Let's get things straight!!

by Eleanor Hendriks

I was talking a few weeks ago with a potter at his show opening. I complimented him on the great posters and promotional materials that he had. He told me that his wife made them. I said that the selling system seemed to be going smoothly -he said that his wife organized that. I said that I thought that the displays showed off his work really well -he said that his wife made all the display decisions. I told him that I need to get a wife!!

Since I'm not planning to get a wife anytime soon, I thought I'd show you some of the great things that my wonderful husband made for my studio..

First the packing thingie -it's too high to be called a table, but it keeps all my boxes and wrapping papers coralled neatly and instantly accessible. On top I have my trusty scale, tape collection, goodies to add to packages (not telling -the only way to find out what they are is to buy a little sumthin' sumthin' from my Etsy store...) and notecards.
Next, my kiln shelf rack and post organizing system. Keeps all the shelves safe and handy. I even have a pen tied to the table so that I am never without when I want to fill in my kiln log.

A slab roller table -OK, this may be a little overbuilt -but it was still tonnes cheaper than the factory made one that could have come with it.

The wedging table to end all wedging tables -it will never move! In fact, it was so overbuilt that even though we cut off one of the 2x6 boards holding it together at the bottom to get it out of my last studio and into this new one, it still doesn't shake even under the most vigorous wedging action!

Glaze mixing station -the little table at the right is just the right height so that I can weigh things on my triple beam balance and have perfect eye parallax without stooping over. The glaze ingredients go down into a bucket on the lower table with no extra lifting effort. The other low table holds my makeshift washing up station -and its usual collection of dirty dishes. This part of the system could be better -someday!!

High sturdy shelves for storing small boxes of heavy glaze chemicals (and assorted boxes of what can only be called "kaka")

Low sturdy table for glaze buckets at just the right height for dipping pots without stooping and storage for large buckets of glaze ingredients underneath.

All in all -I've got some great custom built ins that make working in the studio more efficient -and more FUN!

Thanks Steve!!!! You're the bestest!

Blogged About!

by Eleanor Hendriks





Right now I have the delicious feeling you get when somebody gives you a compliment...


http://vintageindie.typepad.com/vintage_indie/2008/06/vintage-moder-1.html

Adieu to my Spring Students

by Eleanor Hendriks

Another session of pottery classes at StudioÉlan has come to a close. The students have come to pick up their wares at the closing night 'party'. I always try to arrange the schedule so that everyone can come at once to pick up their finished pieces so that they can see the results of everyone else's efforts. There are lots of ooo's and aaah's, "what glaze did you put on that one?" or "this isn't what I wanted" and the one that makes my ears perk up "Next time I'll have to do..." -then I know for sure people enjoyed the class enough to consider coming back!!

So I'd like to show off just a bit of the work the nine people that came once a week since March have produced...

Some really fabulous boxes! (Somehow I missed getting a picture of Janet's cheerful white and yellow butter dish -it really should be in this great group.)

Three large bowls -at least 14" across -all made from the same mold -but very different in the end...
An assortment of creative challenges undertaken with great results...

And last but not least -a few thumb pots made by my faithful studio sidekick -my 5 year old daughter -an apple bowl just like mommy's and a special cup for her pretend pet....

Thanks to Betty, Sylvia, Gayle, Sandy, Lee Ann, Susanne, Rochelle, Sue and Janet for a great session. I look forward to seeing many of you in the fall -have a lovely summer!

Now I prepare the studio for kid's art classes through the summer -more fun yet to come...

Art Studio Fridays at StudioÉlan

by Eleanor Hendriks

The Big Apple Project

by Eleanor Hendriks

I was the grateful recipient of a large order for my new apple bowls from a long time source of encouragement and support (Hi Mom!) The first apples I made were the result of a lot of experimenting and fiddling. This time I knew what to do and could streamline the process.

First I threw and then handshaped all the basic bowl shapes and let them stiffen overnight...

(Sorry, no picture -not quite sure what happened to it!)

Then I made all the leaves and stems using templates I made to speed things along...

Next, I attached all the stems and leaves onto the bowls...

Finally, these will dry again overnight and then I can finish the bottoms with a bit of trimming and my signature. I love how that array of similar bowls looks -each one slightly different but part of the same family.

If you would like to see how the finished bowls look you can check them out in my Etsy store... Just click on 'Apple Bowls' in the section list on the right hand side.

