ceramics :]

[medicatedapathy]

ceramics is probably the most relaxing hobby for me.
my ceramic teacher that i had last year is letting me use her kiln and glaze as long as i pay for my own clay.

it's rather soothing and i rarely make stuff from the potters wheel.
doing that requires a lot of effort and can cause major pain to the bladder!
you can make so much without the potters wheel [yes even pots!]

if you have any questions on how to make easy stuff just let me know. :]
yep. just thought that i should share this rather grand hobby.

[MarthaB]

:) Hi, ashley and :welcome: to our little craft corner, I would love to see some of your work, ..I did a course of painting on ceramics which was very relaxing.
How do you make the pots without the wheel ??, if you have the time I would love to read some more about it,
Martha :)

[medicatedapathy]

:) Hi, ashley and :welcome: to our little craft corner, I would love to see some of your work, ..I did a course of painting on ceramics which was very relaxing.
How do you make the pots without the wheel ??, if you have the time I would love to read some more about it,
Martha :)

you can make pots by using the coil method.
you take a hunk of clay and flatten it out.
put a bowl upside down and use a pencil to cut through the clay into a circle using the upside down bowl as a guide line.
smooth that circle out but try not to flatten it more than it already is.
than you take a smaller hunk of clay and roll it between your hands.
[like kids will do with playdough to make snakes]
than put the "snake" around the circle base you made previously.
smooth it into the bottom so you don't notice that its a coil.
or if you like the coil look, just smooth it in the inside so it sticks but leave the coil alone on the outside of the pot.
just keep making "snakes" with clay and put them on top of the other ones.
it's best to smooth each individual "snake" when you first place it on.
build it as high as you want it and then put it into the kiln for a bisque fire.

:] there ya go. a pot without the potters wheel.
it takes longer but it can be really relaxing and you have more control over it.

to make a really simple pot you can roll some clay into a ball and then use both of your thumbs to press into the center and then go down and stretch it outwards all the way around.
turn it over and flatten the bottom with a smooth rib.
[or if you have no idea what a smooth rib is than use the end of a spatula]

:] i hope that helped some.
if you wanna learn to make something else i can try to give you step by step directions.
it so hard to type this out instead of showing you.
i'm more of a visual person so if you don't understand any of this i understand.

[MarthaB]

:) Hi Ashley, thanks for the explanation, I am a visual person too, but I can imagine how it's done now, how do you go about the colouring of the clay, do you add it while kneading?? or don't you use colour at all?
Have you got some photo's we could have a look at??
Thanks again for taking the time to explain it all,
Martha :)

[medicatedapathy]

:) Hi Ashley, thanks for the explanation, I am a visual person too, but I can imagine how it's done now, how do you go about the colouring of the clay, do you add it while kneading?? or don't you use colour at all?
Have you got some photo's we could have a look at??
Thanks again for taking the time to explain it all,
Martha :)

You don't add any color to the clay until after it has been through the bisque fire [the first firing through the kiln].
THEN you glaze it with specific glaze for ceramics and put it in through the glaze fire [the second firing through the kiln]
if you miss a spot it can go through the glaze fire again but really try to not miss anything. :]

I don't have any picture of before and after but i'm sure you could find some if you googled it.

i used to have pictures of the stuff that i have made before but i can't seem to find them.
i'll try and take some pictures soon and post them. :]

[MarthaB]

Thanks Ashley,
Martha :)

[Rosalie]

Hi Ashley, great to see you in the craft forum.
I've had a go at painting and firing greenware. Have you ever done this? You can get a huge variety of pieces to work with.
What kind of clay do you use when making your pots? Do you make any other pieces?
I'd love to see some of your work. If you can find some pictures would you post them?

[traceann]

Oooooh yeah, I gotta add my welcome to the crazy corner of the boards, lol. And don't believe Rosalie when she says she's innocent...shes the ring leader - isn't she Martha??? LOL

I used to do ceramics, but it was just the painting of the already formed item. Then it was fired etc. Gosh, I forgot about that phase I went through!! LOL

[MarthaB]

:) hehe, now we got two scorpio's here on the craft board, ashley is one too, the 1st of november, I'm a big stickybeak when it comes to starsigns, I check every ones birthdate on their profile, some people don't mention it, spoils all my fun haha.
Yes I did the ceramic painting as well, found it very relaxing, the lady who tought me is in her early 80's but she's as sharp as a tack, and she did some beautiful work, she only charged $6.00 for 3 hours, and 50 cents per item for the kiln, and we just bought the ready made items of her as well, very cheap, her studio was at the bottom area of her house overlooking the water ( moreton bay) sooo peaceful.
Martha :)

[Rosalie]

Martha, do you have photos of any of your peices? I was always fascinated with the result and the way the glazes changed with firing.

[Silverfox]

Hi Ashley, I am looking forward to seeing your handmade ceramics. I have always had pain in my hands and also my hands are very weak I never tried working with clay. I did try some painting and that was fun, but again because of the nerve damage called carpal tunnel, and my hands were so very shakey.

