“Lines and lines and lines and lines and lines!!!”

The reference is probably lost on most of our readership (if its not lost on YOU, I’ll be mighty impressed!) but if you’re curious, you’ll find the source at the end of this post.

Yesterday I sat down with my large lumps of clay (large for me is 3-3.5lbs). I got the Axner Maccabee to a beautiful consistency (SUPER SOFT!) and the throwing was lovely. After 4 bowls that are a usual shape for me (and one I plan to keep making) I decided to experiment a tad.

I’ve been thinking about my large bowls and what I can do in the throwing and trimming stage for some high impact glazing. Now that I’m getting to know my glazes a bit better, I am trying to throw or design work that has features that will highlight certain glazes. For the bowls in question, I was thinking about highlighting some of my jewel-colored glazes (Raspberry, Purple, Caribbean Blue) while taking advantage of Raw Sienna’s amazing range and depth.

I threw some fairly thin large, low bowls with an exaggerated indentation in the center. While still on the bat (but with the clay dried to almost trimming stage) I returned the bowls to the wheel and used some carving tools to create some concentric circles. The plan is to glaze the indentations with one of the jewel glazes, then wax-resist that area and glaze the whole bowl in raw sienna (which should break nicely on all the lines, which vary in width and depth). Well, that’s the plan. Still need to trim, bisque, glaze and then fire these babies. As the saying goes: Don’t count your pots before they come out of the glaze kiln… Hey, ever so more reason to enjoy the process, no?

 

New Shape next to Old Shape:

 

Bowl A, top view:

Bowl A, side view:

Bowl B, top view:

Bowl B, side View:

 

And if you’re still curious about “lines and lines”, well here you go:

 

Rainy Monday but Feeling good

We woke up this morning to dark skies, high winds and rains.  The consensus at the gym was “¡Hace mucho frio!” (it’s very cold!).  Indeed, temps were down in the mid to low 70s…  See, its not always sunny and hot in the tropics.

The sun had been trying hard to make a comeback and is mostly winning.   This morning was spent in the studio wedging clay for some more large bowls and pulling handles.  Wedging clay, for those wondering,  is a process during which clay is repeatedly kneaded on a porous surface to draw some of the water out while distributing the moisture evenly, eliminating hard spots in the clay and forcing air bubbles out of the clay.  Pulling handles?  Lets just say its a method of hand making handles.  I’m not even going to TRY to describe the process…  ;-)

Muse has been playing in the studio for the past few days (what can I say, they are GOOD!).  It may be a bit sappy, but this song resonates a lot these days (and what a cover by Muse, huh?).  Hope you are having a good Monday too!

 

On trimming bulbs

The other day, I was in the studio trimming bowls when the phone rang. I casually mentioned to the friend on the other end of the line that I was “trimming bowls”. Yesterday, I saw her at an event and she inquired exactly what kind of bulbs I was trimming…

I realize that often we potters use terms that sound like Greek to normal folk (or maybe its just my weird hybrid accent due to living in dozens of different places). In a nutshell, trimming bowls involves waiting for a wheel-throw bowl to harden up sufficiently such that it can be flipped over. Then, it is returned to the wheel, where tools are used to carve (or trim) a foot on the bottom and remove access clay from the outside of the pot.

Bowls fresh from the wheel, still on their throwing bats

Bowls with trimmed foot rings:

Bowls right side up and ready to dry for bisque firing:

Now, if I had been mug trimming (which is what I will be doing today), I’m sure we would have avoided any confusion. Word on the street is that there is some local demand for my ‘mas café’ mugs (I’ll be calling you Steve!). One batch will be going into bisque this week, and glaze the next but I figured I should have another batch in the works. I’m liking this taller shape a lot!

 

First gallery visitors!

It was a very exciting day today here at Rincón Pottery.  We welcomed Linda and Robert of New Jersey for a tour of the gallery, studio and even the kiln/glaze room (hey, they wanted to see it and I was happy to show!).  Linda found our blog a while back when she was doing research on gardening and landscaping for their new house here in Rincón. Linda also loves hand-made pottery (and had her eye on a couple of blue mugs and a BIG bowl). They are in town for a few days and asked if they could stop by to see in person what they had previously only seen on the web. ¡Claro que sí! (Of course! You betcha! Absolutely!). They came. They saw. They bought. We were thrilled!