Being Angelic in the Studio!

by Eleanor Hendriks

So, someone out there in blogland actually gave my angel tutorial a try! Leigh Whitaker and her daughter made this sweet angel in Leigh's pottery studio.



You can check out Leigh's pottery studio blog here:

http://leighwhitaker.blogspot.com/2008/05/cute-project-for-kids.html

And the lovely things she makes in her studio are for sale in her Etsy shop!

Thank you to Elizabeth B. for introducing me to this style of angel (which I have since tweaked a little) in the first place!

If anyone else makes a version of these, please let me know -I'd love to see them (and show them off to the world if you are willing!)

Learning things the hard way!

by Eleanor Hendriks



It's so easy to fall into a habitual way of doing things, even if it doesn't really make sense. For example, I made glazing Berry Bowls much harder than it really needed to be for a long time.



In case you aren't familiar with Berry Bowls, they are small colanders for washing, storing and serving berries, usually with a little matching saucer -like this one that I have in my Etsy store.



The biggest trick with glazing these is keeping all the holes clear of glaze. When a bowl like this is dunked in a bucket of glaze the holes usually fill in because the glaze is quite thick. They have to be cleared or the bowl won't drain.



At first, I used to dip the berry bowls, let the glaze dry and then scrape the glaze out of the holes with a little knife. This was a messy, dusty job and it took forever. I got the brainwave that it would be easier to remove the glaze while it was still wet. I started blowing through the holes that were clogged with glaze immediately after dipping and this worked admirably well -for a while.



My Berry Bowls became quite popular and I now make them 3 dozen at a time. When I first started doing them in this quantity, I would have to avoid glazing too many at a time because all the hole blowing would make me lightheaded -if you've ever tried to blow up a whole bunch of balloons at once - you know what I mean.



Finally the day came when I had to glaze quite a few Berry Bowls all at once and was up against a deadline so I didn't have the luxury of only doing a few at a time. I stood at my glazing table dipping and blowing away until I was more lightheaded than I had ever been. I kept working anyways -and I blacked out for a moment! Imagine my surprise when I came to only a few milli-seconds later and realized that I had lost my balance and hit the tongs holding a freshly glazed Berry Bowl against the side of the glaze bucket. Luckily, I hadn't dropped the bowl AND the sharp hit had cleared all the holes completely and more neatly than all my blowing had ever done!!



I now dip and tap my way to clear holes in any quantity of Berry Bowls whenever I like -without losing my head!!



Here are a few fully alert Berry Bowls in the kiln ready to fire...





Does any one else learn things the hard way??

Big Box Store Vs. Handmade

by Eleanor Hendriks

I usually stick to my own little corner of the world but I'm venturing out a bit with this blog. Check out this neat entry over at Modish comparing quality and prices of trendy scarves at Big Box stores with Handmade items....

http://blog.modishhandmade.com/modish/2008/05/hip-handmade-sc.html?cid=114771048#comment-114771048

Interesting!!

Stamps and Aliens

by Eleanor Hendriks

I was busy in the studio today putting handles on these... ...with little stamps like this... ..when I realized that i was tired of my stamps and that none of them were really the right size. So, I made some new ones! Once they are bisque fired I'll be able to spice things up around here!! Another of today's fiddley projects -a special order salt shaker that is supposed to be a bit like the critter and a bit like a dog with a bone...How do you think I'm doing?

Angels in the Studio...

by Eleanor Hendriks

I hosted a Mom's Night Out for some of the parents from my children's school a little while ago. A small but enthusiastic group of ladies gathered at StudioÉlan for an evening to make clay angels.

Just look at the fierce concentration...

...attention to detail...
..and a peek at the results...

The whole host of angels together...

And you CAN try this at home, folks!!

Start with a slab of soft clay...

Cut, decorate and smooth a circle...

Cut it with one segment a little larger than the other...

Form the larger segment into a cone by joining the straight side to itself starting at the middle. The curved edge will meet at the corners to form the circular base of the angel...

Cut a pair of wings from the remaining piece...

Smooth and decorate both sides of the wing piece...

Attach the wings to the back of the angel, partially hiding the seam in the cone...

Make a smooth ball for a head...

Poke a funnel shaped hole in the bottom of the head and join it onto the point of the cone...

Make some hair using some soft clay and a Kemper Klay Gun (don't you hate it when companies intentionally spell words incorrectly in their product names -or is that just me?..)

Do an angelic hairdo....

Make a halo from a thin coil of soft clay and attach it to the angel's head...

And voila! A clay angel....

Let me know how yours turn out!!