A Long-time Wish

 

Many, many years ago (not sure of the date), the Metropolitan Museum of Art contracted my father-in-law (Wally Higgins) to create a mold for their unofficial museum mascot William the Egypyian faience hippo. Fast-forward to the early 1990's when I was working for Wally. The Met contacted Wally again to re-work the mold and create a master (mother) mold (used to create more working molds). Wally was semi-retired at the time and passed the project along to me. In the background of this OLD Polaroid photo is William and the old mold with the new mold. 

At the time, the reproductions were being made in NY by a studio. I always wished for a sample piece.

Fast forward yet again to this week. I FINALLY have my William! I have been checking the museum's on-line shop for a long time, waiting for him to be back in stock. Using a small amount of the money inherited from my father, I ordered him! 

There is a group on facebook that is wierd and wonderful secondhand finds, or something like that. Well, they have a thing of looking for house hippos. It stems from a Canadian tv commercial. William is now my House Hippo!  But, I wanted to slightly re-name him to reflect my history with him better.

When I was in college, my dad was one of the academic advisors for one of the fraternities. Dad's first name was William, with a second initial of "A". He mainly signed things with "W A Earl". The guys at the fraternity lovingly referred to him as "WA Baby". My father-in-law's first name was Wally.  My hippo will be known as WA Baby, as an homage to both my dad and my father-in-law.

So long Pops

A fond farewell to one of my favorite people on the face of this earth.  My father-in-law Wally Higgins passed away yesterday morning at the age of 92.

Pops was a big-hearted man who rarely was seen without a smile.  He went through so much in his life, more than I can emotionally relay at this time.

Godspeed, may your reunion with your family in heaven be a joyous one.  I will love you always.  Thank you for making me always feel like one of the family.

Moving right along...

I had a dry spell with creating yet again, but I am back in the groove.  Having an upcoming show can do that!

The molds filled with porcelain slip

I have been casting at least once a day, having to work around my work schedule at the store. 

The Large Mug waiting for the handle

Roly Sake Cups drying in the molds...

All scored and ready to attach!

I have also been taking LOTS and LOTS of pictures lately... most of the 4-500 are of jewelry class samples for work, but I have also been taking pictures of the changing season and other things that catch my eye...

One of the several clusters of mushrooms in the side yard

A Black-eyed Susan

The Red Japanese Maple

Looking past the Dogwood out into the side yard at the Pink Dogwood and the Crepe Myrtles

The Camellia on Wednesday morning

The same Camellia blossom on Thursday morning

The Camellia in the front yard

They're BAAAAAAACK

Autumn is definitely in the air, especially at night.  The day-time temps of 70's and 80's doesn't really feel autumnal though... 

The caterpillars are even slowing down, they aren't eating the parsley as fast this time... and there are only 2 of them.

I need to get back to trimming pottery, and helping clean to prepare for visitors.  My most favorite little sister is coming with her hubby & munchkin on Sunday and my most favorite oldest sister is coming in to visit also - all 4 of us girls will be together for a few days!

My mom is undergoing chemotherapy for a metastasis of her breast cancer (first diagnosed 11 years ago).  She discovered yesterday that her hair is starting to fall out.  So, in true Mom fashion, she made an appointment to get her hair cut SHORT this morning!  

I hope you all have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

Comparison #2

SUCCESS!

I cast the first of my Larger Mugs last night!  Being the first pour of a new mold, it was slow in releasing... so, I let it sit overnight (OK to do since there are no undercuts to hang-up during shrinkage)... 

When I woke up this morning (at 5:15!) I was not clear-headed enough to feel like I should be handling the mug... so, I waited patiently (ie - caught up on my blog reading) and opened it about 6:30 when I was feeling a bit more clear-headed and steady.

First pouring of Larger Mug!

