I was looking for an email from Peggy Reichard, one of my former teachers in the now defunct "adult education" art classes at Gallaudet. (These may no longer be defunct, just called something else.) In her last email, she gave me directions to the Torpedo Art Factory's Scope Gallery where her coop sells its creations.
That email also included a wonderful video of Peggy working with clay. It was taken by Ken Kurlychek's wife, Amy Flannery. Ken is another former Gallaudet coworker.
Anyway, Peggy specializes in hand-building ceramics, and this is a good example of the inventive, free-spirited work she encourages--and does herself. It opens with some shots of Peggy's finished work, then it goes to Peggy demonstrating how she does this kind of thing.
Fascinating video! She makes her pottery-making look so easy to create -- as true professionals do. Really like her work.
ReplyDeleteMy SIL works in fiber on the Big Island, but has done some small pottery. Recall an artist friend who spends only part of year there (as numerous other artists do) brought some of her work over to use the small kiln. Some of her pots cracked in the process which I found distressing, but she seemed non-plussed, that this was just a sometimes expected part of the process.
Joared: What I love about Peggy is that you just can't make a MISTAKE in her class. Everything is useful--and beautiful! I hope to find a video of her fabulous Vietnam pieces--ceramic boats plus photographs printed on silk banners--all done by her.
ReplyDeleteThe more she talks about making her own clothes, the more I'm tempted to do the same.
Hmm....I found a photo from one of the exhibits from this Vietnam work. I'll email it to you. Or maybe give it its own XE post! It's just one photo, but you'll get the idea. How she learned to print photos on silk banners is beyond me, but she did it.
DeleteWhat a pleasure to watch. Peggy's work is so beautiful and unusual.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed the video. Thank you :)
Diana: thanks for stopping by. hope your project is going forth!
ReplyDeleteI watched this video all the way through, unfortunately without sound as my computer's sound is broken, but what a marvellous concept. I really like her work. And I would love to have a go at making something like that!
ReplyDeletemeanwhile.... back to the sewing machine.
Shammy: She doesn't talk a lot--just about how she makes thrown bowls into boat shapes, which she loves.
ReplyDeleteAnd how she makes her own "slip" (what ceramic artists use to stick two pieces together) out of the same clay she's using plus water and cellulose fiber (the "blown" kind of insulation) from the hardware store (you can see her gesture "big bag" for this). She says you can use this same cellulose to make paper clay, too, but she doesn't get into that.
When she joins the edges, she scores them with a fork and then brushes on the homemade slip to help stick the edges together.
She also talks about the bottom of the various bowls. Some have a foot that she creates when she throws the bowl on the wheel, and others just have ridges that she carves on the bottom.
When cutting the pieces off the bowl, she uses homemade templates (the pieces of newspaper cut in various sizes and shapes). She uses the same template for each side so the pieces will be even. She cuts one, then measures how far down from the rim it goes. She makes the other cut at the same depth so they match.
She makes her own wooden mold for the extruder thing by drilling the shamrock shape herself with a hand drill. The extruder (on the wall with the big handle--she says something about not poking her eye out with the handle) is lots of fun. I once made a three-container vase with the extruder, but it got broken when i moved the last time. Still have all the pieces.
What else? At the end, she says "thanks for watching. I hope you'll enjoy making your own"...something like that.
Very simple and wonderful--just like her art.
Thanks for the translation. Most of what she says is well illustrated by her actions. I think her pots are superduper.
ReplyDeleteThey are!
ReplyDelete