TAC CLAY blog resurrection

Hi All,

Just wanted to post a quick message to the TAC Clay blog site and see who can still get messages on here. Please reply so we know who you are and if you want to continue receiving messages.  If not, well, we will figure out how to remove you :(

So, We had a meeting today in the TAC ceramic studio.
We decided on open studio hours and who will cover them.

The open studio hours are as follows:

Tuesday Mornings 11-2pm - Meredith
Saturdays mornings 9-12pm - Lisa Berry and Susan McCalister
Sundays 2-5pm- Mindy and Susan McCalister

We discussed the possibility of doing more weekend hours by adding another three hour shift on Saturdays and Sundays... So we can think about that.

So that is exciting that the studio will be open during the weekend.  There is also unmonitored studio access when the Center is open.  From 10-5pm Monday-Thursday and Fridays 10-2pm, studio members are able to come in and use the studio as long as there is not a class running.   The $35/month studio access fee is in effect for members and for non-memebrs its $15/day. or $12/day for members who just want to pay for a day use.  A yearly membership is required for the $35/month studio access fee.

Also during the meeting we talked about studio glazes and keeping new glazes coming online.  Adding more color range.  Seems like right now there are a lot of brown white and green.  We want more color and I couldn't agree more.  We will work on that.  
Reclaiming clay and having a system in place to use up what we have.
Setting up two places for the two different clays to be reclaimed outside with signs.
Other topics we discussed were: Monitor tasks, studio cleaning, organizing, sink cleaning, Kiln loading, unloading kilns, learning to mix glazes, training sessions, studio fees, keeping the studio running etc...  It was a very productive meeting and feel like we know what we need to do to keep the studio a great place to come a work!

Thanks and Lets keep up the great work!

Best,
Dan

 

Unmonitored Open Studio, Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 1 & 2

Since there'll be artists in the painting studio this weekend from 9 - 4, Tommye will open the clay studio also for members who want to come in and work.

Throwing / Decorating Pots at Cindy's

The next throwing / decorating day for the Kickstarter mugs and coasters at Cindy's will be this coming Thursday (30th) afternoon. We've been going out from 2 - 5. Let Cindy know if you can come.

Thanks!

The Upgrade Continues ...

The studio's getting better and better:

                                        Shelves added between wheels for more work space.

                                        New shelves completed and in use.

                                         Artwork -- and artist, Dan Bare (yes, father of....).

It's still a work in progress, but it's functional while more reorganization is going on.

Studio Upgrade

Lots of work has been done to upgrade the studio to make it much more functional, but it's a work in progress. On Monday, university students will be putting in volunteer hours at the Arts Center so that the space will be in good shape for Tuesday's first class. If you have a spare hour or so to pitch in, please check with Dan to see whether he can use extra hands.

"Ladders" to be fitted with movable shelves to accommodate ware of different widths and heights (much less wasted space with smaller pieces):

Peg board for test tiles and new white board for notes / diagrams needed during instruction:

New arrangement for slab roller.

No Open Studio Sunday 1/19/14

The studio is under renovation!  Dan is busy reorganizing everything and creating a new shelf system for the studio.

Consequently, we're canceling Sunday's Open Studio so that he has room to work.

Everything will probably be back to normal next week (we'll keep you updated).

Mindy

Kickstarter Campaign to Fund New Kiln

The Arts Center is creating a Kickstarter campaign to fund the new kiln, and you can be part of it by joining our mug-making sessions next week. Kickstarter campaigns require that rewards be given at each level of donation, and mugs will be one of ours. 

Next Tuesday (21^st), 3 – 6 p.m., at Cindy & Mike Hart’s place, we’ll be throwing mugs; on Thursday (23^rd), 3 – 6 p.m., we’ll be trimming. Clay will be provided. (See link at left to hArtworks for location.)

If you can join us, please post your “Yes” here on the blog so we’ll know how many to expect.

Thanks!

Clay Studio Open Tomorrow 11:00-2:00

I know that my last post said that the clay studio would be closed tomorrow (New Years Eve day).  However, I've been working on some projects and am not doing anything during the day . . . so I am going to come in and hold Open Studio during the regular Tuesday time (11:00 AM until 2:00 PM). 

I'd welcome the company if anyone wants to come in and join me!  :)

Mindy

Holiday Hours

The clay open studio will be closed Christmas Eve/Christmas Day and New Year's Eve/New Year's Day.  However, I will be in town over the break, so if anyone wants to come in and work on Sundays, I will be there!

Clay Open Studio CLOSED 12/24 and 12/25

Clay Open Studio CLOSED 12/31 and 1/1

Clay Open Studio remains OPEN on Sundays during the holidays

Also, note that the Arts Center office is closed during some of this time (from 12/22 to 12/29) so if you have the monthly membership you won't be able to come in and work during that week (unless you come in with me on Sundays).

