Here's a picture (pre-firing) of the various pieces and parts for three new experimental sculptures, my "warm-up" work from Monday, samples for my upcoming workshop at Arrowmont, and a couple trial plates and cups. (Plates and cups you ask?!? Yep. More about this challenge later.)

(Note: Imagine that white plaster mold isn't there for support and the pieces are bolted together.)

Tomorrow's plan - glaze, load and (hopefully) fire the kiln again. Cant wait to see some of this new work "finished." I have plans to include various glass and steel parts, so they may not be truly completed until I get back home to the studio in FL. But a trip to the hardware store for nuts and bolts is in my near future.

Cheers!
Meagan

Contemporary Clay Biennial - Opening Friday

I am very excited and honored to announce my piece "Urban Pocket" as selected for the Contemporary Clay Biennial at the Art Center, Western Colorado Center for the Arts, in Grand Junction, CO.

The opening reception is this Friday night, and Oh, how I wish I could be there! If you're in the area and able to attend, please take some pictures for me. I'd love to see the show installed!

Contemporary Clay Biennial 2010
Juried by Ceramist and Clay Times columnist Pete Pinnell
May 14 - June 26, 2010
Opening Reception - Friday, June 4, 6:30 - 9pm

Juror Pete Pinnell - Clay demonstration and workshop June 5-6, 9-5pm.

Urban Pocket, earthenware, steel, wood backing, 9 x 40 x 4", 2009.

New Work - UF Post-Bacc Program

Finally getting around to posting pictures of the work I did Spring semester at UF. I start exploring a new direction - moving the work from wall relief sculpture to working completely in the round. Like most new ideas, I feel it's taken me some time to digest and think about the changes that I made, and the changes that I still need to make.

I won't lie, this change was definitely a struggle for me! There were days when I felt I had no idea what I was doing - technically or conceptually.

I had problems with clay shrinkage and incorporating found objects. I questioned if the ideas I was hoping to covey were coming through in the work. I had work blow up in the kiln! So, several attempts ended up in the trash or with the shards destined to become more stepping stones for our garden.

But, I kept pushing and reminding myself that "when you feel like you know what you're doing, you're probably not growing."

Now that a little time has passed and I've had a few weeks to process the experience, I am excited about this new direction and the possibilities I see for expanding these ideas.

So, here are a few pictures and my artist statement...

Fortis cultivativo, earthenware, steel, glass

(Note: Now on view through July 5 at "Art in Bloom", Marion Cultural Alliance; On Top of the World Location- Ocala, FL)

Natural and manufactured environments coexist within contemporary urban settings. City parks and botanical gardens are thoughtfully integrated into residential developments and commercial centers. These man-made garden atmospheres seem to emphasize an underlying desire to escape the hectic stress of everyday urban life by surrounding oneself with beautiful, natural environments.

Incrementun multi, earthenware, steel, cast glass

(Note: Now on view now through Oct 8 at The Arrowmont 2010 Instructor Exhibition, Gatlinburg, TN)

My sculpture focuses on a self created species: a visual hybrid that reflects both nature and industry. These mixed-media works synthesize plant forms like pods, leaves, and stems with radial mechanical elements and machine parts. The link between industry and nature is emphasized further through materiality. The constructed sculptures incorporate materials such as steel and concrete with traditional craft media such as clay and glass. The textured, crusty, surface treatments of the stylized terracotta forms further suggest the coexistence of these worlds.

Evoco vita, earthenware, steel, cast glass, fused glass

(Note: Now on view June 3-July5 at "Ancient Arts", Marion Cultural Alliance; downtown location- Ocala, FL. Opening reception this Friday!)

The imagined hybrids represent the need for balance in our everyday lives. Parallels can be drawn between industry and work, and nature and pleasure as society strives for professional success and personal happiness.

Thanks again for reading and following along with the changes and progress in my work.

Best,
Meagan

Clay and Blogs: Telling a Story

I am honored to have been invited to participate in an exhibit entitled "Clay and Blogs: Telling a Story" to be hosted by the Arts Council of Moore County and held at the Campbell House Gallery, in Southern Pines, NC from October 1 - November 1, 2010. Meredith Heywood of Why Not Pottery is curating the exhibit, which includes over 30 artist-bloggers from around the world!My good friend, and potter Joy Tanner described the show in a Jan 25th post to her blog Journeys in and Around the Studio. I'm re-posted this with her permission:

"People blog for multiple reasons and even with the numerous pottery blogs out there you can find a variety pack of topics within the medium, or even a variety of reasons why people choose to blog. I think blogging is a great tool for people to see behind the scenes of the potter in the studio and their quiet musings; the ups, the downs, the successes, the failures, the determination to keep going, as well as a particular technique or what they are currently working on at that time.

For me, blogging is a great chance to clarify my thoughts about choices behind my work, and to show my inspirations behind the pots. Seeing those quiet musings in real words is different than just thinking it. Sharing it also helps others learn the voice of the potter behind the pots. I've always felt you can tell a lot about a potter from their pots. Just like people matching their dogs, potters often match their pots! That's why it's so neat for potters to raise their voices and share the inner workings of their studios. Blogging also brings about a sense of community between other potters and artists alike, who can learn, be inspired, or simply relate to the ramblings of the self employed artist."

I completely agree with Joy! While she talks specifically about pottery, I think her comments apply to other blogs as well - sculpture, painting, jewelry, woodworking, etc. Blogging has been a great way for me to share what I am working on and build a community of support.

Thank you Meredith for curating should be an exciting event! I'm looking forward to exhibiting some new work. (Which by the way is undergoing a lot of radical changes. I'll post images as soon as I'm ready for the world to see what's been going on behind the scenes.)

Cheers!
Meagan
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New Work - City gardening and pocket parks

Thought I post a few quick images of some new work. This piece was inspired by Pocket Parks - or community gardens that are planted on vacant lots within large cities where space for parks can be hard to come by.
Each 'box' or 'building' is 6 x 6" square and between 1 - 2" high. They are all mounted on a steel background that has been treated with a copper heat patina to give it that cool, moss-green color and texture.
Here are a few details...


the garden...

I got some helpful feedback on this piece during our recent critique, and I'm already excited about the changes I'll make in the next one.

That's it for now. Thanks for checking in!

Best,
Meagan
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Glass - Kiln Casting and Slumping

Finished up these tile plaques this week. This series of 6" x 6" x 1" plaques incorporates kiln cast glass and slumping, so I thought I'd share a couple pictures of the glass process today.

Finished Wall Plaques

Unfired glass stacked into steel molds. The molds are lined with fiber paper so the castings wont stick. Yes, I use the same L&L ceramics kiln to fire both ceramics and fused glass, and it works beautifully! I do have separate sets of selves, and 2 different types of kiln wash (aka shelf primer) though.

Kiln castings after being fired to 17250F. Interested in my glass firing schedule?

Check it out here.
In my kiln, this firing is set to Program #5. The kiln castings after the glass has been taken out of the mold and cleaned up a bit. Each "brick" is between 1/2" to 1" thick. Slicing the cast "bricks" with a table top tile saw.
(My least favorite part of the process. So loud and messy!)But it's worth it! The colors and patterns of the glass castings are revealed after they are sliced open. They've always reminded me of geodes. Once I have the slices, they 're cut down to size with a hand held glass cutter/scoring tool. The windows are also coated with the same primer/kiln wash that is on the shelves. This allows the glass to slump through the clay opening with minimal stress and cracking on the glass.

The pre-fired, glazed tiles are loaded into the kiln upside down, with the glass covering the window opening. They are then fired to 1300oF.
This is Glass Firing Program #2 .

After firing, the kiln wash/shelf primer is cleaned off with a damp sponge and the glass is glued back in with 100% silicone adhesive.

Here's a tile without the steel backing.

Well, there's a very quick runthough of what I've been up to this week in the studio. If you have any questions about any part of this process, please just let me know. I'm happy to share info!

Cheers!

Meagan

For those of you that like to plan way in advance...
Save the Date - August 22 - 28, 2010
All Fired Up! Experiments with Glass and Clay.
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN.

New Ceramic Sculptures

Hi there! Sorry I've been away for awhile. My computer was in the shop recovering from a serious virus. Thankfully, I didn't lose any files, and things seem to be up and running smoothly!

Here are a few quick pictures of what I've been working on in the studio the past month for my June exhibit at the Appleton.

Honey Breeze, earthenware clay and steel; 30" x 25" x 1"

Generations, Earthenware clay, cast glass, 34' x 35" x 2"

Unfolded, Earthenware clay, 29" x 29" x 3"

Fresh Delivery, Earthenware clay, 24" x 20" x 1"

French Lily, Earthenware clay, 18" x 11" x 1"

That's it! Got to get back to the studio! Thanks for reading and checking out my new work.

Best,

Meagan

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Low Fire Clay Slip - Recipe and Technique

A few years ago I started incorporating clay slip trailing into my work and have been having lots of fun with it. Here's the recipe for you to try.

Pete Pinell's White Slip
40 OM4
40 Talc
10 Silica
10 Nepheline Syenite
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100

+10 Frit 3124
+7 Zircopax

(You can also add a few drops of sodium silicate - a deflocculant that helps reduce viscosity and makes the slip easier to apply with a slip bottle.)

There are a variety of slip trailing bottles out there in many shapes and sizes. You'll want to experiment with a few until you find the style that you enjoy most. Some things to think about 1) the size of the tip opening can have an effect on line thickness it creates 2) how hard is the plastic? You're could be squeezing for awhile, so you want a bottle that's softer and easier to work with. 3) how much slip do you want it to hold?

Ron has a great post here on how to construct your very own slip trailer.Try drawing a practice line first to check thickness and to make sure the bottle isn't clogged. A sewing needle can be used to unclog the tip if needed.

Squeeze and draw away! It's a lot like decorating a cake. I like to wait until the clay is leather hard because the clay forms are easier to hold and work with at this stage.

A sample of slip stippling.

A group of unfired, slip decorated Minis.

A few glaze fired sample of how glazes will "break" and pool over the slip giving the surface added depth and dimension.

More glaze fired samples.

If anyone's interested, I'd be happy to share the above 2 recipes. Just let me know. Hope you're able to do something creative today!

Enjoy! I'm off to the studio!
Meagan

PS - More on the materials and process I use can be found here.
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