Seattle pottery classes January-March 2010

My next 10 week session begins the week of January 4th, 2010.
Open Registration begins December 7th, 2009!
Visit bdpottery for details and up to date registration information and availability. Refresh the screen there if you can't see the updated classes.

Individual and semi-private lessons also available.

A Sampling of Students' pottery from Sept-Dec 2009

I managed to snap a sampling of students' work before they made off with it!
To encourage students to keep journals on their pottery making (easier to find your stuff as it moves through the firing system, focuses your learning, tracks your progress, helps in duplicating successes, etc) I've asked Claire (one of my students) to share one of her journal pages. Thanks Claire!

Seattle pottery classes January-March 2010

My next 10 week session begins the week of January 4th, 2010.
Open Registration begins TODAY, December 7th, 2009!
Visit bdpottery for details and up to date registration information and availability. Refresh the screen there if you can't see the updated classes.

Individual and semi-private lessons also available.

Holiday Pottery Sale!

In Seattle? Please join me this coming week, December 4th-6th (Fri-Sun) for my Winter Pottery Sale at my studio!

I’ll have a great selection available in stock and I’ll also be taking custom orders.
French butter keepers, ornaments, bells, candle luminaries, bowls of all sizes, mugs, tumblers and much more.

A selection of my work is also online at Etsy
Everything you see there is 10% off in person at my studio.

December 4th-6th
Friday through Sunday (please note: Husky Game on Saturday afternoon so plan accordingly!)
11am-4pm each day.
Or call for appointments 206.229.3311

Barbara Dunshee’s Home Studio
1060 26th Ave E.
Seattle, WA 98112
Google Map Link:


I look forward to welcoming you to the studio!
-Barbara

Ceramic Bells, stringing them up, by Barbara Dunshee

This video is the FINAL installment of my ceramic bell making lesson. It shows you one way of stringing the bells together. Hope this helps!

NOTES:
-I used 20lb test fishing line for stringing the clapper to the stop. Other strings will do, but you don't want them too stiff.
-I used thin copper wire as a threader for getting the soft ribbon through the holes in bell and stop.
-If the holes are too small for your ribbon, you can use string between the stop and the ribbon and tie the ribbon to the top of the bell (of course it can get a little trickier if the holes are too small for the ribbon to pass through).

How do the bells sound?

These are a few of the ceramic bells from my video lessons, in action! They're available for purchase at my Etsy shop.

The bells are done! Well, some of them

I'm now in the process of stringing the fired bells, photographing and listing.
I'll make a video on stringing once I get a better system going. I'm still trying to find a more efficient process to share. You don't want to watch me fumbling around.

Ceramic bell making video, Glazing and firing them, by Barbara Dunshee

Another segment of my ceramic bell making videos. "Part 5" was originally to be about stringing together the parts of the bells I'd made in previous videos. But after glazing and firing them I realized there needed to be a video about that glazing and firing, so this is the alternative "Part 5".

Part 1 through 4 can be found archived on this blog.
Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 all deal with creating the outer bell shape.

Part 4s making the clappers.

Ceramic bell making, Parts 4 of 5, clappers and stoppers, by Barbara Dunshee

These three short video snippets below are a continuation of my ceramic bell making lesson. Previously on this blog Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 all deal with creating the outer bell shape.
In Part 4a I'm demonstrating how great these bells sound when finished. 4b, I demonstrate the sound making "clapper" of the bell. 4c I make the clay bead that holds the clapper at the right level inside the bell. Part 5, next Tuesday, will be stringing all the fired pieces together.

Video 4a: Ringing some finished bells to show off their lovely sound.


Video 4b: forming the bell clapper


Video 4c: forming the bead that secures the string and wiring mechanisms.


Enjoy these two video snippets and stay tuned for the rest!

Ceramic bell handbuilding video, Part 2 of 5, Adding texture, by Barbara Dunshee

This video snippet is a continuation of my ceramic bell making lesson. In this "Part 2" I add texture before rolling into a cone. Next Tuesday I'll post the stretching and shaping video.
The outer bell shaping lesson can already be seen on this blog in my still photos bell lesson if you can't wait for the video bits!

