Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Holly Walker: Red-Handed Ponderings


Pete Scherzer form, work in progress
Joe Pintz form,
work in progress
The thought I have kept in my head while working on the Red-Handed project is, “How can this be more than branding - my brand on your brand?” I pulled out all of my own test tiles with glazes over white slip, which is what I’m receiving - forms covered in white slip.  I’m used to a much richer palette of working over multi-colored slips.  Though it looks like a lot of test tile colors, I’m missing some of my basic hues.  Maybe this is good to be more limited.  The unfamiliar forms are requiring much more scrutinizing than I imagined. 

I have felt completely at home with Joe’s forms- strong, simply articulated, a sense of massiveness despite their actual size and weight.  They are the entry point into this new territory of glazing other’s pots as they feel like kin.  Then there is what I am calling Pete’s bobble tray.  It immediately called out for some chartreuse as I unwrapped it.  

Ursula Hargens form, works in progress
Ursula’s cups are so beautifully articulated that I’m almost afraid to cover them.  Gem-like is what I decided.  It will be interesting to compare how differently her sense of floral intricacy and vivaciousness will contrast with my sense of unabashed color wash. How to keep a light hand to not cover her sensitive form decisions is my challenge.

A number of potters make petal-like plates, myself included.  Jason’s cut petal edge plate has a handsome crispness with texture remaining on the bare edge.  I’ve been thinking that something Islamic-like is called for, maybe masked in areas, hiding the patterning in places.

Jason Bige Burnett form, work in progress
Did I mention how hard this is?  Maybe my next adventure will be with just black and white glazes.

- Holly Walker

  

I will always love... Test Tiles!

Pete Scherzer's test tiles getting a face lift courtesy of Dolly.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Glaze Testing and Question and Answer


Joe Pintz:

Q2: If you’ve had other collaborative experiences, how does this experience differ so far? If not, what were some preconceptions you had and how have they held up? I have not done anything remotely like this before. In fact, this whole project scares the heck out of me… that’s why I signed up to do it! I, too, have been staring at everyone’s bisqueware wondering what to do. Double checking how my glazes turn out on everyone’s test tiles is the first step. This part of it has been collaborating from a distance. I am very much looking forward to the face-to-face collaboration that will happen in July at the Northern Clay Center. Personally, I will have a much easier time reacting to wet clay while having the other artists there in the studio alongside me. Stay tuned.