A Review of "The Extruder Video" by Daryl Baird

A while back I was lucky enough to acquire the 2 disc DVD "The Extruder Video" by Daryl Baird and produced by Ceramic Arts Daily.  Took me a little while to be able to watch it as I had to get my computer set up and fixed to watch the DVDs.  Could have used my hubby's PS3... but I can never remember which setting the tv has to be on to use the PS3 to watch DVDs.  Regardless, I was able to watch both DVDs and am sooo very glad I did!  I had paper and pen out ready to take notes.  But I didn't need to!  Daryl walks you through from the VERY BEGINNING in clear, easy to remember steps and speaks like he's speaking to you in a workshop setting and NOT in front of the camera.  Which the dialogue was quite refreshing.  It may be the manner in which he spoke was the reason why I didn't need to take notes!  Every step of the process was easy to remember and I know I can go back and review items if I need to.  So time for the break down of the DVDs. :)

When you get the DVDs, it looks like this (well, covered with plastic..but I took that off.)

 And inside of the 2 disc set.  They weren't numbered, just a list of segments on the DVDs themselves.  So to remind myself, I went ahead and took my permanent marker and labeled them 1 and 2.

One thing I REALLY appreciated, is that Daryl takes you step by step on how to install your extruder fresh out of the box!  Finding the stud, how to install it so that the attachment is sound and won't fall off your wall, setting up your work/staging area, and even some tips on proper body mechanics.  For the complete clay extruding newbie this information is invaluable!!  He also talks about the proper clay condition and how firm/soft you should be working.  Wish I would have watched this before I got and used my extruder 2 years ago!  I have one from TA Metalworks out of Canada, so it's set up a tad different than the NorthStar extruder used by Daryl in the video.  But I've definitely created more ware and tear on my personal extruder as a result of using clay that was too firm to be put through the extruder.
Daryl goes on to explain the anatomy and general construction of hollow dies, how to appropriately handle the hollow extrusion to prevent warping, and then he walks you through some different projects.  Yet again, Daryl proves why the clay community as a whole is awesome!  He shows you several different projects to do and encourages you to make them for yourself, and add your own spin on them.  One such project is his iconic mountain top boxes.

Disc 2 - Tips and tricks on how to make your own custom dies with a variety of materials.  Plywood, metal, plastic, and yes...even credit cards!  The credit card dies were my favorite section as that's something anyone can do without any special tools.  Granted, you can't make a hollow extrusion die out of the credit cards because they don't have enough strength to handle all the stress placed on it during the extruding process.  But that's okay.  I haven't created one yet..but that is definitely on the to-do list!

All in all...I would HIGHLY recommend this set of DVDs to anyone.  From the very beginner who is thinking of acquiring an extruder to the seasoned extruder professional.  Daryl imparts great tips and tricks from beginning to end.  I truly felt like I was participating in a 1:1 workshop with him rather than watching DVDs on my computer.  And NO, I was not paid nor was I asked to write this review.  Just wanted to impart my opinions and personal experiences with this product to the interwebs.

For the clay enthusiast who works with extruding and slab building, there's even a Facebook group for us all to be groupies of!  You can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/clayextruding/

'Til Next Time! 

How To - Experimenting with Decals

Ceramic Decals... for the first few years I was learning about my craft/art (ceramics)...I had my head set on being a "purist".  No decals, no alternative firing or finishing techniques...everything would be stoneware and glazes.  That's it.  Well, as I've evolved as an artist and learned more...I've come to realize that there's nothing wrong with using tools of the trade, as well as alternative finishing techniques.  At least for me since my items are sculptural and very rarely do I make functional ware anymore.  It's just not my passion...sculpting is.  Where this has led...is me acquiring lots of different ceramic decals for a sculpture idea I had (as well as some limited edition ceramic ornaments!...stay tuned for those..).  But I wanted to still be able to fire my ceramics to their maturity temperature of ^6 (cone 6, which is roughly 2200*F).  But all the literature I'd read on ceramic decals said that they had to be applied on already glazed/finished ware, and fired to a much lower temperature.  So I took this as a challenge.  I searched for an additive I could add to either the greenware piece of pottery in an effort to raise the maturing temperature of the colorants used on the decals.  I discovered that silica is a product used to raise the melting temperature in certain glazes.  Luckily, I had some on hand...so experimenting I went!  These are my results of my first tests.

