Plates and Bowls and Tiles, Oh My!

It's been a while since my last post, but I didn't even come close to winning the Ben Affleck caricature contest. 13th out of 19. Not to be discouraged, I tried again. This time the subject was Yoko Ono. Here's my entry:

I ranked 12 out of 14. Tough crowd. The result was a bit discouraging for me, so I decided to take a break for a few days. That has turned into nearly a month at this point. While I'm not abandoning the project, I'm certainly further behind that I expected to be so soon.

Fortunately, I've been otherwise distracted in a good way. Two projects popped up at once for my pottery business, Beaconsfield Designs. The first surprise was a friend ordering eight place settings! In this case, the place setting consists of a dinner plate, salad plate, and bowl. I got right to work making the dinner plates, which were going to take the longest to dry. Some potters use molds for plates, but I'm not set up to work that way, so they are all thrown on the wheel. I did my absolute best to make them all the same, although there certainly will be some variation. That's the best part, though, right?  As I write this, they are being bisque fired. I've been posting photos of the progress for my friend, and she is loving the process, too. Here they are freshly thrown, in the dark of my damp basement.
And then two days later they were dry enough to trim.

trimmed and drying..

Just after I started making the plates, another friend asked for help with tiles. He has been doing a complete renovation of his kitchen, gutted right down to the studs. To break up the modern upgrade that was feeling a little too sterile, he ordered hand painted tiles from a company in France to match some antique pieces he and his wife received as wedding gifts many years ago. Apparently, after months of waiting, the tiles went from 'back ordered' to 'discontinued'. He received notice about two weeks before the scheduled counter installation, the last step before tiles.

Even though I've never painted tiles, I said I'd give it a try. He brought me the original pieces of pottery he had and nine blank pre-made bisqued tiles he found at a local paint-your-own-pottery place. After a visit to my pottery supply, where I found a tile setter for my kiln and hopefully the right color glazes, I was ready to go. When I glaze stoneware, I plan on the glaze expanding and moving while it's being fired to an extremely high temperature. The tiles are not stoneware, and they do not need to be food safe so they are fired to a lower temperature. The colors stay exactly where you put them and there's no room for error.

The first tile was a color test and I found some of the glazes a little goopy. The result was a bit lumpy with some colors and some of the colors burned off a bit. I made the adjustments and painted one feature tile and eight tiles with just the corner motif. They were happy with the results and requested one more corner motif tile and six more feature tiles with what I believe is a Cosmo near the center. The final results are shown above and I think when they see them they'll be quite happy.

Firing the tiles has helped the plates finish drying. The glazing begins tomorrow and I'll be firing for five or six days straight. I can't wait to share the results. The bowls are still in the works, and I'm hoping to finish throwing them today while the kiln is going. I've worked a fun, new, all-purpose shape for the bowls. They're a combination of my small, angular bowls and a classic onion soup crock. My friend serves up a lot of stews, chili, and soups, so I want to make sure they look cool, hold a hearty serving, and have a shape that prevents sloshing over the rim. Plus, they can be stacked!

After I finish making the bowls, deliver the tiles, and have dinner, I might just sit down and draw a caricature. That's the plan.

From the Ashes (or Shreds) of a Fiery Temperament

Okay, I have no problem admitting I can be short-tempered. While I do my best most of the time, every once in a while I get frustrated with something I'm working on and tear it up. Not that big a deal. Recently, I joined a caricature site Wittygraphy.com. They have a contest every two weeks and I decided to give it a try, working into my Project 365 lineup. This cycle the chosen subject is Ben Affleck. He's not very remarkable looking, really, except for his chin. Even then, he's no Jay Leno or George Clooney. For two days, I tried to nail him. And it just wasn't happening. I started with a color piece, done with acrylic inks, but it just wasn't him. At the beginning of the second day, I decided to start over. I tried going with straight ball point pen and not trying so hard. That didn't work either. Aargh. Now I was feeling like I was just wasting my time and should move on. Ha. Like I could do that. But, I did need to start a third time and needed to clear the decks, so I ripped the two I had done and tossed them in the direction of the shredder. I just couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, and found myself looking at the scraps. Which now looked interesting in the pile. I grabbed some packing tape and stuck them together. Here's the result:

Now, I really like this, and it was the closest I had gotten to a likeness, but obviously I couldn't submit this as is. So I scanned it and reworked it in Photoshop. Yes, I could've spent another two days futzing with it, but at this point I'll be happy to never see Mr. Affleck again. Here's the final result that I've submitted to the contest:

They're taking entries for another two days, then the voting will begin. As I write this, I was the thirteenth entrant. I consider that good luck, although this has nothing to do with luck whatsoever. Whether I win, place, or nobody votes for it at all, I finished. Now I have to get back to work catching up on caricatures I didn't do in the meantime. As of today, I am a full twenty caricatures behind - eeek! Plus, there's an Art-A-Thon happening right now on IllustratedATCs, and I'm hoping to do some trading - wahoo!

Embracing the Wonky

Timing is everything, especially with clay. The martini-style stemware was proving to be a challenge. Of the original test set, one survived the first firing. Not to be discouraged, I made the parts for seven more with more elaborate stems, and assembled four before quitting for the day. The next morning, I moved them and three stems instantly broke. There's no fixing that, either. While I loved how they looked, I was not in love with wasting time and materials. I made another set of seven and six made it into the kiln for the first firing, which they all survived. I glazed four and they are gorgeous! How functional they are is another matter. I supposed it depends on the function.

They are officially Wonky. I adore them. They look like they're having a conversation. Both of these will hold nearly four ounces, even at an angle. For me, that's adequate when it comes to straight alcohol, but that's my experience of tending bar talking. And if you can't handle a crooked cup, it's easier to tell when you've had enough, right? Otherwise, this set would look amazing with a scoop of sorbet, or shrimp cocktail. With the sturdier stems, I lost some of the fun. And if they're going to bend a little in the kiln, I might as well have a little more fun again. That, and I think I've found a solid system of construction. Here's the next set of seven, which are already safely in the kiln waiting to be fired. Hopefully, I'll have three sets listed on Etsy by early next week.

This batch, shown upside down here, has deeper cups to keep them functional in spite of the gestural outcome.

While they are drying, I'm catching up on a few days of caricatures. I need to rephrase my Project 365 to an average of a caricature a day. Right now, I keep a list, so even if I get behind a day or two, I know what I'll be doing when I get a chance to sit down to draw. It's interesting how most celebrities are a bit bland looking - perfect nose, perfectly plucked frozen brow, poofed lips. Not much to play with, really. Although a high percentage of what's trending is something like an arrest, breakup, or other devastating situation, or they're portraying someone more interesting, so at least that adds a little flavor. Here's what I drew for 'Depp to play Bulger':

It only occurred to me as I posted this that I forgot all about the striped mugshot background - oops! When I go through all the images for the book, I'll probably add that in.

And speaking of 'Trending Now', when it comes to tattoos that trend is quotes, and I am loving doing lettering. Recently, I met a fellow hardcore bookworm and here is her new tattoo of artwork she provided with an intentionally wavy font and block print-style illustration:

As soon as I can take a break from the pottery wheel, I'll be back to work on my own piece - can't wait! My daffodils started popping up two weeks ago, a better indication than a groundhog's shadow that we're having an early spring, most likely followed by an extremely hot summer. Rain barrels will in place as soon as the snow starts melting..

So far, so good..

So far, a mere twenty four days into it, I am still keeping up with the caricatures. Using the 'Trending Now' section of Yahoo's home page has certainly made the decisions much easier. It also gives me a few choices so I don't have to necessarily draw someone I really don't want to waste any lead on, like the Octomom. Who really needs to be reminded of that hot mess on welfare?Jackie Chan, however, is entitled to his opinion like anyone else and it doesn't diminish his incredible skill or charm, as far as I'm concerned.

This cold weather is also keeping me productive making pottery! It's the perfect time to run a kiln when it's seven degrees outside. Especially when we're expecting another outrageously hot summer this year. I'm still focused on expanding and rounding out my line for the wholesale market. In addition to the french butter dish seen drying in the background in the photo below, I'm adding martini-style goblets, with wine goblets soon to follow. One of the set below made it into the kiln and is being bisque fired as I write this.

 And finally, people are thinking about tattoos again! It's that time of year, the holidays are done and for most people, swimming is months away. That coincides nicely with a tax return for some, too. I have one big piece coming up of a phoenix that I can't wait to start! But speaking of taxes, my year end accounting and the new shipping rate increases have me considering leaving Etsy to build my own storefront as part of my website instead. to keep things simpler, with a built-in shipping calculator so someone on the east coast doesn't have to pay west coast rates, then wait for a refund of the significant difference. So now, I'm off to research the possibilities.

Happy New Year!

It's a brand new year with brand new possibilities. My sister inspired me to attempt a year long project. Whether or not I can do it remains to be seen, but I've started. My goal is one caricature a day. I had an experience just before the holidays that had the potential to sour me on caricatures. Fortunately, I have too much fun doing them to actually let that happen. One thing has changed, however. Other than celebrities or politicians where there is a plethora of reference material available, I will no longer take on studio caricature jobs. They just tend not to work out, and after much effort, I tend not to get paid. Which is a drag, to say the least. Caricaturing with the subject sitting directly on front of me is entirely different than working from a photo or two. Unless it's someone I've met and interacted with, and then referred to photos, I have a harder time capturing the character of someone. With the celebrity caricatures, I can watch their faces in action. This project will probably end up revealing what kind of television shows I like to watch, or who gets on my nerves. This first set for the first three days of the year will tell you I like to watch Top Gear, that's for sure.

I drew them in pencil on the reverse side of bits of scrap poster board. I'm sure I'll get around to some color pieces, but pencil is always so much fun. And if I actually stick it out and do the whole year, I might even bust out the scratchboards. In the meantime, I'm now scheduling events for the upcoming season, drawing at birthday parties, reunions, wedding receptions - who knows? It's always different and always fun. I will be posting my daily caricatures on my Berkshire Caricatures Facebook page.

East Street Studios has a new rule for 2013 as well. Now there is a deposit on tattoo designs or drawings. If you fail to show for your appointment and don't bother to call, you lose the deposit. I'm not sure why people don't take tattoo appointments seriously, but they don't. And all too often I'm set up ready to go, so even more time is wasted. I have taken steps to be ready up to the point of pouring the ink and opening the needles and tubes. My machines and cords are wrapped, my bottles are bagged, my inks are chosen and on standby, all ready for action. It's not as if I'm open for walk in traffic with a wall full of flash to cover the missed appointment. For many shops, this has been the standard practice. I see the wisdom in that now so there is a $60 non-refundable deposit required for a drawing or appointment.

 Beyond that, I'm already planning my gardens and rooting coleus for window boxes now that the days are getting longer and daffodils are right around the corner. We have some big landscaping changes happening this year, including a driveway redesign and new stone walls and fencing. I have a feeling it's going to be a great year!

Going Wholesale and Learning to Cook

Once again, I have some catching up to do. Shortly after my last post, I started tattooing at a shop in Meriden, Connecticut, so that kept me a little busier than usual. Then, a friend introduced me to two sisters opening a store in downtown Torrington, Connecticut, called The Art's Desire. They now carry my pottery, earrings, hair sticks, and leather cord necklaces!

As tattooing slowed down, typical of September, my pottery production has picked up. But now my focus has turned to finally stepping into the wholesale market. It's a goal I've been working toward for a while now. Last year, I began standardizing my beads and zeroing in on my favorite glaze sets. Now, I'm working on rounding out my line and producing a catalog. With every catalog or brochure, there must be photos, right?

