Making Paper Clay

There are several ceramic artists who I love to admire from afar.  One of my FAVORITES, is Merry ArtToones. She is an AMAZING sculptor!  We have a virtual/Facebook relationship and she has always been willing to help me out and answer any questions I have.  Well, I found out that she uses paper clay for her sculptures. Turns out paper clay is just as strong as your typical clay, but weighs less. With sculptures, and even wall murals/hangings, weight can play a very important part in the finished product.  
DISCLOSURE --  Before we get started, I thought it might be worth noting that paper clay...and paper mache...are two VERY different animals...

Horse Treasure Box - Part I

My nieces birthday was last week... she turned 9.  We had a lovely Skype session and I got tell her Happy Birthday from auntie in person.  My sister and I have been conspiring on an ultra special gift for her....thus the horse treasure box was born.  It will be late...but we put the notion in her head that something AMAZING was being made JUST. FOR. HER.  She was pretty excited, and doesn't know I'm the one making it.  As a result...I started playing around with carving relief tiles that are later assembled into a box...O.M.G.  I LOVE it!

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.. ;)

What is a Kiln God/Goddess??

Sitting here in front of our wood stove, staying awake all night (to sleep during the day) to ensure the fire stays stoked... my mind started wandering.  My first pottery instructor and mentor was quite superstitious about the kiln goddess being placed on top of the kiln for every firing.  Staring into the fire tonight..I got to thinking about the origin of the kiln god/goddess...And I'll be damned if I couldn't find anything!  So here is my interpretation based on some background knowledge I have of ancient cultures.  :)  

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: