Perinteiset Joulumyyjäiset Tammelassa 2012 (Christmas fair)

The hearts were my chosen objects for the Skills Presentation no. 3: customer based work. I wanted to have some small, affordable and traditional pieces for "easy sell". They are also great for testing different styles and glazes, which means also less waste!

Casting clay tests

One regular casting test cup and origamis, egg carton, and East German vintage underpants dipped in liquid clay.


Before

After

Autumn Raku

This assignment was a warm up after coming back from the summer break:  expresing autumn feelings with clay, fire and smoke. My inspiration came from  a song, Elokuun kruunu - CMX (the Crown of August)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqyV92w5-ww
It is always a reminder in that time of year of a bittersweet  teenage drama -now translated into garden deco that can be used also as a candle holder! :)  I wanted a romantic worn out look so I used glaze that is more like a rusty patina for the big ones. The small crowns I wanted to be more colorful, with surprises of  different layered glazes. Part of the mission was to find a place for the work outside where they would be presented to the class. Unfortunatly  one big crown didn´t survive,  I dropped it when taking out from the Raku kiln.

The most I enjoyed  placing the work in the yard with a little help of the ways of environmental art.

Matching colors with the surroundings.

And this place I just could not resist, it was too tempting even too obvious.

Champagne clay

In the start of the semester I emptied the white smooth stoneware recycling container.  I knew it was a risk with all the yellow, brown and whoknowswhat lumps that were found in the bottom, but I anyway poured everything to the mixter. After the glaze firing of the test pieces I could see the clay had nice tone with spots but it is very bubbly. Specially the thrown cups have big bubbles which was disappointing, because I made the clay batch specially for the wheel. The pinched cup looks more even, but still you can see the same effect. I fired also some pieces for breaking to see if I could recognize what is causing it, but there was just air.
I thought first to throw all of the 60 kilos to trash but then I thought this clay might work well in sculptural work. So, I saved it and hopefully soon I will have time to make some big bubbly creature.

Tyhjä Kulho 2012

Four Bowls for Unicef charity event Tyhjä Kulho (Empty Bowls) in Helsinki - http://www.tyhjakulho.fi/ and one pink swimmer for myself.

Rovaniemen Wanhat Markkinat 2012

 

 The staff

The view

 

The stuff

  

 

A wedding present

Now that the cups finally have reached the happy couple, I can publish the results of the commission.
I was asked to do a set of coffee mugs. The bride being my partners sister, it  was easier to look for the style and colours she would like.

Wheelthrown stoneware, clear glaze inside and outside turquoise with golden spots. The unique detail is the stamped handle in this otherwise simple mug.

Flowers for her...

...and checkered for him.

Leftovers of the project: Two blonds with starry handles. The glaze on the outside I really love, it goes from orange to pale sand according to the thickeness.

Skills demonstration no.1

On the skills demonstration day we make an object that will be build in one day according to a plan and timetable that is earlier approved by the teacher.
The first and only one for this year was to make a foodsafe tableware object that would hold minimum one litre. It must be colored with minimum of  two glazes or engobes. I made a pair to be sure that one might survive to the glazing. They are holding about 1.5 - 2 litres and are made by folding dark anthracite clay slabs that gave a bit more challenge. Also it was hard to get the legs even, so one of them have restless dancing feet.

 

Thrown tumblers

Wheel throwing

We started to work on the wheel officially just in the end of the first year.  I used redclay and the challenge for me was to make big and tall objects. That's something that I will continue to train next year.
Here are the tasks:

1. Freeform

2. Two in the same size and shape

3. Cones with straight walls 8cm/8cm, 10cm/10cm, 12/12

4. Object as big as possible from 1kg of clay