Sweetpea Pottery

Pottery Sale December 20th 2009

2009-12-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! It has been a very long time since I have posted. I have been busy with teaching classes and also the everyday surprising things that come about in life. This fall I did get a chance to get into the studio and work on my own work. I had a pottery sale at Changing Hands Bookstore in November and it was successful. It was nice to hear feedback about my new work. Thank you to all who came out and supported me. I will be having a sale December 20th 10-4 at Changing Hands Bookstore 6428 S. McClintock Dr. Tempe, Arizona so come and say hi and check out my new work. Also, know you can also purchase my work at Made in Phoenix. Thanks again and hope to see you all soon!

These cynliders are a project I undertook this fall that I really enjoyed. I read an article in Ceramics Monthly about an artist who works on this form and fires them in a wood kiln. I tried to put my own personal touch to these cynliders and I fired them in a high fire gas kiln.

The bowls were a special request from a friend who wanted chili bowls. She requested jamaica clay. It fires this nice black color, which I left exposed on purpose. I glazed the inside oasis blue to hold her nice recipe for chili. In the past I have not used this clay much, but I enjoyed it.

You Can’t Play With This Toy: How to Make a Ceramic Sculpture

2009-06-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

For my Spring Session at the Edna Vihel Center for the Arts, one of my favorite lessons I taught was having the students make a toy out of clay. The students needed to be true to the conventions used by the designer toy art world. The students became storytellers. By using different colors, expressions, and textures in their ceramic toy sculpture they revealed feelings, memories and moods through their art work putting their own personal spin on their sculpture.

Here are some of the Toy Sculptures in process. The students needed to have their toy stand and have an accessory that told a story about their toy.

Each student applied colored slips to their sculptures. The sculptures were fired to Cone 06 then Cone 5.

This student made a rock star. Notice the microphone.

This student made a tennis player.

This student made a snowman. I think he looks like he is dancing.

This student made an animal.

This student made super cat. Super cat has a cape that you can not see in this picture.

I'm very proud of my students.

Ceramics at the Phoenix Airport

2009-04-17T14:15:00.001-07:00

My husband, Matt travels a lot for work and we always joke that are second home is the Phoenix Airport, terminal four. Terminal four has some of the best ceramic exhibits. If you ever have a layover in Phoenix or are visiting Arizona check out the ceramics at the airport. Over the years I have enjoyed viewing this wonderful ceramic collection as I wait for my lovely husband to arrive home.

"Unbound"

2009-04-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

My coworker Bridget Harper had her solo show the week of NCECA at the Paul Scott Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was a huge success. Here is some of her works from her show called "Unbound". The show will be up from April 9-23. Check out more of her work at http://bridgetcherie.com/ Congrats Bridget!!!

NCECA Exhibits

2009-04-17T13:35:00.001-07:00

Over the course of the two days at NCECA I attended several exhibits. There was some exciting ceramics to be viewed and to be inspired by.

Many of the exhibits were held in the hotels in downtown Phoenix. This exhibit was held in the Wyndham Phoenix Hotel. There was some exceptional work that I enjoyed viewing. The work in the second row to the left is by one of my old teachers. The artists name is Seth Rainville. I took classes from him at the Mesa Art Center. I ran into him at the convention and he told me he is now in Boston in the process of opening a gallery. He has been teaching at UMASS the last year. His work is very detailed, concentrates on excellent craftsmanship and he pays special attention to having his work fit right in your hands.

This exhibit was held in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Phoenix. This was the undergraduate ASU ceramic show. The top piece is done by my good friend Melissa. Her work is very fun and creative.

This show was held in the Hyatt Regency hotel. It was the Maricopa Community Colleges Ceramic Exhibition. The piece to the left is by my friend Kaori Fujitani. The work to the right is by my friend Tom Budzak. They are both professors at community colleges in the state of Arizona. You can check out more work by Tom at his website http://www.tombudzak.com/

These two art pieces were in the project space at the convention center. The project space was a testing ground for experimentation and new ideas. There were emerging artists doing performances and collaborative/interactive exhibits that was fun to experience.

