Marian Williams, Author at Marian Williams Pottery

Wanna See What Came Out Of The Kiln? Cone 10 Reduction and Copper Red Glazes

I’ve spent alot of time lately in the world of Raku. However, now I am back in the World of Cone 10 Glazes!

I have retried a Greg Daly recipe combo that I tried only once and forgot about. The results are very promising!

Got some great copper reds!

Here is the bowl and the back side of the bowl-BIG drips…not sure I’m happy with that!

Refired two large altered bowls – one did great! The other one…not so much…so it will go back in the kiln…AGAIN!

An unsuccessful refire - it's going back in again! — An unsuccessful refire – it’s going back in again!

Somehow I have reverted to some of my old glazes – a revisit – to see if there is anything I have overlooked or missed. And now I remember why I hadn’t been using them!

Here’s a little cup with a glaze made from the dried glaze cleaned off the spray booth. So it’s a mix of all my glazes! The recipe is not obtainable! Oh well, I kinda like a surprise and love this little cup!

I always learn so much in a firing! Just glazed another kiln load and will fire it up tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Keep Cooking!

Marian

Sometimes Its The Little Things…That Sell!

Creation Hanging wall vases

I’ve noticed that people LOVE to buy! Even if it just some little something!

So I’m making some of those “little” items that I can put a small price on and people can buy a piece of my pottery without spending a fortune (but none of my pottery costs a fortune!).

Here are a couple of process shots of one of those items, a wall hanging pocket vase:

stamps, pottery stamps, texture, pottery

Here is the end result of one of these wall hanging vases.

Raku Workshop!

Firing Raku Workshops

The Raku Workshop held recently at my studio/barn was a great success. We had a great group of ladies, great results and lots of fun!

Maria preparing wood for the wood-fired raku kiln.

Maria stokin' the wood-fired raku kiln. — Maria stokin’ the wood-fired raku kiln. Terese assisting!

Terese pulling a hot pot out of the kiln.

Cathy's pot - hot out of the kiln. — Cathy’s pot – hot out of the kiln.

Cathy's pot before cleaning off the soot. — Cathy’s pot before cleaning off the soot.

Kym's refired pot looked fab! — Kym’s refired pot looked fab!

Lyndall and Terese checking out fired work.

Kirsten's mask still hot and in the reduction bin. — Kirsten’s mask still hot and in the reduction bin.

Lyndall's whale tail. — Lyndall’s whale tail.

Cathy's lovely lustre pot. — Cathy’s lovely lustre pot.

Terese's lovely pieces. — Terese’s lovely pieces.

Looking forward to the next one! Let me know if you are keen to join us next time!

Cheers,

Marian

How To Make A Raku Kiln Out Of An Old Electric Kiln

How To's Kilns Raku Tutorials

I’m doing a Raku Workshop this coming weekend. Pretty exciting, as it is the first one I’ve done at my studio.

I’ve had an old kiln that we bought years ago and, in transport, was damaged past repairability – it’s been just sitting around. So to make sure that everyone gets a lot of firing time in at the workshop, we have converted it into a raku kiln!

Here are some pics of the process:

raku kiln from electric kiln — Here is the old kiln that we used for the conversion to a raku kiln.

Has Social Media Caused ME To Be Competitive And NOT Creative?

Inspiration Musings

Sometimes I think that looking at everyone else’s work on Facebook and Instagram is counter-productive.

I find myself second guessing why I’m making what I’m making, wondering if I should emulate some of the more “successful” potters on Instagram, Facebook, Etsy, etc.

I look at how many “likes”, views and comments I’ve gotten…and then compare those numbers with others.

I feel myself becoming frustrated at goals not achieved that I never really set for myself. I become critical of my work, my postings, my approach.

So when did it become about numbers, money, success. When did I move from just creating for joy and start creating for others?

Well, it’s not a good way to work! I’m going to start making a conscious effort to avoid the constant Facebook perving, the Instagram obsessions, the Periscope stalking and get to work on MY Creativity. To hell with what’s in style…I really don’t care and I really don’t want to feel competitive to every other potter out there.

I want to be happy for each person’s success and their creativity.

Just saying’…I needed to vent.

So now, back to making pots!

Grinding Your Pots Feet: A Great Solution!

How To's Studio and Equipment Tools and Equipment Tutorials Videos

When at NCECA in Kansas City, 2016, I bought several products from CI Products . Amazing!!!

One of the products is the Diamond Grinding Disk

I’ve attached it to a bat with the adhesive backing that it comes with – super sticky and adheres easily.

The grinding disc needs water to work properly. So… my husband (he is awesome!!) created a water pumping device that pumps water from a bucket onto the wheel, then the water is recycled back into the bucket from the wheel.

Here’s a short video on how it works!

We gave it a massive trial this week as Lyndall Bensley had a bunch of pieces that needed to be ground before delivery to the customer. It worked so well! In less than an hour, she had cleaned up the bottoms of over 45 pieces!

diamond grinding disc, grinding pottery on a potters wheel — All done and packed up! Saves so much time!

I understand that the diamond grinding discs can be acquired here in Australia from Gemcuts,

Go get grinding!

Australian Ceramics Open Studios 2016, North Coast Mud Trail 2016

Australian Ceramics Open Studios (ACOS) + North Coast Mud Trail 2016

Events Exhibitions Studio and Equipment Studio Tours Totems Videos

Wow! What an amazing weekend!

Here is a video of the set up and property that I actually did for my daughter, Liz, so please ignore the comments to her.

It was exhausting – all the cleaning, the prep, the pricing, the worry…but the outcome was fantastic.

I didn’t count, but I probably had at least 150-200 visitors. Sales were great! I have an online shop, so marked all of my pottery to 1/2 price for the two days of the sale. So I’m not sure if that encouraged buying, but I sold heaps and am happy with the outcome. Gotta sell pots so I can make more!

Well done to Australian Ceramics for the organization of the event and the North Coast Mud Trail for their great job of publicizing the potters in this area. Impeccable work!!!

Totems. Did I Mention That I’m Making Totems?

Creation Totems

Totems….geez! what a lot of work! I think that I’ve bitched about them quite alot lately – to my friends, family, social media, etc. My previous posts on totems describe the totems pictured below.

If I had designed them all up front that could have saved me time, money and a huge amount of effort. But, why spoil all the fun?! Make it a challenge. Make it harder than it should be. Just start out making pieces and see what happens. That’s what I did.

Thankfully, about half way through the process, I had a vision and a plan developed.

I figured out that the high fire glazes that I love were NOT going to be bright enough and I followed the sage advice of Brad Hunt at Picasso’s Ceramics and used the Duncan Concepts range of underglazes which combines underglaze and glaze. This was a huge help in that it eliminates painting each piece with a clear glaze – 3 coats… on each little piece!

I also found that the Cesco line of Goldene Gold gave me just the glitzy look that I wanted.

Putting them together is always a challenge. But with a great installation crew (Ronnie, Darren, Lyndall, Morgan, Todd and Krista), it only took two days!

Numbering each piece before moving to the installation site is critical…you think you’ll remember what order they go in…but you won’t!

totems, Mt warning, australia, pottery — Totems on a tree stump with Mt. Warning in the background.

Some tips if you want to make totems:

Draw out your design
Make little connector pieces for each other piece (to fit) and make more than you think you need.
Stick with a colour scheme and plan it ahead of time.

All of this is great advice and easy to say AFTER I’ve finished, but a word to the wise…just sayin’.

Anyway, they looked great, everyone loved them and I’ve sold a bunch!

Siliceous Award 2016: Ceramic Arts Queensland

Exhibitions

Ceramic Arts Queensland’s opening for Siliceous Award 2016 and the Members Exhibition was a huge success.

The event was hosted by Dianne Peach, Ted Secombe, and Emma MacGregor.

Ted Secombe, Guest Judge, and CAQ President, Lynette Larson, opened the event and announced the winners and finalist.

It was great to see the artists and their work.

Faces and artists seen at the Opening of Siliceous Award for Ceramic Excellence –

Some of the Siliceous Award Entries

Figurative Sculpture, Marian Williams, Embattled Earth Angel — Marian Williams

Here are some of the entries into the Ceramic Arts Queensland Members Exhibition:

Such a great exhibition and proud to be part of it! Well done all!

Go by Brisbane International Art Institute and have a look – better in person.

Pottery dreams to all!

Marian

Embattled Earth Angel

Creation Figurative Sculpture Sculpture

Embattled Earth Angel

Here is my latest figurative sculpture! She’s been a long time in the making and has met many obstacles along the way, but she made it and I love her.

The wonderful part about figurative sculpture is that I feel that I can make a “statement” and that the sculpture can “speak” – such a wonderful thing.

As I create a sculpture, I have an idea in my head of what I want her to be, but through the creation process, the clay and the sculpture will tell you who/what they want to say. This was especially true of this sculpture.

Embattled Earth Angel is composed of clay and metal. She has been twice fired, ultimately raku fired.

Embattled Earth Angel is making an environmental statement on the condition of our planet. She has been sent to protect Earth, but she finds herself besieged by enemies, both natural and human. In the war to save Earth, she is attacked relentlessly and reflects the damage – leaving her scarred and eroded. Although she faces many difficulties, she guards and protects with a majestic and regal manner, determinedly intent on averting further damage from mistreatment and neglect.

I’ve never aspired to be a production potter, each of my pieces are one-offs and works of art. However, sculpture has taken me to a different place in my ceramic work.

My sculpture fell apart several times during construction. I gave her a massive mastectomy and then reconstruction on three occasions. She blew up in the kiln and became even more interesting.

Here is a video that shows the process of her creation.