Trader Tom's Ceramic Projects

:lol: Maybe I was thinking of Rum when I typed that (or mabe I was drinking rum :wink: )

Here's the latest two out of the kiln.

#3 is the new Antique Gold glaze and #4 is a brown one like I did before. I like the gold one a lot. It looks pretty cool in person.

Next week I'll have four more out of the kiln: (a blue/green one with the same glaze I used on Joseph's mug, a satin red one, another antique gold, and a second one in rust). Meanwhile, I have 4 bisques to paint. I'm going to try a new glaze that reminds me of some older two-toned mottled Tiki Farm mugs I have.

These are very nice, Wendy

Here's my latest four skull mugs:

This is the blue/green mottled matte glaze Joseph & I used on his Tiki mug. I glazed the inside with the the same glaze but it oxidized darker than the outside. Kinda reminds me of a space photo of the Earth with all the green and blue.

I was disappointed in this glaze. I put extra coats, but it came out more pinkish than reddish. Still, somebody might like a pinkish mug...

Another antiqued gold one but I made the sockets white instead of rust and the eyesocket cracks are a bit thinner.

I saved the best for last. This is another brown crackle, but I decided to give him eyes. This is my favorite so far and I'm glazing two more the same way to drop off at the kiln this weekend.

Thanks for looking!

More from the kiln...

This time I have some glossy glazes instead of the previous matte glazes.

Mystic Blue

Black Moss

Drip Glaze Swamp Thing

Cool glazes Tom, are you using a red clay?

Thanks.

I'm still using the same natural white stoneware slip.

I glazed my first several pieces using matte glazes made in-house by Georgie's Ceramics. However, these latest were glazed with Amaco brand glazes. I really like the blue. I glazed my first couple of Ken Ocorr statues with it and I can't wait to see how they turn out next weekend.

I really like the two toned effect of the Mystic Blue one Tom. I thought is was blue glaze breaking over a red or tan clay but it's more complicated than that :D

Cool mug, I want that mystic blue glaze :D

Tom, love this last batch, that blue does look great, sorta southwestern skull style.. I'm liking Swamp Thing though.. He's mine..! :wink:

Great colors
Love da eyes

Aloha Doctor Trader Tom!

Yep, the Mystic Blue is my favorite too! Have you considered modifying the greenware before firing by carving into the surface? Like making cracks on the skull and stuff like that? You could even carve text, and customize for people with their names that way!

Great to see Trader Joe! He has a big boy hair cut and everything! Great piece the two of you did together!

I would recommend some smaller brushes though. The glaze in the eyes is a bit larger than the actual cracks that are already in the sockets. Maybe a 00.

Oh, and I can't wait to get that bowl in!

[ Edited by: Hale Tiki 2012-11-04 19:21 ]

Thanks, everyone, for the comments and compliments!

I totally agree that I need smaller brushes. Also, Eric, you're absolutely right that customizing these would be cool. That might be the next step. I was thinking of giving them a chiseled finish or wood grain or using tapa patterns.

I'm kind of fidgeting around and trying to decide what to do next. I think I will pour a few more skulls and a couple more of the Ken Ocorr statues this week.

However, I think I want to move on and make my own sculpted mug for the next project.

I have a cool pic of a Tahitian piece that looks really different and is inspiring me to make a mug version.

I like the idea of using the plasteline clay for the sculpt, so I get great detail, but I've never used it and I'm not sure what brand (Roma, Prima, Claystone?) to use. Also, I was told I needed a heat lamp to make this stuff pliable. Is that true?

Anyway, I think I'll probably try to move forward on this in a week or two. I feel confident with all the great mold-making tips on this board and online that I can move ahead.

We'll see, I guess. Whether I succeed or crash and burn, I'll post results. :)

Tom, I've been using NSP clay by Chavant, it comes in soft med and hard and I usually get the Hard... It comes in the 2lb blocks, I usually slice it up and then zap in the micro for just a very short time to make it softer so I can work my shape.. It's great because it never gets hard like regular clay.. If you want to carve finer detail I put mine in the fridge for awhile and it get even harder, then you can carve your detail better and more control, at least that what I do..

That's good news about using the microwave. One less thing I need to buy. Thanks for the tip!

I haven't seen Chavant at Georgie's or at Blick's Art Supplies but I'll ask around.

I don't think sulfur in the plasticine is an issue since I'm just using plaster, not silicone rubber.

So...I think I'm leaning toward Roma #2 Medium or Prima #2 Medium that are in the Georgie's catalogue and I can pick up in their store. Unless I can find Chavant handily.