My youngest daughter has always loved doing pottery the same way that you listed. She likes to make her own creations and she did make me a beautiful snail that she wanted me to put in the outside garden. I have it in my foyer iside the front door on a table next to a green fern. Its very pretty.

Someday my daughter says she would like to sell some of her handmade pottery and now she is working at a small nursery with a little gift shop and the owner told her she could sell her ceramics. Perhaps you can find a place like that to sell your ceramics and use your talents.

My daughter keeps an idea scrapbook, pics and drawings, so that when she is in a creative mood she will have lots of inspiration without going out.
Do you have your own Kiln?
Sheila

[MarthaB]

:) Hi Rosalie, I have no photo's, but that's no problem I just borrow my friends camera again. I did two plates, the size of bread and butter plates, and I did another one, like a dinnerplate size, but it's still sitting in the studio for over a year now unfinished.
The firing of the pieces can be very tricky, but she was very good at it, we just left the pieces for her to do, and they always turned out nice.
Tamara does really good sculptures, and I will make some photo's of that as well, so you can have a look, I wish she would get back into that again, she could make a few bucks on the markets, or even on consignment from a shop.
The bloke she had lessons of is a local artist here in wynnum, he also sell his stuff here in the shops, the sculpture she gave me she could sell for about $120.00 dollars each, she doesn't have a kiln, but I am sure she could find some one who does firings and she could get a few pieces done at the same time.
Martha :)

[traceann]

Hmmmm Martha, what do you think of us Pisceans?? I fortunately or unfortunately, lol, am so true to my sign it's frightening - and my hubby is a good Passionate (albeit sometimes his moodiness can be a pain in the ass) Scorpio as well, lol. I also fit quite nicely with my Libra rising.....

[Rosalie]

I hope Tamara continues with her ceramics and does have a go at selling some peices. Its hard to find anything different in the shops.
Did you ladies know the saying about scorpios? " Either all the way up or all the way down, on middle ground no scorpios found"

[kelly McC]

Oh I lovd ceramics I go to a group every week it has a wonderful relaxing thing that I enjoy doing. I had made some pretty neat things too!
Kelly

[MarthaB]

:) Actually I get on really well with both watersigns, pisces and scorpio, I am a cancerian with pisces rising, unfortunately it means that I am double sensitive, which is really hard at times, I am constantly fighting a battle with myself because I am really trying not to be so hard on myself, and not to be so emotional, I tend to make mountains out of molehills, that is a true cancerian trait, ... scorpios tend to get the rough end of the stick so to speak out of the 3 watersigns, they can be tough on the outside, but they can be quite softhearted, they don't wear their heart on their sleeve so to speak.
I love astrology, and I can spend hours looking through books, there is so much more to just a starsign, it's about the time you where born, the country, etc, no one has just one starsign, they always have just a touch of another sign as well. Numerology is another thing I love to read about, and I also try to learn more about fen shui, it makes a lot of sense what they say, I have waterfeatures, money plants, crystals, red chinese hangers, red being the lucky colour, wind chimes, anyway do you both like any of this??
Martha :)

[traceann]

Oh Martha, I love all that stuff... I love astrology, it just fascinates me! The only self-destructive habit this Pisces has is that tendancy to bury one's head in the sand sometimes, that's my way of Piscean Escapism - since drugs or alcohol are not my thing, lol. (Alcohol-wise, this girl was always a light-weight, 3 beers and I am tipsy then more than that and I go straight to the "head-hanging-over-the-toilet" mode..LOL) I am also the head-in-the-clouds fish as well...LOL And you are so right on about those Scorpions, lol. My hubby fits it exactly. Unfortunately he doesn't know what time he was born (I just may have to contact mom-in-law), so I can't calculate his rising sign for him...

Have you ever found a cool program that's user friendly for chart making? I always wanted one, but most I looked at were somewhat complicated...ugh. I used to have a book "Sun Signs" by Linda Goodman - loved it!! Lost it somewhere along the way though...grrrr.

OH! Now that we are remodeling etc. I am becoming much more interested in fen shui - never mattered to me before as it was all a disaster, lol. No way to balance out the yucky energy as it was all yucky!! LMAO!

P.S. will have to get pics posted on the New Bathroom!! It's lovely and turned out just perfect! I can't believe it. The new paint matches my new towels Jer and I got for our wedding, I hadn't put them out, as I was waiting for the remodel...

[MarthaB]

:) Tracey, Rosalie started another thread for astrology, because we are getting all of the threads confused, better of to stay with the one subject on a seperate thread, I am like the muddleheaded wombat, don't know where I am half the time, you are probleby going to ask me what the heck is a wombat?? here it is our cuddly wombat,
http://www.abc.net.au/schoolstv/animals/WOMBATS.htm
I don't have any charts about astrology I mainly use my books, I had a few sites but I lost them because of computer crashes, I have learnt my lesson, I now burn everything onto a disk.
Anyway I see you on the other thread.
Martha :)

[MarthaB]

:) okay, here are the plates I done,
http://static.flickr.com/49/109404644_782d12f2a4.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/40/109403029_8c6e41f2e1.jpg

[Rosalie]

The plates are just beautiful. I love the delicateness(new word?) of the pastel colours. Tell us about how you got into the china painting. Did you do classes?I have done some ceramic painting but nothing as delicate as those plates.

