New Items in my Etsy Store

I just posted some new items in my Etsy Store this afternoon.  Please drop by and have a look. www.ateliermarla.etsy.com

A custom platter for Nellie.

I was commissioned to make a round large platter for a customer whose kitchen was blue and yellow, and who loved sunflowers.  Here is how I went about it...

First I threw the platter, and let it dry very slowly until it was bone dry.  I then laid out the design in pencil.

Once I was happy with the design, I banded the platter on my wheel.

I wanted to keep the painting loose and free.  Using colored slips that were made from the same body as the clay used to throw the platter and a variety of oxides and pigments, I started to lay in the colors.

and more colors....

although it looks like all the colors are the same, there are yellows, oranges and chartreuse green.  That is why it is essential to make test tiles and use them for reference. The platter was then bisque fired.

The platter is ready to be covered with a clear glaze and be fired a second time.  The two test tiles show the two predominant colors, my favorite canary yellow formulated from a mixture of rutile and yellow, and a cobalt blue.

The finished piece.
Thanks for watching.

Fresh out of the kiln

My custom bowls are fired and ready to be delivered. They really were fun to paint, and I look forward to doing more!

An Exploration of Form and Design.

A Call for Entry.
Mugshots: An Exploration of Form and Design 2010 - The first ever exhibition held at the London Clay Art Centre.
Opening night May 14th, 7 pm. On May 28th the exhibition will travel to Museum London, The Gallery Shop, 421 Ridout Street North and close there on June 23rd.
The Mug, an object of desire:
This is a wonderful opportunity to create work for the public, and sell it. Please be daring with your creations. Work outside your comfort zone. Each piece can be a unique work unrelated to the next. Think about form versus function; contemplate the idea of the cup as a sculptural form rather than necessarily a functional domestic object. If you are concerned with function think about design, surface, texture, contrast, etc. The challenge is for you to stretch your abilities in a series of mugs that are unlike any of your normal work. One entry can consist of more than one object, ie. two mugs on a tray.
Most people pick out mugs by using personal criteria. It holds just the right amount of coffee or tea. It has just the right shape, colour, handle, decoration, etc. Even people who don’t normally think about such things have their favourite mug, and woe to the person who uses or (heaven forbid) breaks our favourite mug!
There will also be a display of student work from our own classes to show the public that we value the students’ first reaction to the material. There will be a display of the steps it takes to make a mug – including “Sam’s Rant” – and demonstrations of throwing, hand building, and handle making.

If you would like to volunteer and assist at the sale, call Bernadette, 519 266 9641 or Alice, 519 439 6479

Missing my studio

It has been a week now that I have been laid up with a bum knee.  It is so frustrating not to be able to get downstairs to my studio to complete my orders.  But at least the pain has subsided and I can now walk, so should be back at work this weekend. 

Just launched my website

My website is now up and running and can be browsed at
http://www.ateliermarla.com
Please have a look!

Custom Soup Bowls Decorated!

This weekend I decided to slip decorate my order for my custom soup bowls BEFORE they were bisque fired.  There is always a big risk in doing this as they are so fragile.  It is so easy to bump them and inadvertently knock a handle off.  But the big advantage is bisque firing the bowls with the  raw slip so that the slip decoration penetrates and becomes permanent.  There is then less chance of colors moving under the final clear glaze, especially the black.  Since all of the names are painted in black, I really wanted to keep the crisp lines and eliminate all chance of bleeding or running.My customer gave me notes on each child's interests...Benjamin likes Nemo, Jemma loves ballet, Adam likes animals, etc so I had a lot of fun finding the images to put on each cup.

Next step will be to bisque fire to cone 04, then glaze with a translucent clear shiny glaze and finally fire to cone 6.