Thanks guys! We really enjoyed meeting you. ¡Hasta pronto!

 

Winter in Puerto Rico

The seasons have changed here in PR and winter is now clearly upon us. Winter in Puerto Rico means:

• The ceiling fan in our bedroom at night is set to low, rather than medium
• The mornings are crisp (upper 60s) and the blanket is no longer tossed off the bed in the middle of the night
• Only one daily shower is needed as the humidity is pretty much gone
• It no longer rains every day and is getting windy
• The temperature stays in the low 80s
• One (briefly) ponders a sweater in the evening (hey, temperatures dip into the low 70s!)

As a veteran of slightly colder climes (Minnesota, Chicago and Boston), I have to say…winter here is fantastic!  :-)

Winter blooms in the Gallery

 

BOWLarama

‘cuz you got to have some bowls to go with them mugs!

 

Mugstravaganza

Last week I busied myself with throwing and trimming large bowls, making leaf plates and throwing and trimming lotsa mugs.  I’m still messing around with my “standard” mug style.  I sat down with 10 chunks of clay (Axner’s Maccabee) and made mugs which ended up looking like this:

and like this (ok, same shape, no ‘mas cafe’):

 

By the time I threw mug numbers 9 and 10, I had the shape exactly how I wanted it (a bit taller and skinnier).  I guess this is why some potters sit down with 40 lumps of clay…  :-)  Nick had suggested making some mugs with a line pattern (like the tumblers I made a while back).  I thought this was an excellent idea but was not sure how the handle would work with the pattern.  I ended up trimming the taller mugs with a slightly recessed are for the lines, which also designated the cutoff line for the handle.    These guys are definitely getting glazed in Raw Sienna. So what do you think? Any preference for one style over the other?

 

 

 

Adios Crocs

As a potter living in rural Puerto Rico, foot wear is usually all about comfort and functionality. I want shoes I can easily slip off when I go into the house and ones that can be easily washed. Fashion doesn’t weigh too heavily into the equation, though funky colors are desirable. This is why I purchased some Crocs when we moved over here, and Nick (somewhat reluctantly) followed suit.

Back in July, I wrote about the problems I was having with my Crocs. I contacted their customer service and even reached out to their “Social Media Specialist” (yes, there is now such a title in the corporate world…I guess someone has to stay on top of twitter, facebook and blogs…). It seems that Crocs is only interested in customers who happily ride their brand wagon… Problems with the product fall on deaf ears.  To date, I’ve not heard back from Crocs.

Brands can be powerful things, yes. Believe me, I know a thing or two about branding. Companies do and should spend a good amount of money building their brands and patting their brand followers (and ambassadors) on the shoulder. But what to do when their products falls short? Should companies address the problems or ignore them and hope they go away (this seems to be the Crocs approach). More importantly, what do consumers do when a brand fails to deliver on its promise? Well, this consumer is voting with her feet (and pocket-book). Check out my new “Crocs”. Dead ringers for the original, bought for $5.50 on ebay…

Are they as comfortable as the original? Well, WHICH original are you referring to??? Crocs “Made in China”? Crocs “Made in Mexico”? or those “Made in Boulder, CO”? Crocs has diffused its brand experience to the point that there is no ONE experience. Every Croc I put on feels different (and I’m talking about the same models here). So what about my new “Crocs”? Alls I know is that they are 80% cheaper than the originals and feel quite comfortable. That’s good enough for me! Ahhhh….I feel better now! Social media…its a wonderful thing, huh?

 

Do your plants have a drinking problem?

The other day I was searching for a remedy for snails on one of our palms (handpicking off the critters and flinging them into oblivion ended up being the best solution) when I came across a home-made fertilizer for palms.  The ingredients were quite intriguing:

• Epsom Salts (which I had recently purchased for soaking my trigger thumb –cured, btw, with the magic of cortisone!)
• Ammonia
• Beer!!! (we happen to have some of that lying around…)

I mixed up the concoction and set out to bring joy to some palms. Nick was a bit concerned that he now had to share his beer with our plants. I assured him that I’ll only be using 1 fluid ounce of the stuff per gallon of water so my mix should last a very long time. Well, I fertilized 10 palms yesterday (and went through half a bottle of my magic mix). Did I mention that we have planted 71 (yes, seventy one) palms in the past year? And then there are the “wild” palms that just planted themselves (with some help from mother nature). Nick is now threatening to lock up his beer stash…

 

 

Pancho Villa Take 2

During one of our first visits to Rincón, we discovered Pancho Villa, a Mexican restaurant in the town’s lovely plaza.  The food was solid, if not overly exciting.  I should note that I am somewhat of a Mexican food snob, preferring authentic cuisine to tex-mex style.  However, the food was consistent and tasty, and the atmosphere very pleasant.   The first month we moved to Puerto Rico, I think we visited Pancho Villa at least once a week…  It was our happy little safe (re. predictable) haven during a very hectic and often stressful settling in phase.

Recently, the restaurant shut down for “renovations”.  We heard through the grapevine (Rincón is a small town with an active informal information system!) that it had been bought by Javier & Moraima (Mori), the owners of the local beach bar/restaurant Tamboo. Hmmm…changes seemed likely. But would they be for the good?

Tuesday evening, after a day of throwing in the studio, then trimming the lawn (me) and digging and planting (Nick), cooking dinner was out of the question. “Lets go see if the Mexican is open yet!” Nick suggested.  We usually visited the restaurant on Tuesday ($2 Coronas!!!!), so that seemed like a good idea. So, off to town we drove. Well, it so happens that Tuesday was the restaurant’s opening night! How’s that for luck?

Now doubled in size (they expanded into the space next door), the Pancho Villa menu has been shortened and simplified (Gordon Ramsey would approve!) and the prices were lower! I ordered a Chimichanga, my favorite from the old menu (which thankfully didn’t get cut) and Nick got a mexican-style burger. Both were really tasty and we both breathed a large sigh of relief. Our happy place just got happier!

Looking into the old restaurant space from the new side

A well deserved Corona!

 

Testing for Water Absorption and clay usability

Warning: Highly technical pottery post (picture at the very end)

Alongside my glaze testing, I’ve also been testing two clay bodies for glaze fit, general performance (throw-ability, cracking, etc) and vitrification. The two clays in question are:

Standard Clays 240 :
“A very smooth, plastic throwing body.”
Shrinkage: 13% at C/6.
Absorption: 2.75% at C/6
(information from Standard Clay’s website)

WC‑901 Maccabee Mix 5 Clay
“This is Axner’s response to Laguna’s B-Mix 5, which is one of the most popular clay bodies in the United States. It is white and smooth. It is similar to porcelain but it throws like a dream.”

Characteristics:
Approx. Cone: 5
Wet Color: White
Fire Color
Oxidation: Cream
Reduction: Cream
Texture: Smooth
Penetrometer Target: 7
Avg. Shrinkage 2±% 13%
Avg. Water Absorption 1±% 2% (C/6)
COE x 10-6: 7.275

(information from lagunaclays.com)

As per Laguna, their clays are formulated and categorized to perform as ^06, ^5 and ^10. However, most clay can be successfully fired at varying temperatures (1 to 2 cones) above and below their indicated firing ranges. I tested both clays at C/6 tip touching, using the firing schedule recommended in MC6 Glazes.

First, a few words about clay usability issues.

S-240
I have to special order the Standard 240 from a distributor, who then mails the clay to me. This requires a bit of planning. It also means that all the bags I got were very fresh and quite soft. For me, this was a good thing as I found the 240 was a lot easier to throw big (>3 lbs) when it was fresh. Once it sat around for a bit, I had to soften it before attempting centering over 3 lbs.

I had a few cases of small drying cracks in the inner bottom of bowls (similar to s-cracks, but not all the way through) that appeared pre-bisque and one full on s-crack in a small cup (one of 16) that came out of a bisque. There was no rhyme nor reason to the cracking, and I’ve not had them repeat with my recent batches. I heard from another user that she had similar experiences with the clay. A bit of a worry.

As I noted in my first glaze-test report, the Standard 240 fires to a cream color. The MC6 glazes appear to fit it well.