I'll pick their brains more this weekend at Georgie's when I pick my latest up from the kiln.

Tom I order the Chavant off ebay for $8.95 per 2 pound block and it's sulphur free. It works for me but I've never used anything else besides a candle from Ross when I first started... (wouldn;t suggest that since it melted into the plaster when the mold was being made.. :wink: )

Here's the link for the Chavant on eBay in case you need it..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chavant-NSP-Non-Drying-Modeling-Clay-Hard-Dark-Brown-sculpting-modeling-/370649114247?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564c68a687

Aloha

Much appreciated! It's nice to know I can order it if necessary.

Here's today's kiln pull. This is the first Ken Ocorr Tiki I've glazed. I chose "Mystic Blue" again.

Tom, love this, great color

Looks Great with that glaze color, NICE!

Thanks!

I heard back from Georgie's that my latest version of the Ken Ocorr Statue stuck to the kiln. Joseph helped me paint that one and he was hoping to give it to his friend. Hopefully it's not that bad, but I guess they can't all be winners. I'll see this weekend when I pick it up.

I'm going to start sculpting an original mug (to be molded and slipcast) after Thanksgiving. I picked my design and I'm excited about it.

I'm also taking part in the "Sea Creatures of the South Pacific Swap". I think I will try making a hand-built seahorse volcano bowl. I just need to get motivated. I've got plenty of clay at hand. I'll be sure to post progress pics.

More soon...

Been a while since I updated, but here's the progress shots of my 2013 "Sea Creatures of the South Pacific" art swap pieces:

Just made.

Bisque fired and glazed, but not glaze-fired yet.

Finished.

Well, I've been busy, so I haven't had a chance to work on my sculpt for an original mug. However, I did work on a new batch of stuff for the Hale Pele's Polynesian Plaza event that's coming up soon.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=45029&forum=4

Here's my stuff in process:

I have 11 new pieces ready for glaze fire (two Standing Tikis in Mystic Blue, three Moai in Mystic Blue, two Skulls in Mystic Blue, a red Skull with Mystic Blue drip, two Skulls with a rub-off stain finish in Mahogany Brown, and one Skull in a rub-off stain finish of Winter Blue).

I like how the rub-off stain is working. I used that on my last hand-built project. Shows details REALLY well.

Here's close-ups:

The firing schedule is pretty tight, but I'm hoping to pick up four more pieces and get them glazed and turned around before the show. Here are the pieces that should be back from bisque fire soon:

The ashtray is from a new Holland Mold I just acquired. It gave me a chance to use one of the pin-up girls as a slipcast mold as intended instead of as a press mold which is what I've been doing so far. The detail is much better as a slipcast piece. I think I will glaze the ashtray in my yellowish-brown rust glaze, use the Mystic Blue on the water, and use the mahogany wipe-away on the pin-up. Should look good.

Anyway, that's the update. More pics soon after the glaze fire. Thanks for looking.

We have a lamp with flashing lights that the family says the Dad got on Oahu after WWII. It's a great tiki with a long history. I love your Mystic Blue glaze, Wendy

Go Tom go!

lookin good man! still haven't used my bowl from you yet, but I will when I get my bar up!

Just got back from the kiln and I got my first 11 pieces done in time for the Hale Pele show this Saturday.

Several in Mystic Blue.

A few skull mugs in various glazes.

That mystic blue is a great colour, the Moai's look fantastic.

Thanks. I feel like I finally have the mystic blue perfected. The label says to give three coats, but three coats was a little gloppy when fired and it started to run. Two coats allows a bit more brown through and isn't gloppy at all.

Tom, have a great time at the show ~ hope you sell it all!

That Mystic Blue is a great color ... really makes the detail jump ... Nice mugs ...

[ Edited by: Gene S Morgan 2013-05-10 20:35 ]

I picked up the last four pieces from the kiln which I showed earlier before they were fired.

Three of them were glazed in Mystic Blue and are similar to other ones I've shown, but I thought I would share a picture of how the nude pin-up ashtray turned out.

I used a "Rust" matte glaze for the rocks and a wipe-away "Mahogany" on the pin-up. The water is "Mystic Blue" and it really pops out from the other matte glazes. When you see it in person with the reflection off the blue, it looks even better than the photo. Measures 9" square and the nude is about 4.5" long.

I will definitely make some more of these. I may do a "Pele" version with matte black rocks and a bunch of flowing lava rivers springing forth from a reddish-colored nude at the top and pooling into a red/yellow/orange swirl below.

I have some more pictures to share. First up are a couple of wipe-away skull mugs with colored interiors and a black satin lava flow glazed skull mug someone asked me to do on commission.

Then, I have a couple of unglazed bisque Duncan Stacker Mugs. I picked up the mold for these recently and they are really cool. I see them from time to time, but I think I will do a wipe away on them without clear coat. The clear coat tends to diminish the color of the wipe away. I'll use a colored gloss glaze on the insides, however.

Next, is a father/son project Joseph and I worked on recently. For you SpongeBob fans out there, I present the dreaded Plankton! Joseph did the body, but I suggested putting it on a plaque since it looked so fragile and I was sure it would crumble in the kiln. We'll probably use the green glaze seen in the interior of one of the skull mugs above for this one after next week when his school lets out for the summer. Maybe the wipe away blue on the plaque...depends on how crazy he get with the green glaze, though.

I expect to finish the ten or so bisque pieces sitting on the shelf over the next couple of weeks and will put up one more big post for the summer, but then I will need to take a short break from mudslinging for a while. I have some ink slinging to do with three or four writing projects I want to complete.

Thanks again for looking!

Gorgeous! Keep that boy's fingers in the mud, it looks like he's having a good time.

Dig the drip, man.

I need to make positives from my unused mold for people. Get more of those little stackers out there!

Here's some pics of recent stuff finally out of the kiln:

Joseph's plaque of Plankton. I really like the look of the green opal glaze.

Duncan Stackers in winter blue wipe-away without clear coat looks more black. Green opal interior.

Duncan Stackers in mahogany wipe-away without clear coat. Orange interior.

Red Duncan Moai. Also, an Orange Duncan Moai for a friend's birthday.

I've had inconsistent luck with the orange and the red from Laguna Glaze above. The above pieces turned out nicely. I gave Joseph a couple that didn't. The colors are beautiful, but sometimes I get glaze crawling in the bottom of the interior and air bubbles all over the exterior. I may need to thin it out more. Or, it may have something to do with kiln temperature that's outside my control since I don't fire my own pieces. I suppose it might work better airbrushed, too, but I haven't sprung to get an airbrush set...at least not yet.

Here's my latest Ken Ocorr Tiki Statue in Satin Black. Looks good, but for some reason this guy has a slight lean to him that I didn't notice before. Must be the heat wave. :)

Anyway, that's it for a while. The summer is getting busy but I will be back with more at some point.

I love the Duncan Stackers! Good job!

This has been a crazy year, but things have finally settled down and I dug my ceramic supplies out of the garage to start on a long delayed project.

This Vicious Virgin Bowl just got put together today on the kitchen island. The bowl is from a mold I made and has a volcanic textured exterior. The girls are from a Holland Mold I acquired. I attached them with a special mix of paper clay and the same slip that was used in the slip casting. I'm trying to minimize cracking but this is my first time, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

If things go smoothly, I hope to make a few more in assorted colors and sell a few.

If things go badly, I may just gnash my teeth and put everything back in the garage for a while. Wish me luck! I'll be sure to post progress pics.

I really like your bowl. Are you going to texture the part that attaches the girls to the bowl to match? Wendy

Wendy, thanks!

I intend on texturing that part as well but the paper clay mixture is very peanut buttery and I can't use my pumice stone to texture it just yet. I'll try it later today after it dries a bit more.

I'm already thinking ahead to the glazing.

My first version of this bowl was intended to be a volcano bowl and it developed all kinds of cracks in the greenware surrounding the volcano insert. I patched it with some success using paper clay, but it still had noticeable cracks that widened after the glaze fire.

This time I'm trying to be a bit more careful. Fingers crossed.

I'll cross mine too. It's going to look wonderful. Wendy

That's going to be awesome

Jon

Tom good to see you active again, nice bowl. No matter what happens - HAVE FUN!!!

Thanks, guys. I grumble and worry, but I'm having fun overall !

No big cracks so far. So that's good.

I textured the connecting bridges between the figures and the bowl.

When it looked stable to flip over, I noticed a couple of awkward spots that I patched with paper clay on the underside of those bridge connections.

These patches have developed a few small cracks since, but the exterior of the bowl looks good and is drying out nicely.

I suppose I could aim for perfection with the underside, and try to patch those tiny cracks, but I think I'm going to just let it go. I feel like every time I dither with it, I'm risking a break. It seems very delicate at this point.

When it's really dry I will give it a bit of sanding and then take it off to the kiln. :)

Nice piece, best of luck.

It's gonna be fine Tom! Can't wait to see it, Very Beautiful!! :wink: