Yellow Room Arts

Double-walled bowls, part 2

Keba — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:37:12 +0000

Here’s the trimming part of making a double walled bowl. Happy potting and if you make one of these, please send me a picture – I’d love to see it!

When you flip the bowl over, the top is the only thing that you will need to trim (if you want to carve into the outer wall, you can do that later). You may need to smooth the bowl part as well – sometimes there is a dent from closing the form.

Smoothed out rim and bowl. This bowl was at soft leather, so I could do a lot of the smoothing work with a sponge and my fingers.

And that’s it!

Double-walled bowls, part 1

Keba — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:24:32 +0000

Here is part 1 of making double-walled bowls, with instructions. Part 2 will be trimming the piece right side up.

Remember that you are throwing “upside down” – the “rim” of the outside wall is actually the foot of the finished piece!

Center the clay and open all the way to the bottom. However far out you pull the donut of clay will be the diameter of the finished bowl part. Flatten the top of the donut to make splitting it (next step) easier. Clean up the inside of the bowl with a rib or sponge.

Split the clay donut with your thumb (or whatever finger is most comfortable). Support the outer part with your right hand. Sponge out as much water as you can from the bowl area.

Pull up the wall that will become the bowl – pulling up and in makes forming the bowl easier. If it gets off center, you can use the needle tool to even up the lip again.

Collar in the bowl wall, shaping the bowl form as you go.

Completely close the bowl form.

Using a flexible rib, smooth and shape the bowl form.

Pull up the outside wall, taking care to keep water from pooling at the bottom. Don’t worry at this point about the amount of clay left at the bottom, touching the wheelhead. This can always be trimmed off later.

Even up the rim (what will be the foot of the piece), and make sure it is 1/2″ or more beyond the bowl. At this point, you have some choices – leave the wall flared out, shape it to be vertical,or shape it to be flared in.

Side view to show outside wall pulled above bowl.

Wire the form off of the bat and leave upside down until leather hard.

Snow days = clay time

Keba — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:34:07 +0000

A few of the things I’ve been working on recently. Everything is greenware (not fired in the kiln) because the weather has been too, um, wintery to get the vent hooked up. For some reason, I don’t want to breathe fumes…

Hand worked/pinched clay with texture

Hand worked clay, textured and formed over a round sponge.

Hand "folded" clay vases, salt pigs

Here’s that trash can!

Keba — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:32:24 +0000

A tour of the new studio – still a work in progress

Keba — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:27:35 +0000

I have definitely increased the size of my studio space, but as you can see from the pictures, there are three machines that need to be moved before I can spread things out. But until then (and until the kilns are hooked up – only one is in there now), I can still work, so that makes me happy!

How’s that trash can?

Keba — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:41:22 +0000

The “trash can challenge” is coming along nicely – it’s about 3/4 full right now. I’ve been brutal about which pieces to keep and which to toss in that trash can. I throw a bag of clay (usually 12-13 pieces or more, depending on size), let them dry, trim and finish, then pick the best 2 or 3 to keep. Sometimes I’ll keep a “non-racer” because I like the rim or the shape.

Yesterday I made some candle plates/holders, playing around with my mini-extruder (looks like a metal syringe with a flat end to put the dies in) and bits of torn clay for decorations. I like clean, smooth forms, so actually putting something on the pot to break that smoothness is a little disconcerting for me. We’ll see where it goes, though.

YRA 2010

yraadminkeba — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:52:40 +0000

2009 was a chaotic kind of year, with many personal and professional changes. We are looking forward to 2010, and the challenges it will bring. Dennis continues to experiment with his art (there is a lot of cardboard around our house right now!) and Keba has a mission to fill up a 32 gallon trashcan as she experiments with clay (I’m hoping the can is filled by March at the latest).

May you and yours have a creative 2010!

Studio move in progress

Keba — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:22:32 +0000

Yellow Room Arts is in the process of moving to a new location, with a bigger studio area! When the dust settles, I will add some pictures of the new home. Stay tuned…

Latest work

Keba — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:50:52 +0000

A few of the latest pieces from the kiln!

Turquoise cereal/soup bowls.

“Grape koolaid” bowl – this is actually a thinned down purple glaze that I applied with a syringe (no needle!). Overglazed with clear glaze.

Inside view of the grape bowl

Set of 3 nesting bowls. The blue was sponged over the white clay, then sealed with a transparent glaze.

More from the kiln

Keba — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:58:53 +0000

Turquoise yarn jar

I’m catching up on my photos, so here is a sampling of what has been coming out of the kiln recently. I’m experimenting with bigger yarn jars (working on one for those huge Red Heart skeins!) as well.

Agate yarn jar

Rose/chrome green bowls

Black glazed set - detail from crumpled newspaper

Detail from black glazed set - glazed wiped off in places to show clay underneath