Peterson Clay and Woodwork

Pots On Location

2011-11-26T11:10:00.001-07:00

One of my very favorite movies is Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulin, or just "Amélie" for short. One of the many wonderful conspiracies Amélie cooks up is borrowing her father's garden gnome and arranging for an airline attendant friend to cart the gnome around the world with her, photographing the gnome in front of famous monuments and mailing the photos as postcards back to Amélie's father. I love the expression on his face as he receives the postcards! Recently, I've received some nice photos and updates from happy clay-purchasers, letting me know how their new pots are faring.

This jade plant has a new home, in my large columbine planter. Apparently, the photo was taken the day the jade moved in, and since then it has really been thriving.

Here are my flour-sugar-coffee canisters. The photos came with a note: "In their natural habitat." Delightful!

I rediscovered these next photos while scrolling through the ol' cellular. The first is from a visit home to my family in May. My mom still uses the mug I gave her several years ago, and its chocolatey brown color does look fabulous accompanying a soy cappuccino. I love the moment the coffee is served, complete with cinnamon sprinkled atop the foam. Yum!

Lilies of the valley and an iris, both from mom's garden.

This is my boss hard at work, with the "It ain't easy..." mug I gave him in August. It's fashioned after a plastic to-go mug that says "It ain't easy being a princess" and for some reason my boss adores the ugly thing! I tried to steer clear of any foofy princess designs, so my version is a large coffee cup-sized beer stein. It took me quite a while to come up with that idea, but I think it works great.

Send me photos if you have 'em!

Goblets

2011-11-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

In September I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, and in October I visited family in the Midwest. I love trekking around the country and the globe, but it means I've been out of the studio a lot! It's looking dubious that I'll be all that productive this month, with holidays just around the corner, but maybe I can get back into my routine of getting up at 6 am to start my day in the studio.

I did get to finish a few items, including 2 sets of goblets:

A commission for wine goblets

Matching goblets for the new gallery in Salida

Time to get back to work!

Saturday's Show

2011-09-12T20:17:00.000-06:00

Saturday was loads of fun! Linda Susak hung colorful oil paintings on the walls of the gallery, and I had five pedestals of work. I sold some pieces and got a commission, so it was a success! Plus, there were plenty of fun people to talk to.


Sipping Tea with the One I Love, Fragrant Steam Curling Around Fresh Blossoms

Tea Set 1: Timid Blossoms (Can you see them?)

Tea Set #2: Tumbling Blossoms

Floral Refreshment; Service for Four

Fresh Blossoms for the Kitchen

The last pedestal is away from the front window, by itself.

Where Flowers Come From

This is the blurb I have accompanying the work:

I studied ceramics incollege, working both on and off the wheel. Nearly ten years aftergraduating, I still adore how slow, thoughtful hand building complements thefast pace of throwing. It is a joy to create these floral pieces: first,I throw the utilitarian shapes on the wheel, then while I wait for them to dryI form the flowers and carefully attach them. For each piece, I imagine Iam creating an arrangement in a vase. Some blossoms are poised upward,soaking in the sun; others face forward confidently; my favorite ones arefloating lazily, perhaps caught in a breeze, snagged just before they fall tothe ground.

Getting Ready

2011-09-05T15:22:00.002-06:00

This Friday I'm setting up a show at the Breckenridge Theatre Gallery. The reception is on Saturday, from 4-6pm. Here's a sneak peek at one of my teapot sets:

The flower glaze is less yellow in person.

I have a bit more to do to finish the rest of the pieces, but I think I'll be ready. I'd better be ready!

On September 13, I fly off to Turkey with one of my best friends (Eric) for our other best friend's wedding (Zeynep). Eric came up with the idea of giving a pitcher as a wedding gift because it can be functional or displayed, depending on the couple's whim. He also came up with the glaze combination, which I really like - neutral enough for everyday use, but lovely enough to show off.

Hmmm. The glaze looks kinda messy in this photo.

There are two roses on the front of the pitcher to represent Zeynep and her husband, and the little rosebud symbolizes their future together...

Here you can see the glaze better, a nice honey color.

I can't wait for the Istanbul adventure! I'm sure I'll get tons of inspiration from the food, the colors, the culture, and of course the beautiful wedding!

Sneak Peak! Teapots out of the kiln.

2011-08-23T13:55:00.000-06:00

The teapots turned out really lovely with the flowers! I really like this glaze combination; it's the same I used for the last teapot set, the creamer/sugar set, and the leafy espresso cups.

I like these leafy tea cups with swoopy handles.

The cups I made to accompany the teapots are drying for a bisque, as well as flour, sugar, and coffee canisters. The canisters look pretty small behind the tea cups, but they're rather large. Or rather, they're probably about the right size for what they are. I don't actually know if there's a standard size for these items. Now I have to think about glazes for these; same green/tan combo, or something else? Maybe I'll wait until I make more pieces to make a decision.

The left two cups go with the left teapot above; the right two go with the right teapot

Meanwhile, I've been making more work for Coyote Creek Gallery in Fairplay. Here's a sampling of some of the work I'll be bringing on Saturday when it's my day to watch the shop.

3 mugs out of a 4 mug set; small green vase

Med-large slightly squared bowls, blue and yellow.

Finally, I wanted to share a quick shot of my muse resting on the couch this morning, clutching a pillow I made, pretending to be asleep so that I don't feel badly walking out the door, away from him and the studio...

See the open eye and twisted ears? He's watching me...

I'm coming back this evening to work on water goblets, a pitcher, and more!

Flowers Everywhere

2011-08-15T17:03:00.000-06:00

Last week I realized--in a moment of panic--that I have a show coming up in September! Thankfully I've already made some pieces I'd like to display. I'll continue with other household items (Piers is pressuring me to make a bread box, although I'm pretty skeptical at this point). Oh yes, and I want flowers EVERYWHERE!

The teapot on the left is 7" tall at the height of the handle; the pitcher is 11" tall.

The pitcher might actually be a wedding gift. That's the intention I had when I made it, but it also fits in well with my flower theme for the show. I'll leave it to my best friend to decide, since it was his brilliant idea to give a custom water vessel in the first place.

I need to make flowery tea cups next.

In other news, Piers is building a wood shed! I'm really excited about it, and it's in a great location. It's below the height of the deck (that's where I'm standing, pointing the camera downward) which means no shadows to block the sunshine. The door frame has a lot of clearance at the bottom so it will be easy to keep the snow cleared away. The large windows are actually shower doors, which won't shatter if hit by a wayward log. Obviously it's not quite tall enough for him to stand inside, but it will be very comfortable for me!

Piers waving the hammer wildly, showing off for the dog (can you hear Vlad barking?)

I'm off to check on my glaze firing, which includes mugs, bowls, leafy tea cups 'n' saucers, and the large columbine planter (which might go in my September show). Then it's time to brainstorm more pieces.

Vlad stays inside the studio on a rainy day

2011-08-02T17:14:00.001-06:00

Today I loaded and fired a bisque load and made new clay. I also threw 5 new bowls, 4 mug forms, and 2 cups/saucers à la leafy espresso cup set.

It may not look productive, but it's been a quality day.

Here's a look at the photos chronicling the day's events:

11 am. I pour myself some coffee as I realize Vlad and I are quite bleary-eyed and sleepy.

Vlad chooses the path less caffeinated.

Cannot..... fight.... gravity....

A much-needed bathroom break.

Where was I? Oh yes. Back to the studio.

One must throw oneself wholeheartedly into each task.

Another bathroom break at the end of the day.

There you have it! Tomorrow should be just as enjoyable, and will have a lot more pottery to show for it.

Alma Fest Preparations

2011-07-15T07:38:00.001-06:00

It's Friday! Alma's Festival in the Clouds begins tomorrow at 10:00 am. I'm looking forward to listening to music all day.....

Every year, I donate work to the Alma Foundation for my name to be on the Alma Fest T shirt. Here is Vlad displaying this year's bowls:

It rained yesterday afternoon and my pottery collected the rainwater.

I hope we have sunny, dry weather this weekend!

