Workshop

For those of you who has always asked "How I create my embroidered surfaces on clay?", I am teaching a workshop at Moshier Community Art Center. Registration now open Decorated Surfaces: Slips
In this one day workshop, I will demonstrate my slip decoration techniques used to create my detailed embroiderd work on clay. Demonstrations on enhancing the look of the ceramic surface will be covered, along with an inspiring slide show showing finished pieces and techniques used for surface decoration. Students will then make their own simple and effective tool to use to create elaborate slip decora tion on leatherhard tiles. All supplies provided. Please bring a lunch.

Here is a preview

Featured in the American Craft Council Magazine

I am thrilled to share this news with you. My story and work are featured in the "American Craft Council" magazine in the October issue.

I got a two page spread with lots of pictures accompanied with a well written article.

Now you can read where my design aesthetic comes from and feel free to share with your friends and family.

Browse my online store and get my signature pieces as part of your collection.

Another Bust Blouse Sculpture

In the month of May, I had posted about my new bust sculpture that I was working on. I did sell that one at the Edmonds show to a wonderful couple. Ever since then my mind has been buzzing with the possibility of making more designs, more elaborate patterns on them. And since the area is large, I get all the more area to decorate. hehehe... Here are some pictures of my latest sculpture. I love the red and honey gold combination on this one and like the way it stands out. Feel free to share and comment.

     

Your favorite Bowls

I introduced these bowls last year and have gotten a great response from customers. Handbuilt and slip decorated with different washes and color accents, each lands up being distinctive and unique. A very similar process goes for my mugs too. On doing shows last year, I noticed that there were some people who liked the intricate patterns, some liked more negative spaces in the pattern, some liked the color accents, some just preferred the wash etc. I just got super curious to get all this data and see what I would find.

That is when I decoded to get this data from my fans on facebook. I posted the following picture and asked everyone to vote for their favorite in each row. So, there were three votes from everyone, a favorite from the honey gold glaze, a favorite from the Soft Green Glaze and a favorite from the Blue glaze.

I had an overwhelming response. Approx 180 votes. It was great to get this input and I thank you all for voting. And here are the results. Pretty much even across the board, except for one of the blue bowls that got significantly low votes. And looking closely you can see that the bowls with the color accents and the wash combination and negative spaces did get more votes in each case. (HG3, S2, B1) Thank you all for your input. This gives me a good idea to what to send to galleries that carry my workas well. Do you agree with the favorites? Do you have your own favorite? Do tell.

     

Making a bust for the first time

As several of you reading my blog know that my work is very influenced by fabrics. I do tend to make something functional and have done my sculptural dancing divas too. Also did some shoes last year. This time I thought why not make a torso or bust featuring some beautiful indian prints just as they are meant to be on fabric. This is a larger scale of sculpture that I am used to but thoroughly enjoyed the process.

Here it is handbuilt and slip decorated with buttons. Had to dry it really slowly and went a little crazy supporting the insides and keeping the form.

And here it is all decorated with layers of underglazes which really enhance the texture and pattern. It is approximately 18"x 18" and goes up on the wall. I will be taking it to the summer shows and hope to make more pieces in this series.

It was a great experience to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. What have you wanted to create pushing your limits? Do share.

     

Slip Decoration Madness Video

As many of you know, Slip decoration is big part of my work. And my work is highly influenced by Indian fabrics colors and embroidery. At first instance people assume I am imprinting a piece of fabric on my clay and then make my forms.
That is not the case and the pieces get slip decorated individually making each one unique. I try to keep adding new patterns and designs and since each piece gets its own unique touch, each one lands up being one of a kind.
Here is a short video clip (speeded up, of course) showing a typical day in my studio. I wish I could decorate at that speed. I enjoy this part of the process, but have heard comments that it is just madness.
So call me crazy, but I LOVE it!
To see other pieces of my work slip decorated visit my website

Do you think this is Madness?

     

Decorative Butter Dishes

I have been making decorative butter dishes for a few years now and I am always thrilled to decorate them with unique patterns. Because of their time consuming nature, I usually made 12 at a time. This time I decided to challenge myself and make 30 of them. Most of these are for wholesale orders, so I have been a busy bee.

I made all different patterns and had to really scratch my head on these.

Few things I realized from making larger quantities at one time...

• You increase your efficiency. For example, you pick up one tool and do the same step on all the butter dishes. Rather than picking up and putting down 10 tools for each piece. This saves a lot of time.
• Develope quicker ways to do the same thing. I made a new tool which helps me score and slip. More on that in another post.
• And because I wanted different designs on all butter dishes, I came up with some really cool new patterns.
• And most of all your hand developes a memory, just like playing the piano which makes things go a lot faster and your work will continue to improve.

Do share your insights on what you have learnt working in your studio.
 

Happy New Year!

A very happy, properous and healthy New Year to all my blog readers!! Thanks for reading simce I haven't been writing many blog posts. I will try to keep up this year. Not a resolution, but will try to do it. :)
Got some great news yesterday, that my ceramic shoes and clutch bag were selected for Nordstrom's exhibition in Seattle downtown March 1st-31st 2012. So if you are at NCECA in Seattle, make sure to drop by the Nordstrom's display window. These are inspired by Indian footwear called "Mojari" or "Jutti". And I just had to make a clutch bag to match the pair. 

A BIG THANKS to my wife for letting me rip off her wedding shoes to figure out how to make these in clay.





The shoes were built from slabs and decorated with colored slips and underglazes. Check out the details below.

Potters Council 2012 Calendar

I am thrilled to learn that my platter has been accepted to be part of the Potters Council Calendar (Form and Function) Among 750 submissions it is great to be part of this calendar. Click on the link that says View Calendar Pages and check out the month of August!

So begin next year with one these calendars in your studio!

New techniques and New work

I am so excited about this new way I am decorating my work. Of course it is a lot more intricate and lot more time consuming and I wish I had warned myself what I was getting into. :)

I am liking the slip decoration in black and then filing in all the colors. I feel like a kid again, painting in my coloring book with my mom asking me to stay within the lines.

As you can see the designs are a lot more intricate and detailed. Very inspired from henna tattoos. I like the tightness of the designs and how I can give it multiple colors in the small tight spaces. Takes me forever to decorate these. I will probably use this technique on my larger high end pieces like my platters and dancing divas. See pictures of some finished work below.

I will have all the new work at the upcoming Edmonds Arts Festival (June 17th-19th)

Secret Santa..... Shhhhhh

This time of the year it is the time of gift giving. It sure is very thrilling to receive a gift... isn't it?
I see so many of my customers purchasing gifts for their loved ones these days from my shop and from other places. What fills my heart is that sometimes they are willing to spend that money for a gift someone rather than purchase something for themselves. It is the season for gift giving.

So I have decided to gift something to my customers too. All my customers shopping till the end of this year (Dec31st 2009) will recieve a Secret Santa number in their packages. On New Years Day (Jan 1st 2010), you will receive an email with instructions to redeem your gift. What is it? Well.... it is a secret. And the gifts are different... OK here is a hint, it ranges from a discount all the way to a free piece of my pottery. I have said enough. :)

Just hold on to your Seceret Santa number when you receive your packages and wait for my email on January 1st 2010.

On a different note, here are some pictures of my new Dancing Divas I have listed in my etsy shop.