My ceramic piece "Abandoning the Origin" was accepted in the Bear Gallery last April, and though I was ecstatic about that, I also received the honor of being awarded Juror's Choice. Since it was such a personal piece, and took several weeks to put together, I couldn't have been happier at its reception! I just wanted to thank everyone for encouraging me to enter, and if you did not get to see it this time around, it will be back next April for my Thesis Show.
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Every early morning, when the dense fog lifted into the hilltops, my dad used to say, "That's the groundhogs makin' coffee." I have no idea what this means, nor does he, but it is a funny saying from Central Appalachia (passed down in my dad's family) that I want to immortalize. Utilizing sgraffitto, black slip, a few carving tools, cone 10 clay, and a lot of time, I hope to tell the story of a band of large groundhogs beginning their day- and unknowingly bringing beauty to the miniature mountains of Northern Kentucky and Southern Ohio. The image in the center will be glazed with a clear coat, while the exterior will remain ruggedly smooth and matte. The bowl will be featured in my 2017 thesis show- "Roots and Blooms".
(1) Cone 06 bisque pieces are glazed with at least 3 layers of 1+ Raku glaze(s) [Rainbow Peacock, Turquoise, Matte Brown, etc]. (2) Pieces are organized on fire brick (so that nothing hangs over the edges or touches one another), and kiln cover is placed gently over. (3) Propane is pumped through line and ignited. (4) Propane is adjusted if needed, as time passes for the temperature to increase. (5) 1,830 degrees is reached, and propane is turned off. (6) Kiln top is pulled quickly and carefully off. (7) Pieces are placed quickly in a firebox lined with newspaper. (8) The lid of the firebox is closed and the pieces are exposed to smoke, fire, and de-oxygen-ification. (9) When the box is cool enough to touch, and the pieces themselves stop making a "popping" noise, the pieces are removed from the box and put on a fire-resistant surface to finalize the cooling process. (10) Colors enter their final transformation after exposed to oxygen- and after cleaned with a nice, wet sponge! Some results below! Some beautiful results, and some... others! Fixing all the broken pieces, so they can hang on the wall in style.
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AuthorKristen Puckett Archives
August 2018
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