My Creative Space

I don't remember if I've mentioned it before, but several months ago, I signed up to participate in the Art Business Academy that was created and is run by Jason Horejs of Xanadu Gallery.  I knew of this opportunity because I've been following Jason and Xanadu Gallery for nearly 2 years.  When I really got serious about my sculpting, I started checking out various galleries for where my work *might* be a good fit.  Xanadu Gallery was one of those that I put on my radar.  So when Jason said he was starting this online art academy, I jumped at the opportunity.  Which leads me to today's blog post, my creative space.  During one of the question and answer discussions, the topic of our studio and/or creative spaces came up.  Which of course inspired me to share my space with y'all.
So first, I figured I'd show ya what my studio space looked like at the very beginning...Before it became my studio.

And this is my view...

 

 This is the crazyness that was my studio about a year ago...

This was before the snow flew last year when the hubby took my studio apart so we could insulate it.  Tell ya what...made a HUGE difference in how much I had to use the pellet stove!

 And this was my studio before I cleaned it up...it does tend to get kinda crazy chaotic when I'm in the middle of a making session.  :)  Then I inevitably take a day...or two or three...to get it all cleaned up and organized before my next big project/sculpture. 

And this is how it looks today.  Still seems a tad cluttered..but it's organized chaos... (is there really such a thing?!?  haha)

So there ya have it.  My creative space.  It's long and narrow..and not ideal.  But it's mine.  And I have an amazing hubby that is supportive enough to allow me to carve out my own personal creative space within our home.  

How about you?  Are you an artist or crafter?  What does YOUR studio look like??  I'd love to see it!  You can post it to my Facebook page, or email me the picture to jsbmaine.arts@gmail.com.  I will post a follow up blog and would love to be able to include pictures of other artist's spaces. :)

TTFN!

Jewelry Design Challenge - Summer Lovin'

WELCOME to my first ever design challenge!  And THANK YOU for being my guinea pigs! hehehe

 Before we get too far into what this entails, I'd like to invite you all to sign up to receive my newsletter pertaining to ceramic jewelry.  You can do that HERE.

Now on to the details!

I will be creating a very limited edition set of components (may even make them into a kit...GASP!...stay tuned to see what I decide...) at only TEN to giveaway for this design challenge - a very exclusive opportunity for sure!  Since this is a giveaway there are a couple of requirements to be met in order to be entered for a chance to win. Nothing to difficult but very important…so please read carefully and be sure you can meet the requirements before entering to win.

• You MUST create something with the kit you receive. You can add items from you own bead stash, or create more than one design but you must use the components in the kit in your design(s).

• You MUST have a blog. This design challenge will have a reveal date and blog hop so we can share what everyone created. As part of your reveal post we will also ask you to share links to other participant blogs, a link to the ACM blog (where you can check out some other amazing component artists) and to each artist shop who contributed components for this kit. I will provide the list of links prior to the reveal date.
• You agree to pay a small fee of $2.50 to cover shipping the components to your doorstep.

So now you’re asking…how do I enter to win? Super easy! Comment on this post with your blog AND email address…it’s that simple! Want an extra chance to win? Of course you do, what was I thinking to even ask? For a second entry, share this post via social media and comment a second time on this post with a link to where you shared it…easy peasy!  Who will be the first brave souls to enter to win??  No one will know exactly what is being won until you're notified...but I WILL be posting teasers here, at least one more in my Jewelry Designer Interest list newsletter (which I would like to encourage you all to sign up for), AND on my Facebook page. 

