Big Bang Creations - new Yipwan Drum Mug pg 86

Zactly!

The problem with making these mugs is you hafta let'em get bone dry now, then kiln 'em, then paint 'em up with glaze, then finally bake 'em again.... if you don't have buckets of patience it drives ya nuts!

Its amazing what they take X-Rays of....

some very very refreshing designs......absolutely way cool stuff guys....love the creative solutions for mugs you folks are coming up with...keep going!!

Now this is some good shit....babs the rabbit bowl and cobra as just plain sick......really amazing stuff guys!!!

HA!! Sir B, your just tooo much! Thank you so much for the work you put into that brother! You just made my week! :) Come over and play soon...I miss you in the shop.

Hewey - Thank for the props Hewey...we've been having a blast lately. Pick up some clay! Give it a go...all that can happen is you might have a blast!

Clysdalle - Thanks man...we need to get you down here to play as well...I know it's quite the drive. We should have a big clay bash soon. If your breaking into that bag of clay already, and if there is anything I might be able to help you with, just give me a holler.

Cammo - How's mug #2 coming? Can't wait to see it! I love the way you think.

LOL - Yes, that's it...a mouse in a cocktail along with ice and stuff does take up quite a bit of room. Problem solved.

Mad Dog - Cammo's mug looks much better in person than it does in that picture. I can't wait to see what his glaze choices will be for it.

Tipsy - HEY TIPSY...Huge thanks for jumping in with the nice words...I know it keeps us all going

On with stuffs...

Buzzy jumped in on building parts for a much larger thing.

I threw this Paradise Bowl back up on the table last night...time to finish it

hummmm - does that one on the left look somewhat familiar?

Yes, Buzzy and I had fun making stuffs, but we had more fun just eating pie!

Well that's it for last night...lights out...

A. That bowl is much bigger than I thought, you can wash a baby in that thing.

B. pie has never done anyone harm.

Sir Babs, the Sorcerer of Ceramics!

Ah crap! Looks like I missed the pie eating contest!

I did some more work on The Aloha Sisters mug. I'll post some shots later.

Babalu,
patience is a must man. I jumped the gun a bit on the drying of my 1st Asaro mud mask mug and see a little crack starting to form. Hopefully it will only be surface and I have not destroyed my 1st piece due to impatience. It is rather thick, so i should have kept it bagged for another week. Well, thats learning for you. Great to see progress on your stuff. That bowl is a big un, how long is that going to take to dry?

Tornhalo - Yup, you can bathe your baby in it, and then get hell of a drunk going on in it after that!

Sir B. - Can't wait! I'll bet you couldn't help it and put on beauty marks, pimples, and every darn thing on those island babes? Post soon brother...I'm on the edge of my seat in anticipation!

Cass - I can't wait to see your mask! I don't know what type of clay you are using, but I've been using this white low fire (04) Laguna EM 347 with grog. It is certainly different than the stoneware I am use to using. I am finding that there are advantages and disadvantages to sculpting with this low fire clay. Advantage: it does not fire out as hot which reduces thermal shock. This has to be good for sculpture... Disadvantage: It's harder to work with and can be prone to crack easier in drying.

In my last load, I also noticed some surface cracking in some of the work. The cracks never went further than they did in dry out, and the glaze covered them nicely. I'm sure I will see the same in this next load as well...I know how you feel...cracks of any kind freak me out. Some cracks I will try to carve out, some not. As you may, or may not know...the Japanese would emphasize cracks that occurred in prize tea cups by filling them with silver. Nice thing about doing a mask is that it doesn't have to hold liquid :)

Drying out: The big key to drying out clay is not so much the time involved in drying as it is that you dry the work out evenly. When I'm working clay, I always double bag (trash bags) when I walk away from it for any length of time. To dry finished work out evenly, I wrap the work up tight, then everyday I will unwrap the work, turn the plastic bag inside out that it was wrapped in, and rewrap it. I might let it sit out for an hour or so before I rewrap. Moisture will come out of the clay as it is wrapped...turning the bag inside out, gets rid of the moisture evenly. When you are noticing that the bag no longer has moisture in it when you check...your clay is getting to a good point where you can leave the work in the plastic, but don't wrap it tight...leave it a little open so that some air can circulate in and out. After a few days of this you can just take the work out and leave it exposed to the air to finish drying all the way.

Ok, on with stuffs...today was kind of a "honey do" day, but I was able to get some work in...

I made a boat load of little glaze test trees...Boys, we will be firing off a test glaze kiln right after this next bisque firing, so start thinking about color you would like to test before the final glaze on your work.

Next, I put some time in on the bowlie here...I guess I'm trippin out on the tentacles a little more this time...seems the design is getting much busier that the last bowl...I'm liking it. Need to put a wrap on this one soon...Kelly wants to party!

Wow, Sir Babs! You are going nuts! Tentacles galore! That's quite a bowl! I'm sure we're going to make good use of those glaze trees too.

Here's The Aloha Sisters in their current state:

Still got some final clean up to do. There was a near disaster the other day when I tipped the piece up to work on the underside. The whole thing slid off the board and dumped onto my work table. Injuries suffered were a broken arm and and foot on the left hand girl. Nothing Dr. Bowana couldn't fix though. It's getting really dry, so lots of wetting is needed now.

Two semi-opposable thumbs up.

The Bowl and Aloha Sisters have had a giant effect on my creativity-engine.

Watch out for Tawiri-Ma-Te, God of Storms....

Bowana, Nice work man! Hope it make it out of the kiln okay.
Babalu, The piece is a mug for drinking out of. i am doing a series of mud masks from 3 different regions in PNG. The light cracks for these are good because the actual masks have cracks in them. My 1st one, though, i had bagged, then set out too close to the air conditioner, which dried the top opening of the mug, and caused uneven drying. Just put it in a bad spot, and jumped the gun by a day removing it from a loosely covered plastic bag. The front and back both have cracks that appear to go al the way through, so i am going to force dry it a bit faster now, and do a fill when the piece is drier.
I am using Aardvarks low fire, think its mcw 1. When I sculpt with water clay (for non fired things) i usually use Laguna em210 wed, and their em217 white when making walls for molds. My understanding is that duncan glazes work much better on aardvark clay. couple years back i was told their were glaze fit issues with duncan colors on laguna clay bodies. Have you had glaze fit issues with the laguna clays? I have not tried a clay with heavy grog yet, will play with that soon as well.
Looking forward to seeing your pieces after the bisque firing.
Thanks for the notes on your drying methods, have never flipped the bag. Sounds like a good idea to remove moisture off the bag.

[ Edited by: oceaotica 2008-09-07 16:07 ]

DAYAM Sir B!! These gals are smoking, smoking hot!

Folks, Your looking at Bowana's first mug - ever! Double DAYAM!

This is going to end up being the "Holy Grail" for someone's collection...fo sure!

Yup, glazing these bad girls is not going to be a cake walk Sir B...lot's of glaze testing for you Captain.

I'm out in the studio Cass...catch ya in a few...

[ Edited by: Babalu 2008-09-07 16:38 ]

Every time I check this thread, I'm further amazed. I need to get back over and do another one, soon!

A little side direction start tonight...

that hawksbill turtle looks really good man. cant wait to see what this piece becomes

Green With Envy; Rich In Pride...

You guys are rockin' as usual, and I'm lonely as hell!

Keep it up 'cuz it's all awesome!

On 2008-09-05 06:43, Babalu wrote:

I threw this Paradise Bowl back up on the table last night...time to finish it

Babalu Rockin' the Man o' War Paradise Bowl once again! ... keep us up dated :)

On 2008-09-07 09:49, Bowana wrote:
Here's The Aloha Sisters in their current state:

Love it & would love to have one??? Nice!

The Aloha Sisters mug is Fantastic!, Very, Very well done! Your pushing all ceramic artist, Including myself to take it up a notch! Great Work! Mahalo! Gogo

Thats nuts

On 2008-09-08 15:08, GO TIKI wrote:
The Aloha Sisters mug is Fantastic!, Very, Very well done! Your pushing all ceramic artist, Including myself to take it up a notch! Great Work! Mahalo! Gogo

Jeez, I only wished I could all sculpt the human figure this well! I guarantee you that the only other person on TC that could pull off sculpting a 5.5 inch tall human figure like this is Master Squid...that's it

This is Beta Ver. 1.1A of "Tawiri-Ma-Te, God of Storms".

It's BIG, man, its actually pretty heavy to carry around...

...and no, I have no idea which side is the front.

5.5 inches! Bowana can you carve some 5.5 feet and bring them to life? Those babes are HOT!!! Cammo, the twister god is sweet! Mug or statue?

It's a mug, but it's like the size of a big wine bottle. You'll have to wait & see, it has some uses I haven't shown yet....

you can use it as a club to maul your enemies!

Or I can use it as a club to Mo-Ai my enemies!

Hey Cam - I Love, Love your mug...he looks like he's being sucked into a black hole or something. Dude, your mind is a pretty crazy place!! Quit wasting time...such talent needs to be set free...go #3!!!

Well, Hi ya Kel...Soon lady, soon. I will keep posting.

Lee - Come over!

Dave - You should see Sir B's mug in person...it shakes the tree for sure.

Mad Dog - Can't wait to see some of the first stuffs that comes out of your class...exciting!!

Thomas - a little more on this bowlie tonight...

Buzzy is soooo a regular...my dog likes him better I think.

On 2008-09-08 20:29, tikithomas08 wrote:
you can use it as a club to maul your enemies!

It would need to be much bigger.......

Is Buzzy making little French shoes with cute bows on top????

????????

No not shoes, it's a....

texture...some clean up...now it's time to turn it into a party bowl.

Silly Cammo, those are not shoes - they're beagles! :lol:
(lookin' good Buzzy)

Anything worth doing, is worth doing to the point of wretched excess.

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2008-09-09 22:59 ]

yeah that looks like a dog bowl!

and babs that bowl is lookin kiiller

Looks like we need to create the "Dog piss" drink. Any suggestions on what to put in it?(or NOT to put in it)

They look like little Baboons, to me.

On 2008-08-30 23:26, Babalu wrote:

This bowl is totally amazing and wonderful, I've never seen something like that ! I'm really impressed.

Benjamin.

OH Babalu you RRRRrrrrrRRRrrrrEEEEEeeeeeAAaaLLLLLLllllYYYYYYY know how to party!!!! :D!
Out of this world!!

Tiki Candle Maker

[ Edited by: Clarita 2008-09-10 12:07 ]

[ Edited by: Clarita 2008-09-10 12:09 ]

"God of Storms" update - - -

(Still very rough. This is FUN!)

Is Buzzy making little French shoes with cute bows on top????


????????

No not shoes, it's a....

Nice Dogbowl with french shoes BUZZY!

Great work y'all!

I think my dog thinks Buzzy's bowlie is for him....no wonder he likes him better.

Hey Benjamin! Cool to see you over on this side of the board. I'll bet it's perfect in Paris right now...peace brother.

ClaaaaaAARiiiiiita!! - Party till ya drop lady! We all want you to come to SD!! I'll fire all your greenware over here...you just have to bring it over.

Cammo - The Great God of Storms is lookin thunderous! Way to work it!

Well, I started this little cannibal mug this morning over coffee, and put another couple hours in him tonight - more to go. I was suppose to be doing something else (housework)....anyway, I always do this shit to myself...I start more projects than I should at one time. And yes, I do freak myself out sometimes.

Hey Babs -

You should write "Palmer" on the little bunny he's gonna eat.

Lots of cool stuff going on here from you guys. I have to get back over there and make more stuff. Thanks everybody who commented on my mug. It's drying out nicely now. Cammo, you are turning into quite a mad man. I like your shoe bowlie, Buzz. Think I'll make one too. Babalu, I was right, you are unstoppable!

Bowana

On 2008-09-11 22:37, Cammo wrote:
Hey Babs -

You should write "Palmer" on the little bunny he's gonna eat.

What's a Palmer??

On 2008-08-30 23:26, Babalu wrote:

Great work Babalu, I can't help but see some resemblance here though.

Ickis, from Nickelodeon's "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters TV Show"

Keep up the mudslinging!

I think Palmer is the brand of those "mockolate" (mock chocolate) Easter bunnies :lol: :lol: :lol:
I can't help but see some resemblance!

Anything worth doing, is worth doing to the point of wretched excess.

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2008-09-12 09:17 ]

Hey Baba-LUUUUUUU! Thanks for having us over today. Any pics?

And has anybody ever noticed that Bowana looks a LOT like Richard Schaal? Do you think Schaal sculpts?

Thanks Babalu, that was fun. If you find GROG' cap in your garage, can you bring it to Squid's retrospective?But, if you're not coming up for it, then can youjust send it with one of the other San Diegans coming up for the Retrospective?

Bai goes to the head of the class today in GROG' opinion.

On 2008-09-14 22:02, Cammo wrote:
Any pics?

Here's one of Simon trying to get his white socks tan:

And some clay work going on in the shade:

My Solomon Islands inspired dog bowl almost done:

Fun hanging out with all of you today... Thanks for hosting Coach!
Buzzy Out!