FRESH FROM THE KILN

All of these pieces were fired at Pottery West in Las Vegas. John Gregg and I did a 19 hour firing in the propane reduction kiln.





These three cups were glazed with B's Shine over Laguana's Soda Fire body. Not sure the reason for the orange peel. Candled for for 4 hours at 250; two days after glazing... Love it, but confused.

This little dude is a porcelain cup that was a re-fire. I he was fired in the wood fire soda kiln a few months back, but had a huge dingus in the handle. A little grinding and a shot of glaze, and some more time in the kiln, he is good to go. (He needs a name..)


This small tea bowl has the same issue as the first three cups. But boy oh boy did the warmth of the Death Valley clay body come through.

Off to post a piece on Etsy.

Back in the saddle

s
So I have been back from my East coast adventure for about 3 weeks; I leave next week for Columbia Missouri to design a production THE MERRY WIDOW. While in Vegas i've been throwing, teaching classes, carving, and loading kilns. I have also been applying to shows and compilations, its great to be back.

Last night John Gregg and I were firing the "Refrigerator Kiln". It is a aprox 45 square foot propane reduction down draft. We fired it to cone 10 in 20 hours. Long time candling, something like 7 hours, as it was rainy and damp the day prior.

While firing I worked on 10 face cups... here is one of them.

13th Annual Faces Juried Online International Art Exhibition

A few of my pieces were accepted to this show: check it out!

http://www.upstreampeoplegallery.com/exhibition/default.asp?XD=3/1/2011&AN=Akrish%2C+Esther

DEBRA FRITTS Workshop

I had the great fortune to travel to Baltimore before the snow-mageddon 2011 and participate in a great workshop with Debra Fritts at the Baltimore Clayworks. The workshop revolved around creating a hand built head with attention to proportion and human anatomy. Super fun and made me leave the comfort zone of my face jug creations.

Day 1: Creation of the shell.

Build Neck


Create Chin and Head: Tapper Neck


Find Jaw


Setting placement for features


Ears, Jaw, Cheeks....
Closing the head

Day 2: The fun - Making it personal

I didn't take any photos of the altering and adding of the parts pieces and shoulders. I did take a few of the piece after the AMACO under glazes and englobes were applied. AMACO provides the underglazes for the workshops.


Debra showed us how to apply layers of dry clay to create a interesting surface texture that will crackle when it is fired. Wonder if it will work at cone 10?

I think the one of the things that Debra reminded to be a painter. I spent years painting for theatre and film, and I do not think I have ever tried those techniques with glaze. You don't always need to spray an even coat of glaze, perhaps I need to think of it as colored gesso.

Thanks Debra!

head to Baltimore to make heads (?)

His guy came out of the Wood Sofa a few weeks ago, finally got him cleaned up and did his head shot. The stars were a low fire glaze (04) - gold: firing in a gas environment created an amazing bronze finish.





I'm headed to Baltimore to take Debra Fritt's Workshop Head Talk at Baltimore Clay Works, super excited!

Also working on a production of RINALDO at OPERA VIVENTE. I will miss all the folks at Pottery West.

Reasons I love WOOD FIRE

Here are some pieces I am loving from the wood soda fire at POTTERY WEST on January 8, 2011






Laguana's Kia Porcelain with Matt Long's Red Flashing Slip, and Old Time Jack Blue Flashing






Aardvark's Black Mountain Cone 10 Clay:
Blue Chun Liner and Elaine Best Celadon (bottom mug)
Light Dusting of Matt Long's Red Flashing Slip
Heavy spray of Andrew Wong's Luster

I will post the rest of the pieces on my website: http://www.whirledmud.com in the next day or so.

January WOOD SODA @ POTTERY WEST NV

Thanks to Kelly for photoing the Kiln opening.

All in all good results. In retrospect I think we should have soaked for about another hour or so.