In Celebration of Flowers and Greenery

2011-07-14T21:05:00.001-06:00

I finished the vases and delivered them to a local florist, Petal and Bean. These are 12-14" tall, and they all have a triangular shape.

Can vases have "mug" shots? Everyone turn to your right, please.

"Normal" vases, about 8" tall.

Do you remember the mini-planter I made for my brother-in-law's oh-so-cute succulent? I made another planter, this time for the minuscule cactus given to us by Piers's wonderful mom. It's lived in a boring plastic pot for too long, and I hope a change of scenery is all this li'l guy needs to grow big and strong! He's only 1.25" tall currently.

A dainty ladder brings you to the front door.

A fox for Piers.

Stylized walls continue along the back side of the planter.

In contrast to the miniature adobe-style planter, which is 5" at its longest and a mere 3" tall, the columbine flower on my new piece is almost 7" wide! The box shape is 12" x 12" x 6" tall. It's finally dry enough to bisque, but I have to wait until after Festival in the Clouds to move ahead with firing and glazing.

On Sunday, after the large planter was finished, I found myself at a buy-one-get-one-free sale at our local Mountain Growers nursery. Irresistible!! My friend Erin oohed and ahhed around the nursery with me as I picked out Speedy Sonnet Bronze snap dragons and Wave Blue petunias. (Who makes up these names?!)

We planted them outside my studio that afternoon, and it wasn't until the next morning that I realized that the color combination I selected mimics almost perfectly the red-orange Indian Paintbrush and purple Lupin already in our yard.

This evening shot doesn't do the colors justice. Is this Lupin or false Lupin, I wonder?

A good luck bunny watches over the newly-planted flowers.

Snow Day

2011-06-21T15:44:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited for this year's Festival in the Clouds! It takes place next to Alma's Town Hall, with plenty of room for vendors and visitors. The playground and the river entertain kids while bands play on stage. I'll be sharing a booth with my friend Priscilla again this year. She makes great handbags that add color and excitement to our space. I hope to have some of Jesse's matted photos, and I think Priscilla's husband Greg will add something as well. We'll set up on Friday afternoon, July 15, and enjoy sunshine and music as people wander around all day Saturday and Sunday. (Fingers crossed for minimal rain!)

To prepare for the festival, I've been making new work. Yesterday I woke up to this:

Mr Puppy singing on the deck, joyful in the snow.

No thank you, snow! It melted quickly, but it was a good incentive for me to stay in my studio all morning. Today I'm firing a special glaze load, including a serving dish for a fellow yogi as a wedding gift for her friends. Tomorrow I'll do a bisque firing.

In the front are squared bowls to replace the ones that sold at Coyote Creek Gallery. For the July festival: mugs, bowls, teapot & cups, and cream & sugar set. The tall vases might go to Petal & Bean in Breckenridge, depending how they turn out. They are fun slab projects, and I like the shapes so far. I'll have better pictures later.


I like this creamer/sugar set.

I'm having fun with this faux wrapped handle theme (top of the tray handle; where the teapot handle meets the spout). What to make next...? Any ideas for more sets? I'm going to start on an idea for square dinner plates this afternoon, or maybe more vases (more "normal" vases).

Form and Intention

2011-06-03T16:22:00.000-06:00

In April, my brother-in-law asked me for a new planter for his tiny succulent plant. I have a love affair with plants in general, and this li'l guy inspired me to build a home where he'd be happy to stretch his greenery. The adobe-style house is about 3" tall, with plenty of drainage, per Jesse's instructions.

Thriving in his new home!

See the little steps and the arched entryway?

My husband remarked that this isn't my 'usual' style. Suddenly I remembered my professor in college, chiding me for not 'focusing' on one thing. Do I work on the wheel OR off the wheel? Why can't I stick to one style?

In my ceramics career so far, I've used different techniques to create my forms; I've used terra sig, underglazes, and glazes to decorate; and I've experimented with different firings, including electric, wood, gas, and pit. Sometimes I'm critical of myself, as if my experimentation is a bad thing. However, I'm discovering that 'focus' for me can't mean limiting the shapes I want to form out of clay. My idea of ceramics begins with creating wildly different forms guided by consistent themes:
I rarely smooth a surface completely or otherwise erase my touch on the clay
I try to make my pieces appropriately weighted, to combine the visual and tactile expectation
I am attentive to my choice of detail, adding or deleting marks purposefully

It's only when I pick up a paintbrush that the pieces start to look very different, and that's where I want to work on developing a satisfying but narrow range of finishing options.

As you look through these next pieces, maybe you'll see that they have similarities following the themes I described, and that it's the different decorating styles that make them so different. Maybe not! I'd love to hear feedback--one reason why I have this blog. Also, like a lot of artists, I find it challenging to articulate what I feel about my work, and here I have the opportunity to combine words and clay on a regular basis. Yesterday I was asked to describe my handbuilt work, and I stumbled through a vague answer, because I don't know how to talk about the finished pieces. I do know how I feel when I work; like a consultant or designer, pairing a client's personality or style with a specific product. The planter is an easy example, where my 'client' is the plant. It may seem that the next pieces are not related, but they are to me, for their specific purposes.

My husband suggested I make espresso cups and saucers. These are tiny, espresso-shot-sized cups with leafy saucers. I didn't set out to make complicated saucers, but they simply had to sprout leaves! I have a set of four that will go to Coyote Creek Gallery this weekend.

After the espresso set, I threw bowls, mugs, and a casserole dish, then realized I make very few lidded forms. I threw this with a lot of intention in the form, but it almost didn't turn out this way. I had an onset of laziness and wished I had thrown a flatter lid that could be finished quickly. I actually threw a half-hearted knob on top, but finally convinced myself not to ruin the form with banality and just add the iris already! Or rather, I marched into the living room and said something confrontational to my husband like, Should I keep this stupid, ugly knob on the lid or make a really cool iris instead!?

The iris pot is about 12" tall. I'm still considering what glazes I want to use. (See why I need to focus on my glazing and firing?)

Meanwhile, I've made a whole lot of magnets. They lurking in photos in my April-May posts; I only just glued magnets on the back and displayed them on the fridge. There are many more than the ones shown here, and they vary from blue to blue-green. I think they are so much fun! They're about 2.5" tall, 1-3" wide, depending on the letter. Should I put them on etsy or bring them to the gallery? Hmmmm. It feels good to have this sort of dilemma.

My clay magnets are cozying up to this lovely magnet made by my dear friend Katie.

These next two pieces were created a long time ago, and I've finally resolved the 'how do I glaze you?' problem.

These two tiles come from my friend Syma's barrel-fire workshop--I think it was the summer of 2009. There were leftover fresh tiles when the workshop ended, and I took two home, carefully stored in Ziploc baggies. My head was bursting with the excitement I feel by blank canvases, untouched smooth clay, or even an unlined piece of paper, but time passed quickly and the tiles stayed bare. I was feeling sad one day, missing my cat, and retrieved the miraculously still-damp tiles. I sketched a cat figure across them, then shelved the tiles for more than a year. On a particularly gray day this Spring, I revisited the tiles. Bright rectangles of underglaze and low-fire glaze add life to my kitty diptych. Each tile is 4" x 4" and is made to hang on the wall.

Do you see the square of clear glaze on each tile? Click on the photo to see it larger.

This vase is a piece I made in May 2010. It is covered with white terra sig and I pit fired it a year ago. It turned out mostly gray and black, and I could never bring myself to 'finish' it with tile sealer. When I loaded my kitty tiles into the kiln, it was a perfect opportunity to make a decision about the vase, by adding it to the kiln load and intending to glaze it with underglazes as well. All the black and gray carbon from the pit firing burned away, and I've redecorated the surface using underglazes.

The underglazes on the vase have not yet been fired. The very faint lilac will turn into the deeper purple on the kitty tile on the left. Similarly, the pink, yellow, orange, and brown will become more intense. Then I will apply a clear glaze to the entire piece, and Piers will add a handle.

