Marian Williams, Author at Marian Williams Pottery

Figurative sculpture, San Angelo national Ceramic Competition , figurative sculpture, Indigenous, American Indian, akacita

San Angelo National Ceramic Competition: I’m Accepted!!

figurative sculpture, indigineous American Indian, akicita, raku, San Angelo National Ceramic Competition, wild turkey feathers — Indigenous American Indian Akacita

I am very excited and honored to have my sculpture, Indigenous American Indian Akacita, accepted into the San Angelo National Ceramic Competition!!!

I received this email and couldn’t believe my eyes! What a thrill!

“Congratulations! Your work has been accepted in the 24th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition. We believe this is one of the finest ceramic exhibitions in the nation, and your excellent work will contribute to the continued quality that we wish to present. The juror, James Watkins, selected 116 works by 116 artists from a total of around 950 pieces submitted. The prize winners will be chosen by the Juror on the day of the opening. Winners, if not present that day, will be notified after that date.”

I’ll be headed to San Angelo on Friday as many demonstrations, exhibitions, and events are part of the event.

I’m sure I won’t win, but being accepted is win enough for me!

Love to all!

Marian

Barrel Firing Results

Firing

Each time one does a barrel firing, the variables change enormously. It is really difficult to predict or recreate the same effects time and time again.

This firing definitely left me with lots of questions. However, the colors that I achieved were spectacular!

The one problem with this firing was the amount of “grit” or “rough spots” on each pot. If I had tried to sand them down, I would have caused a lot of scratching and damage to the surface – worse that the gritty, rough spots.

Therefore, I decided to consider those imperfections part of the glorious process of the fire and the clay and all of those variables.

The one thing that did change in this firing which could have caused the problem, was that I added a lot of Himalayan Pink Rock Salt around the edges of the barrel.

I won’t do that in the upcoming firing and I shall see if this is the culprit causing the crusty bits.

Here are some photos of the outcome and the final and finished pieces.

Peace out,

Marian

Isolation Pottery

Creation Creativity

In this time of Covid-19, a whole new set of terms has arisen to describe our situation – Covid Brain, Before Times, etc. And a whole new set of circumstances to navigate. As most of us have always wished for more time to do the things we love, when we have this extra time, we feel aimless…adrift…no beacon waiting out there for us.

Every possible timeline, event, or time-sensitive deadline has been wiped off the calendar.

For me, as a potter/artist, it can be off-setting, demoralizing, and depressing, but I’ve decided that I’m the captain of this weary vessel and must help decide on the navigation to take from here to arrive at ANY destination in the future.

Here’s my plan:

Take online courses.

Cristina Cordova (fabulous teacher and sculptor) is offering online classes! Click here to go to classes- CLICK

The Australian Ceramics Association has several online classes that look great!

2. Work on these new skill sets.

3. Make “fun” stuff – just for me.

4. Make vessels that I can fire when it’s not so hot.

So keep busy my friends and let’s ENJOY this free, unscheduled time if possible!

Stay safe!

Marian

Murwillumbah, Stone & Wood Brewery Open Day, Market stall

Pottery Making Idea For When You Can’t Work At The Studio During Corona Lockdown

Creation Pottery Spoons

In this crazy time, it’s hard to not make pottery, but it’s also hard to do if you can’t get to your working studio. So here is a little project idea that might be fun when you’re stuck at home. Stay safe. Be well.

I really adore little ceramic spoons! When in Japan, I bought several kinds- really simple, yet adorable.

Making spoons can be rather tedious and laborsome, but I found this really great link showing how to make ceramic spoons in a much easier way!!

Jeannette Zeis Spoon Tutorial

Here are some of the spoons that I have made, but they tend to be heavier/chunkier/clunkier.

Can’t wait to give this a go!!

how to convert an electric kiln to a gas kiln, summt burners

How To Convert An Old Electric Kiln To A Gas-fired Kiln

Firing Gas - Reduction Gas Kiln How-To Kilns

If you have ever had the opportunity to fire in a gas kiln, you know the wonderful results that can be obtained-unlike any other! The glazes glow differently, the colors melt together differently, and the clay body even looks different.

I had the distinctly wonderful opportunity to have and use two gas kilns while living in Australia; and, even though, my commercial cone 6 glazes fired in an electric kiln are definitely looking good, the draw to fire in gas is always out there…lurking…drawing you in!

It is a much more laborsome way to fire. It is also more unpredictable and less repeatable, but that’s also part of its allure!

When I returned to the USA, I found a set of burners that I really couldn’t remember buying. But then it all came back to me! They were a set of Summit burners for converting an old broken-down electric kiln into a gas kiln!!!

So!!! We (Ronnie and I) got busy and have done the conversion! Here is a step by step visual tutorial!

First, we took all of the elements, wiring, controllers, thermocoupler out of the old kiln.

n how to convert an electric kiln to a gas kiln — We measured the base of the kiln, then drew where the holes for the burners should be-it was a tight fit!

As soon as I fire it, I’ll post again on the process and outcome! Can’t wait!

All the best,

Marian

Slow Lives! Slow Food On Slow Pottery

Creation How-To

This is an update of a previous post as I feel that it is timely. I’ve moved back to Texas from Australia, so this post is slanted to Australia, but I feel that it is essential that THE WORLD!! now takes all of these ideas into consideration.

In the past few weeks, all of us have had to slow down our lives. We are at home more. We are cooking more. We are doing more dishes.

So we need to make sure that we are being environmentally friendly, but also frugal in our use of expendable items-paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates, etc. The USA is particularly bad about using disposable food items. It’s a great time to use your pottery and dishes and dishtowels!!

Many of you may have also planted a garden. This may be a usual occurrence for you, but for many, it may be your first go at a garden. That’s great! I really feel that some positive things will come out of this stay at home/stay safe effort. Families are eating at the table, together! Meals are being prepared at home more!

Slow lives, slow food, and slow pottery! It might not be bad for us!

However, stay safe and enjoy this slower time with your family.

The slow food movement has been going on since 1986! but I’ve been slow to catch on to it! or even know much about it! Basically, the SLOW FOOD movement made its debut as a reaction to FAST FOOD.

A recent article in Australian House & Garden about Ben Richardson’s pottery caught my eye and something he said made so much sense to me and made me really think about the Slow Food thing.

Ben said, “The slow food movement places a lot of emphasis on produce and provenance, but what food sits on often seems to be forgotten. Its slow food with fast pots.”

His woodfired pottery is gorgeous and just makes serving food on them a necessity!

Beautiful pottery to eat on by Ben Richardson!

Who started the Slow Food movement?, you ask. Well, let me tell you!

Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food Movement Photo Source — Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food Movement

Carlo Petrini is the guy that got it all started. He was a food and wine journalist and was so appalled when a McDonald’s opened at the Spanish Steps in Rome that he decided that something had to be done. Carlo founded the Slow Food movement and it has really taken off! It is now in over 150 countries. The Slow Food movement really just “wanted people to rediscover the joys of eating and understand the importance of caring where their food comes from, who makes it and how it’s made.”

For more about the history of the Slow Food movement and information about the world-wide organizations, click here.

The Slow Food Australia website is great and provides lots of information on what’s going on and how each of us can be a part of the Slow Food movement.

Slow Food Australia works to:

“build networks between grower and eater, agriculture and market, community and world. We champion good, clean, fair and local food in ways that enhance knowledge, respect and passion.
Australia has 31 Slow Food chapters, called convivia, in every region of the country. We are part of a world network in 153 national communities. We support localism and defend food diversity. In the past 20 years we’ve helped to save more than 500 foods at risk of loss to agriculture and fishing.
Today, more than 300 food communities work with Slow Food to return endemic foods to the table, fight standardisation in our food supply, and support local farmers and fishers.” Source

All of this has been very inspiring to me and as I LOVE to cook and serve up wonderful food on FABULOUS pottery, it just makes so much sense!

Slow Food on/in Slow Pottery should be our motto as potters!

All these folks that see the importance of eating Slow Food must surely be equally impressed with the importance of eating on handmade, non-commercialised pottery!

In the quest to fix amazing food, I’ve found a great blog for cooks and food lovers called Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

You really won’t believe all the great recipes she has on her blog!

One of the best things about her recipes is that she only uses homemade ingredients and avoids the ever-popular American standard recipe ingredient, A CAN OF CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP! Horrors! How did we ever get to using that in recipes?

Mel states that, “We are trying our darnedest to limit most processed, prepackaged ingredients and I’ve learned we haven’t had to sacrifice flavor, time, or doubled grocery budgets to make that happen. I simply like knowing what goes into my food which is how the whole cooking from scratch thing comes into play. And when my 4-year old asks me, “Mom, does this have high fructose corn syrup in it?” you better believe I am bursting with pride (it’s worth all the flak I get for teaching my toddlers that McDonald’s makes mommy want to throw up).” Source

So that’s one of my contributions to the Slow Food movement, cooking from scratch when possible with great, fresh ingredients.

As to my contributions to Slow Pottery, I’ve starting making plates. Those lovely white plates in my cupboards are going to be slowly replaced by my pottery! (They aren’t too scared yet!)

One of my favorite potters right now is Joel Cherrico. He is such a lovely young guy and so ambitious! (not to mention he’s a cutie! Ok, I know! not PC, but I’m truly old enough to be his mother!) and his pottery is gorgeous! See my previous posts about him here.

He has a great blog post on throwing no-trim plates (that I LOVE! No trimming!), so that’s what I’ve done!

And, finally, (sorry this is a long post, but I find all this so INTERESTING! and IMPORTANT to our craft!!!) here is a post from Ceramic Arts Daily on Cooking With Clay For Slow Food. Great article!

Remember our new motto: Slow Food on Slow Pottery!!!

Peace out, friends!

Marian

marcia selsor, obvara, alternative firing, sagger firing, sodium silicate, buckeroo, sagger firing,

Marcia Selsor Workshop

Alternative Firing Workshops

Marci Selsor is one of the ultimate gurus on alternative firing techniques. Pretty much all I’ve learned about terra sig, feather raku and saggar firing, I’ve learned from her…although it be vicariously through youtube videos and online articles. So when the opportunity to learn from her IN PERSON!!!! Came up I jumped at it! I felt so lucky to be able to attend the two-day workshop with Marcia Selsor in San Antonio at Roadrunner Ceramics.

We got to experiment and play with four different alternative firing methods! Obvara, Using Soluble Salts, Saggars with combustibles and soluble salts, and Bucherro in tins. She also demonstrated throwing a crackled surface pieces (which looks great in Obvara) using sodium silicate.

sodium silicate, marcia sensor, alternative firing — Finished vessel throw by Marcia Selsor using sodium silicate to achieve a crackled surface.

There’s nothing like getting to see a great potter in action!

marcia sensor, alternative firing — Marcia Selsor throwing a vessel.

Perissos Winery: Demonstration and Pottery Sale

Events

Perissos winery, Marian Williams pottery, farm girl pottery — I recently had the great opportunity to demonstrate making pottery and selling my work at the Members Sip ‘n Stroll Event at Perissos Winery.

sculptured dogs, dog sculpture, farm dog sculpture, sculpture, Perissos winery, Marian Williams pottery, farm girl pottery — My Pup Sculptures greeted visitors in a little red Radio Flyer wagon.

Perissos winery, Farmgirlpottery , Marian Williams pottery — Here’s a shot of some more of my work displayed there.

It was a great experience and can’t wait to do it again!

Cheers,

Marian

How To Decide Between Commercial Glazes VS Mixing Your Own Glazes

Cone 6 Glazes Glazes

On a recent social media post, someone asked, “Is that your glaze?” I answered, “Yes, it is. I purchased it with my money, layered it and applied it in my own unique way, so , yes, it’s my glaze.

There is always a lot of discussion around whether or not using commercial glazes vs glazes that one makes themselves is legit…acceptable in the grand scheme of things in the world of pottery.

cone 10 gas reduction firing results — Gas Fired Cone 10 Bowl

I’m going to give you my take on that question.

I recently moved from Australia to the USA. In Australia I’ve been mixing my own glazes and firing gas reduction kilns for about 10 years.

gas kiln, fibre-lined gas kiln — My first gas kiln, Thelma.

Prior to moving to Australia, I fired oxidation, mixed some of my glazes and finally bought a few Coyote Glazes just before moving to Australia. Here’s a blog post on using Coyote Glazes in Australia. Click Here.

Now I am back to firing cone 5/6 glazes in oxidation in an electric kiln.

I’ve made the decision to NOT MIX MY OWN GLAZES! I’m buying commercial glazes (Coyote Glazes) and LOVING IT!

Why? And how can I not keep making my own glazes?

Firstly, I do love gas reduction and the cone 10 glazes. However, the work, expense of buying all those chemicals, storing all those chemicals, and the work (again) to mix those glazes is HUGE! Also, I spent a great deal of time making glazes and firing, with a very high failure rate. When I did get great results, I was euphoric! But I’d say that the percentage of failure versus success was 70/30 – success being the 30%.

I’ve decided to use the testing, expertise, and professionalism of all the commercial glaze companies instead of depending on little ole me for all the work to get the glazes just right.

Here are some of my recent Cone 6 Oxidation results. Although the glazes are not cheap, I have more time to make, less failures, and firings are more repeatable and predictable. All in all, I’m loving it!

Large Plowed Ground Vessel – made from recycled clay, thrown, handbuilt and altered. Raw clay depicts the plowed fields, blue glaze depicts the life-giving water filling the rows to water the crops.

So criticize if you must, but I’m seeing tons of great midfire range glazes on social media that rock – from all sorts of companies – Amaco, Mayco and others – and I plan to try them all!

Let me know what you think??

Glaze on!

Marian

Making Totems – Old Farm Implement Parts And Clay

Totems

As part of my farm girl pottery series of work, I decided to make some totems that incorporated “pieces” of farm life. These “pieces” of farm life were old rusted pieces from farm equipment – equipment essential for the process of farming – plows, tractors, rotary hoes, etc.

The totems used the farm implement pieces as the base or topper of the totem and clay pieces were created for the top part. Each clay piece was handbuilt out of raku clay, bisque fired, fired to cone 6, then pitfired to give them some color. I actually pitfired them twice as I thought they looked too dark and finally came up with a look that I liked.

I found a guy in Fredericksburg, Texas that had a barn full of old, rusty farm implement parts. I bought a few and started stacking them up on rebar and metal conduit pipe. They were awesome!