Commission: Oyster Platters

During the North Carolina Pottery Fair, this past December, John and I were asked to make some oyster platters.  I have to admit that I really did not know what an oyster platter was (ok, I could guess what it was), but wasn't quite sure what one looked like.  This man said that he collects them from all over the world and has a huge collection, but he cannot find them anymore.  Plus, he wanted some more modern pieces of handmade artwork.  John and I decided that we would make a few of them and let him take his pick.  And if he doesn't like any of them, that is alright, too.  But I love the challenge!

Before I started I made a few sketches and went from there.  I didn't want to look at any online because I didn't want them to influence my designs.  The first one I came up with is like a branch and each "leaf" will hold the oyster.

 I am going to glaze that in the green that we often use on our pieces.
 
The second is a true mix of oriental style combined with a Victorian flair (weird combo, but that is what it looks like to me.) This, piece will be glazed in a creamy white and then I will melt blue green glass in the circle in the middle of the plate.

I am very excited about these two.  I just hope they make it through the firing process!



Here are a few examples of ones that I found on-line.

So mine are very different from the others I have seen.  Plus, the man told me that they usually held 10-12 oysters, where most of these hold 5-6.  John has not started on making any yet (because he has been working on another commission for someone.)  I am not sure what he is going to do, but I am sure that it will also be very different.

Wednesday Window

Ok, it is December - my studio is decorated! (All I do is put up a wreath - the lights on the railings stay up year round, because it is so dark out there and I have fallen down the steps one too many times.)  But it is hard to believe that we have had our studio for 1 year now.  Time goes by so quickly!!!!

Maquerade Ball and Birthday

I wanted to invite everyone to the Masquerade Ball that the ClayFire Artists and the Polymer Clay Smooshers are having online.  It is a promotion, sale, and giveaway!  Please visit http://polymerclaysmooshers.blogspot.com/
All of the artist that are participating are listed on the left hand of the their blog.  So please take some time and visit their shops.  You can also go to Artfire.com and type in MASK to search and you will find many of the shops there also.

Now for the Birthday -   John had his 65th birthday this week!!!  - yes, you heard me 65!  It took the three to light the candles and they did it at the table because I was afraid they would all be melted into the cake if we didn't.  I even opened the door because I thought the smoke alarm would go off.  Nancy decorated the cake and for some reason she wasn't thinking and put 64 on the cake, so that is why there is the plus 1, but that just makes it special.

Now I hope he will think about retiring so we can play in the studio more!

Fired the kiln (again)!!!

John and I have been so busy preparing for the upcoming shows that we are in.  We were able to fire two glaze loads and one bisque load over the past week.  Last night I started a third glaze load and this morning I started another bisque load.  With our new kiln we are having to learn a little as we go.  There were some great pieces that came out and some not so great pieces.  Hopefully, they will get better every time.

One piece that didn't make it was one of my people pots.  I small crack opened up around the lady's neck.  I was really disappointed because this is a double people pot (very time consuming) and it was glazed with the Saturated Metallic, which I never use on my people pots.  But, they now have a happy home in my flower bed at the studio!

I know these aren't for everyone, but they are all very personal to me.  It is weird how one can become emotionally attached to the work they are doing.  But, I have been asked to have five pieces in a show at the Royal Bean in Raleigh for the month of October.  They are doing a "Dark Art" theme and I guess some would view my work as dark art, especially my funeral urns (not sure why...).

There is a positive side to these kiln firings and that is that John and I have finally mastered our favorite glaze: Pennell Strontium Matt Glaze.  I mix the glaze from the raw materials, which is kinda like baking a cake.  But it is very finicky and has to be fired to an exact temperature so that we get the effects we want, but it is not running off the pots onto the shelves.

I have also made a ton of jewelry pieces and will be posting these to my website : www.liquidambar.artfire.com a little at a time. 

The first show is this coming Sunday, October 4th, in Chapel Hill from 1-6pm.  I am just hoping for some weather like today - perfect!

And since my blog wouldn't be complete without a picture of "nature" - here is a picture from Sunday morning by the front deck. Thought it would put us in the October mood.

It is about time!