Button closure

I used to work at Breckenridge Blinds & Draperies, where our office was filled with fabric sample books, floor to ceiling. Rich chenilles, airy linens, beautiful silks. Textiles provide a lot of inspiration for me, and I spent a lot of time at Breck Blinds eyeing designer fabrics, searching through sample books for just the right choice for particular projects. (The designers would ask me if I had time to look. You're kidding, right?) The shape of this vase works well, divided into two fabric-inspired patterns as if I had found fabric in two color ways that I couldn't decide between, and displayed both to the designer.

I'm looking forward to firing the vase. It is decorative (cannot hold water) and will be fired at a low temperature--which means I'd better get to the studio so I can throw more work and fill a bisque load!

Where are my May Flowers?

2011-05-24T12:53:00.007-06:00

This is the time to vacation! Tourists have disappeared and the days drag along. Usually, it's muddy outside, a real in-between season when the ground's too soft for a long hike or run - or you're stymied by several-foot-high snow fields lurking in shady sections of the trail. This year, however, we've hardly entered mud season at all. It keeps snowing... and snowing...

The first of May came in with a bang: my glaze firing turned out well, and when I brought the new work to Coyote Creek Gallery, I sold one of the pieces right away, a medium-sized footless bowl that flared out at the top. Talk about immediate gratification...

Ta-da! Reassembling most of the work from the bisque photo in my last post

A few days later, I was on the plane with my husband, flying to see my parents in Bloomington, IN. I was excited to be drenched in sunshine and Midwest mugginess! Ironically, the weather at home turned beautiful while we were away, and Bloomington was still groggily shedding its winter chill. Here I am, enthusiastically embracing summery blossoms, while wearing ...a scarf and a sweater. Grumble. Then as the weather improved, I got sick. Shoot! And back in Colorado, it's been overcast and snowy since our return home. ARGH!

I just have to be a little more patient. The sun is shy.

Spring has sprung in my studio. I'm happy for the inspiration I've gotten from the frosty weather; I'm adding brighter colors, and using leaves and flowers in my work. Photos are coming soon!

Failure! And trying again...

2011-04-28T11:50:00.000-06:00

Uck.

I misread my glaze notes, and applied too much glaze to...... eight, ten, twelve pieces? Large platters, bowls, tea cups.... I don't want to remember. Total waste of time and effort and I ruined shelves. Frustrating! The pile of failures is banished to Piers's woodworking area of the garage. Maybe I'll smash them, maybe I'll ignore them some more. Grrrr.

I'm extraordinarily thankful to my sweet partner for being calm and supportive. Yes, I feel like I was careless and destroyed my work unnecessarily. I also simply love working in clay, and that's where my passion and drive stem from.

So I've taken a deep breath (many deep breaths) and wedged some new clay. Here's some work fresh out of the kiln:

More work is being glazed, and I have greenware drying slowly in my studio. I'll post new pictures after the next glaze load (gulp!) .....Keep your chin up, girl!!

Where Mugs Come From

2011-04-11T07:48:00.002-06:00

We all know where babies come from. But what about mugs? And why does it take me so darn long to make the ones for the Corral? My husband and his brother documented some of the process for my most labor-intensive mugs.


Step One: Make clay

Since I've switched clays, I don't buy any more of this gray clay (and I can't use my new red clay to make these mugs because the glaze color doesn't turn out the same), so I reconstitute it from my bucket of slop. Here I've scooped out as much wet clay as the plaster bat can handle. I let this dry for a day and a half in my studio. The top air-dries, and the bottom has moisture sucked up by the plaster, so I'm left with a crunchy cookie that's still mushy on the inside.

Step Two: Prep clay for throwing

Now it's time to wedge the clay cookie, mixing together the drier and wetter parts until it reaches an even consistency. I let it dry for several more hours until it's stiffer and ready to be thrown on the wheel, then weigh out the clay into 1 1/4 lb balls.

Step Three: Throw mugs; Step Four, Trim the bottom

Here I've thrown six mug forms, and allowed them to dry enough for me to trim the bottom. To keep the clay bodies from mixing, I've flipped the bat on my wheelhead (from the red clay side to the gray clay side), and set out a large plastic bag to catch my gray clay trimmings. I guess I've been keeping a lot of trimmings--that pile should really go back into my slop bucket.

I center the mug form, and secure it with wet clay (above), then trim away excess clay and shape the bottom with a trimming tool (below).

Step Four continued, since Steps Five through Seven are missing...

Okay, so there aren't any photos of me making handles, letting the handles dry, stamping each mug body, and attaching the handles. You'll have to use your imagination for those steps.

Step Eight: Bisque; Step Nine: Underglaze

Once the mugs are fully assembled, I let them dry completely, then bisque them to around 1950 degrees. After the kiln cools overnight, I apply three coats of black underglaze to the stamped logo area, using my small brush. Then the mugs go back in the kiln for a second bisque. The underglaze becomes shiny and permanent, and I can keep it separate from the brown glaze that goes over the entire mug.

By the way, I want to point out the plant in the background, above. It's either a lemon, grapefruit, or orange plant; my husband can't remember what he was eating when he planted the seed, since he never expected it to sprout. At this rate, we'll have a full-fledged tree gracing our living room in, say, ten years. How exciting!

Step Ten: Second bisque, Step Eleven: Detailed glaze area

For the glazing, I apply three coats with my small brush, around all the detail of the logo. I enjoy this sort of work; when I have to paint a room, I prefer the edging and trim work instead of the roller application. After the detailed areas are done, I grab a large brush and apply three coats inside and out. Whew! Back in the kiln for a glaze firing, around 2230 degrees.

My pottery is microwave- and dishwasher-safe. I think everything tastes better when it's served in a ceramic or glass container. Especially when it's handmade! I love the special moment you feel when you pour your drink into a handmade cup, enjoying touch, taste, smell, sight; a lovely indulgence in Life.

The next morning, I open the kiln to see how the glazing turned out. These are for Barbara and Geoffrey... Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy your mugs!

Happy Results

2011-03-16T19:46:00.004-06:00

The glaze firing turned out nicely! I'm quite pleased with my clay. Here are some of the pots:

I particularly like these mugs.

The Corral mugs, ready to be packed up:

Into the Bisque

2011-03-09T12:33:00.004-07:00

Last Thursday, I put work in the Fairplay co-op, Coyote Creek Gallery. When I checked in over the weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to hear I'd already sold a piece! The more work I sell, the more space I have for my new pieces. Here are some pots I set out to dry yesterday for this afternoon's bisque.

Bowls, mugs, tumblers, serving dishes.

The brown pieces are all slightly squared (except the bowl in the middle - that was my very first piece in the new clay, and it will be glazed differently than the others). I made tumblers, mugs (back left), bowls, and a serving platter.


Iris stamp

To accompany the new year and new clay, I also made a new stamp: a stylized combination of Siberian and Japanese irises that I hope will look nice under glaze. I plan to replace writing my name or initials with my stamp--except for the Corral mugs, below, which I've already stamped the side of, and I don't want to overcrowd. This new clay body has a lovely color when fired, and I'd rather leave the bottoms of my pieces simple. The stamp is hand drawn, so that it has a uniqueness of a signature, but it allows me to express something other than just my name. At a workshop by Takashi Nakazato a few years ago, I was surprised to learn that the mark he makes isn't related to his name; it means "money" or "sell" or something like that. He is a businessman besides being an artist, and truly intends to for his work to be purchased.

The light-colored mugs are for The Corral, a condo complex on the South side of Breckenridge where I do property and HOA management (aka, my day job). I've found a lot of opportunity at work to involve my creativity, including overseeing the web site project, where you can also see the photo shoots I coordinated. The President of the HOA saw my show last summer at the Breckenridge Theatre Gallery and asked me to hang my pit fired masks in the office, so there's art around me all day.

I'm quite happy with the stamp I made here. Usually, I free-hand (backward) any design or lettering for a stamp. This design posed a challenge in presicion, so I X-acto'd the logo from regular paper, moistened it only enough to stick to the clay, and about five hours later I had what I hoped would turn into a usable stamp. After the stamp was bisqued I breathed a sigh of relief. I wouldn't have the patience to replicate the stamp any time soon, so I'm extremely careful not to lose it or break it.

All right, enough time goofing off! Time to load the kiln. I'm not sure I have time to glaze before Monday, but if I can high fire these pieces next Tuesday, I'll post the results asap!

New Year, New Clay

2011-02-25T13:55:00.002-07:00

After exclusively making clay from raw ingredients in college, I switched to store-bought clay about five years ago. I miss the intimate process, squishing goopy mud through my fingers. Clay in a bag is easy: Step one, open bag; Step two, cut off desired clay amount. I don't need to know anything about it to use it.

For the past several months, however, I've been devastated by awful pitting in my glazes, the severity of the pitting oscillating between minor annoyance to such horrifying results that I tell my husband I never want to touch clay again. After conferring with my clay group, the consensus was that I've simply had a bad batch of clay. What?!? How could my frustration and wasted time - months! - be due to "bad" clay? In my limited experience, one only ruins clay through incompetence, and once you've ruined a batch of clay, there's a lot of motivation to be prudent and accurate in the future! I don't know how professional clay-mixers test to ensure quality. Every new clay purchase carries the disclaimer "Test each batch of new clay before using", but I assumed - wrongly, it seems - that this was a general warning for the one time in a million that something goes amiss. Sigh.

I stopped by Mile High Ceramics two weeks ago, armed with renewed enthusiasm and two dear friends, and picked out a new clay, a darker body suitable both for hand building large pieces and for throwing. Some clays that can support a lot of weight for larger projects have too much grog or sand that, on a quickly spinning wheel, rubs my hands raw.

Why a darker clay body? I know I don't like the naked color of most light clay bodies after they're fired. In college, I fired exclusively in reduction (propane or wood) and considered an electric kiln only as a handy tool to bisque my work. Once the glaze is applied, a reduction atmosphere draws oxygen from the clay and glazes, adding complexity and variance to an otherwise uniform surface.

There are ceramic artists whose work I adore, and who use an electric kiln exclusively. I, however, have never been satisfied with the results from my kiln, and perhaps it is because I stubbornly expect my work to look like it came out of a gas kiln! Who knows how much I'll ultimately enjoy this new, darker clay body, but it's a step toward embracing the results from my electric kiln.

Here are some of the test results from my first round of glazing. I met with the folks at Coyote Creek Gallery in Fairplay last week, and they want to show my work in their gallery (hooray!) including more colorful pieces than my usual earth tones. I see only neutrals and blues here (the middle test piece was supposed to be more green), but there is good potential. The middle glaze could go nicely with the nearly-black brown on the left. Also, I'm curious to see how the second tumbler from the right (actually more of a burgundy-brown) works with the glaze next to it (also below).

I like this glaze a lot.

Now that I've spent most of the day peering at my glazes, I have to decide what kind throw, and then I'll retire to my studio until dinner!

Better Late Than Never

2011-01-30T09:20:00.002-07:00

My New Year's resolution should have been something along the lines of "Don't abandon your blog." Here are the final photos for the series of posts I wrote in September. I'm not sure why I couldn't find time to post these in the last three months; or maybe it was the traveling, holiday enjoyment, and forgetting to take days off from my day job...

I think these photos turned out well. The show was great, and I look forward to the next project!

Place setting: large plate, salad plate, covered bowl

Drinking vessel

Dessert bowls

Teapot

Fall Colors & More Pots

2010-09-21T23:33:00.011-06:00

Ah, the brilliance of aspen foliage. Each day's beauty surpasses the last as green leaves change to yellow gold, orange flame, and stunning red.

Every day the colors intensify beneath an incredibly blue sky. It's hard to believe it'll end in the next few days, or perhaps in another week, the leaves turning quite suddenly to brown and dropping from the trees.

As an artist who is deeply moved by the mountain landscape around me, I've been bursting with excitement over the autumn splendor. If only I could spend every day in the studio, watching the leaves rustle in the breeze, and enjoying a mid-day jog with my puppy companion! It's lovely to dream...

These are the pieces I finished today:

Tea pot & cups, soup bowl with lid, large goblet, cookie dish.

(It might be fun to take a look back at the previous stage, before I assembled and carved the parts and pieces.)

More condiment servers and a large plate that sits under the small plate:

On second thought, maybe the cookie dish is more of a display for hors d'oevres.

Tomorrow I'll fire my second round of glaze tests (fingers crossed that all goes well) and then I'll bisque these pieces over the weekend. If my glazes come out satisfactorily, I'll be able to breathe easier... October is coming quickly! I can't wait to see what everyone's been working on. There will be a lot of friendly faces at the opening, since there are fifteen or so artists participating in "For The Table," many of them local clay friends. One of the regional artists is Tara Wilson. I had the privilege of watching her throwing & altering demonstration at NCECA '09.

Thank you to the wonderful (and ever-organized) Pam Herring for coordinating this show!

Before and After

2010-09-18T19:29:00.000-06:00

A good friend of mine, Nick, visited me in Colorado in June, 2009. I was teaching an annual clay workshop in the Breckenridge Arts District called Fire It Up. Nick found pictures from that visit, and emailed them to me this week.

In a pit firing, like a raku firing, the process itself is a lot of fun. People often ask how pit firing is different from raku, where pots are also a fired at a lower temperature. One major difference between the two involves the timing of all the chemical reactions (ie, cool effects). With raku, chemical reactions are brought about once you remove the piece from the kiln, and with pit firing, all those reactions occur during the firing. Also, it's common to glaze pots for a raku firing, and for pit firing, the most I brush onto a pot is terra sigilata (a clay slip, aka 'terra sig') if I use anything at all. The effects of both firings are stunning, but very different.

Here I am working on an elephant mask (from that class in 2009). My friend Rachel is smoothing the bottom of her bird mask.

Texture is important to consider when building a piece for the pit because every indentation or smooth surface remains unchanged through the firing. There's no glaze to cover up a messy surface. For the elephant mask, I wanted a smooth, tranquil surface, and I brushed on a warm-hued terra sig to get muted colors. For the tusk, I used a white terra sig. White picks up a wide range of colors in the firing: yellows, reds, blues, greens, or grays and black.

I'm demonstrating for Nick that the elephant has its head turned to the side. One pit firing later, and voila! I think the mask turned out very well. I have it available for $60.

New Pots, New Show

2010-09-11T12:43:00.034-06:00

I am part of a wonderful, new group called Summit County Clay. We are enthusiastic about sharing experiences, critiquing current work, and problem solving clay/glaze/design issues. What an uplifting group of gals--innovative, full of energy, and positive. Two of our members have organized an invitational show for our new work (and work from selected clay artists from around the state) to be displayed at Arts Alive Gallery in Breckenridge. It's coming up quickly, on October 2nd!

The theme is pottery for the table. A local weaver is creating beautiful place mats for each of our table settings. Each ceramic artist creates whatever dishes s/he wants to fill the place mat. There's another table for serving dishes appropriate for the main course, side dishes, dessert, and beverages. I listened to traditional ideas tossed around that I hadn't considered: specific servers for asparagus, fish, strawberries and chocolate, and many more. There are so many possibilities... I spent several weeks simply exploring design ideas that I could extend throughout all the shapes I'd want to throw (I even snuck in sketches while serving on jury duty). What an exciting challenge!

As an overall theme, I immediately thought of carving my pieces, but how exactly? I made several test pieces, pursuing different ideas (including the carved bowl and pitcher from my last post). I was still undecided when I sold nearly all of those pieces during the summer art festivals. Only a week ago, I settled on my original idea of throwing my pieces thicker in parts and using a faceting tool to carve away the extra clay. I opened my sketchbook and formed clear ideas to pursue.

Off to the studio... Yesterday I stopped suddenly around noon and snapped off photographs to capture the organized process. There are balls of clay waiting to be thrown, freshly-thrown parts and pieces awaiting to be carved and assembled, and completed work drying slowly.

I find inspiration in moving with intention in every step. I keep track of which pieces I want to make in my notebook so that I prepare all the parts and pieces at once. Then I weigh individual balls of clay. To keep all the pieces coordinated without breaking concentration, I like to label each ball of clay (a wonderful, borrowed idea). By naming the clay, I feel like I'm focusing its energy and encouraging its success, like a gardener whispering to her plants to encourage their growth. Here I'm urging T(ea) cup, L(arge) plate, and T(ea) pot!

