Not much to report

Haven't Blog for a few days. I have started another vase - twin vase. Basically 2 vases merging together...just like my two culture merging together.

The studio is so peaceful but very cold. I have to put on 4 layer of cloths to keep me warm.
Last weekend my friends come and do a little majolica painting. They are very good. We had a great time.

To day I have a painter come and visit me. WE chat a bit and he left. I then went to Über to show them the photo. They like it a lot so that' a happy new.

For the twin vase I try new clay from Clayworks, especially made for hand building. I found it full of fine grog and feel like sand hehe. This sort of clay I used to use when I first come to Australia. I don't think I like it that much. Will properly go back to my Paper clay again.

I still don't know what to do with the pregnant mermaid. Still time for more thinking :)

Photo Result

WOW what a wonderful photo I got. Professional photographer always get the best result. I try to photo graph my own works for year but no success. However, I think he use Photoshop to retouch the pictures!

I finish another piece (the one with texture) and very happy with it. However, when I look at Pregnant Mermaid again, I am not sure if I like it any more. I really have to think about it before I bis the piece because I can still adjust it now. I found the figure is not right just yet...don't know what is wrong with her...........but may be after glazing she might look better.

I have a few friend come to studio to day to learn Majolica painting. In return they will teach me how to use Photoshop to adjust photograph like a pro :)

Photograph

It was so cold yesterday. I think it was 7 degree in the morning.

I work alone again, no one come to studio. I think I used to it now and sort of like it....peaceful and free. I can work naked in the studio hehe :) When people come back to work, I have to adjust myself again (put the cloth back!).

A new photographer came in early morning (like 8.30 am). He brought a lot of fancy equipment with him and he did photo shoot on the floor! I wish I took some photo of the set up. I will see the images to day. Hope it come out good. He took quite a few shoots and he is so easy to work with.

The new vase is looking really good. I hope I would find the right glaze for it! The next piece I will use special hand building clay from Clayworks. Will see if it better than paper clay I am using now. I have been using paper clay for the last 4-5 years and start to get bored with it. I found it quite slimy! Also I want to try something new to keep my work fresh. But again, I may find the new clay is not as good as paper clay and I end up using it again hehe.

My Self, My Other

Today while waiting for the Pregnant Mermaid to dry (take so long because of the wet weather) I have started another piece. I also make a lot of little flower to decorate this piece.

While making it I got an idea of using my blue and while painting technique but instead of using brush I use satay stick. I quite happy with the result and it does remind me of the love I use to have with texture! I think I will bring that love back in this series of work.

I want to work on 2 pieces at a time but so far no success yet. I will try again after this piece.

Finally the name of the exhibition has been chosen . "My Self, My Other" will be the tittle of the show. I like it a lot.

Tomorrow a photographer will come to my studio and take photo of first 4 pieces that I am happy with. He is a new photographer who I never work with but have heard about him for quite sometime. Will blog the result when I know it.

Pregnant Mermaid

I did not do much on the weekend. I spend most of the time working hard on legal paper (or another word "contract") and up date my accounting program and data entry. I thought I was very much hate working with number but to my surprise I was quite enjoy putting number into the program.!

Well, I finally finish another piece (the one I started a few days ago). I put Pregnant Mermaid on the top of it to pay tribute to most of my girl friends who have a baby or on the way of having one. I think this piece going to look great. I have plan how to glaze it already and this time I write it down in my sketch book so I will not forget.

The spike vase come out fabulously, the effect I want still show on the vase. I am so happy that I re glaze and fire it again. Now it only need a few finishing touch and ready to be photograph this Thursday. Having said all that, the vase does come with a cost. I reglazed it a bit too thick so it run and it drip on to my newly arrive kiln shelf! Unfortunately I did not coat it with kiln wash so to get the beautiful vase, I lost a kiln shelf :(

Just a working day

Not much to report to day. I only continue building the piece I started 2 days ago.

Will open my kiln to see the spike vase tomorrow.

It is also a sad day to day because the Federal Government in its wisdom has decided NOT to support the introduction of an Artists Resale Royalty Right in Australia. :(

Another happy dance :)

Well what can I say. The three pieces came out of the kiln to day and they all perfect!!! I am so happy. Only one little thing the spike vase need a bit of re touching so I have to re-fire it again. It is a scary process as I might lost all the fabulous effect. ANyway, i did put it back in to the kiln again. Will know the result in a couple of day.

After reglazing the spike vase, I continue building the piece I started yesterday. It's looking good :)

Happy Dance

Yippee. The orange vase came out nicely. The depth of colour is really good and the dripping is just right. I am very happy and did a little happy dance he he :). So to day I fire it for the fourth time. This hopefully will be its last firing. I add decal and apply gold liquid to the piece to give it more dimension.

The studio is very quiet today. I share the studio with 4 other ceramic artists, two went overseas, one got a full time job and another one just got a new baby. I work alone for quite a few days. I think I enjoy it but in a long run I think I prefer to have some one in the studio so we can exchange artist gossip :)

I also start a new piece. It sort of a very good feeling that I finally be able to start a new piece but at the same time a bit scary....why??.......not sure :)

Another day in studio

I finally finish the piece and put it in the kiln. It will be fire to night. I can only let the fire work it charm now, nothing else I can do. Hopefully the kiln god will be kind to me and give me a spectacular result :) I want to stay in a studio a bit longer to start a new piece but the house need attention. It has not been clean for a few weeks hehe :)

Tomorrow I will open the kiln and see how the second firing of the flower vase go. Hopefully I will be able to start a new piece as well.

An Afternoon at Work

Went to studio in the afternoon, did glazing all afternoon! The orange glaze on Flower Vase (the one with blue and white flower arond it) did not work out right, It is too thin so I have to reglaze it again and put it in a kiln. Then spend the rest of the afternoon glazing a spike vase! The piece is so big, it took me nearly 3 hours just to paint the body (lid not include). After I paint 2 layer of green glaze I then add the third layer of other colour to it, let them dry and clean all the spiky bit. I apply red glaze to all the spikes, two thick layer each spike! I was wondering at the time if the method I use is the right thing or not....painting glaze on a very big piece is taking so long but when I think of the finish look I will get , I think the method is ok. I am sure there will be a few more glaze painting for this giant spike vase at least two more he he.

I was planing to fire it to day but I could not complete the glazing process so it has to be fire tomorrow. I want to finish 3 more pieces by this coming Wednesday so I can photograph them on Friday or over the weekend. I really hope that I can do another firing tomorrow.

Starting now :)

What a better way of starting a new blog by showing my latest piece "Go Fish"!

My intension for this blog is to document process of making a body of work for a solo exhibition. The works will exhibite at Über Gallery in September.

Let's see if I could keep it up to my original aim.

Hello

Starting my blog to day :)