The Creative Process
Most of my art comes from a fluid, figure it out as you go sort of mentality. I have a general idea of what I want to do when I start throwing (bell shaped tripod that'll stand on the tips of its tentacled toes when fired.) From there I throw the form, and let the process guide the work. The organic process is what gives my creatures life and makes them feel like they grew that way.
Materials
I find myself attracted to things that are cast off. Reclaimed clay, glazes and glaze combinations that are considered failed or unstable.
Did you know that clay that has been left to age is more plastic? And that clay bodies with more types of clay tend to be much more stable? So while I have to work more to get the clay that I like, reclaimed clay tends to surprise and please me. Especially if they have been left to sit for a year or so.
Scrap glazes have the unpredictable properties I love, and since they come in such a limited quantity, they seem all the more precious.
In addition to scrap glazes, I enjoy layering glazes to get different effects. Layered glazes can often times be runny, or need special treatment to come out right. They are definitely less predictable, which is something that I enjoy. Still, it's good to know what is food safe and what is for sculpture only.
Firing Process
When glazing, I will use just about any process I can get my muddy little hands on. In the past I have Pit-fired, used Raku, Electric, Soda, Gas, and Glauwyrm Wood-fired kiln.
The most exceptional of these kilns is the Glauwyrm, an experimental kiln coming out of Tom Ladd Studios. It is a Portable pop-tent of a kiln. It fires quickly, with less fuel than a traditional kiln, and cools a lot faster as well. Below is an informative video of the kiln at work.
It is my desire to build a kiln like this in Portland, Oregon. Right now I'm in the process of finding out the fire codes for the area, to see if its going to even be legally possible.
In the mean time, I am firing good ol' dependable ∆6 electric.
Building Process
Typically, I throw my forms on the wheel and then hand build with the pieces after. I think its fair to say that I like curves way more than I like angles, and this shows in my work.
Once my form is thrown, I get to add legs, or pull edges. These are the products of quick, fluid and gestural motions. Then comes the texture. I love texture. Its all done by hand. The lacy texture featured on my tripods is done one hole at a time, as demonstrated in the following video.