Meanwhile, the wet pots are slowly firming up: condiment servers and a small plate on the left; soup bowl lid in the middle; cookie dish, goblet cup, and feet for those pieces are on the right. I like the challenge of throwing each piece as thick or thin as I need it to be later (to carve into the clay).

I'm pretty happy with this soup bowl. Its inspiration comes from the small, lidded bowls my family used for miso soup. (The lid is in the photo above.) As an adult with my own family, I prefer a much larger bowl now, but I want to keep the cherished feeling of presenting a generous and thoughtful surprise for each guest at the table--even when it's obviously soup.

The challenge here is coming up with an idea for the knob on the lid. Time to work with the wet clay is running out... I'll have to make a decision in the next few days.

Finally, we come to the finished pieces! Here are serving bowls, a condiment bowl with a spoon, and three tumblers. I'm glad I took so much time to prepare because I'm happy with the forms so far.
Now it's time to think about glazing... I'm not so excited about this part. I get very frustrated with my glazes sometimes. I first thought about glazing these pieces dark brown with an accent of green/blue, but as lovely as that looks on some forms, I think it doesn't work with all of them.

Moving forward, I've found an interesting glaze combination I used on a vase a few years ago. Although I'm wary of using a single glaze on every single piece, I'd like to try this glaze on a test piece and see what I think. Maybe I can make a quick test piece tonight so that I can bisque fire it when I'm back in the studio Wednesday and start glaze tests as soon as possible!

New Work, Old Inspiration

2010-08-08T18:33:00.008-06:00

I'm having a great summer! I'm grateful that so many people bought my pots at Alma's Festival in the Clouds, and now I have room for more work in the studio. I've been attending to several different projects, as usual, but am making good progress.

One project was for my brother-in-law, for his birthday last week. Almost without exception, I have to form a clear vision of what to make someone when they request a gift. Luckily, Jesse told me exactly what he wanted: a flower pot for a plant that outgrew its old, plastic pot. He knew what size pot he wanted, and he already had a flower pot that would go beside mine.

The last time I made a normal flower pot shape was in high school ceramics, with my wonderful teacher Ms. Benham. The class lasted only one year, but she has stayed in my thoughts ever since. She encouraged me to express myself creatively and inspired me to adopt the attitude that anything is possible, it just takes imagination. I had a blast experimenting with different forms and styles of construction, and then meticulously decorating my pieces with the school's underglazes. Since Jesse's flower pot reminded me of that ceramics class so many years ago, I decided to mostly use underglazes for the decoration. I'm quite pleased with how nicely the pots go together, and I'm proud of myself for completing it on time! I'm usually behind schedule when it comes to gifts...

I'm also working on a dinner set for a show in October with Summit County Clay. I made a few carved condiment servers in July, and last week I started on carved pitchers. They're angled forward and the handle rests on the "butt" that sticks out. I mimicked the posture of the piece and decided it's a bit of a self-portrait of me in a goofy mood. When I demonstrated the posture to my husband, he laughed out loud.

I enjoy carving pieces; there's a similar satisfaction from cutting into the clay as there is in drastic gestures like chopping off 6" of hair or crushing a failed piece, except that carving has a serene quality of movement, like ripples on a lake. I first started to carve pots in the early 2000s after spending time with Yves-Marie, a potter friend in the south of France, about a half-hour from Spain. We'd work in clay all day and drink bottles of Spanish rosé wine in the evening. He throws very large pots and decorates the carved surface with oxides, much different from my style. I was immediately drawn to his technique of carving and have employed it with my own pieces ever since.

My last project is ongoing, creating work for the High Country Music Festival, which is coming up in only a couple of weeks. Thursday and Friday will be the last days for me to make new pieces. I'll bisque them next Sunday evening and glaze fire all day Tuesday so that they'll be ready to pack up for the festival. Priscilla and I will set up our booth on Friday afternoon, Aug 20, and then I'll sit back and enjoy music all weekend! What a plan.

Where did all the Etsy pieces go?

2010-07-31T17:56:00.006-06:00

Yes, I took down my Etsy pieces unexpectedly... I brought them all, plus my new work to Alma for the Festival in the Clouds. This is a wonderful, casual music event the town puts on every year. Alma's website only has three pictures so far; I hope they post more. If you look at the photo with the drum set... that crane is parked behind the house next to mine, so if you imagine turning your gaze to the left.... that's me!

For the past three or four years I've donated ceramics to the Festival in the Clouds, to be given out as door prizes (so that my name gets added to the list of sponsors on the back of the Tshirt) and this year it felt special to have a booth as well. I shared the space with Priscilla Altimari, who I know from the design biz. She designs fantastic handbags from designer fabrics. Yes, I traded her some ceramics for my very own new handbag! I just couldn't resist. It has neutral straw/gold/yellows and fun tassels. Perfect!

Here I am socializing with a young lady who is checking out Priscilla's bags. Totally rocking the bumper sticker I got in my vendor goodie bag. I sold a lot of work, but it felt like I was taking the weekend off because I lounged under our tent, sipping drinks and taking in the music.

August 21 & 22 bring something new to Alma: The High Country Music Festival (check out their site). Priscilla and I are giving the sales angle another go, with fresh items and plenty of enthusiasm. After that I'll make even more pieces, both for Etsy and for a new space in Frisco I'm going to be involved with. Details to follow... For now, I think I have my hands full! I can't keep up with documenting my studio work, but I promise to share some photos very soon.

Spring Projects

2010-05-22T18:43:00.012-06:00

I'm looking forward to starting a glaze firing tomorrow morning! I have several projects to finish up which feel long overdue. Maybe it's because I recently took time off to visit my parents and enjoy their humid spring and neon green flora, but suddenly I feel like I've been producing and producing, without wrapping anything up!

Here are some of the fun items I'll fire tomorrow.....

First, there are large mugs for sipping tea that will go to the Backcountry Herbal Apothecary in Frisco. I added the company's logo image sans text. I just mixed up the glaze, and if all goes well, it'll end up sage green with brown accents.

The casserole dish is a custom piece for a designer and friend from my days working with blinds and draperies (hence the drapery tassel "handle"). I let it dry sloooooowly, over three weeks, just to be safe. I'm really excited to see the results: the red-looking glaze will turn blue, and the tassel will be more wine-colored with blue accents.

I put the plates on the back burner because they're "just" for my husband, and I've had more pressing priorities. Also, our outdoor pet (Linden the fox) somehow got into the garage and jumped on two of the five plates, breaking the rims. Bad pet! I threw a replacement plate a few weeks later, and I think it fits with the style of the others. They will all be the same deep brown and blue color scheme as the tumblers and salad plates I put on Etsy recently. In the middle of the plates I pressed to make shallow swirls, and that part will be the blue.

At long last, I'm moving forward with my "Poppy Reiki" vase. I was inspired by a dear friend who is a Reiki Master. She says that she came upon a poppy bud one day and performed Reiki on it for fun, and.......yes, you guessed it, the bud opened into a flower! I love this story, even if it is improbable, and made the vase very narrow (depth-wise) so that it would seem like a book to shelve, thus documenting the sweet story in the banks of my life's experience. I constructed this vase in 2009 and only today applied underglaze to the incised drawing. After I fire it to cone 6 and vitrify the clay, I'll apply a low-fire liner glaze on the inside and rim and fire it again.

For my show in July I've started making masks to hang on the walls. I think the colorful effects on my masks that I'll get from a pit fire will complement the black and white photography that will be hung as well. Who knows what pieces I'll make for the pedestals, but I'll think of that when the masks are done. I just finished teaching pit firing classes for the Arts District of Breckenridge, and of course I had my students make masks as well. I love sharing inspiration with a group of clay folks and feeling the positive, creative energy we generate together!

In the spirit of Spring, I've had plants and new growth on my mind. I don't know what I set out to do here, but I just finished a planter with an eye, nose, mouth, ear, and open hands. I can't wait to fire it and decide which plants I want to emerge from the openings! It's about 17" tall and 15" wide. Clockwise from the front are stylized hands, an ear, a mouth (just looks like a slit from this angle, but those are actually the bottom teeth), an eye, and a nose. The holes scattered like seeds at the bottom are for drainage. Everything opens upward except the nose, which I can imagine a vine or spider plant shoot crawling out of...

