Monday, August 13, 2012

Color or Black and White



Color or black and white? I'm getting ready to test a little of both.  I know I want some new colors but what, there are so many endless options with pottery. I took Wesley shopping for some art supplies at Jerry's Art a Rama (great name, right?) and came home with some new Faber Castell markers. The colors are so pretty, they have me thinking about colors on clay. We both got a set and Wes has been drawing like someone possessed with hers. I have that new marker new paper anxiety thing. I'll get to it eventually. Wesley has a great solution for that thing where you have a new sketch book and that first page is so intimidating. She just opens her book up to any random page and gets started. These will be great for sketching new color ideas though.



 I also picked up these speedball underglazes. A friend of mine is a silk screen artist and a few years ago she gave me some samples she got at a convention. I remember them being really nice, so I picked up a few to test. I have a yearning for color right now. Sort of anyway. Last night as I thought about it, and looked at books with beautiful wood fired pots and shinos, I wondered what the hell I was thinking. But I'm never going to make the kind of pots that look good with shinos and I am in no position to be a wood firing potter, so I stick with my limitations. Those limitations include a family, an Olympic gas kiln that is supported by a shit company, a small 12X12 studio that I have finally decided to have only white clay in, and a laziness for mixing glazes. I love making the barns/houses and they sell well, but they have gone up in price to cover the costs of selling through galleries, so I need to maybe think about an object or two that is a lower price point for some of the shows I do.... or not..... I don't know. I go back and forth with this. Maybe I should just continue to explore the architectural pieces and quit worrying that I can't make many of them, some people can't afford them and I am slow.....
Anyway, I love those brown pots, but I also love bright colors on pottery and I can do that, so I'm going to make some small pieces and see what comes of it. I may end up not liking any of it, but these small bottles of underglaze were two bucks a piece so there's no huge investment to do some testing.

I also picked up this book. I start the weaving class next month and I am thinking about making some book covers and incorporating clay beads. See what I mean? I'm all over the place! Color, black and white, weaving, books...... and right now I have got to get it together and start making work for upcoming shows. Well, why not?!  There's no rule that I have to do the same thing over and over. I can change my mind if I want to. My mom used to say that I never stuck with anything, and it's true. I have stayed with clay the longest of anything I have ever done, and I don't see that changing any time soon, but I am looking towards the future when I'm less than motivated to work as hard as clay demands, but I still need to keep my mind and my hands busy. Weaving and book making seems like a good alternative for those days.... but for now, I have to make some test tiles. I'm going to be testing these underglazes, a clear glaze, some black slip and some raku glaze recipes I found. Lots of new ideas!

9 comments:

Anna M. Branner said...

Ha! Bookmaking! Did I tell you I took a bookbinding class last year? LOVED it. Wish I could afford that BIG board cutter....yikes!

Susan Wells said...

Wesley is so YOUR daughter! Right brain all the way. Let's start in the MIDDLE. Brilliant child. Logic has been running our world for so long, I appreciate your surrender to the fancy of "What's next?" to color or not to color? or Both?! Horray for following the muse! I can't wait to see what's next. And there's gotta be a way to blend the clay and fiber business...Believe me, I am thinking about that!

Hollis Engley said...

New things are good, Tracey. I've been reading lately about decals on pots. Might start doing that with a few things soon.

smartcat said...

Oh color by all means! The Speedball underglazes are easy to use. I like the reds and oranges because they can be so miserable to make work. All their color are consistent. I've had fairly good luck using them on raw glaze, along with my other stains. Remember, however, that I work at ^04 with glazes that do not move!

One of the things I love about clay that there are always new avenues to explore.

Unknown said...

Your head sounds as messy as mine, the life of a versatile creator! it should be an asset, but sometimes i just feel like those little aeroplanes that spin wildly out of control, just waiting for the ground to meet them :)
Give it all a try i say, otherwise you'll never find out.
Enjoy!

cookingwithgas said...

you know I love some color- that is where the tiles come into play for me- go color and--- way outside the lines would be a good start.

ang design said...

have a play trace, you'll refine an idea and come up with something new!! I'm looking forward to seeing it :))

Anonymous said...

thinking in circles seems to be the way to be these days, maybe it's the blue moon coming?

Tracey Broome said...

Hey ya'll, great to hear from everyone, I am such a slacker on comments these days! Too much going on, but I'm reading, I'm here!!!