Now after you’ve commented, shared, commented…it’s time to wait…I know, no one likes to wait…but we must! Winners will be chosen at random on Saturday, July 4, 2015. All winners will be notified via the email address provided in their comments (if you are hesitant to leave your email in the comments, you can email it to me as well by clicking HERE.). I will also post a list of winners on here AND on the ACM blog. Kits will be mailed Monday, July 6, 2015, as long as all winners addresses for mailing have been received. Reveal and blog hop will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2015.

That's all there is to it....I think... If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, leave 'm below in the comments!  I can't wait to get this ball a-rolling!

TTFN!

Time to Revitalize this Blog!!!

Ummm...WOW!  I cannot believe that I've neglected my blog for six months!!!!!  As many of you know, winter is notoriously hard for me health wise, so I could say that was partly to blame...but the reality of the situation is that I had no motivation to write.  I had all kinds of ideas for various posts that inevitably occurred while I was getting ready for bed.  By the time I woke up, I'd forgotten what I wanted to write about.  If I'm being honest with myself...just a bunch of excuses.

Well, last month I had a swift kick in the pants in the form of the Art Business Academy hosted by Jason Horejs of Xanadu Gallery.  A lot of what we've been discussing has been quality and consistency in your  artwork.  This also plays into every other aspect of running an art business.  One of the tools mentioned is ToDoist.  OMG.  Talk about a life changer!!!  It's a great to do list to help stay on track and I have found already that it is helping me greatly with staying on top of the administrative tasks.  As part of this revitalizing my digital imprint, I started two separate newsletters.  One newsletter is just for my sculpting and one is for my ceramic jewelry side of things.  You can sign up for the newsletters by going HERE for the sculpting one, and/or HERE for the ceramic jewelry one.  If you opt to receive the newsletter for ceramic jewelry, you will notice that I'm running my first ever Jewelry Design Challenge!!!  I'll write more on that later.  This post was more of a re-acquaintance with writing.  An item I can now check off my list on ToDoist. ;)

TTFN!!!

My Ceramic Family

Hey there!  Remember me???  The author of this blog??  Thank you for hanging in there and sticking with me!  And now... on to today's post.

I am a member of several ceramics groups on Facebook.  I LOVE the camaraderie and the friendships established in these online forums.  By and large, the ceramics community as a whole contain some of the most giving and kind hearted people I've met (physically and virtually).  Always more than happy to share their tips and tricks of the trade, technical knowledge, and even answer the questions you never knew you had when it comes to the business of pottery.  In one of these groups, another pottery commented about a poor experience he had with a fellow ceramicist when he stopped by their studio/workshop.  The conveyed experience struck a cord with me, reminding me of an experience I had as a very new potter myself. 

My husband and I were driving back to my parents house in Virginia after an appointment with a neurologist.  We were supposed to visit Luray Caverns, but I was not feeling up to it and was upset because my health would not allow us to enjoy this excursion we had planned after my appointment.  Well, my hubby being the awesome man that is, saw a sign for pottery, turned around, and took me to the studio.  Mind you, pottery/ceramics is NOT his thing.. but he indulges and supports me in all my endeavors...he even listens when I start talking "geek speak" clay style.  The owner, who was also the potter, and I bonded over our mutual service in the military.  The items on the shelves were gorgeous, and we were looking for something to take home to remember our time in Virginia.  I don't remember exactly how it came about, but I mentioned I was a novice potter just learning the ropes.  I think I may have asked him if he used commercial glazes or made his own, because the colors were gorgeous.  I was accused of trying to steal ideas, and I would garner no respect in the industry as a thief, and was all but kicked out of the studio!  I was flabbergasted!!!  What had I done wrong?  Did I offend him somehow?  Are those taboo questions?  I was clueless, no idea.  I was after all, a NOVICE.  Rather than taking the time to even tell me what it was I'd done wrong, we were kicked out of his studio, Mill Creek Pottery.  From what I've read, they may do a lot for the community hosting fundraisers and such, and the general public like them.  But when you are that RUDE to not only a fellow veteran, but a member of the same craft, there is no professionalism there. 