On to the next project!

We're Live!

2010-04-29T07:23:00.002-06:00

My web site is up and running: www.wild-iris.com. Take a look! There are photos of finished pieces (something I don't do here much) plus a link to this blog so I can share my process from inside the studio. Since I take a different approach to pieces if they are to be utilitarian or not, I've separated my work into "sculptural" and "functional" sections. Under the "functional" tab, I'm starting a "pots in action" gallery of photos. If you send in a picture of your Iris pottery in use, I'll gladly add your photo to the array! Don't forget, Everything tastes better with ceramics!

From the new site, I have a link to my Etsy store so you can make ceramic purchases any time of day or night! I also have an official bio page, and my email is accessible from every page. Click on the icon of a present and you'll discover how to purchase Gift Certificates.

There is a section of events I have planned and what I've been involved in recently, as well as where I regularly offer items for sale. For example, I make teapots and tea cups for the Backcountry Herbal Apothecary in Frisco. The last teapot I dropped off there is on my web site's home page. I'm making some mugs with their logo for people to drink tea from while they wait. Alternately, I have colorful hand-built tumblers and plates at Magical Scraps Boutique. I enjoy creating items specific to each business. I look forward to meeting with the owner of Magical Scraps soon to determine what new pieces she wants in her store.

Let me know what you think, and what you'd like to see more of! Many thanks to Mountain Porcupine Design for the site.

Growing My Itsy Bitsy ETSY store!

2010-03-10T20:58:00.005-07:00

It's finally here... An easy way to buy ceramics! Take a look at what I have up right now. I'll add more work as I take more pictures.

WildIrisClay.etsy.com

If you like a certain piece I've shown here, and it's not featured at Etsy, please contact me and I'll let you know if I haven't listed it yet, or if I've sold it but have similar pieces.

I've been working on the wheel in the Arts District for the past few months, doing throwing demonstrations and assisting drop-in students to complete their projects. Therefore, my next round of etsy additions will be thrown bowls, tumblers, vases... In February, I did throwing demos for the Second Saturday Art Walk in Breckenridge, and completed a set of dinner plates. They will replace (at long last) the boring Target plates we usually use. I can't wait!

Here are three locals excited about clay:

TV Interview

2010-02-19T11:24:00.003-07:00

The day we hung the show in January, Brad from Channel 10 came by to interview Marshall, since he was the resident artist at the Tin Shop in the Arts District. I happened to be there when they set up the shots, and asked me if I'd want to be interviewed as well. I definitely winged it, but I had a good time too (although I was completely nervous)! Here is the video - I hope my part is amusing and also informative!
Click here to play the video

Collaboration

2010-02-15T09:29:00.013-07:00

I really enjoy Valentine's Day - not so much for the romantic aspect, but for a chance to appreciate and love my family and friends. This year, Piers has been building shelves for my studio, and I am very grateful! We also continue to collaborate on pieces; I had a show in January at the Breckenridge Theatre Gallery, and was very excited to show two Piers-Iris pieces. "Servitude" was completed in 2009, and "Gratitude" in 2010. Here they are in the window of the gallery:

1. Gratitude 2. Servitude - both pit-fired by Iris and then Piers uses found wood and objects to complete the pieces. Gratitude is attached by leather laced through the back of the clay and hangs off two nails on the vertical piece of wood. The handle for Servitude is secured with nails. The clay piece has a round bottom (as does Gratitude) so Piers cut a circle out of the wood to hold it. Beneath the wood are three rocks, secured with nails.

Here are more pieces. Thanks to everyone for coming; it was a fun show. Marshall Elliott had work on the walls - he works with burnt fabric. Most of my pieces have buttons, and Jenn (who organizes these events) recognized that our art would work nicely together.

Last year around Valentine's Day, Piers made me a small storage cabinet in our room, so that what he considers my "clutter" can be hidden away, yet still organized. He calls it "Sunrise."
As with his other pieces, and those we do together, he often finds objects and wood while walking in our backyard. The front of the cabinet swings forward and down; I like how Piers secured it with rusted metal and nails.

Body Language

2009-09-10T06:28:00.007-06:00

Here is the piece I dropped off at Teal Gallery for the show "Body Language," which opened August 29 and runs through September 27. The base is 13 x 13, and he sits 21" tall. Glazed ceramics/mixed media. It's hard to see in this small photo, but the figure's right shoulder has 15-20 post-surgical-like stitches. Here is my statement that accompanies it:

"Transcendence"

This piece addresses the aftermath of an injury from a long fall. The awkward intrusion of science that effectively and pragmatically fixes the injury are in violent contrast to the unaddressed emotional pain. The two-dimensional shells of hands are ineffectual to help. The
body seems put together like “normal” but something is askew.

Transcendence has a peaceful face and a relaxed stance, and the fissured base marks the emergence of a hopeful future pushing through.

The opening was really fun (and delicious!) and I saw a lot of friendly faces. Stephanie, the owner of Teal, says there were 120 guests. Syma flew in from New York to represent her work, and after the show we enjoyed drinks and munchies with Lisa Rivard and other friends.

www.tealartgallery.com
It's a lovely space and I'm happy it's here in Breckenridge. Stephanie will celebrate her gallery's one-year anniversary in December.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

2009-08-13T23:25:00.023-06:00

What a jam-packed week of excitement and adventure! I have neglected my studio work, instead focusing on cleaning house, venturing outside (which is good, because summer is fading quickly), and trying to organize.

At the end of last week, I visited my good friend Lisa Kohlhepp in a whirlwind visit to Anderson Ranch - I miss her already! I need to go back! On Saturday, Piers and I dressed up for a lovely show at the Breck Theater Gallery for work by another of my wonderful friends, Jenn Cram, who runs the Breckenridge Arts District, and also Michelle Woods, who teaches at Colorado Mountain College.

Sometime on Sunday, the junko eggs hatched, and we welcomed three tiny, hungry aliens into the world. They're awkward and hilarious, fuzz shooting from their heads like strange dinosaurs. They cheep their heads off until the moment Flip opens her beak slightly - and they fall silent. Such well-behaved children! What parent can enjoy that kind of result with a child in mid-tantrum at the grocery store?!?

Piers changed the lens on his Nikon and captured some amazing family moments. I was shocked he was allowed to approach. Remember, their nest is on the ground, right against the house. It's impossible to creep up inconspicuously; inevitably, you only loom monstrously over the fragile nest.

The little ones are like miniature vases with their wide open yellow beaks and their necks craned upward, pink throats gulping sunlight, bodies gracefully... Yikes, this isn't graceful! A tasty insect: Down the hatch, mama!

Such a tender moment between mama and baby reminds me of even more exciting news: my sister is pregnant! Soon I'll get to change my name to Auntie Iris.

On Tuesday, I drove to a noborigama kiln located between Alma and Fairplay, built in the '70s by Mark Zamantakis. Fellow potter Chris Hosbach and I were to patch the kiln and investigate whether or not there were enough shelves and furniture available so that we (and many others) can do a firing next June. Yes, there were plenty of each, so we mixed up some adobe, and filled in the many cracks. The kiln has not been fired for 10 years, but is in great shape!

I'm standing a the very back, by the chimney, at the highest point of the kiln. There are three chambers for pots, plus a firebox in the front where we stoke the fire. Each chamber is higher than the one before, so the fire climbs up through the kiln and out the chimney. This baby will hold a lot of pots! In college, our wood kiln held about 100 pots, I'm guessing. This noborigama will hold many, many more. Anyone have wood they'd like to donate? We'll need to dry out and chop 5 cords of wood.

Maybe you're wondering about a photo I posted a couple of weeks ago, with my car filled with straw and a wheelbarrow strapped to the top of the car. Yes, that was in preparation for this very excursion - except sometimes plans change unexpectedly... This was the "third time's the charm" attempt, and fortunately, all went well. We were prepared with bug spray, saw nary a mosquito, and the weather was impeccable! Let's just hope the adobe doesn't flake off.