Axner Maccabee:
I order direct from Axner (which means that the clay is in my studio within 3 days!). The clay is moist and perfect for throwing smaller pieces but I struggle with it for throwing anything larger than 3lbs. What this means is that large bowl throwing requires advance planning and careful preparation of the clay (moistening clay, adding very wet clay to the stiffer clay, wedging and slamming and wedging some more). Once the clay is “right”, its a pleasure to throw big (which is what I did yesterday). To date, I’ve had no cracking problems with this clay.

The Maccabee clay fires to a cold white color (slightly grey). Again, MC6 glazes appear to fit it well.

Water Absorption Testing:
I put both clay through a DIY test of clay vitrification. Clay vitrification affects whether or not a fired clay piece will absorb water. This has ramifications for suitability for use in a dishwasher and especially the microwave. It also has ramifications for overall performance of the glaze pieces.

I conducted absorption tests as outlined in Mastering Cone 6 Glazes (test tiles first bisqued, then fired unglazed to glaze temperature, weighed straight out of the kiln, boiled for 2 hours, allowed to cool in the water, dried and quickly weighed again). I repeated the tested three times (using clay from different batches).

The fractional moisture absorption percentage is calculated by [boiled weight-original weight]//[original weight] x 100.

The test results for the Axner Maccabee ranged from 1.02% to 1.77% (average = 1.42%)

The test results for the Standard 240 ranged from 4.00% to 4.52% (average = 4.33%)

In their book, John Hesselberth and Ron Roy recommend confirming that water absorption for one’s fired clay is no higher than 3% and preferably 1-2%. I will not be ordering any more Standard 240. Time to see if the friendly folks at Axner can make sure I get softer clay next time I order!

Medium to Large Bowls, Axner Maccabee

 

From Haydn to Björk

Last night we treated ourselves to an evening of culture. The Horned Dorset Primavera Hotel, our local Relais & Chateaux resort right here in Rincón, was holding an event to commemorate this year’s 200 anniversary of Joseph Haydn’s death (for some reason, the folks over at the HD decided to call it a 200th birthday celebration, but hey, we’re all about the facts here at nickandmiri!).

The evening included appetizers on the lovely veranda overlooking the sea, following by a string quartet concert, featuring Haydn’s music of course. We then enjoyed a lovely 4 course meal. All in all, very civilized!

To our surprise, Björk, Icelandic avant-garde singer-songwriter, composer, actress and music producer extrodinare, was in attendance. Seems she is in our neck of the woods for a while, recording her latest album. Of course, I couldn’t resist personally welcoming Björk to our little town and inviting her and her entourage to my pottery studio, should they feel like a bit of a break from the recording studio. Hey, wouldn’t you love to have Björk in YOUR studio??? I’m not gonna be waiting by the phone but how cool would that be? Boy would I love to see what she’d make!

 

A few more from my latest glaze firing

Small Bowl: Bright Sky Blue over Licorice Black

Low Bowl: Raspberry Red over Licorice Black

Low Bowl: Licorice Black over Raw Sienna with Ginger Rust (Glossy Base Glaze 2 + 6% RIO + 4% Rutile) drizzle

 

The long and winding road…

Before:

After:

Well, I slept very well last night, thank you very much. We opened the kiln this morning (once I got back from the gym, hows that for self control??). I’ll be setting up my light box and taking some proper pictures of pots over the weekend.

Overall assessment? More good than not so good and some super good but I’m not done glaze testing quite yet. I’ve got some killer glaze combos that are consistent and work well. I’ve got some other glazes that show promise but need some tweaking. And I had a few glazes that were just too darn thick. I did get some blue mugs going:

And importantly, Nick was very pleased with his new Spurs mug. He promptly tested it out with a cuppa tea and deemed it a success (better, in fact, than his commercial mug). High praise indeed!

 

Rutile Blue Sky

Can you tell that I have glazes on the mind???  Nick took this sunrise photo, as I was too busy watching cones.  Yes, t’was an early one today, and not much sleep last night.  I’ve weaned the kiln (well, myself) down to one visit (3 am) during the night but was up again at 5 am.  Feeling a bit sleep deprived but definitely looking forward to opening the kiln tomorrow.