I am soooooooooo pleased with the results!  The 2nd pouring is draining as I type and may be able to be released from the mold before I go into work this morning... if not, that's OK, it can wait until I get home this afternoon (not sure if I can wait that long though!) [** UPDATE - I was able to release it before 8 AM, and a THIRD one is draining right now!**]

As I was photographing the new mug, I noticed a dry mug in the background that it's handle broke, so, to compare the two at this stage is close to the final difference in size.  The amount of shrinkage in the drying is minimal, compared to the final firing.

The handle-less Original Mug (dry) with the Larger Mug (leather hard)

So... a side-by-side comparison... WOW... I am EXCITED!  Can you tell???

A top view... color is off... but it works...

This is 20 years in the works... the excitement I feel is hard to describe!  To actually see it in clay... that drives it home to me.  The wooden model was great, to see in 3-D finally, but in clay brings it to an altogether different level for me!

In my bog reading this morning, I concentrated on clay blogs... well, clay bead blogs... I have been trying to get some clay beads and pendants and buttons made, now that my clay muse has returned, and is in a productive mode... maybe I can get some of those done as well... WHILE filling the requests I have already on my list!  Starting tonight, I will add a status line at the top like my friend Kelley does, that way everyone will know where they stand.  Why not now, you ask... because I have clay to attend to, that's why!

Wishing you all a fabulous day filled with wonderful things...

And sending purrs to Kelley on the new addition to her family... can't wait to see pictures!

A little comparison...

Just to let you know the difference in sizing for the mugs...  My original mug, if I don't cast it too thick, holds 8 oz. per the dinnerware industry standards (to the rim).  The new mug is about 18% larger.  Why 18% you ask???  Well, because the porcelain shrinks so much (18%) I was asking a few people over the years how large they'd like the mug.  I showed them the mold for the original mug.  They liked the size it starts out as the finished size.  Wha-la!  That is how I decided to make the larger mug 18% larger.  How much it will hold is an unknown at the moment.  (I should be able to start casting them tonight after work!  YAY!!!)

Original side-by-side with Large...

And, a photo of my nephew DragonBen taken yesterday, his last day of summer vacation before starting 5th grade!

What a face!

The Larger Mug Mold is FINISHED!!!

Despite the heat and humidity, I persevered and finished the mold for the Large Mug...

Measured & marked carefully... secured model to the coddles.

First, There was a lot that went into making this mold... I have taken some step-by-step photos to walk you through it.

Making sure the coddles meet tightly...

Adding the last side with the model attached...

After I had the box made for the plaster to be cast in, it was time to pour the plaster....

The plaster was slowly added to the water and allowed to slake for a few minuted before mixing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gently mixing the plaster so as not to introduce any bubbles...

What happens when the plaster is mixed too long... it gets messy!

I don't know where to look in that storage unit for all of my formula sheets to know how much plaster to make... so it was trial and error.  My first pour (besides being too thick) was not enough, so I needed to make more to top it off.  This part of the mold was a waste mold part to help set up for the actual working mold parts.

It cleaned up pretty well!

 After pouring that, I needed to cut some keys (registration) into the waste mold so when the working mold is finished it will fit together properly every time.

The waste mold with keys all set up for the next pouring.

Again, I sealed the surfaces with release and set up the coddles once more...

The new mold part - looks fabulous!

And the pair of working mold parts - FINISHED!

I won't show you the pouring of the second working mold part, it looks pretty much the same...

Here is the completed mold with the model showing them off for us!  

The mold all strapped together and set to dry.

I made my mark!

What to do with left over plaster :~)

Now my mold is complete!  Yay!  I just have to finish the handle mold today (it dries faster) and I can start casting.  

Please, don't put any visions in your head of me doing a happy dance, it isn't a pretty sight!  Which is why I only do one when I am alone!

And, for those of you who know that you NEVER pour unused plaster down a sink without the proper settling tank, what do you do?  I just poured it out on the ground and picked it up after it cured and threw it away!