Yesterday, I participated in a life drawing class with Lisa Rivard. I've never sketched a live model before! We started with several 30-second poses, moved to 1-minute poses, then 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and finally 30 minutes. I really enjoyed the brevity of the beginning poses because it shook me out of my usual take-a-long-time-to-draw-that mode. Truly, I've never worked so quickly!

Here are two sketches I'm pleased with: the first was a 10-minute pose, and the second, a 30-minute. It was interesting which poses were harder to complete in the time given; the 15 minute pose flew by before I finished sketching her entire body, but I finished the 30 minute pose in 20 or so. I have a lot of fun ahead of me and I can't wait for the next class!

I hope to have more clay pieces to show soon. Back to work!

1-2-3, Pitcher!

2009-08-02T14:01:00.026-06:00

I haven't done a lot of coiling recently, and I want to do another piece with Piers, so this weekend I built a large pitcher form and decorated it with leaf images. The model plant I used is featured in my July 11th post, sweetly creeping around Syma's bottomless vessel. I love plants with such rich, luminous foliage. So far, I have not decided how I want to glaze this piece. That can wait for a while...

On the left, I'm finishing the last major coil. This piece has 12 or 13 coils - I add a moderate amount of clay each time and pinch it upward, adding 1 1/2"-2" in height. Then I make small alterations to the profile. I don't use a potter's wheel or banding wheel to create the shape, as you see in the picture. The piece sits on a bat and I eyeball the evenness of the sides as I walk around the piece or reposition the bat. What I like about a large, symmetrical piece - balance and calm, significant but gentle interaction with its environment, and quiet containment of a large space - I try to translate into softly asymmetrical shapes. Since I keep the rough texture my fingers create while I pinch, the shape will never be "exact" (as it could be if the walls were smooth). Working on a stationary bat, I am less quick to "correct" every wayward angle and the shape becomes more suggested than precise.

Here I am defiantly pajama'd (because I can, if you ask why) working in the living room, finishing the leaves on the pitcher. I pretended this was a plein air excursion - visiting a plant in its "native" environment (ie, sunny windowsill). I'm usually not supposed to cart my clay around the house because I leave little shavings everywhere!

The vases in the corner are pit fired from earlier this year. (Click here to see them unfired.) The philodendron behind my head is a gift from Lisa Kohlhepp, who clipped it from a plant at the Breckenridge Brewery and rooted it for me a few years ago. The image of his first set of leaves is on another large pot I made, and it sits outside year-round, soaking up sunshine and moisture, just like the plant. These are the mature leaves - last year, I accidentally left him in my windowless kiln shed for a week and I thought I'd killed him! Piers chopped off all the leaves (the brown sadness that was left), and two weeks later these three giants emerged. This is also the plant with 3' aerial roots exploring our living room, inspiring me to make the wall piece Aerial Roots.

Here is a close-up of the leaves. Click it for a bigger picture, and you can see the leaves more easily. Now that I've finished forming and carving, I'll let the piece dry. Next is the firing and glazing stage, and then I'll turn it over to Piers to carve and attach a handle. Easy as 1-2-3!

A New Face

2009-08-02T12:48:00.014-06:00

We adore the animals and plants around us. Well, not the mice (Iris) or spiders (Piers)! Outside, there are two foxes who we've seen on a regular basis - Ferdinand has been visiting for three or four years, and this is Linden's first year. She likes to sun herself to sleep in the juniper bush by our driveway. Vladimir, our dog, barks and whines at her, but she knows he can't get off the deck to chase her (but would they make beautiful, fluffy babies? I know Piers wishes they could get to know each other better) and I think she likes having a "big brother" around while she snoozes to warn her of other animals approaching.

Piers kept three empty 5-gallon chinking buckets next to the house for a few weeks. Recently, he moved them to the back of the garage with the rest of the buckets. A tiny junko bird kept squawking at him, and he finally found her nest on the ground, sheltered by a dandelion leaf. This mama seemed really miffed at Piers, and we avoided her "territory" next to the driveway, beside the steps up to the deck (and the front door). She's so diminutive and angry that Piers has named her... (be warned, this is awful!) ....Flip. You know, Flip The Bird. Groan...

Yesterday evening, I was standing on the deck talking to Piers as he unloaded his car. Suddenly, Flip flew in. She looked all around, hopping this way and that, making sure "no one" was around to follow her to the nest, and quickly scuttled into the plants. Piers and I each stood only three feet from her. Apparently we no longer pose a threat.

It was particularly sunny yesterday, and she pushed away her dandelion roof. Here we have At Home with Flip. This morning, she pulled the leaf over her nest again, and it is nearly invisible. Piers reassures me that Linden will not discover the tasty eggs inside.

This afternoon, I'm going to patch up a naborigama kiln near Fairplay with some fellow clay folk. Chris is bringing adobe ingredients, and I'm supplying straw, water, a saw, and a wheelbarrow. The straw bale is really long, so the wheelbarrow had to be strapped to the top of my car. See the straw poking out the back?

The window in this picture looks into my studio. Flip's nest is just to the right of my back bumper, against the house. When I look out my studio window, I see an assortment of wood Piers keeps outside, behind the garage. I have a very small friend who hangs around there, and I named her Bernadette the Bunny. Piers is appalled at my choice - "What kind of name is Bernadette? What about Tiger, or Oprah, or Ellen Johnson Sirleaf?" Oh well, he'll name our next friend.

2nd Place

2009-07-20T08:23:00.004-06:00

The reception for Summer on the Summit at Arts Alive was an enjoyable evening. This wall piece, Aerial Roots, won 2nd place - hooray! It was intended to be hung on nails on a wall. Fortunately, s-hooks on a mesh screen work as well, although the top really rotates forward without the wall support.

Study in Textiles I & II.

Helpful people and forward momentum

2009-07-11T12:46:00.014-06:00

I've been working on tumblers and plates for Magical Scraps, a fabulous Boutique & Studio on Main Street in Breckenridge. These pieces are a joy to make, since they involve stamps and lively colors. Unfortunately, I haven't stepped foot in my studio today. I'm working on administrative details instead: my logo and website.

James at Summit Creations turned my Sharpie logo drawing into the real thing when I opened Wild Iris Studio & Gallery (I'm proud to be listed as a client at summitcreations.com). Now we need to alter it to Wild Iris Productions LLC and make new business cards. I love imagining designs and playing with fonts and colors! My best friend Eric experiments with ideas and layouts on Photoshop. I don't know what I'd do without his encouragement, or without James for the professional end product.

I'm working with my longtime friend Nate Zander at Mountain Porcupine Design for my website. We finished a design for the gallery, but were only halfway through the legwork when I decided to close up shop, and now it's a relief to alter the format for what I want to do now, rather than starting from scratch again. I've sent off some ideas to Nate, and I hope the site will be ready to launch before September. Details to follow.

Finally, I emailed my friend Syma some photos I took of her work while she was a guest artist in the Arts District of Breckenridge. (See her blog for mountain photos of the Arts District.) She will have some of her works on display at Teal Gallery in late August, which means she'll come back for a visit! I find her enthusiasm inspiring, and it reminds me that I'm an optimist as well, when I forget.

I have a small Bottomless Vessel to Hold Change that she made last spring during another residency in Breckenridge. It is soothing to me, a gentle reminder to laugh off frustration about life in flux; if I know change is constant and inevitable, don't I see it coming? Don't I expect it to happen again?

A year ago, Piers and I were working hard on the gallery. It is remarkable how far we've come since then. The helpful and supportive people we have encountered along the way have helped transform our life. We work just as hard as we did then, but are becoming more peaceful and calm. Thanks to all who read this blog - and stay with us for exciting things to come!

Summer is here at last!

2009-07-05T09:36:00.008-06:00

The weather through mid-June had been rainy and cool: gorgeous mist but not good for bare arms. Even last night, watching fireworks, I wore a sweater and Piers wore his winter coat! Finally, though, the days are becoming sunny and warmer. I love lazy summertime naps outside! A week ago, Piers and I visited Salida for the annual Art Walk and enjoyed the hot, hot weather - now I want more! We toured several lovely galleries, and I have some inspiration for new pieces. It was nice to get away from some of Breckenridge's "tourist shots" - saleable landscape/wildflower scenes. Don't misunderstand me, I love the gorgeous landscape here; it's the countless paintings and photographs depicting classic mining and mountain scenes that lose my attention.

Yesterday afternoon, Piers and I drove to his favorite fishing spot a mile or so down the road. I worked on a new clay piece, sitting on my sweatshirt by the stream - how I love the sound of rushing water - while Piers wandered along the shore hoping for a bite. His hook has no barbs, so he immediately releases the fish. If the fish looks like it's hurt, he brings it home and pan fries it for a tasty snack!

This photo is from last weekend, at Meet the Artists - open to artists in the Summit County Arts Council. I was present on sunny Saturday, but Sunday brought an afternoon flat tire, and I changed plans.

This week I hung a wall piece in a small juried show at Arts Alive in Breckenridge. The opening is Saturday, July 11. I posted photos of the wall piece ("Aerial Shoots") in an April post. You'll see it as greenware - next week I'll post photos of the finished work. I'm also showing two button pieces that I like a lot.

I've been pursuing two directions in my hand-built pit fired pieces: one is inspired by plants, and the other by textiles (with buttons). I started my first button piece in the beginning of 2008, and Piers constructed a handle and a base for it sometime this past winter. (Maybe that's why I like Holly Stein's jewelry so much - she uses vintage and antique buttons!) I'll post pictures of both styles as I complete the pieces.

Memorial Weekend Wedding!

2009-05-26T20:43:00.002-06:00

This weekend Piers and I were in Bloomington, Indiana, to celebrate the wedding of my wonderful sister. I'd forgotten how uncomfortably muggy the weather is there. We left a snowy Colorado behind so the warm weather was welcome, but the humidity was nearly unbearable. What a great wedding, though! Piers did the photography and I danced the night away.

For everyone who loved my necklace, please check out Holly's website to see all her gorgeous creations. Also, here's a link for the woman in Breckenridge who made my handbag - check out a newer style.

The past few weeks I have been consumed with moving - out of the gallery and into my studio. I had to make a curtain for the loft at the gallery, so of course I made a pillow next, and had to remind myself to stay on track. (Anyone remember the book, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie?) I made three teapots and a pitcher last week, and since it snowed/rained all weekend, they're not even dry yet. I'm off to the studio for some last-minute smoothing now...

Prepping the Studio

2009-05-01T22:17:00.004-06:00

We've been moving the house around to accommodate the new studio. Piers set up his office upstairs; here we are about to eat dinner on his desk:

Piers took some action shots of me painting:

We had some great news today: Instead of it taking another 3-4 weeks to get our beetle kill flooring, it'll be ready to be picked up tomorrow! Piers might be able to get to it this weekend, and then I'll move my studio in next week. I'm holding off on moving my kiln - maybe by the end of this month. It's more of a convenience than a necessity to bring it home, so I'll probably wait until June.
All of the changes have been very exciting!

A Look Back

2009-04-26T12:10:00.001-06:00

Today I was going to upload pictures of my new "studio" but Piers took his camera with him (the nerve!) so instead I have a couple thoughts to share about the gallery. We're closing next week - Saturday, May 2 will be a Closing Celebration with wine and snacks. After that, my brother-in-law (photographer Jesse Peterson) will be moving in for a few months, and I'm putting the house on the market.

Piers and I opened the gallery last July, and it's been really rewarding. I proved to myself I didn't need a lot of money to do it, but the work and time commitment were intense! I'm ready to welcome a change in pace. Don't forget I have a day job - although beginning next week, I'm going down to a four-day work week. More time for art, hooray!

One of the principal reasons for closing the gallery is that I want to focus on my own work. After going to Phoenix, AZ for NCECA a few weeks ago (clay conference), I started feeling much more positive about this major change. I have a lot of good ideas I want to work on! My studio space is a bedroom on the main floor of our house. It's near the kitchen, the laundry room, and far from our bedroom (upstairs), so I have easy access to food and clean clothes, without worrying about any clay dust where we sleep. Progress pictures will come soon.

Here I have photos of the first two pieces Piers and I made together - I pit fire handbuilt forms, and then Piers carves, stains, and attaches bristlecone pine pieces he finds near our house. These are shots of the pieces in the gallery (stairs and shelves built by Piers). I recommend clicking on the photos for a more detailed view. (The smaller piece on the right has beautiful texture. Can you see the rock the root trapped?)

Pitcher 24" tall; "Earthbound" 13" tall

All my artists were a joy to work with: Chaz della Porta, Jenn Cram, Holly Stein, Nate Zander, Cooper Walsh, Kerry Feldman, Lisa Rivard, Lisa Kohlhepp, and Rick Karden. I will enjoy visiting with them when I return their work after the closing, but it's bittersweet to move forward without their beautiful art around me.

Building a Vase

2009-04-18T11:34:00.000-06:00

Here I am working on a larger piece. I finished it last week, and am drying it slowly.

Smoothing the inside:

Shaping the sides:

Making small adjustments to the sides:

Finishing the rim:

Fast forward............ 23 1/2" (max height my kiln allows).

Before shots

2009-04-18T09:58:00.000-06:00

Here's some of the work I've done since January:
I finally bisqued this piece in March. It was such fun to build! For those of you who have never met him, this is Piers (with an Asian flair) in his fleece, pants, and boots. He's about 22" high.

I also have some pieces to pit fire:
These are all about 11" long. The one with roots is a wall piece. You can see that one of the roots sticks out (when the piece is on the wall, it will point downward, while the other roots point toward the wall).

After taking the pictures, I painted the pieces with terra sig and bisqued them at a low temperature (around cone 010).

Back in action

2009-04-17T22:53:00.001-06:00

I think it snowed a foot and a half in Breckenridge today. I'm at home now, enjoying the warm fire beside a freshly-brushed dog and my sleepy husband. It's been quite a while since the last post, and a lot has changed since then. We're excited to share more regular updates - this weekend I'll post new pictures of recent work from us both.
In a nutshell: February 17th was my birthday - hooray! - then in March, Piers and I enjoyed a ski day in Vail with my uncle, and last weekend I was in Phoenix, AZ at the NCECA conference. (National Council of Education in the Ceramic Arts.) Day jobs aside, we've been artsying up a storm: Piers is nearly 3/4 done with his novel and built a small storage cabinet for my "clutter," and I've made pieces for upcoming pit and wood firings. Last Saturday I was in Lakewood with Sumi von Dassow for the first pit firing of the season. I saw some familiar faces, and am inspired to make more work for the next firing, May 9.

Love Series

2009-01-07T20:18:00.001-07:00

Piers and I didn't have much time off to get married, and we didn't take a honeymoon. Piers's shoulder injury took up most of our attention, as well as getting back to work. So I decided to do a series of vases to illustrate some of the sweet texts Piers sends me. I wrote Piers a real love letter once, but otherwise we send each other thoughtful messages and haiku via cell phone. Here are the first three vases, titled "Reverie," "Endless," and "Love Letter." These are in their unfired state, 11"-14" high. I'm still thinking about glazes.

Reverie
It is sunny, rainy and beautiful, and reminded me of you
Endless
How do I love thee/Let me count the ways

Love Letter
Front text: Sitting among my papers/Sitting like/a madman among my papers/coffee and papers/papers
Back text: My god - and thinking of you!

Here we are!

2009-01-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to our blog! Piers and Iris Peterson are sharing a space to post thoughts and progress on the art we create individually and together.

Please visit Iris's gallery at www.wild-iris.com, to check out photos of our work.

Iris: I am a ceramic artist, working on and off the wheel. My pottery is functional: mugs, bowls, teapots, and the like. Sometimes I leave the shape very simple; other times, I carve most of the surface. I enjoy how the fast pace of throwing complements the thoughtful patience of hand building. I use thick coils to build large shapes, most recently incorporating text and human imagery.

Piers: I look for artistic forms in nature and try to incorporate them into everyday living. Most often, this is in the form of furniture or ceramic/wood fusion in union with Iris's mudwork. I am staining our new dining room table, and just finished our latest collaborative piece last week.