I ordered a new ceramic kiln in June. The lady said two weeks - ok, two months later it finally arrived. At the time we also ordered 4000 pounds (2 tons) of clay! Our studio is down a long, steep, gravel drive and there is no turn-around, so we had the kiln and clay delivered to our house instead. The 18-wheeler arrived and unloaded three pallets, two for clay and one for the kiln. Luckily, he had a lift-gate and a pallet dolly and was able to move them very easily into our garage.

The next problem was how to get it all to the studio. Well, we knew that the best thing to do with the clay was just to take it a little at a time as we need it. There really isn't any place to store it at the studio anyway. But the kiln weighed close to 1500 pounds. Again, we were a bit lucky that most kilns are built in sections and come apart. We spent most of the first day just breaking down the kiln into pieces that we could handle. We were able to get it in our van and it only took two loads out to the studio, and then of course, we had to put it all back together!

The next obstical was that it needed a 90 amp breaker and our panel box was already full. So that ment we had to upgrade our entire service. I will have to say that our electrician worked very fast and was able to get the panel switched and completely re-wired, a new disconnect inside for the kiln and a new breaker box with main disconnect outside in about five hours. That may seem long, but if you saw the mess it was in to begin with you would understand.

Last night we were able to load it. It was amazing how much we could fit into it.

This morning John, Clint and I woke up at 5 am and went down to start the kiln for the first time. It was very exciting. It felt like the first time you take a new car out for a ride.

We have a couple of shows coming up and we are all busy getting ready. Clint actually let me take a picture of him working on the wheel (although he said I have to pay him $5 for the picture.)

Today was productive

I made a couple of things today. The first was eight pairs of earrings made out of bottle caps. These were all collected (along with a thousand others) by my kids while we were living in Kenya. Tuskers is a beer made in Kenya. Notice how most of the tops have 16ks (kenya shillings), which is about 25 cents here.


I finally was able to get them all listed on Etsy. Here is one link: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29117658

The second thing that I made today was a fabric bowl. This is the first time I tried this pattern. I started pretty simple, but I have lots of ideas for more. (Thanks, Mom, for the fabric!)

The other thing that I wanted to mention was that one of my guilds put this list together and I wanted to share.

A few of the great stores at ArtFire:

Cards & Gifts - www.valmade.artfire.com

Cards, Gifts & More - www.bullygrrl.artfire.com

Crocheted crafts - www.crochetedlittlethings.artfire.com

Crocheted creations - www.rosetreecreations.artfire.com

Crocheted handbags & gifts - www.franciebagsetc.artfire.com

Crocheting, Knitting, sewing - www.nothingbutstring.artfire.com

Handbags & totes - www.radicalrecrafter.artfire.com

Hand dyed & spun Fiber - www.fibercycle.artfire.com

Hand painted Fabric crafts - www.studiojules.artfire.com

Jewelry - www.jewelrybyfyfe.artfire.com

Jewelry - www.ilmare.artfire.com

Jewelry - www.jewelryworksbykim.artfire.com

Jewelry - www.beadyourhabit.artfire.com

Jewelry - www.annrose.artfire.com

Jewelry - www.silver-soul-designs.artfire.com

Jewelry - www.twitterbird.artfire.com

Jewelry, candleholders, décor - www.exquisitestudios.artfire.com

Jewelry & Gifts - www.Gwynstone.artfire.com

Jewelry & Wine charms - www.gristmillcreations.artfire.com

Origami décor - www.origamibysisi.artfire.com

Pattern dyed Fabrics - www.5oclockcrows.artfire.com

Pens, baby items, jewelry - www.onpensandneedles.artfire.com

Pottery & Jewelry - www.liquidambar.artfire.com

Quilting - www.vabeachquilter.artfire.com

Unique Gifts - www.bragginrights.artfire.com

So many reasons to celebrate!

There are so many reasons to celebrate today.

1. My Mom is doing much better (still has a long way to go but at least she is laughing.) Thank you for all the nice thoughts and prayers. On the last day I was there I took a few minutes and wandered around her yard. I took this picture of the mushroom. Nature never stops amazing me.

2. We finally celebrated Father's Day. I know we are a little late (ok a lot late). The kids were waiting until the four of us could be at the river together. They gave John a badminton set. Nancy made a professional court, putting lime down for the lines. But in the end the kids dominated us. John and I are going to practice and get them next time! (Did I mention that we have the best kids in the whole world? And I can truely say that!)

3. My baby sweetpea turns 18 years old tomorrow. Last night the four of us went out to dinner (and yes, the waiters sang to her). It is so hard to believe how fast time goes by and how quickly children turn into adults when we are not watching. I am very proud of her - and she is cute too! (I have to mention that it will also be my birthday tomorrow - she was the hardest present I ever had to work for!)

4. As far as studio news - my Mom let me babysit her kiln! It will be great for bisque pieces. Over the weekend we moved stuff around in the studio to make room for it and for the one that I purchased. Now I need to start working!!!!

5. One other thing. My Artfire guild is still having the Where's Waldo contest. Check it out - http://shopswithlesssalesartfire.blogspot.com/2009/07/wheres-waldo.html Rosetree Creations is sponsoring the prize!!! http://rosetreecreations.artfire.com/

Visitors to the Studio

Today we had some visitors to the studio. (I shouldn't say "visitors" since they are part of our adopted family - the father, Polycarp is from Kenya.) But while we were having lunch outside on the deck, my son came across a slider. The younger boys were a little afraid at first, but they saw how Clint went right up to it. The snake was very aggressive but it was also very scared. I am guessing it was maybe five feet long. It was so beautiful how the light made it change colors as it moved.


By mid-afternoon it was getting very warm so we all went down to the river to cool off. I stayed back closer to shore, but the boys all wandered far out on the rocks. They must have been out there for a couple of hours.


After getting back to the studio, Clint taught the boys how to shoot a bow and arrow. The bow is a double re-curve bow that came from his grandpa who had it when he was young. It was Clint's first time shooting also. They all did a great job. (I even shot it once - not bad.)



I didn't get any work done today, but it was really nice to visit. Maybe next time they come I can put them to work wedging out the clay for me.

The Wild Life

Ok, back when I was a teenager the "wild life" would include all kinds of things that I would never tell my parents about (although they always knew). But, now I am amazed at all of the real wild life that is around me every day. The studio is a perfect place for nature lovers (and both John and I are).

We were busy at the studio working all weekend, but every time we turned around there was another interesting creature. We woke up Sat. to see a cute little Bambi, still with it's wobbly legs. Didn't see Mama, but we knew she was watching us.

Later that evening we took Biscuit for a walk and came across a box turtle in the drive way. Biscuit was very curious but stayed her distance.

This guy was posing for me.

And then while we were taking a break from our artwork we came across this beetle. I felt like someone was watching me all day!

I can't help but start to think of all the forms, colors and patterns that are in nature. My mind starts going in a hundred different directions and I come up with a hundred new ideas that I can do with my art. Wouldn't you want to see that beetle about 6' tall made out of concrete that you could climb on? Or the turtle made out of stained glass?

Alright, I need to stop coming up with new projects and finish some that I have started. Who knows what we will see next? And what great projects it will inspire!

My First Blog!!!

WELCOME TO LIQUIDAMBAR STUDIO OF ART!

I cannot believe that it has taken me this long to start a blog. But, hopefully this will bring Liquidambar Studio of Art closer to fellow artists. It will be a place where artists can comment and post their ideas and where the artists of Liquidambar Studio can share what goes on in the daily life of being an artist.

Liquidambar Studio of Art is located on the Haw River in Pittsboro, North Carolina surrounded by huge beautiful trees, mostly the Sweet Gum. The scientific name of the Sweet Gum is Liquidambar styraciflua, hence the name of the studio.

Let me introduce you to the artists: John is "our leader". He works mostly with black and white photography and clay. I am second in command and work with all mediums! Nancy is our illustrator and silk screener. Clint is currently working with throwing clay on the wheel. And I cannot forget Biscuit - she is the "deer protector".

If you would like to come by the studio send me a text or call 919-414-4812. We would love to have you for a visit!

Please visit our website: www.liquidambarstudio.com

I can't wait to add more to the blog!!!