And, as a side note... today is my Dad's 79th birthday... HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

The Larger Mug

Some people started asking for this when I first started making my Ebonyware mugs... 20 years ago... the current mug sold so well, I procrastinated... then took a couple of years off from production, for a number of reasons... and now, do not have the equipment to make the turned models.  What to do?  Then, in talking with my brother Bill back in April, I discovered he has a lathe.  A-Ha!  Out comes the drawing I've had - FOREVER!  And he agreed to make me a wooden mug model.  YAY!!! Thanks for being such a wonderful and helpful big brother!

The beautiful turned wooden mug model - out of cherry!  Gorgeous as a piece of art in itself!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The model and my newly made plywood coddles to make the framework to pour the plaster into.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took some photos of them as they were drying after a coat of clear polyurethane was applied... light sanding in the morning and another coat...  Plaster should be able to be cast on Saturday!  If the sun stays out, I should have a dry mold to work with on Monday...  I can't wait!

Hopefully the new coddles and the mold in the imminent future will entice my muse to return from wherever she has been hiding.  I am taking all the extra time I would have been in pottery classes and just diving in!  Well... almost all... I did take a bit of time to feel disappointed, but I'm over it now... I guess my pottery related creative slump is officially OVER!

My first few large mugs are spoken for already (and YES - I will complete the wish lists of others at the same time), including the Cider Mug Sale at the Clemson Arts Center in September.

The process

I said I needed to take new photos of my Ebonyware. Well, I have some new photos (taken yesterday) of the process.

If I had been thinking about it sooner, I'd have photographed them full of the porcelain slip.

The photo shows the molds after they have been opened, but the porcelain is still drying a bit before handling to remove to dry.

Now there are still a lot of 'ceramic studios' out there that mold items and allow people to come in and do the trimming and decorating (for a fee of course) and take them home. This is the same concept except for the fact that they purchase their molds from 'Hobby Ceramic' mold companies. These molds were made by my ex and myself from models we designed and made ourselves. Nobody else has them but me. So, from an artists perspective, although I have not hand thrown or sculpted each individual piece, I am the designer and have had my hands on every single step of their formation. Even when my ex was making the models, I was there for consultation and assistance. He made some of the molds and I made others. And in the 17 or 18 years since beginning production, I have made 95% of the porcelain pieces myself. And in the last 14 years I have made 100% of it.

I know, I sound like I am defending myself, well, I am, sort-of. Some shows do not accept molded items. But they are referring to items from commercial molds, mine are not in that category.

Oh, if you go to the Celebrate Clayton web site, you can click on the 2008 Artist Award Winners and see a listing of the winners this year (including me!!!). Still no photos from this year's event there, and still none of my samples on the Washi Quilted card site. I'll keep you posted.

Porcelain Mugs

I still have not had the chance to get all my photos taken. This is another shot from my Sunday display last weekend at Celebrate Clayton.

Pictured here are my mugs. Right now they are the only size I have. They hold 8 ounces. They were designed with the tapered shape to have less surface area for the coffee/tea/cocoa to cool. They also were designed with a large enough handle for the comfort of even those with larger hands.

I am in the process of developing a larger mug for those who don't like going for refills all of the time.

I need to give credit where credit is due. I learned what I know about model and mold making from my ex-husband and his father. Their professional expertise was in industrial ceramics. They both did this for a living. My father-in-law (Wally Higgins) taught Industrial Ceramic Design at the NY State College of Ceramics at Alfred University for over 25 years. My ex (Verne Higgins) received his degree there and worked for companies such as Lenox, Pfaltzgraff, Syracuse China and Sherle Wagner. In 1989 we went to work for my father-in-law. I started out decorating pieces and soon moved into other areas. I learned on the job. I may not have made all of the models for the pieces I make, but I worked on their design. The plaster wheel was Verne's area, I got to do some, but he was so experienced, it was easier (and quicker) to let him turn most of the pieces. I made a larger percentage of the original molds. Now I make all of the molds myself and am working on making more models. I do not have an industrial wheel to work on, so I am making do with what I can put together.

But, that all being said, from the beginning, 95% + of the production was done solely by me. Now it is done 100% by me. I may ask for input from friends and family on glaze colors and applications or new shapes, but the work is all done by me.