Sneak peek...

Hi there!
 It's Heather here with a little up-date and sneak peek at what I unloaded out of the kiln today! Lots of pretty blues in all sorts of patterns! I was playing around with the sizes of patterns and shades of blue this past firing- for the most part I'm really pleased with what I took out of the kiln!  I ended up doing a bit of 'blind' glazing this last time around as I have been working with a new porcelain that is beautiful, white and translucent, however the glazes tend to be quite fuzzy where they meet the white glaze.  In spots it can look really nice, but occasionally I feel like it messes with the patterns a bit, so I'm going to have to watch out for how thick I apply the glazes the next time around. I also was hoping to expand my deep blue glazes, but am still working towards this.  I have quite a few pale and mid-range tones, but only the one deep indigo.  Hopefully this will change by the time I ship off the work!!

In other news, I up-dated my current website today to include a new video that has been in the works for the past little while.  One of my goals this year was to create a video of my hands at work in the studio.  I felt it was a good time to open up about how my work is made and just some of the steps taken to create the work I make.   I have a process that I have spent a few years developing to glaze and it's a method that really informs my work in a strong way.  Please take a moment to watch the video to catch a glimpse of my low-tech, time-intensive method of glazing.  It will make sense then why I'm so inspired by paper-cutting, quilts stripes and graphic, bold patterns reminiscent of textile prints.

happy making mode

Part of my preparation for kindred included moving to a new studio. I'd advise against doing this before a show if at all possible, however I had no choice. And I found myself a great new home. Ceramics always seems to involve problem solving at every pass, doesn't it? I bisqued all my pots prior to the move and packed them in bubble to transport them just a few blocks down the street to the new space, which I love. There's lots of natural light and we're in a building that is full of other creative types & my new studio mates are fantastic. My shelves are filling up with pots ready for glazing. I know Heather is about to shift into glaze mode, too -- I can't wait to see our work together in June!

a little bit of process

Hello! It's Krystal here. When Heather & I began planning kindred around a blue & white theme, I immediately began sketching out my ideas. I always seem to approach making in this way. First with pen & paper, then translating my line drawings into their clay forms. As the forms take shape, my thoughts shift  to pattern and surface design, figuring out how each pattern will correspond to the form. This is my favourite part of the design process. As most of my pottery is decorated with floral/plant based motifs, I couldn't help but think of the classic 'blue willow' china pattern each time I sketched a leaf or vine in blue. It's such a ubiquitous pattern. Yet adapting my vines & flowers to a blue and white colour scheme has been a refreshing change. I've been experimenting with more lines & geometric patterning as well (photos of those pieces to come!)

As Heather mentioned in her last post, choosing a favourite blue isn't necessarily as easy as you'd think. And once you have it, now try creating that perfect blue as a glaze. I've been searching for a variety of pleasing blues: teal, a juicy pure cobalt, a deep blue/black or blue/grey. In a glossy semi-transparent base glaze. One mixture I really love is a combination of cobalt & chrome. And another, a combo of cobalt carb & nickel made a speckled grey/blue with a tinge of green to it. The testing process has been exciting!