Flue Bowl

Here is the bowl from the video in the previous post. The clay body is a little punky but close to vitrification. And the flue wasn't hot enough for the ash or glaze to completely melt. Here is another video from that day of Jenny the Mad Potter being Jenny.

Rediscovery #14

I have been packing and finding many interesting things I forgot I had. This little booklet was given to me on the evening of the last wood kiln firing I was involved in at Sheridan. It was found in one of the pockets of my winter coat the other day when I started packing.

Here is a short clip of a small earthenware bowl that I fired in the kiln flue.

Somewhere I read…

I would like to share these three videos of Martin Luther King Jr.

I Am A Man



“I've been to the Mountaintop” (excerpt)



“I Have A Dream” (full text of speech below)

Martin Luther King Jr.

I Have A Dream - Address at March on Washington
August 28, 1963. Washington, D.C.

The Beauty and Power of Photography

“I am the cause, I am the stockpile of chemical toys,
my body is a deadly gadget,

I reach out in love, my hands are guns,

my good intentions are completely lethal.”

– Margaret Atwood (excerpted form “It is Dangerous to Read Newspapers”) 

This quote may be more relevant to my previous post that I keep on fussing with.
Now for the photography part:
Here are some interesting pics and a great video. It illustrates the loss of time for reflection or the need for reflection in choosing what we shoot or make.

 

Just look closer, It's easy to trace

I have an exciting evening and weekend of packing ahead of me. It's time to listen to some Motown. This is one of Smokey Robinson's best songs. I will be moving to Toronto on Wednesday.
  There is a big mayoral election in Toronto this fall. Few people who know me are aware that I have an interest in politics (hahaha). Some issues are too personal or divisive to discuss on some blogs. I have tried to keep my blog separate from politics, it's difficult but I have been fairly successful at it. The way

goofing around on the CBC

Just having some fun and ended up on Kady O'Malley's blog.

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2010/08/liberaldotceeaywatch-you-think-its-easy-to-host-a-database.html

http://twitpic.com/2hunno

Rediscover me

The wonderful things that can be found upon a second look are often amazing. We should all embrace these opportunities in life to take and give second chances. The associations of the first instance inform and enrich the rediscovery. Reviewing the stories of our past can lead to the beginning of a new journey. Reclaiming what was lost or replacing old experiences with a fresh reinterpretation. These plates have some of each of those concepts in them. Taking dated styles and designs and updating them with humour can be worthwhile. Though you may argue the results are questionable. Have these plates for example just become more clutter in our excessive production of pop culture ephemera. It's a

Writing on the Wall: Lana Filippone part 2

Two new pieces by Lana are on display at Distill. The show closes Sunday so go today and check it out.
This previous post has more of her work. http://ceramiccuriosity.blogspot.com/2010/08/lana-fillipone-at-distill.html
And here is her website http://www.lanafilippone.com/main.html

Figure, Function and Form

Questionable imagery!

I have been considering the use of figurative painting in and on my ceramics for a few months. Well for at least a year to be completely honest. The question of why and how hasn't been satisfactorily answered. Should the form relate to the content? Can any form be a blank canvas for any surface or imagery? Should the imagery or form be challenging or pleasing for the viewer/user? I'm generally inclined to pursue these question on tile instead bowls or pitchers. Forms often dictate what chat can be placed on the surface. The placement and type of imagery most often should suit the form. Work can easily look silly or clumsy if the problem isn't addressed correctly…

Say Cheese, Happy Birthday!

My family got together to celebrate my brother Adam's birthday. When I visit Adam I often spend most of my time with my camera taking pictures. My nephew Grady now associates me with cameras and when he sees me he will yell my name and hold his hands up to his face as if he is holding a camera. Well now he also says cheese when he says my name. He ran off and

Buyer beware!

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/08/20/tiny-kids-hired-as-m.html

Today I will be visiting my brother Adam for his birthday. I am excited because I haven't seen most of my family for a few months now. But most of all I look forward to seeing my niece and nephew. I saw this post and thought I needed to share it with everyone. I hope every ones summer is going well. That pic pretty much sums up reality for me right now.

Inspiration

I find it helpful to look beyond ceramics for inspiration. To avoid getting stuck within tradition. Exploring new ideas and contemporary issues outside or related to craft can be helpful in raising awareness between craft practitioners and consumers of craft.Check out these pics on flickr!!!

DVBW

A fun little walk in Toronto can be found near the Don Valley Brick Works. Here are some old photos I found on my computer. I'm not sure about the graffiti though.

TTCC

Etiquette isn't just for fancy dinner parties… a fun article from the National Post.

I wouldn't call that love.

Inward or Outward expression. Is the bunny outward expression and the carrot inward expression?

http://www.architonic.com/dcsht/-carrot-lover-ceramic-sculpture-della-rocca/4109246

I am still right here.

The transformation of clay to ceramics is an exciting process. The powerful force of fire on an object sitting still in a kiln to cause a transformation is inspiring and amazing.

 “I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher
And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire”

I saw some posts on facebook the other day of Johnny Cash videos and decided to take a look. I usually do not listen to Johnny Cash but I do like some of his songs for example "Ring of Fire". I find his persona interesting and his role as an American icon and the romantic notions of rebellion that are associated with him. He is often seen as a hero of the common man. The covers songs he recorded in the 90's of then contemporary musicians is an great example of creative transformation. His cover of ‘Hurt’ by Nine Inch Nails is in my opinion his best song of these covers. It's as if the song was written for him to perform. Now this may not be your cup of tea. Some shots in this video make me think of dutch still life paintings. I'm still in the process of writing my blog post on dutch tiles but until then enjoy this video.




Hurt by NIN

Dry wall Lakescapes

Last summer my landlord made some renovations in the kitchen and I decided to photograph the early stages of the drywall work. I always enjoy the random and accidental images and compositions that can be found on the surface of drywall with drywall mud before the sanding. I hope you enjoy these five photographs as much as I do.

New Header

I'm not sure about this new header for my blog. What do you think?

Swoon over you

Here is some work by Swoon with a video of her carving a large piece of linoleum and discussing her work. http://thejailbreak.com/tag/street-artist-swoon/

Lana Fillipone at Distill

Distill Invitational Exhibition

 I had a chance to visit the distillery district in Toronto on the weekend. I was visiting a friend who has work up at Distill gallery. Lana Filippone and I studied ceramics at Sheridan and we graduated together this past spring. She has a page up on the Ontario Craft Council portfolio site. http://www.craft.on.ca/portfolio/LanaFilippone And here is her website http://www.lanafilippone.com/main.html

 Here is a quote from Lana's artist statement “I use symbols of historic and archetypal value superimposed with contemporary artifact with cultural familiarity, a

Proverb Poster: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Here is a recent poster I designed. Playing with type and using the page source text from wikipedia's knowledge page to create texture and obscure and clarify the message.

84 Safe travelling tips

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/7936677/Sign-Language-week-112.html

Can I get a witness?

"and here is the body to prove it."

This video may offend some viewers. I was watching one on one with Peter Mansbridge on CBC and wanted to post this not so related video.

http://bit.ly/1bqU5o

Tuliptiles

Here are some contemporary Dutch designs. They can be found at royal goedewaagen. I like the tulip vases made from tiles. Two things most people associate with traditional dutch ceramics thrown

Falling apart at the seems.

Well I have a blank pillow case and embroidery thread. What to do?
 I made a porcelain soda fired vase that someone embroidered for me and I decided to make an alteration to it. I felt it needed a clearly defined separation between the thread and clay. I essentially started framing the space with a darker thread. You may have noticed that frames play an important

Art and Ceramics

Just for fun.

Pieter Brueghel the Elder

Common ground

I'm having some trouble organizing my thoughts for the next few blogs. I have been jumping around and looking at different work, trying to organize my thoughts into a cohesive pattern. I have been jumping around between the tin glazed work in the Netherlands and the underglaze work form Iznik, Turkey. While trying to work out how I can tie it all together with Persian tin glaze wares that started it all. That doesn't even include Italy and Spain and the significant produced by those two countries. Any way I will work it out and write the blog posts soon. I was distracted by this image while looking at some of the collection of Islamic ceramics on the Louvre website. I will explain later how this relates to some of my tiles and the idea I neglected to fully develop.

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres after Donatello
source

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
source

Ryan Greenheck

Mug
porcelain with multiple glazes

Jar
porcelain with multiple glazes

I wanted to share these images with you. They are from the Schaller Gallery I think they are great colours and interesting forms. The use of sprigs and the running colours in the glazes add a great level of depth and interest. See more of Ryan Greenheck's here.

Indiginous ceramics from Canada

Me at the ROM!

Ontario Iroquoian height: 25.8 cm 900 - 1300 AD

Ontario Iroquoian
height: 25.8 cm 900 - 1300 AD

I took a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum in June to look at the ceramics collection. If you have a

Before we had clay.

I went out for a walk Sunday afternoon to take some photographs and not think about tiles. It has been