These are some cups from the seventeenth annual cup sale. My friend Tom's is in the right hand picture with the business cards in it. The annual cup sale is a fundraiser designed to provide opportunities for artistic growth through scholarships, residences and programs.

Here is two impressive pieces from the twelfth annual national K12 ceramic exhibit. There mission at NCECA is to bring the wonderful world of ceramic art being done by K12 schools across the United States. They gave out scholarships, awards and recognitions during the NCECA convention.

NCECA in Phoenix Arizona

2009-04-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

I attended NCECA on Thursday and Friday of the four day convention. On Thursday my friend Tom and I took the light rail to Phoenix and got there early because I was like a school child the day of a field trip. Let's just say I was excited. After checking in we floated around to the talks, demonstrations, movies, manufacturer/supplier room, and exhibits. I loved that the event was informal. That way I could float from room to room and not miss anything.

The company Brent did demonstrations to sell their Brent wheels in the manufacturer/supplier room. Tom entered to win a Brent wheel, but did not win. It was fun to see tools I have never seem before and equipment I had only heard about. Tom loved going into this hall and was very excited by all the tools, books, and toys. He made me excited, it's catchy and I bought some mud tools that I'm excited to try out in the studio.

Here is some pictures of the first demonstration we went to and we did not find it very exciting. The two ceramic artists demonstrating were Takeshi Yasuda and Tara Wilson. Although I enjoy both of their work I felt their stage presence could have been better. I wanted more stories and explaining of their techniques.

The next demonstration we saw was Jin-Gyu Heo, Onggi potter from Korea. I found his method incredible. He did not speak English, but had a translated who was highly entertaining and taught us the names of the tools and techniques used in Korea. I found it educational. Onggi known as the ware that breaths, is the most representative cultural asset to Korea. He showed everyone how he makes large scale storing jars in a short span of time. He told us he makes 40 jars a day!

NCECA WEEK!

2009-04-14T19:09:00.001-07:00

At ASU I visited the Harry Wood Gallery in the Art Building and saw two excellent shows. The image to the left is a show called Elevation Gain by Darien Johnson. The images on the pieces are detailed and carry a story all around the whole piece. The second show is called Mise en Place by Christian Tonsgard. In his artist statement he said that Mise en Place translated means to put in place. This artist created an environment that I wanted to crawl into and enjoy his ceramics in my daily life.

I visited the ASU library and I was pleasantly surprised to see a ceramic installation in front of the check out desk. It is by Xiaoping Luo and the piece is called Meeting. It is ceramic porcelain playing cards arranged in rows creating positive and negative space that makes for a interesting piece.

NCECA-National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts

2009-04-07T13:56:00.002-07:00

First Friday at Pravus Gallery

Pravus gallery in downtown Phoenix has a ceramic exhibit that runs from April 3-26, 2009 that is part of the annual NCECA event going on April 8-11, 2009. NCECA expects 5,000 ceramic enthusiasts this year at the event. It is an exciting event that promotes, educates, and inspires all level of ceramic artists. Pravus gallery put together a fabulous show of ceramic artists including Max Esplin, Charles Krafft, Elyse Pignolet, Dana Smith Greta Zakrzewska, Janis Wunderlich, Anne Goodrich and much much more. If you are in town for NCECA it is a must on your stops around town. Here is a few photos that I took at open night!

MADE ART BOUTIQUE

2009-04-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

FIRST FRIDAY IN PHOENIX

First Friday happens every first Friday in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It is a free self-guided tour where participants can enjoy the hundreds of galleries, studios and art spaces. Made is part of first Friday and where I have some of my ceramics for sale. Here are a couple of pictures of me Made pointing to some of my creations. My pieces are mixed in with other local ceramic artists.

Here I'm pointing to my goblets and the big bowl on the top shelf.

Here I'm pointing to my berry bowls. I look really silly in this photo.

Winter Session Classes

2009-03-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

Youth Ceramic Classes

I just recently finished teaching my eight week winter youth ceramic classes at the Viehl Center for the Arts in Tempe, Arizona. I'm very proud of my students and their accomplishments this semester. Here is some of their work.

