by Carole Epp | Aug 29, 2007 | Uncategorized
So over the weekend I attended Prairie Flicker with the aim of learning what this whole junk-a-gama thing was all about. It’s wise to acknowledge though that as artists there is rarely true junk out there, or materials that we can’t find a new life for. This is particularly so for ceramics where anything in it’s final form can at the very least be ground down into grog. So when referring to a junk-a-gama kiln, we’re really not talking about junk, in fact the bricks we used were, while definitely not new, were in pretty good shape.
So the building began by about 11am and with a good break for lunch we were finished construction by around 3 that afternoon – now that’s my kind of kiln building! Mind you we had a lot of hands, but still, as much as I love a beautifully constructed kiln, my patience and my back can’t handle all the work. So a one day kiln was just my speed.
Here’s a few play by play shots of the construction:
The floor in place and the beginning of the walls.
A view of the fire box with stainless steal rods in place.
Walls complete and the chimney in place.
A view from the front to the back.
The checkered bag wall.
At last the packed kiln!
The aim was to reach at least cone 6, we had a good range of clay bodies and a select few glazes that could withstand a range in temperature. The top of the kiln was finished off with old shelves and a final layer of soft brick.
Unfortunately in the end with a one day firing we didn’t quite reach the goal temperature but with some minor adjustments the next firing should proceed according to plan. But melted glaze or not, what fun! Beyond that, this kiln was the perfect size for a backyard, single person firing wood kiln.
The workshop participants also got the chance to pit fire and raku. While I fondly remember back in undergrad my friend Jessie and I building our first kiln, a raku that we actually got a substantial amount of work through before it started to fall apart, it’s been ages since I’ve done a raku. It’s not that I’m not an admirer of raku work, it just that it doesn’t quite fit the work I’ve been producing over the last few years. But I was introduced to a new technique for raku this weekend that I’ve never seen before – chip slip. I was quite inspired…maybe there will be more raku in my future.
Here’s a shot of the slip being picked away, and a beautiful final result.
by Carole Epp | Aug 27, 2007 | Uncategorized
CBC produced a documentary this year to celebrate the 2007 Year of Craft called Hand Made, Hand Held wherein they talk to collectors and producers of craft. Just something to help you procrastinate on a Monday morning!
by Carole Epp | Aug 22, 2007 | Uncategorized
While I may have been one of the lucky ones that actually enjoyed a good critique in college (i know it’s sick right?), for anyone who hated having to sit through critiques in college and thought they were filled with the esoteric ramblings of those with little insight into the actual work, but who like to hear themselves talk check out the “instant art critique phrase generator” It’s good for a bit of a laugh!
by Carole Epp | Aug 22, 2007 | Uncategorized
I found a great portal website, Share, that showcases a bunch of contemporary dutch ceramic design and thus thought today a profile of a number of Dutch artists was in order. Here’s a quick overview of highlights in case you don’t have the time to visit all of the websites individually. The Share website also has links to galleries, different organizations, design groups, work centres, you name it – it’s a great resource.
The above work is by the artist Simone van Bakel. Her work isn’t limited to ceramics, she in corporates a variety of materials, all of which are well mastered.
This following work by Paula Bastiaansen you’ll likely recognize from the pages of Ceramic Art and Perception, among other publications. She has a nice website with a bit of info about her process.
These next two are by Judith van der Boom, the second in particular I enjoy the humor in the thought of having to look up their skirts in order to have a drink. She’s also got a great blog worth a read.
Here’s a piece called Chrysanthemum by Lonneke Kuysten.
Unfortunately not all of the websites are in English, so sometimes they just end up being pretty pictures without context, but that’s okay too I guess, like this beautiful work by Anita Manshanden.
I love the simplicity of the forms and the install in this work by Vincent de Rijk.
And I’ve always been a huge fan of Esther Stasse’s work, so I’ll end with these and leave the rest of the exploring on the Share website for you to enjoy!
by Carole Epp | Aug 21, 2007 | Uncategorized
Every once in a while I run across something in this vast world of ceramics that makes me go hun? Junk-a-gama did just that. Later this week I’m heading out of town, well just barely out of town, to participate in Prairie Flicker, a workshop organized by Saskterra. Prairie Fire also runs this week, wherein participants get the experience of building, packing and firing a wood kiln. But the Flicker workshop caught my interest as I’d never heard of a junk-a-gama before. Basically from what I’ve found is that it involves the use of old kiln bricks and parts from around the kiln yard to build a non-permanent tunnel kiln, which aims to reach cone 9/10.
Here’s a site with some pics to give you an idea of the construction, but of course check back next week as I’ll be posting some pics of the kiln we’ll be firing and details of how it all went.
by Carole Epp | Aug 21, 2007 | Uncategorized
I got a great email this morning from Emily Murphy, a wonderful ceramic artist and blogger who was so lovely as to put a link to musing on her blog. She makes great soda fired work so definitely check her website out, but don’t miss out on the blog particularly since she’s been compiling a thorough profile of ceramic related blogs. So far she’s profiled about 44! What a resource, thanks Emily!