  

This is one of my glazes on a pie plate. For the catalog, I'd like to show it with a fresh baked pie. Which has raised another project for me...cooking. I have always cheekily admitted, I don't cook, I heat. Sure, I did some baking when I was a kid, but not much since. I have never made a pie from scratch. My mother and grandmother were not much into cooking and I was raised mostly on manufactured, often frozen food, like cheese ravioli and fish sticks. The seasonings currently in my mother's cabinet expired in 1967. And I am not exaggerating. For me, cooking was just a big fat time suck resulting in a pile of stuff I had to wash afterwards. Ech. No thank you. And generally, my lack of experience and knowledge was obvious in the results, so I didn't see the point. If I wanted an excellent meal, I'd go buy one. Leave it to the professionals! At home, it was mostly still frozen and boxed.  Until recently.

My stoneware pottery line is completely functional and now includes tagines, inspired by a fellow potter, Christopher Scherer. A tagine is a covered dish for slow cooking. My research brought me to middle eastern cooking, and I've started to experiment with all sorts of cuisines, using spices I've never even heard of before. Fenugreek? Garam Masala? I thought cardamom was only for tea. Even better, I have not one, but two stores in town that sell open stock exotic spices. Who knew? The other night I made Cardamon Butter Chicken and I bought all of the seasonings for less than two dollars - score! Of course, it's got me thinking of adding spice jars to my line now. I know I'm making myself a mortar and pestle today.

Soon, my line will be in more stores locally. Maybe not in time for this holiday season, but hopefully for Mother's Day, if not Valentine's Day. Here's another photo of my crocks that would be perfect for a sexy little chocolate souffle, don't you think?

In the meantime, everything will be available in my Etsy store, of course. And if you live in the area and would like to stop by to see my pottery in person, let me know and we can set something up. Just shoot me an email. michellelydon@yahoo.com.

Catching up..

So, yes, I'm embarrassed that I haven't updated this blog in months. No excuses. I haven't thought of anything to say, so I've been working on other things. My priority, once spring arrives, is opening my gardens. And every year I expand them. Now that it's nearly August, I'm in cruise mode as far as that's concerned.

 And we have a new puppy! But puppies are work, especially in the first few weeks, so she's had my full attention. Her name is Ruby.

Not that I've been just sitting around..I've been hard at work in between housebreaking failure clean ups..One project was related to The Sketchbook Project. This time, I participated in The Self-Portrait Project. They mailed me a 4" x 4" canvas to handle any way I wanted. Before I started, two things happened. I discovered a tutorial about needle felting written by Sarah Trumpp on Art Trader Magazine. Then, my sister and I went to Brooklyn to see the opening of the 2012 Sketchbook Project at the Art House Co-op, and we met the founders of the Project live and in person! So I was able to ask if it mattered how far out from the canvas I worked - they said as long as I stayed within the edges so the art wouldn't interfere with the grid display, it was all good. As I like to say, Wahooooo!

I hit Etsy in search of wool roving and felting needles. Then once it arrived, I got busy. Here is the result:

I glued it to the canvas, then reinforced it with the aluminum tape and nails. Hopefully it survives, although it is pretty solid. There is even a broken needle or two stuck in there. My next needle felting project will be much larger. My sister and I will be returning to Brooklyn in a couple of weeks to see the show. I can't wait!

Another project just about completed is the first moleskine journal exchange. The last bit of work I have to do is on my own, which I received almost two weeks ago. Hopefully, once I'm done, I'll post the results. The most interesting thing was how the other artists interpreted my instructions.

One theme that passed through my studio was 'Beautiful Decay'. Here are the four pages I added to that one, an imagined representation of the current state of my former studio in Housatonic, MA.

It was a rocking studio, but heating it was killer. I moved out with the intention of moving to Virginia for a job designing stained glass windows. Plans changed, but I couldn't go back.

And the last moley, themed 'Fairy Tales', was the end of our rounds. My direction for that one was the house of candy from Hansel and Gretel. The hot pink ink I'm currently using does not scan well, for some reason. Therefore, this image isn't quite as bright as it is in actuality, but you get the idea, I hope..