Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Playing the Pottery Lottery

by Eleanor Hendriks

A while ago during a pottery class focussed on glazing, I joked with my students about the Pottery Lottery. Playing the Pottery Lottery (PL) is what I call it when we put glazes on our pieces without really knowing what they are going to look like. Students almost always play the PL because they haven't had enough experience with the glazes to know how they might work.


I provide tile samples of the glazes we use in my studio but there are so many variables in glaze application that the tiles give only a small part of the possibilities. Even more unpredictable results come when glazes are layered or mixed.


During a class with some students who were really spooked by the PL, I lead the way by putting glazes on some of my own pots in combinations that I had never tried before.... and this time I WON the Pottery Lottery!

I used underglazes under a glaze that might have been opaque and hidden all my painting -but it didn't -in fact it has a soft aged look that I will probably be repeating.


I spilled one glaze over another and rather than cleaning it off I went ahead and splattered a third glaze on top of that. There are some fabulous subtle patterns where the glazes met that I will try to repeat on some other pieces...





I would never have thought of putting these two colours together -I did it by mistake at the end of a long late night (early morning actually) glazing session -and I LOVE it!


These strange rivulet patterns come from layering glazes with wax in between to prevent the top glaze from covering the entire pot. The result is fascinating -and nothing like what I expected!


And on this piece I think I won the lottery twice -the outside is an amazing array of colours...



...and the inside is just stunning!!

Of course I would be celebrating my Pottery Lottery wins more vigourously if I could remember which glazes I put where!! Oh why Oh why don't I write these things down!!!


Friday, March 14, 2008

Etsy Mud Team Critters on the Loose!

by Eleanor Hendriks

The Etsy Mud Team is putting on another interesting challenge. Visit the Etsy Mud Team website to vote for your favourite critter and be sure to look for critters hidden in participating shops -you will receive a free something-er-other with any purchase if you find the critter!


This is a little taste of my critter.
I'm still cooking up something good to be the prize with a purchase -I'll let you know!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Medieval Times

by Eleanor Hendriks
March Break Art Camp at StudioÉlan is going well so far this week and their project today was so successful that I thought I'd show it off! We made castle towers and tricked them out with all kinds of medieval elements and details. The series of process photos and the Rapunzel tower are the one I made as an example. The last three pictures are the great work of Lydia, Heather, Madeleine, Ally, Garett and Tyas -way to go guys!






















Clay is done for the week -next we'll be working on mosaics, tin punching, printmaking and abstract paper cuttting. I'll post an overview of all the projects after the week is done -I hope they go as well as this one!!
Edited July 25, 2013 I was too busy during those sessions to take pictures, so I never did get posts about the other projects up. See the comments for tips on how to do this project with your own group...

Monday, March 10, 2008

Hedgehogs and Outhouses?!?

by Eleanor Hendriks

I hinted at a future containing outhouses and hedgehogs -well, here they are, courtesy of my beginner pottery class students. I get so excited when students take a basic skill -like making a slab box or a simple thrown bowl and really make it their own. Congratulations to Rod and Lee Ann for really making all they can of the skills they have acquired so far!

Rod's outhouse -still awaiting a date with the glaze kiln (and the ever elusive satellite dish installer!)

Lee Ann's cute little hedgie before glazing....


...and after!

Thanks to Ross, Sandy, Rod and Lee Ann for a great winter session! Stay tuned for some more class highlights....


Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Do you know how to Etsy?!?

by Eleanor Hendriks



For those of you who have tried the "Etsy" I keep talking about but still find it confusing, here's a handy video that explains many different ways to wander through Etsy...



My favourites are the Treasuries (I make one whenever I can -look for StudioElan in the curator's list) and Pounce. Of course, you can skip all that and just head for my shop ;)

I'll be back with an update on studio goings on soon -the winter classes are coming to an end and I can't wait to show off what my students have been up to!

Don't forget -hedgehogs and outhouses....
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