Another vessel

Here is a second vessel from Seth Savarick's class.  I'm quite pleased with it.  The top and cord are navy blue, which is the same dark blue in the mokume gane.  It just looks a lot lighter in the mokume gane.

I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling some creative malaise lately, probably as a result of a much too long winter.  Libzoid has been feeling the same way.  If you check out her blog, you can take a peek at the studios of different clay artists.  She features a new one each week.

My First Vessel

TA DA! Here it is:








my first vessel ever. This is one of the three I started in Seth Savarick's class. Not bad for my first mokume gane and first attempt at a vessel, but I know I can do better. It should have a cord attached to make it wearable, but I don't think I will bother. The turquoise clay had some plaque that I didn't notice until it was baked. And I don't care for the TLS surface over the mokume gane. It is still too cloudy for my taste even though I used a heat gun on it. My TLS is old and a bit thick, so I don't think the coats I applied were thin enough. I'll try the Fimo Gel on a future project. It came out much clearer in my tests.

Where to Begin???

I'm back home after three weeks away and trying to figure out where to start. Paying bills, of course. Unpacking my goodies from Synergy. I have new toys to play with - some "Pro" bead rollers, faux bone (no idea what to do with that yet), new mold/mould making materials (don't know whether to use American or Canadian spelling), my "Mona-fied" pasta machine, and some new videos and DVDs. I'm full of inspiration but trepidation too.

I consider myself to be an intermediate clayer: definitely not a beginner, but still learning and searching for my "voice." I was already concerned about how to use all the techniques I'm learning without imitating other people's work, and the discussions at Synergy and in recent posts on clay bulletin boards only reinforced those concerns. I tend to paralyze myself. If I can't do something totally unique and original, then I can't do anything at all. Which is a bit too much to expect from someone who is still learning. I'm sure I'm not the only one struggling with these issues.

So, my first project is to finish the vessels I started at Seth Savarick's class. Stay tuned.

And best wishes to Ponsawan, my Synergy roommate, and her daughter.

Savarick class, Day Three

Dateline: Damascus*

Intrepid international blogger Cynthia Blanton was felled by a sniper's bullet while reporting from a clandestine meeting of the ASPCA.** Not really. I just WISHED someone would shoot me. During the afternoon of the third day of class, I developed a wicked case of food poisoning and became overly familiar with the toilet facilities at the Artway Studio. I totally missed the last two hours of class which apparently had something to do with tassels. In my fevered condition, the only use I could think of for tassels had nothing to do with polymer clay.

I had planned to photograph everyone's finished projects, but I was too sick and besides, nobody finished anything. The class was really about process and technique, so we were intent on learning as many different methods as possible. My approach to workshops is to siphon every last drop of information out of my teacher's brain and worry about finishing things or having the most original design when I get back home. I'm hoping the class participants will send photos of their projects when they finish them.

The highlight of the class was learning the source of Seth's Secret Sauce (aka S3), a magical liquid he uses to smooth clay surfaces. We are sworn to secrecy, so the only way to learn about this wonderful formula is to take one of his classes.

I'm glad I had a day off between class and Synergy because I'm still recovering. Tomorrow will be a full day of seminars, speeches, panel discussions and the opening of the gallery of artist's work. Most of my clay heroes are here and I can't wait to see their work in person.

* Damascus, Maryland
** American Society for Polymer Clay Addicts

Savarick class, Day Two

Whew, I'm pooped. We had a full day of vessel construction in class today, and I was so busy, I didn't take any photos. Each student is trying to make three vessels with different shapes and features. Each one requires multiple layers of clay, so we switched back and forth between them, working on one while another one was baking. Seth Savarick, the instructor, is a computer jock as well as an artist, and he makes good use of the computer for designing objects and silkscreen patterns. In addition, he prints out useful templates for measuring and marking components of the clay pieces. Because each layer of the vessel builds upon the prior one, it is critical to make the "foundation" layers as precise as possible, and the templates help with that process.

Tomorrow we learn how to make lids and bottoms and apply decorative veneers....

Seth L. Savarick's class

Today was the first day of Seth L. Savarick's 3-day class at the Artway Studio called Inner Spaces/Outer Voices, Creating Personal Containers to Wear or Carry. Seth makes a variety of beautifully finished, gallery quality inro, lockets, minaudiere and vanity purses. Most of us were expecting to see tiny little vessels, but his are actually larger than the photos on his website suggest. We began with a discussion of his design process, learned how to properly leach and condition clay (I thought I knew how, but he taught me some things), and then we began learning a variety of ways to make core forms, the shapes around which he builds the vessels.

The teaching facilities at the Artway Studio are quite good. In addition to a long room with our work tables, there is a lecture room with an overhead mirror, the kind you find in cooking classes, and a variety of chairs, including some tall ones towards the back of the room. Smart. I think everyone had a good view of the demonstrations. And of course, any supplies we needed were instantly available in the store.

Tomorrow we start building vessels.....