rvictor's tiki lab

So did it turn out?
Or did the kiln kill it?

On 2015-02-22 09:41, RVICTOR wrote:
"Ack, Ack, A-Dak"

Onemoresean guessed it! My next project was to make a custom Royal Order of the Water Buffalo mug.

[

WoooHooo! Did I win one of your awesome mugs? I hope so :)

On 2015-02-28 18:27, onemoresean wrote:

WoooHooo! Did I win one of your awesome mugs? I hope so :)

Wrong, sir! Wrong! Under section 37B of the contract signed by him, it states quite clearly that all offers shall become null and void if - and you can read it for yourself in this photostatic copy:

I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera... Fax mentis incendium gloria cultum, et cetera, et cetera... Memo bis punitor delicatum!

It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal! You stole fizzy lifting drinks! You bumped into the ceiling which now has to be washed and sterilized, so you get nothing! You lose! Good day, sir!

Gary Busey Family is a winner though!
Good post onemoresean.

my bad :(

John-I'll find out on Wednesday. That's when I pick it up from the potters workshop I'm in. I dont own a kiln, hense the reason it takes me a long time.

John - Great news. It survived firing and looks great. I started glazing this morning.

Well...life has been getting in the way of starting new mugs...which I hope to get back to again soon. I've been drawing allot instead, as it is easier to fit into my schedule.

BRAD "TIKI SHARK" PARKER...this one is for you. Kinda a slop-fest compared to your work...but you keep inspiring all of us and your work keeps us pushing to get better!

OOps...pushed send. A couple more drawings to post...

This one was from a local Seattle music promotional Ad rag...I thought the picture was "uber-cute" and I never really drew a seahorse before...
I got the picture out of the "Stranger" I think. They were featuring something about the heinous sex lives of animals. The article was supposed to be geared towards post-pubescent, hormone fueled club monkeys...but they hooked me with a picture that was more geared towards a 5-year old. Go figure.

Next up...a few drawings where I was studying Ken Ruzic's stuff. He reminds me very much of Picasso for several reasons. He does a great job of creating flow from object to object in his paintings. I also really admire his imagination and loose style. Another artist that I think we can learn allot from.

I'm not sure if it is apparent, but I try to make sure to note other artists work that I am studying in my sketchbooks. Maybe it's unnecessary...but for me it's intended more like a nod or a sign of respect. Respect that they have developed their own style and approach. It takes time and constant practice. They have done the time.

On 2015-03-05 08:15, RVICTOR wrote:
John - Great news. It survived firing and looks great. I started glazing this morning.

Awesome!
Looks great!
Can't wait to see the glazed version.

Your drawings are great too!

More progress on glazing this morning...

john - these are just the underglaze. I am still planning on doing red letters on the back. Of course, the colors you see now are not exactly what the final product will be. I checked the colors using a photo of Fred Flintstone when I went to buy the glazes, so the final product was based on the test tiles. Once the underglaze gets fired, I will take more photos and let you see what the underglaze looks fired. It should be much lighter color. I am planning on firing to the lower range of the glaze recommendation to see if it keeps much of it's vibrant appearance as I can.

Once the underglaze has been fired, we will have a few decisions to make...like choosing if you would like a black wipe off effect (similar to the Bosko tribute mug), keep it the color of the fired underglazes, just do a clear coat, do a wipeoff and then the clear coat, etc. Any way we look at it, the interior is going to have to have a clear coat for holding drinks. I can also "do my thing" if you want. We can cross that bridge when we get there but I just wanted to give you the options and let you think about it. Again, once it's done...You still have the option on passing on the final product.

Posting like crazy because I have been working and not posting. Just trying to catch up. It's kind of nice having my work on Tiki Central so that I can show friends and family my work.

Here is the final product of a random miniature carving.

For this one, I tried making a random, oblong shape and carved a beach scene into it. After it was fired, I just did a black wipe off with underglaze and liked the way it looked, so I just fired it. I put an impression in the back that was big enough to be glued to a standard wooden dowel after shrinkage. I got one of these cheap wooden boards, drew random tapa designs on it with a permanent marker (need a wood burner) and did a stain and finish. It's a little bigger than a 4x6 photo, for reference of scale.

Then there is my son's project...He and his girlfriend are making a coffee table from pallets...and I'm helping them with it a bit but not trying too do too much. They are learning allot from it, like 1.) patience, 2.)planning, 3.)physical constraints, 4.) construction techniques, and 5.)and the amount of money and time you have to throw into something you thought would be "essentially free". There really doing a good job and I'm excited to see them interested in building things. They seem to really be enjoying it.

Well looks great leaning towards that black wipe off effect, I like that.
Cool random miniature carving as well.

"You still have the option on passing on the final product"
No, No, I like it, it's cool.

It's why I like to work with the newer tiki art peeps, they are all
this is cool and excited about tiki art.

"5.)and the amount of money and time you have to throw into something you thought would be "essentially free"."

THAT is what I tell the new light maker guys, count up EVERY dime you put into that light.
They always leave out shellac, glue and ebay costs to sell ect.
After they do this they find out it's not a money making game.

Heck you got almost $200.00 dollars worth of clamps in that one photo, Right.

Keep up the good work!!

Great work RVICTOR!

So any up dates???

cy - thanks!

John - PM'd you for the latest and greatest. Things are going A-OK.

So, it's been a little crazy in the Victor household and production has been slightly interrupted by the instructor at the sculptor's workshop being sick. Wishing Janet the best and a speedy recovery. So, as a consequence, there has been no firing and no progress on glazing. The only thing that bas seemed to be going through the workflow without disruption was the Order of the Waterbuffalo Mug. Everything else has been at somewhat of a stand still.

We started working on the Taki Tiki mold before she got sick and that is sitting as well. I have also forgot to bring my tools to class so I have been forced to experiment a bit in class. Even though it's not Tiki, i figured that no one would mind if I posted a few photos of my little side trip playing with clay.

First off, I have these three cool little plants...but there in a planter that my wife isn't really fond of.

So I have been talking about making a planter...and this is what I ended up with.

I'm planning on glazing it white...to match other planters in the house.

Another side trip...which was inspired by a couple local artists that love going figures (...like Jim in my workshop).

This one was just a "android"-like figure...I added the little heart to give it more character.

This one was just another little character that someone said looked like a mutant ninja turtle, so I gave it a shell. I'll clean them up a bit more after they dry a bit.

And...finally this week I got back to mug making. This one is based on an idea that I had about barnacles. I envisioned white planters and vases covered with barnacles. I ended up doing a mug with some more basic, stylized barnacles than what I originally envisioned. Note in the photos that this mug is for a right handed person because the void space on the mug is in the pattern of someone's hand if you hold it in your right hand. Another idea inside an idea mug concept.

Have one more but I will have to post later. Have officially run out of time again. Mahalo for viewing!

Now that I feel that I am getting comfortable with what the clay does, how it behaves (or chooses not to), and have a feel for carving into it, its about time i start trying more complicated builds. The barnacle mug was a start in this direction...building by applying blocks onto an underlying cylinder form.

This next one was based on a sketch I did in my sketchbook while I was waiting in the doctors office. It's based on the picture in the top left corner of the following photo.

I started with a cylinder that I had already build and used slab build techniques. This one was made similar to Vantiki (HR your awesome...hope your going to Tiki Kon this year) or Salty Sea Dog Designs...just not as good. I liked how this build came out though. Hopefully I joined everything correctly and there aren't any air pockets. Otherwise it's just a good looking kiln-grenade from what I've heard (not had this happen yet but I have heard some stories).

These are all so much fun and impressive. I really enjoy your creativity blossoming here. Wendy

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[ Edited by: danlovestikis 2015-03-19 08:31 ]

Wow
Everything you do is rock solid killer...

Keep it up

Wendy - Thanks...you to. You've really got it going on right now.

Hang10 - Thanks man. Glad you like it. I will do by best to follow in the footsteps of the machine

Looking Good Robert!

I gotta ask, do the strawberries on your table cloth taste like strawberries?
And the snozzberries taste like snozzberries.

It has that Willy Wonka wall paper look.

tikiskip - The tablecloth is loud...but it's made from the finest Mexican oilcloth so it cleans up really well. We bought it in Tupac down in Arizona. While I have drawn some of the fruit, I've never tasted it...because that would be gross skip.

Update on the water buffalo...
Picked up the mug from class. Fired great. Did the black wipe off.
A couple photos follow.

I was impressed with how little the underglaze lightened during the first glaze firing. Usually it gets very light and won't darken up until you put a clear coat on it. In this case, however, I used a Mayco velvet underglaze and the colors stayed bright after firing. The photos posted are after the black wipe off...which darkened it up allot. I know how I would finish out the mug...but I'm going to let skip choose the finishing touches.

Skip-sending you a pm very soon

Since WOW was the first thing I said when I saw it that's what I'll say. WOW!
Great job of painting the letters. Duncan Brilliance is the clear coat I use. It doesn't cause the underglazes to move. Duncan clear is lousy and it does make the black run.

I'm looking forward to the next post. Wendy

you HAVE been busy. all is super swell.
as a construction building things person I'm interested to see how the coffee table turns out ( I know not your project)
LooOOOooOVE the planter,

and your little plaque picture came out great.
Last- is that Fred Flintstones lodge hat?

Wendy - Your "curly-Q" mug is really cool. I have taken your advice on the Duncan Brilliance before and it's a rock solid product as far as I can see. Seattle Pottery is having their annual sale this weekend and I'm planning on getting a large container of it when I go down on Saturday. I really should pick up more of the Mayco velvet underglazes as well. Have you ever encountered any issues using one brand of glaze with another???
Thanks for the post.

Sophista - Thanks. Glad you like it all...I LooOOOoove it as well. Been thinking about the idea for a while now...just never spit anything out until now. I've been thinking about incorporating the barnacles in other pieces as well. You have quite the eye for design, so your enthusiasm must mean it's worthy of spending some more time on.

Per your request, a photo of the finished coffee table.

So...if your into building...here is the down low on the design.

It sits about 16" tall. We used an example from Buildables.com I think...with some alterations to make it work out with materials we had on hand. The casters set me back about $40....so this is an item I will be scanning for whenever I go to antique stores, repurpose shops, etc. If you can get them cheap, they are a hell of a find. The only issue was finding a set of locking wheels, at the 6" size that were under $18/ea. It's going to be on carpet, and the wheels were a bit tacky texture, so I figured it would probably be fine.

The kids stained the wood to match my son's, girlfriends, mom's existing furniture. The ends we closed up underneath (3 sides) so the TV remotes can be placed in the end cubby holes (son's girlfriends idea). There is also a cross-member underneath mid-table to help true up the top and provide reinforcement. I placed that cross-member using metal brackets so that it's anchored well. Finished nailed the top boards down and used a nail set so that there not that visible.

The whole assembly, minus a few key areas, was just wood glue and clamps. Anything that I had to screw down got pre-drilled since the wood we were working with was cheap material. The 4"x4" blocks on the bottom were from some old fence post scraps.

The side beams (that have the pallet forklift notches in them) were oriented with the notch down so thinking about it being a logical place to place a hand (when moving the table) and would better give the viewer recognition that it is made from a pallet at first glance (I think identity is important as well). In hindsight I wonder what it would have looked like...and if it would have looked cooler overall...if the notches had been placed upwards (so that in the side view they looked like windows). I guess those are the choices that we make on the fly.

Ok..enough of the specs. I do enjoy hearing how things are made...so since you asked I downloaded.

Lastly, Yes....it is the Fred Flintstone Lodge Hat. A custom order from Tiki Skip. Were working in trade. He's going to trade for some fish float lamps in a yummy red.

Final, finally - You gonna be at Tiki Kon? Got's my tickets and reservations...so we could meet there if your going. Doing the full boat VIP since it's our maiden voyage. Also made an appointment to tour Munktiki on Monday. I'm just giddy about it.

I have mixed Mayco and Duncan for years without a problem. I have heard that other ceramicists have had difficulties. I don't know what they were. Maybe it's a myth.

I know how hard lettering can be to do including the placement and getting the size just right. I am so impressed. Did you use a stencil?

Wendy

Wendy - Skip sent me some stickers with Logos but I scribed it by hand. I'm going to try using picture templates for an upcoming mug. Yes...another trick that I learned from you.

BTW - I finished my first mold in class last week. I'm so excited...and I can't believe that your breaking molds. Maybe before you break more, you could send me one (I would pay to ship of course and I know there heavy) and give me a crack at modifying the mold? Just an idea...thought I would throw it out there. It just hurts to see you bust them up.

Sophista - Planter...not barnacles. Not enough coffee that early in the morning. I've been thinking too much about the planter with barnacles on it...another idea besides the mug.

Sometimes I am slow...but I can catch up.

They did a nice job on the table. thats a sturdy functional piece.
lots of fun tutorials online about building from repurposed materials.
If you garage sale or flea market at all, those casters can be found. I can usually pick up a set for a couple of bucks. I am master of free building materials. I built out the entire kitchen in my downstairs apt with free stuff from craigslist. All appliances, and vintage MCM cabinets,framing lumber, drywall, counter tops and vent fan. all free.
and if you're ever lucky enough to score on a set of vintage Popular Mechanics howto-do-it encycolpedias, the projects in there are amazing! fun stuff!

Glad your wife got the Willy Wanka joke.
I like the table cloth.

Love the mug, did send a pm.
The gloss or not gloss was not something I thought about.
Guess I always had gloss in my head.

I want first dibs on the Gazoo mug!!
https://www.google.com/search?q=gazoo&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=637&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=rVoMVcXhH8LsgwSA_IDQDw&ved=0CB0QsAQ&dpr=1.5

Sophista-yes. The Popular Mechanics mags...where they have a picture of a dad showing off his handy work with a pipe in his mouth. The kid and dog circling in excitement. The sheer joy of handymanning. Awesome.

Skip-she totally loved the reference. Her favorite Gene Wilder movie ever. You got it on the glaze. Getting excited to get it done.

BTW - Coconuts Margaritas (2ea.)
2 cups crushed ice
3 OZ 1800 coconut tequila
1 oz lime juice
2 oz coconut cream
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz Cointreau or triple sec

Blend and get your drink on. Fantastic.

Quick post...busy week.

Thanks everyone for the posts...

Quick mug update for tiki skip...had to go back over it with another coat of blue. Wanted to lighten it back up a bit. Just too dark before I was to put on clear coat. Went in for firing tonight.

Aloha...just a quick post/update. posting some photos of the last two mugs after applying an "antiquing" (I am guessing that this is the proper term for it?). I applied both black and dark brown to the mugs then used wet sponges to remove the underglaze from the high spots

Aloha,
Had to post some photos of a recent trip that I made to the Tacoma Cabana in Tacoma Washington. It's about 45 minutes from where I live (in good traffic). I hadn't met Jason Alexander (2014 Iron Tikitender from Tiki Kon) yet and my friends and I went to check it out. I have to say that it was quite a cool experience that I will probably never forget. The best tiki drinks I have ever tasted.

The bar was really cool. He's definitely building it up one cool piece at a time...like a cannibal pole on the bar (from South Sea Arts) and puffer fish lamps

and check out the fish tank...

Checking out the collection of rums

Ordering up the killer Jet Pilot...

And kicking in the afterburner...

He had some mugs made up by Tiki Rob and he christened it with a drink he called "Surf Nicaragua"...which had to be the best drink of my life. Mahalo Jason for the hospitality, intoxicating drinks and fireworks.

So I was checking out Ken Ruzic's thread on tikicentral and saw one of his custom paint jobs on a Kolohe mug...So I had to make my own like it.

The paint job made it look so much cooler....and it got me thinking. What next?

How about Brad Parkers mug?

Nice. Parkers work really jumps out more with color. Too cool !

I apologize about the flurry of posts...just have a little some catching up to do. It seems like I have allot of projects and not enough time to do them all. Coming up with some fun ideas...and looking forward to the future. Having allot of fun with this...the more I learn about tiki culture the more I find myself swimming further from shore.

Update for Tiki Skip - Final application of clear coat is completed as of this morning. Fire on Wednesday, pick up the following week...getting close to done.

Next up...the finished volcano mug. I chose to keep the bottom portion the mat underglaze, since I liked how it came out and just to the lava with clear coat. Hope you all like this version of a volcano mug...hope I did the theme justice. I really liked doing this one.

This next picture is of the display case at the Francis Anderson Center in Edmonds. The case is there so all the artist can share their work with each other. My wife did up the case while I was out of town and I think she did a great job. Check it out!

Mahalo - thanks for looking. lots of glazing to do this week.

Wendy - I will be taking notes on your thread as I go along. Thanks for always posting...while I may not reply allot, I am there with you watching and learning.

Love the volcano mug. We have a vintage Coco Joes which was one of there few ceramics and yours is so much better. Wow!

Wendy

PS glad to help

Wendy-thanks, glad you like the volcano mug.

This morning I ended up doing some more painting...another Parker mug.

Cool stuff.
Really like case your wife did up.

Skip-Glad you like it. I will make sure to tell the wife. She'll be pleased to hear that.

I showed Dan your Bosko mug today. He loved it. I will glaze it along with the Wish List.
Now that I've seen what a great job you are doing on your pieces I should have left it in your hands!
I hope I do it justice.

Cheers, Wendy

I showed Dan your Bosko mug today. He loved it. I will glaze it along with the Wish List.
Now that I've seen what a great job you are doing on your pieces I should have left it in your hands!
I hope I do it justice.

Cheers, Wendy

Wendy-No worries. You got it sista. The only thing I would have done is put on three coats of neutral tone underglaze fire and then do a black underglaze wipe off...this way you can do something different. It will be cool to see what you do with it...which honestly is something I have been looking forward to.

I'm glad Dan liked it. Tell him hi for me.

Excited cause I'm taking the wife to Tacoma for an overnight. Taking her to Tacoma Cabana Tiki Bar so she can check it out.

Posting photos of last nights, and this mornings, work. I made a few small molds at home. The sculpts were made from oil clay. I used foam board and a hot glue gun to make the molds. There press molds. It was my first attempt at making a mold at home and I am pretty happy about the results. This is a good step in the process of getting more things made in less time.

The first one is one of my "take the beach with you" necklace sculpts.

The next was a random tiki face for necklaces

The next one is for a friend Darlene Stokes at work. Her mother "Dinky" recently passed away and I discovered this tiki in her front yard when I went to the funeral reception. She told me that she thinks her dad carved it before he passed. I took photos of it before I left.

I asked her permission to use the tiki for a subject for necklaces and, just maybe, mugs. She said that she would love it...so I started with the necklaces. Here is the mold and the first 4. I am calling this the Stokes Tiki in honor of their family. I plan on doing a necklace for her family members.

Mahalo for looking.

Wow good job on the necklaces and their molds. I told Dan Hi for you and he says it back.
I may use all underglaze on your mug. I'll do my best to make it special. Wendy

Time for another report from the lab. Today was an important day as it was time to see how Tiki Skip's custom mug ended up. I found out that it came out a darker shade of blue than I had expected. Overall I'm pretty happy with it....hopefully Skip will like it. Ready for inspection....

Finally....The Royal Order of the Waterbuffalo Mug is alive! It's alive!

I love it!
Looks great.
That's what I had in mind.

Will send a PM.

Posting photos of some of the random pendants...please vote for your favorite if you have one.

My favorites are #6 and # 10...I was thinking about making molds of them.

Thanks for taking the time to look.