Bisque Fire Loaded

We loaded bisque last evening at class, including many of the Open Studio pieces. Because some of our pieces and a couple of the OS pieces were not yet bone-dry, Dan programmed this for a 5-segment slow ramp-up firing. Mindy can unload these at Sunday OS.

Glazes

We have three new glazes in the closet, one a cobalt (tile #9), one a copper (tile #13), and one a creamy beige (mistakenly labeled #19--more about this in a moment). These are based on Cindy Hart's G1214W base glaze + colorants.

Somehow tiles ended up with duplicate numbers, and the bucket presently labeled #19 was identified as a brown glaze. It is not. It is a creamy beige/tan glaze and should have been labeled #21. The photo here is of Nancy's bowl from the glaze firing unloaded yesterday. The light half is the (approximate) color of the glaze I'm describing; it seems a bit darker in this photo: 

Last night before leaving class, I put a temporary note on that bucket in case anyone will be glazing today. I'll go in to the studio this afternoon and properly re-label it. I'll also add colorants to the remaining bucket of G1214W base to make the brown glaze (#19):

Glaze Kiln Loaded 10/13/13

Hi all!  I loaded a Cone 6 kiln today at 5:00 PM.  The exciting thing is that I included test tiles (that Meredith and Susan made) for some of our new glazes!

I was able to fit everything in except for the four pieces below.

Meredith will probably unload it during Tuesday Open Studio in case anyone wants to come in and get their pieces!  Then she'll load a bisque.  (I'll probably stop in towards the end of Tuesday Open Studio to look at my stuff).

Ready-to-bisque Ware Needed

To repeat a note I put on our Facebook page: Our current class would like to load a bisque kiln next Tuesday. If you have greenware ready for firing, please put it on the bisque shelf. You'll probably have to search for space - our pieces are plates.

Start time for OS Weds. night

We will still meet at 6, I just wanted the title to catch people's eyes.

I have a monthly meeting just prior to OS that will come up again this week. If you get there and don't see me a few minutes before 6 please do not worry! I'll be there!

Most months I've been able to get there right at 6 - last month I was about 2 minutes late :(  but please hang on!

Bisque Started 9/30/13

I loaded a bisque Sunday afternoon (slow bisque with a two-hour preheat).  I was able to fit everything in except for some of Deb's pieces that were still a bit wet (although one was ready to go in). Should be ready to unload on Tuesday. 

If y'all glaze some of these pieces this week, I should be able to load a glaze kiln next Sunday.

Pig Party!

I started a Cone 6 glaze kiln today around 4:30. 

Let me tell you, there was a pig party happening on every shelf.  I hope they don't cause to much trouble in there with their loud music and dancing!

New Greenware Measuring Device is in the Studio

Here's what it looks like!  To measure your greenware piece, place it in the corner of the box (thanks to Solveig for providing the illustrative bowl).

In a nutshell, measure all three dimensions (height, width, and depth).  You may round up or round down, depending on how close the dimension is to the inch measurement marks.  Then, multiply together and multiply that product by .03 cents.

You'll need to place a slip inside your piece with your name, a short descriptor of the piece (this could be "medium bowl with double rim"), the date you placed it on the shelf, and the dimensions.  The Art Center will bill you at the end of the month.

Tommye asked that the new policy start this September.  So, anything placed on the "to be bisqued shelf" from now on needs to have a slip in it.  Previously fired works (that are waiting to be glazed in the bisque stage) and works currently on the shelf are "grandfathered" and you won't be charged for them.

Here's some more photos that give close-ups of the measuring process:

 

"Speed is NOT your Friend."

A recent kiln blow-up in a glaze firing led us to some online searching to try to understand the cause. When I posted a query to Electric Cone 6 & Other Ways w/ Clay, one of the responders referenced the article "Speed is NOT your Friend" and posted its link at Dogwood Ceramic Supply.

The article explains in detail why we don't want to dry pieces too quickly,  fire pieces that aren't bone-dry, or open a kiln too soon after firing is complete. While some of the article gets a little complex (OK, a lot complex), it's worth a read--especially to understand the heating/cooling processes a kiln goes through.

We're still trying to figure out why several of the bisqued "cookies" shattered, damaging a few pieces (shards embedded in glazed surfaces). We know the kiln was fired at medium speed, not fast; the cookies had been used before so they weren't wet; there was no glazed greenware in the load.

We'll keep mulling this over.

Say hello to Hairy Buffalo Aug13 glaze

Kinda fun! :)

Thanks Nancy for providing pic.

 

Studio Policies

The revised clay studio policies are now posted in the blog. We're still working on plans for the daily non-monitored open studio hours and will fill in the details as soon as we can. In the meantime, please review the policies, enjoy open studio time, and check out the new fall schedule for ceramics: you might find a class you'd like!