Thursday, January 9, 2014

Coming Up

I'm focusing more on my new job as Editor of The Studio Potter journal.  Posts about my studio practice may appear in between publishing journal issues.  
Coming up:


Flow: The 2014 NCECA Ceramic Arts Invitational
Curators: Mel Buchanan, Linda Ganstrom
Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee, Wisconsin




2014 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale: Ceramics NOW: Design & Digital Materiality
Curator: Wendy Gers
New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum
New Taipei City, Taiwan




Monday, July 1, 2013

Small Japanese Kiln, The Sequel


In February of 2011, I wrote a blog post about a kind of small Japanese-style kiln built and fired by 柯有政, Ko Yu-Cheng (a.k.a Ah-Pao) at WuXing Creative Design Studio in Taiwan.  Fast forward to a couple weeks ago . . . I received and inquiry via e-mail from one of my readers asking for more details about this kind of kiln.  It was my hope that sometime during my stay in Taiwan, I'd be able to have some hands-on experience with building one of these little gems.  Alas, life got in the way including lots of other ceramics projects, so this little fire monster's realization for me is perpetually TBD.  HOWEVER,  prompted by this curious fellow ceramist, I got some more details today about the kiln's construction and where interested parties can do even more research!


1) Clay.  The kiln pictured at left is held together by wire, because this kiln was made from an unsatisfactory clay body that couldn't withstand the heating and cooling of the kiln.  Ah-Pao did some research on the clay body settling on a body made with fireclay, at 60% clay, 20% coarse grog, 20% fine grog(pictured right). The kiln is cured(fired) at 800 degrees Celsius prior to its first use as an actual kiln.    2) Wall thickness: walls of the kiln are 3-4 cm in width when constructed (wet clay).  3) The book: ISBN 4-575-29122-6 (pictured below) has a thorough, step-by-step explanation about how to build this kind of kiln and several other designs of small kilns including a baby noborigama-style kiln!  (Sorry, it's all in Japanese.)  


Friday, April 12, 2013

ARAC Spring 2013 Resident Program Catalog



Our spirited, familial Spring 2013 Resident Artist group at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, CO, worked fervently for a week to produce this catalog of our experience and get it published and at the Ranch before the Open House on April 9th.  I contributed as Copy Editor and as the author of a poem to give an intimate perspecive the unique and transformational experience that is the ARAC residency program. I was asked to contribute about three-hundred words as a reflection . . . so, here it is, exactly three-hundred words:



“300”  a poem by Elenor Wilson

Studios, openings, happenings, lectures, questions, answers, conversations, dancing, music, drink, winebeerwhiskeyvodkatequila, younameitwedrankit, steak . . . purple cauliflower? Étouffée, coooooooofffffffeeeeeeeee, JollyRancher, THE Ranch, branch, investigation, color, material, means, ends, beginnings, wonders, wanders . . . Ski! Ride! Aspen, altitude, alpenglow, Snowmass, Carbondale, Basalt, Glenwood Springs, everywhere in between, upvalleydownvalley, Roaring Fork, spoon, spaces, faces, Facebook, post, poster, Twitter, teamwork, work, artwork, art? Make, makers, Jamaica, history, learn, teach, challenge, tired, sleep, dreams, Twin Peaks, mountains, meadows . . . Harvey. Maroon Bells, SNOW, Bo, ball, baller, holla! Word. Good morning! Laugh . . . more . . . shows, exhibitions, gallery, gift, collector, donor, support, local, Treecours, engage, critique, energize, sophisticate, Karaoke, indulge, friends, fun, laughing . . . again, late night, layers, chairs, mud, clay, cast, form, shape, line, length-width-depth, time, image, video, avocado, banana, Montana, MONOTHON, power, animal, Chucho, costume, consume, weight gain? Workout, rec center, swimbikerunlifteliptical, HOT TUB, time machine, rub, sand, finish, fire, glaze, soda, kiln, print press, drip dry, drugs, buzz, high, thigh, body, figure, pixel, Photoshop, magic lasso, digital, digits, tongue twister, blister, pain, gain, hurt, heartache, horny, sexy, postcards, announcements! Glasses, dishes, duty, grants, writing, grantwriting, $, beauty, ugly, sublime, CAKE, sheepgoatsheavenhell, interviews, rejections, accept[ions], meet, meeting, coffee . . . did I already say that? Tea, ceremony, gravity, heavy, shipping, shopping, thrift store, buy more, art . . . I already said that. Wood, burn, fire pit, stump, hammer, nail, paint, pail, bucket, plexi-, perplexed, tag, like, timeline, tactile, visual, experience, emerging, sticky, jury, application, success, failure, stress, press, steam, bend, come, go go go, U-turn, understand(?), retrace, reinvent, community, quality, quantity, query, he said, she said, BS, raw, SAW, van, trip, Denver, performance, eyelashes . . . HUG ME, opportunity, translate, cobalt carbonate, melt, create, gather, together, here, now, love.



Please contact Anderson Ranch if you'd like to purchase this publication of the Spring 2013 Resident Artist Program - it is a record of an amazing group of great artists and their work! Also, Please visit their websites:


DepartmentNameArtist Website
CeramicsCaitlin Finleywww.caitlinfinley.com 
CeramicsAki Katayamawww.akikatayama.com
CeramicsMichael Lentiniwww.michaellentini.com
CeramicsElenor Wilsonwww.elenorwilson.com 
Painting/DrawingSarah Kurzwww.sarahkurz.com
Painting/DrawingEddie Villanuevawww.eddievillanueva.com
Photo/DigitalRachelle Beaudoinwww.rachellebeaudoin.com
Photo/DigitalDaniel Fonkenwww.danielfonken.com
PrintmakingHae Min Choiwww.choihaemin.com
PrintmakingClaire Typaldoswww.cetdesigns.com
SculptureOlivia Erlangerwww.oliviaerlanger.com
SculptureLlewelynn Fletcherwww.llfletcher.com
Wood/FurnitureJennifer Andersonwww.jenniferandersonstudio.com
Wood/FurnitureKevin Reiswigwww.kevinreiswig.com