What is going on... Revisited...

Some of the greenware that is in the bisque kiln right now... and now I have the chocolate clay going on in wet next to wet white at the same time... DANGER of contamination Will Rodgers!!!!
This new work is focused on sculptural form and there are subtle things I am trying to "say"...
No protests... but  feelings and relationship stuff...
It is ok with me if I am talking to myself right now...
It is OK...

WHAT IF....

Artist/ Creatives...
Some interesting questions came up and I am very curious what your answers are...

IF money was not an issue...(to support you, etc)...

What would your art be like?
Would you continue to make art?
Would it change your focus?
What drives you to make your art?

ANY AND ALL ANSWERS are very appreciated...
 I may share in an upcoming (anonymous) blog post...
You can message me directly if uncomfortable with this forum.

This gentleman comes to mind...
Steve Tobin

I will drink to... INSPIRATION...

in 2014!
Here we go:

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT! THIS IS THE WEEKEND!!!

Baby, It's all White....

This Etsy treasury has 2 of my pieces in it as well as multiples of my buddies' Whitney Smith and Jennifer Wolfe! So... CLICK AWAY... maybe we can hit the front page and sell a few pieces....
Worth a shot.... I am done with that porcelain for a while any way...





















Yes, so the porcelain is a lovely white COLOR but frankly...
I rip and stab at the clay too much to mess with the porcelain... too many cracks and fissures...
SO... I am going to work between 2 yellower white clays: Standard 213(my oldie) and Little Loafers
which I can get down in Balmer at Clayworks Supply and see if I have a favorite...
I would love a white clay with the texture of Standard 225...I am not totally against a little groggy earthiness....
PLUS... for some work, I think I will use Tucker's Paper clay and see if I enjoy it....

NEW WEBSITE

I am pleased to announce my new website is LAUNCHED!
old address! new site!
http://www.jtceramics.com/

Some More Pots

You win some... You lose some.. again.

WELLLLLLLLL...
Not thrilled with my glaze attempts in the electric kiln firing I just did... These piece REALLY do not do well with glaze.... I mean, the could be glazes all over...but I feel like thy become too ...shiny? finished? blurred??? Back to the drawing board... maybe they are left unglazed or stained with other color clays or stains, or oxides...rubbed in... Whatever it is, it has to be more...subtle.
SOOOOO...
I will not be showing you photos of the yuck...
INSTEAD....
I played with my white balance and macro settings and here are a few tasty photos from the September wood firing!

GETTIN' HOT IN HEY-AHHHHH!

OUCH.
HOT here, already.
AND my kiln made it to 2099 and just errored out...
YEPPERS, I believe I've got some EXCHANGIN' to do...
ELEMENTS that is...
WELL... at least I have my health...(knock on wood...poo poo poo....very superstitious...)

SO the kids had school close unexpectedly at 1pm...
AND it will close at 1 pm tomorrow too...
EVIDENTLY there is not enough air conditioned spaces for these growing rug rats...
SO... they came home.
AND went in the river:
FRICK AND FRACK:




















SO I took one look at puppy Chai...
AND I went in too... all the way in... and she came in too.. and swam...



















NO photos of us in the water...
BECAUSE I left my phone where it would be safe from the water...
WHILE I was drying her off and showering, I rested it in the garage on the hood of my husband's car...
HOWEVER, he failed to tell me he was going to take off for a meeting...
IN his car.
SO... I called him in a panic( about a mile after he left...)
THEN we both searched for the phone.
AND FOUND IT.
BUT this is what it looked like:















SADLY, It needs to be replaced.
HAPPILY, I will be using the insurance I pay for every month
BUT, I believe they will not insure me anymore because that is 2 phones in about 6 months.
BUT, I HAVE MY HEALTH. (knock on wood...poo poo poo....very superstitious...

MEANWHILE..
THESE are the latest in the studio:










NOW I am working with Standard's Brooklyn RED.
LOVE it.
MESSIEST CLAY EVAH...
BUT, I do love it... more photos to follow...
AND
I sold a few things the past few days...
EVERYONE IGNORED my sale...
OH WELL.

ADDITIONALLY...
I made the top 50 ceramic blogs from this cool chick's LIST!

ALL of my faves are there...
COOLIO.
HELPS beat the heat.

Black Walnut.

Trying this out...basically working with it so far looks like I have spray tanned my HANDS! But... it promises to to be a great dark brown/blackish cone 6 clay in oxidation with NO Manganese... and it costs a FORTUNE. and it has to be SHIPPED... but... we shall see...It seems to throw well...

(*jumping back in here because I spoke to a supplier out of philly and evidently it is very hard to get this clay...
SO if anyone out there has suggestions for a chocolate brown(and/or speckled)WITH OUT MANGANESE....I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to know about it...)

AND... remember my tea bowl for the Kansas City show(look right for details...)





















It sold from the online photo ... and the show opens next month!
Pretty cool.

Happy Memorial Day weekend.
Thank you to all of those fine men and women who commit to protecting us from evil.
Actually feels like summer here in NEW JERSEY!!!
May even walk over to the beach this weekend with my hands that look like they have a spray tan...