Thankfully, I have not let this singular experience jade my views on ceramics as a whole.  Know what the funny part is?  I don't even throw on the wheel anymore due to health issues, and am transitioning to sculpture!  No where close to being his "competition".  To me, the ceramics community is like an extended family; much the same as my fellow active duty service members and veterans are my brothers and sisters.  If you don't want to answer my questions, or your glaze recipe is one you've honed for the last 4 years and don't want to share it, that's fine!  I promise, I won't take offense!  Just ask Jon Puzzuoli (I LOVE his blue and white whirlpool glaze.. but that's a closely guarded secret as that's one of his signature lines....and ya know what?  THAT'S OKAY!)  But he wasn't an asshole when telling me.  I've met so many wonderful artists, both potters in the traditional sense of wheel thrown functional ware, as well as sculptors... that may be a post in and of itself... bringing all these amazing people to your computer screen... :-D

Anyway, the point of all this... is that there are bad apples in every family.  But I am sooo very glad that I did not let this man ruin my views of the ceramics community as a whole because 99% of m are pretty awesome!

Lady Liberty - Update

I know it's been a while since I've last posted...my apologies.  However I have been busting my @$$ trying to get ready for Freedom Fest (that's NEXT WEEK!!! OMG!!!!).  Remember how I said I was going to be unveiling my finished Lady Liberty sculpture at Freedom Fest???  Well...its turned into a hail Mary sort of adventure...

Artist Statement

Regardless of what your artistic medium is...it appears that an "artist statement" is nearly a requirement for every artists' portfolio.  I have been doing lots of reading of various books and articles on what I need to do to get my art out into the world.  I know I have a voice worth hearing; it's just a matter of continuing to hone my skills as a ceramic sculptor and preparing for when the day comes that I feel I am good enough to apply for an exhibition.  

Gathering of information...

Starting back in January, I began posting that I was working on writing a book.  And not just any book, but one on how to best set up your own creative haven.  I've had lots of interest from folks who think it's a great idea and want to help, and then I send them the questionnaire.  Some people aren't able to open it up, some get it filled out but then can't get it back to me...SO...I thought to my self.."self...why not create an online form for folks to fill out..."

Shoutout to Logan Johnson - a muddy buddy!

Logan is a fellow ceramic artist like myself.  However, it is her second career path.  Prior to playing with clay, she played with food as a chef and cake designer!  I've seen pictures of one of her cakes that looked too good to eat...and it was, because she took her culinary skills to the studio and made a ceramic wedding cake!!!

 

Name: Logan Johnson

Business Name(s):  Audeo Studios

Date Business Was Opened/Created:  1995

Types of Items/Services Offered:  Ceramic Art, Pottery, Custom tile glazing & art work, Classes in hand building, pottery, and glaze making.

Sunday Ceramics 1 - The Blogging Clay Community

Thanks to a clay acquaintance on Facebook, I stumbled across this awesome blog by Frogpondsrock, called Ceramic Sunday.  It's a way for us solitary potters and ceramic artists/sculptors to unite and get some of our "socializing" in.  It's a way to build a community that knows no boundaries. I decided to take the plunge and join in on the fun!

Intuit Marketing Contest

I know it's been a while...my health has been kicking my ass.  Sitting here with my TENS unit on, my back is finally starting to feel better, and I just might be able to get my hands in clay before I fall asleep tonight. :)

While I've been sitting here, I found and entered a contest Intuit is having.  It's to win a $5,000 marketing package.  It would help get my name out there and hopefully grow my business.  I would LOVE your support!  If you would be willing to take five minutes to vote for my shop, and spread the word along to your networks, I would GREATLY appreciate it my friends! 

Here is the link:

https://sblb.intuit.com/me/JSB-Arts/5890/us

http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/

Floorplan Dilema

A very early mornin to ya!  :)  Wide awake at 0300 in the morning, so I've been working on my book.  Debbie Appleby of Appleby Pottery was one of the first potters to respond to my request of information.  So I've used her questionnaire and photos to piece together her home/garage studio.  Tonight, I've spent the time playin' with a new program (that's FREE) called Sweet Home 3D to work on the blueprints and/or floor plans of the example studios that will be included in my book.  But here is my quandary... I'm not sure which version/style to include in the book...

