Brown Bag Session 5/21/13

The featured DVD today will be the second part of "Layers of Color: Exploring Form and Surface Pattern in Slip-Cast Pottery” with Andrew Gilliat.
Join us.

Brown Bag Session - Tues. 5/14

The featured DVD for Tues., 5/14 will be:

  Layers of Color: Exploring Form and Surface Pattern in Slip-Cast Pottery” with Andrew Gilliat. Join us.

Jeff Stickle - RAL Potter

Jeff uses commercial glazes for the most part to create visually beautiful surfaces and often uses sprigs for texture.

Cobalt Blue Bowl with Celtic Knots

Small Green Slide Vase with Nautilus Shells

Cobalt - Shino Bottle Vase

 Check with Jeff for his glaze resources.

Saturday Open Studio?

 As aresult in the increased use of the Open Studio by RAL potters, at the last Pottery Studio monitors meeting, extending the Open Studio hours was discussed. We are attempting to find out how much interest  there is in this extension to Saturday hours on the part of the RAL potters. The two questions are:

   1. Are you in favor of this proposal?
   2. If so, how often do you think you would participate on Saturdays?

Please let us know your response by contacting one of the monitors with your input.

Brown Bag Session - Tues. 5/7/13

The featured DVD for this week's Brown Bag will be the final hour of Frank Giorgini's tile making  DVD in which he will demonstrate construction and installation.

Tools and Tips - Bill's new trimming tool

 An old and good friend of the RAL Pottery Studio, Bill van Gilder, has a new tool for sale. I've been using it for a month, and it's a good one.

As you can see, it comes with several interchangeable trimming heads, all of which are useful for certain trimming tasks. My favorites so far at the two you see on the tool.

 To see the tool in use,  check Bill's youtube demo for trimming plates at:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QObxgnXvTZQ

 The tool is available as a set or as a handle with the various head options at Bill's website:

http://vangilde.ipower.com/gallerystore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=38&zenid=5ded597eef73050d0d831ddb49a999c3

Tools and Tips - The pressurized pot soaker

Ever let a set of cups or a bowl get too dry to trim and dipping just won't get it right?  Here's a tool to help you out of this problem.

The Garden Sprayer

This handy little tool uses a plunger to pressurize the liquid and will deliver a fine, controllable mist or spray that will evenly re-wet your pieces and make them suitable for trimming. I set up my cups or bowl on a piece of plastic, spray, then enclose them. I allow them to sit for a day or overnight and they are ready for trimming.

The Garden Sprayer is available at Lowe's for about$7.50. (Great for starting seedlings too!)

Have any favorite tips or tools? Send them along to share.