Posted on February 15th, 2010
“As much as things change, they stay the same” couldn’t have been said better by my former teacher and now friend Randy Becker. A tour of my first studio last weekend brought back a rush of memories as the room itself remains uncannily familiar, essentially unchanged in the 12 years since I left. I am just returning from a trip up to Wisconsin to set up a solo exhibition at my old high school and thought I would share some images and a little bit of a background story about my initiation into the ceramic world.
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Posted on January 3rd, 2010
A couple months back, I was fortunate enough to be featured in Ceramic Monthly’s first installment of their “Studio Visit” section. Since then, I have been getting a steady stream of inquiries about my homemade tile bat system, so I thought I would share a detailed explanation of it for all to see.
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Posted on September 13th, 2009
I have been trying to really refine my teapot form lately. It is a very nice challenge to work around. For me, even though it is unlikely anyone would have the courage to actually use it, it must perform exceptionally well. I use the requirements of physics to direct my choices. The venturi effect spout shape, a 45 degree angle for drip prevention, a spout tip slightly higher than the interior lip of the body, a handle pulled in close to the body, and a handle-based lid latch are all part of the design. Read More
Posted on September 12th, 2009
I have been tracking the building of our new Manabigama Kiln here at the University of Louisville. In Part One I discussed the basics design and some of the process of building. In Part Two I explained the building of an arch. Those were the first two weeks, with Todd Burns, Reese Salmon and myself primarily working 12 hour days, 6 days a week. Other students came in occasionally, and although we could definitely have used more help, the kiln would never have gotten done without them. Read More
Posted on August 15th, 2009
Since the last article, our new urban wood kiln construction project at the University of Louisville has jumped some major hurdles, but continues with the steady and careful work of Todd and a small crew of our students.
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Posted on July 31st, 2009
I am currently on a hiatus from making work. That does not by any stretch of the imagination mean that I am not very busy. The current project is the construction of a new wood kiln at the University of Louisville, where I teach. After more than month of planning and some very in depth investigations, Todd Burns decided that for our program, the Manabigama design would be the best choice. I agreed. Read More
Posted on July 26th, 2009
So, as you may have gathered from all of my Cone Six Throwdown posts, I’m finally letting go of my down-to-the-molecular-level control of my work. The reasons for this are many. If you recall from Tweaking a Clay Body Part One, The main concern is that my clay body was just fine back when I had access to a pugmill. Pugmills compress, homogenize, and de-air the clay, making it immeasurably more workable. When I moved to the University of Louisville, I no longer had access to a pugmill. Read More
Posted on July 7th, 2009
In my search for the ultimate cone 6 porcelain, I really lucked out when my buddy Jim Gottuso, AKA Sofia’s Dad, generously offered me some of his clay to try. Jim puts his pots through hell and back, just as I do. Read More
Posted on June 29th, 2009
Just wanted to show off my new form, the cocktail glass. I based the form on the crisp simple design of a standard bar cocktail glass. The sort of cup you might get a drink in at the Brass Rail, my old beloved undergrad bar. I’m taking one for a test-drive right now, it’s doing a fine job!
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Posted on June 23rd, 2009
This is a bag I grabbed from my colleague (or boss?) Todd Burns‘ stash in the U of L studio. Though not really marketed as a cone 6 clay, here it is, free, so I’ll give it a shot! Some distributor sites say it is inended for cones 6-11 while the actual Highwater Clay site claims it is intended for cones 7-11. I actually fire at cone 7, basically because my clay body doesn’t quite fit my glaze unless I do, so I thought I might as well try it. Read More
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