[MarthaB]

:) thanks rosalie, I saw these beautiful plates in a shop and I ask the lady there if she did the paintings on those plates, and she said no but I can put you in contact with the lady who does, so that's how it got started, turns out that lady is in her eighties and holds classes a couple of times a week, one class takes about 3 hours and she only charges $6.00 for the 3 hours, including morning tea, ..when I first started she let me use her paint and brushes until I had a chance to get my own, the brushes are quite expensive but should last a long time with proper care, the paints are a powder and you mix it with essence of chamarre, it's a open mixing and painting medium, and you keep mixing and crushing the paintmixture with this little spatula, the paint keeps for years, all you need to do is wet the paint a little with chamarre and you are ready to go, we also use this special turps to clean the brushes with, I can't remember what it's called, but it smells somewhat like eucalyptus.
the good thing about china painting is that mistakes are easily wiped away with a soft cloth, and then when you are happy with your work it goes in the kiln and that's it!

[Rosalie]

Hey I like (need ) the idea of being able to wipe any mistakes! With the ceramics once you've put the colour on the greenware it soaks in straight away. You can sand it off but that dosen't really work too well.
This a Tiger that I cleaned and opainted for my brother Ken's 60th birthday...he's a crazy Richmond supporter.
http://static.flickr.com/37/109527292_cc2e9e249c.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/41/109527293_05e049f948.jpg

And the birthday cake I made for him. The plaque was also a painted ceramic piece.. I haven't done anything since as the place I use to go to closed down.
http://static.flickr.com/54/109527294_8fa06901f7.jpg

[MarthaB]

:) you know ro that tiger reminds me of one I bought years ago at one of those homeware and gift parties, I thought Tony would like it, because I did, but no unfortunately he didn't and I ended up giving it to a friend,.... when you start a piece like that tiger is it just white?? and does it show markings as to where you have to paint? is the paint glossy? or do you coat it with something else to make it look glossy? I like the cake, your brother must of loved it!!

[Rosalie]

Yes. Martha, the greenware is white(?) and there are indentations where the stripes are but the rest I used photos as a guide how to paint the piece.He didn't realize until he was moving house a few months later that I had done it for him, when he finally turned it over!
Hmmm up there for dancin'!

[traceann]

Oh my gosh, you two are so danged talented!! I love the plates, those are beautiful! And the tiger is just too cool - the cake is fabulous! How did you get the stripes on the cake????? Food coloring painted on or what?

:)

[Rosalie]

Thank you Tracey. THe stripes on the cake are inlaid. The cakes was covered with the gold and then I cut out the stripes. After rolling out the black pettinice, I cut corresponding stripes and laid them into the holes.

Martha I forgot to answer all your question. With the green ware, the colours have to have three coats and when dry the piece is fired in the kiln. The next step is to paint the piece with three coats of a glaze, in this case it was clear. Its fired again and voila! The firing process ca be a bit iffy. Because it was fired with other peoples work. Sometimes pieces can explode in the firing process and ruin anything else thats in there. This happened to a friend who went to classes with me and boy was she ****** off!

[traceann]

Oooooh very cool Rosalie! I wondered if you painted or used a colored "wrap" for it, very very very cool!!! You are so dang talented! Hoping once hubby goes back to work, I can start messing with some projects and working with some cakes is on the list....but easier when someone isn't over your shoulder saying "what cha doin'???" Lmao!

[MarthaB]

:) Thanks Tracey and thanks Rosalie for the explanation, yes I remember when my stuff got baked in the kiln along with everybody else's stuff, it's scary, things can easily go wrong in there,

[Rosalie]

Martha does the china painting go through the same firing process as ceramics?

[MarthaB]

:) I'm not sure about the lenght of time in the kiln Ro, but as far as I know they use the same method, I think china is a bit harder then green ware because it's hollow inside,( I assume it is, ) so I think the only difference would be the timing.

[Rosalie]

It's been quite a while since anyone has posted on this thread. Now I am sure there has been painting and potting going on in that time. How about sharing some more of your pieces?
I did this 'Fish' bowl some time back but it is my favourite piece.
http://static.flickr.com/105/250493958_52969b2b4d.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/114/250493961_087e4cb0e4.jpg

[MarthaB]

That's a beautiful piece Rosalie, I wish I could show some of mine, but I have none except for the 2 plates I showed previously.

[Rosalie]

Thanks Martha, Its the only piece that I have kept for myself. Well,except for the first plate I did which is pretty ugly, hahahaa

[MarthaB]

Oh well you can always give the ugly plate to someone you don't like, lol

[Rosalie]

:lmao: Its pretty bad Martha! And the bloody thing refuses to break... I have 'accidentally' dropped it and nothing!
I can't think of anyone that I dislike enough to pass it on to.