Haystack Part II: The Studio

Jamie's cups

The 2nd session clay studio at Haystack was led by University of Washington professor Jaimie Walker.  Three teacher's assistants kept us supplied with clay, mixed glazes, loaded and unloaded the kilns and in the time they had left also worked in clay and took part in critiques with the rest of us. Jamie worked on the one kick wheel making cups and bowls that he glazed with striking colors.

Inside the clay studio

Some students established themselves at desks along the windows with a view down the wooded hillside toward the sea, some settled at the electric wheels and wooden shelves in the middle of the studio. I ended up working at the end of one of the big work tables where I had a lot of room to spread out, but sometimes found myself sharing it with others taking a break from the wheel to do hand building.

My work area

The studios were open all hours and many of us took advantage of it. There were times I woke up at dawn or earlier, and finding myself awake and thinking about my projects, slipped out to the studio to start work for the day, trying not to wake my roommate. I wasn't always the first there though. And I definitely was not the last to leave. I stayed as late as 11:00 one night which if you're up early feels pretty late. I heard that others stayed until 3:00 a.m.

View of other studio buildings

Haystack Part I: What I Made

It was a productive session for me at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts June 23 - July 5.

I brought back three bird baths. I've seen a catbird cooling off in the one I placed in my garden yesterday, so it works. All three were made in two pieces: bowl and stand. They were larger than any other clay work made by anyone during the 12 day session, and stylistically they didn't resemble others either. That's not to say they are good.

When they came out of the kiln I felt almost shocked. They were unfamiliar - transformed by the glaze and the salt firing. I couldn't look at them. They seemed to me like weird, gothic furniture, contorted forms dripping with glaze. Some pieces had definite problems with glaze that I hope to fix at home. One bowl had a crack near the rim.

Bird baths, cups & Twisted sculpture

The cups in the photo were an early exercise before we started working on our own ideas.

I also made some sculpture based on the theme I chose for myself: "Twisted." One was a wobbly-looking coiled tower, one a crooked extruded cylinder with a tiny supporting limb, and the last to be made, a crushed and twisted cylinder made to look like a pop-top soda can. I painted the can with underglazes giving it an invented brand name and lots of lettering and images.

These last three pieces were the most well received by the class and by me. Because it seemed so popular with everyone, I ended up donating the soda can to the auction that took place on the last night of the session. It raised the grand sum of $50 for the school.

"El's Diet Weasel"

We're Ba-ack!*

Cartoon Face Pots

These pots have moved in with me! Six pots, all hand built from porcelain clay. This is my first experience with porcelain.

 

I don't think these meet the usual properties of the clay. They are not light and airy, and they are not very white. They are heavy, vanilla-colored and rather clunky. I love them all the same. 

They are my little monsters and I am their Frankenstein. I used pinch and slab techniques only. So no coil, and no wheel of course. The faces and surface decoration are done with applied and sgraffito black engobe. 

I worked on them for the space of 2 weeks. Glazing was easy and consists of poured satin black glaze on the interiors, and one brushed on coat of clear satin glaze. 

I hope they cheer up a bit now that they're in 

the house - but it may just be their natural dispositions.

*check out the post on May 17 to see the sketches and the cartoon heads in early development!