Still Writing...

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned I was writing a book (You can read up on it HERE- Crafting Your Creative Space)  Well, I'm still writing. :-)  I know that's not abnormal by any stretch of the imagination...but I'm learning that it is MUCH more involved than I initially thought.  I want to do it RIGHT.  so I'm doing lots of research and less writing at the moment.  Connecting with other ceramic artists/potters, health care professionals, and colleagues.  

 

Working Together

I know I talk rather frequently about the Etsy Maine Team, but it is full of some really amazing folks.  The artists and crafts people that are members of the Etsy Maine Team really exhibit what we believe a person from Maine should be like.  Kind, caring, hard working, and willing to help out your neighbor.  This mentality has led to several collaborations between myself and two other very talented women:  Sue from Country Folk Soap, and Alicia from Sally Bateau.

Artist Accessibility

Taking an ocean-side stroll.  Hiking through the woods along a rocky path.  Climbing a flight of stairs.  

Rolling out slabs of clay, sitting in my wheelchair

Do you ever stop to think about these actions...and be thankful these are activities you can perform with little to no thought?  I am envious at times of those who don't have to think a second thought about doing these actions.  There, I said it.  As much as I try to maintain a positive outlook on my situation, there are times when I just want to say, "This shit sucks". 

Crafting Your Creative Space...Almost

Hey there!  I have been looking high and low for a book to help me better set up my home pottery studio.  I have unique needs, and was hoping someone out there had written about how to alter your space to accommodate for a variety of disabilities...Guess what...they haven't!  Crazy, I know...So guess what that means?  I have taken on the project.  

I'M WRITING A BOOK!!!

Khnum - Ancient Egyptian Kiln God

I told ya to watch out for a follow up to my Kiln God/Goddess post!!  I have always been fascinated with Egyptian culture, specifically the Ancient Egyptian culture and religion(s).  So while doing some research into the origin of the kiln god/goddess, you can imagine my excitement to see that the Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to adopt one!  Khnum was one of the first/most ancient of all the deities that were worshiped.  There are references to Khnum that date back to the  Predynastic Periods!  How awesome!  See...I knew potters/ceramic artists were special folk.. ;)

Liebster Award Nomination!!

I'm honored!  Natalie from Magic Jewellery nominated me for the Liebster Reward.  What a nice surprise for sure!!  hehe 

What's the Liebster Award:

The word Liebster- a German word- translates to dear, favorite, love .

It's an award for (mostly) up and coming bloggers with 200 -or less-  followers that is given by fellow bloggers.

The rules

• List 11 random facts about yourself.  check
• Answer the 11 questions provided by the blogger who nominated you. 
  check
• Nominate other bloggers for the award who have 200 followers or less.
• Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer. 
  check
• Notify the nominees of their nomination (of course!)

Always Learning - Ceramic Mug Critique

There has been a lot of talk about how bad Social Media can be for us and our youth...But when used appropriately, it can also be a GREAT help to those that are home bound for a variety of reasons.  I've been lucky enough to have been invited and/or accepted into various pottery/ceramic centered groups on Facebook.  I've mentioned "clay buddies" in the past.  A new group I've been welcomed into is "pottery critiques".  I took a big gulp and submitted one of my mugs for critiquing.  There are some AMAZING potters/ceramic artists that are members of this group. Some of whom I follow through their blogs and other means and truly value/appreciate their opinions.  Anyway..getting off topic. :)  I thought I would share the mug I posted for critique and some of the insights offered by some well respected artists in the ceramic community.  :)

Oak Leaf Camo Mug

 I call this my "camo" mug as inspired by the hubby.  He asked me to make a camo (woodland, not digital) mug and this is what I came up with.  Inside is glazed blaze orange, green/red leaves, and iron ore for the mug itself.  The handle has been carved to try and mimic the natural wood/branch texture.  It's available in my Etsy shop if you're interested.. :) 

Without further adieu...here is the advice/critiques I was given: