Back from bisque, I call them pita plates. These are slab plates with upturned edges, in the same shape as the Meditteranean flatbread. Tile 6 slip on FCSI, about 12″ long. Might pre-spray with soda to make sure they don’t come out dry.

Two tall vessels or vases. Made the bodies (FCSI) Saturday from thin thrown slabs, attached the bottoms today and did a first coat of slip. They were ridiculously big slabs, as large as one leaf of the Trib, and it would have made more sense to use the slab roller. But the clay was in good shape, and I wanted to see how far I could push it. One vessel stands at about 24″ and has the slashes that are typical of my tumblers, the other is a more modest 18″. Have to take the slip application slowly so the clay doesn’t get oversaturated and collapse. After several more coats of Tile 6, they’ll be ready for carving and bisque.

More of these fun guys are back. The small ones will be shooters, or sake; larger for whiskey (or whatever, but I have to call them something). Tile 6 on FCSI again – a favorite combination. I get a kick out of making these little drawings. Bisque gets pretty unexciting to look at; there’s nothing good for a backdrop and the lighting is fluorescent. I’ll get a few shots of the finished ones soon.

A few photos from last night at the studio.

Both fireclay iron stoneware with tile 6 slip. Top piece carved while wet. Bottom painted with RIO. Both to be soda fired. At left, a few blocks awaiting interior glaze and soda firing.

FC stoneware w/iron, trailed with RIO slip, probably will use a shino glaze to bring out the iron, may soda fire.

Four bisqued whiskey cups (FCSI w/tile 6 slip) waiting to be glazed and soda fired.

A few tumble-stacked houses waiting to be washed with oxides and soda fired.

This is a general description of my work. When an art show application only has three lines, and I make all kinds of amusing/beautiful/useful things, it’s a challenge to find the common threads, describe what I care about in design, and make every word count. I think this skims the surface:

Soda fired handbuilt stoneware and porcelain characterized by a looseness of form. Surfaces use materials and techniques – flashing slips, oxides, carving, glazes – that are enhanced by atmospheric firing. Visually engaging pieces from everyday tableware to optionally functional sculpture.

Thought goes into design, and design evolves throughout the process of fabrication, further evolving during repetition. A design studio professor once commented that my process resembled that of Sol LeWitt, while the results bore more resemblance to Andy Goldsworthy’s. There’s an idea in everything.

Design-realized.com is at last underway! For those who missed the beginning: This year I decided to go after a couple of shows, and was accepted into both: NSUC ART 2007 and the Bucktown Arts Fest. Design-realized fits into the grand scheme by giving me a place to organize and stash ideas, and share photos of new work. This is going to be fun!