The assignment for this piece, was to make a teapot that had personal meaning to the student. The head is the lid and one of the arms is the spout. I think the end result turned out fantastic!

For this assignment, the students used the coil method to make a face jug. We talked about Appalachian Face Jugs and how they used pottery jugs to store food because plastic containers hadn't been invented yet. This student payed close attention to the detail of the face and captured a great expression.

The assignment for this piece, was to make your favorite food. We used color slips to add color to our food. This student made sushi rolls, chopsticks and rice to create her favorite food. She used pinch, coil and slab methods to create her assignment.

For this assignment, the students were at the pottery wheels exploring pouring vessel forms. They were to create a form that included a spout and a handle. The vessels poured well after coming out the glaze firing.

Most of my students enjoy making miniatures. Here are some of my favorite!

First Ceramic Sale of the New Year!

2009-01-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

I will be having my first ceramic sale of the year February 8th 2009 from 10-4 at Changing Hands Bookstore. It is on the corner of Guadalupe and McClintock in Tempe, Arizona. I will have functional pieces that you can give as gifts or use in your own home. My pieces are food safe, dishwasher and microwave safe. Hope to see you all!

30th Annual Contemporary Crafts

2009-01-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

On Friday January 23,2009 I attended the 30th Annual Contemporary Crafts show and the Imprints: A Survey of Ceramic Faculty and Guest Artists at the Mesa Arts Center. It had a nice turn out for opening night. The show will be up from January 23-March 15 2009. If your attending NCECA this year or live in Arizona, check out this great ceramic show.

For more information check out the mesa art center website at http://www.mesaartscenter.com/MCA.aspx

The top piece is by artist Julius Forzano. He teaches at the Mesa Art Center and is has been exploring in the art technique printing as well as ceramics. The middle piece is by artist Jesse Armstrong. He is a graduate student at ASU. The bottom piece is by artist Farraday Newsome. She teaches at the Mesa Art Center.

The top photo is of Tom Budzak looking at some of the ceramic pieces in the craft show. The bottom photo is of Tom and his lovely wife Melissa in front of Tom's teapot.

Tom Budzak is a ceramic artist. He has a master's degree in Ceramics from New Mexico State University.He did his undergraduate work at ASU and received a BFA in ceramics. Tom's work is interesting to look at. Every time I look at his pieces I see something new. Nice Job Tom! If you would like to see more of his work check out his website at http://www.tombudzak.com/

Here is Kaori Fujitani and her artwork. She teaches classes, makes her own work to sell, and is the ceramic tech at Mesa Art Center. Her pieces are beautiful and calming to look at and enjoy. Great Job Kaori!

Work Day

2009-01-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

I have been working on my colander/strainers for a few days now and they are coming along nicely. Here is the tool I use to create designs in the bowl and make the holes in the colander/strainers.

I end up with lots of little dots of clay. I wish I could figure out a project to do, with all these little dots.

After the colander/strainers are bisque fired I will need to prepare each one for the glaze firing. I will clean each piece and put wax in all of the holes and the foot rings of the colander/strainers. The whole process takes about 12-15 hours to make twenty colander/strainers. This does not include the firing process.

Work day

2009-01-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

I'm on break from teaching at the Edna Vihel Center for the Arts. Today was a day to work on artwork for the new year. I wanted to create a new item to have at Made Art Boutique. The owner has told me lots of men visit her boutique during the day. This inspired me to create goblets today. A goblet can be used by both men and women, but I have had more men buy goblets from me. We will see how well they sell.

Ceramic Dinner Party

2009-01-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

Gabrielle was nice enough to host an after holiday's pot luck ceramic exchange party. Everyone brought a ceramic piece of their own to be part of a exchange with each other. We were all thrilled to go home with someones masterpiece to add to our ceramic collection. Thanks Gabrielle!

Empty Bowls

2009-01-07T11:40:00.001-08:00

Empty Bowls is a volunteer initiative of interested individuals that bring together all facets of the community to raise money for and awareness of hunger issues.

Over winter break at the Edna Vihel Center for the Arts, Connie organized ceramic artists to get together and make, glaze and fire bowls for the upcoming Tempe, Arizona Empty Bowls event.

This year the event will be held on February 27 and 28 2009. 11:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. Both Days. The February 27th event will be held at 6th St Park(just south of city hall in downtown Tempe). On February 28th the event will be held at the community center courtyard 3500 S. Rural Rd.(southwest corner of Rural and Southern). Hope you all can make it!

Gallery of Work

2009-01-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Here is a gallery of my work. I enjoy making pottery that people can use everyday in their lives.

My berry bowls are my most popular selling item at Made Boutique in Phoenix Arizona. The Made Boutique is a great shop in downtown Phoenix that sells handmade art by local and national artists. Check out their website at http://www.madephx.com/

I have always found teapots challenging to make. My mom suggested I start small. I make miniature teapots that customers enjoy using for condiments are just displaying in their homes.

I love making tea bowls. This tea bowl is enjoyed everyday by my husband and I. The right photo is what I call a caddy. It can carry makeup brushes, silverware, or dips. It has endless possibilities.

The bowl to the left is a twenty pound bowl. My friend Tom,his wife and my husband went to an art opening and I saw the most beautiful punch bowl. The artist used about twenty pounds of clay. I had never thrown with that much clay before. My friend Tom encouraged me to try it. I appreciate the support I get from my ceramic friends because sometimes artists need support to progress into new challenges.

Chip and dips are one of my bestsellers at Changing Hands Bookstore. I enjoy making them and selling them. I have been selling at Changing Hands Bookstore for about six years now and I appreciate all my loyal customers who have been buying from me for years. Thank-you. Check out Changing Hands website for upcoming ceramic sales http://www.changinghands.com/

How To Throw a Bowl

2008-12-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

Get a piece of clay the size of your two fists. Wedge your clay to get the air bubbles out(Step 1).
Shape your clay into a cone shape. Doing this will help with centering your clay(Step 2).

Use the rings on the potter’s wheel to help you find the middle of the wheel. Throw your clay down lightly in the middle of the rings on the potter’s wheel(Step 3).
Use your finger to secure your clay on the potter’s wheel(Step 4).

To center your clay ,you will need to lean over your clay mound. Steady either arm on your thigh, or have your elbow close to your rib cage. This will help center your clay. Have two hands on the mound of clay when centering the clay. Start by pushing into the clay mound and moving the clay upward into a skinnier mound(Step 5). Every few moments apply water to keep fingers from dragging on the clay.
Apply pressure with one hand on the side and the other hand on top of the mound downward(Step 6).If clay is still not centered, cup your hands around and apply pressure with the palm of your hand. Also try holding your rib tool against the side of the mound of clay to help center your clay(Step 7).

To open your clay mound, start from the outward part of the mound and move your fingers toward the middle to find the center. Keep your elbows close to your side(Step 8). Apply water after each step to help shape the mound of clay.
Apply pressure at an angle towards the floor of the pot. Do not drill directly down(Step 9).

Measure the floor of the pot with your pin tool. Make sure there is about half an inch of clay at the floor(Step 10).

Spread the floor by pulling the clay towards you moving your hand upward. Hold one hand on the outside of the pot for support. It will have a nice continuous curve from the floor to the walls(Step 11).

Make sure to get the height before the width of the bowl. Put one hand in the inside with a moist sponge, one on the outside. Line your hands up. Apply pressure with your outside hand. The inside hand is guiding the clay up(Step 12).

Repeat Step12.

Compress the lip after each pull(Step 13).

Once you have the height we are ready to lay out the shape of the bowl. Match your hands up again, gently guide the clay outward between your fingers(Step 14).

Repeat Step 14.

Use the rib tool to clean up any slip and help shape the curve of the bowl. Use two hands to steady the rib tool in the inside and outside of the bowl(Step 15).

Decorate your piece with the wooden stick. Hold the stick steady with both hands and add patterns to personalize piece(Step 16).

With wooden stick trim any excess clay off the bottom of the piece(Step 17).

Use the wire tool to cut pot off the wheel. Apply water to the wheel head to have pot slide easily off the wheel head(Step 18).

Finished Result of Thrown Bowl.