Enjoy this one and stay tuned for the rest!

Ceramic bell shaping video, Part 3 fo 5, by Barbara Dunshee

Hi, it's Tuesday again so I get to share another piece of a video with you. This video is the continuation of the Part 1 and Part 2 (in which I make the cone shapes). In this one I stretch and shape the cone into the bell shape. Again, the whole lesson is visible as a still photos bell shaping lesson.

Enjoy this video and stay tuned for the rest!

Ceramic bell making video, Part 1 of 5, by Barbara Dunshee

Here's the VIDEO version of my ceramic bell hand building lesson. This video snippet is about building the cone shape only, prior to stretching into a bell shape.
Enjoy this one and stay tuned for the rest!

Ceramic bell handbuilding.

My first foray into a short lesson using still images in a blog setting. If something is confusing or you're dying to see more images of a particular step let me know. This lesson is only through the greenware (unfired) stage of the bell shape itself.

100 bells!

I do like the sound given by ceramic bells, so am creating some delicate ringers for the holiday season.

The bell I'm demonstrating below is without texture, but you can add texture right before cutting out the circle in step 1 or just before you roll it into a cone, just after step 7, though that will distort your dimensions.

The clay I'm using is Seattle Pottery Supply's cone 6 Porcelain called CKK6.

Step 1: Use a rolling pin to flatten approx 1/4 lb. blob of clay to 1/8" thick. I'm rolling onto porous and flexible canvas.

Step 2: Using a 4-1/2" lid as your template, cut out circle using a needle tool.

Step 3:

Fold circle in half, crease the seam, and gently tear in half. Store one of the halves under plastic while you work with just one at a time.

Step 4: With rolling pin, flatten about a 1/4" of the straight edge.

Step 5: Brush slip along one half of that top edge. I use a toothbrush to simultaneously roughen the edge for better grip.

Step 6: Form 1/2 circle into a cone shape, tucking the slipped edge underneath the other edge as it comes around.

Step 7: Gently pinch the overlapping edges together to close the circle

Step 8: Flatten the top point of your cone shape by squishing the point with your fingertip.

Step 9: Using balls of varying sizes (exact sizes not important, but you can see the sizes I use here) on sticks we're going to shape the bell. You can also keep the basic cone shape you have here and skip to step 13.

Step 10: insert smallest ball into cone, "swish" it around the inside to start to stretch the "shoulder" of the bell.

Step 11: Move onto the next bigger ball, insert and stretch to shape the belly of the bell.

Step 12: Move onto the last and biggest ball. This ball helps to finish off the "hem" of the bell's "skirt". I tuck the clay hem very gently around the midsection of the ball. I don't want to lock the ball into the clay.

Step 13: Using a needle tool, drill a hole in the flattened top of the bell. Don't make it too tiny as you'll need to thread a string through that hole when you go to add the clapper and ribbon handle (next lesson! stay tuned for that).

Step 14: Set it aside to dry until it's ready to fire.

Seattle pottery classes September-December 2009

My next 10 week session begins the week of Sept 28, 2009.
Open Registration RESUMES Thursday, August 27th, 2009!
Visit bdpottery for details and up to date registration information and availability.

Individual and semi-private lessons also available.

Sculpture at Annie's Art and Frame July 2009

My sculpture is on display at Annie's Art and Frame in Ballard, Seattle, through the end of July 2009. For a preview of my work on display there, step over to my other blog

Annie's Art and Frame

2212 NW Market Street

Seattle, WA 98107

http://anniesartandframe.blogspot.com/

Pottery Sale at my studio

Summer Pottery Sale 2009
Friday, July 24, Noon-6pm
Saturday & Sunday, July 25 & 26, 10-4pm
Visit my website for details!

Sept-Dec 2009 Pottery Classes

To my current students:
My next 10 week session begins the week of Sept 28, 2009. Open registration begins August 17th. Continuing students may reserve spots prior to that date. Check bdpottery for up to date registration information and availability.

Student work from May-July 2009 sesssion

Trying to get pictures as students pick up work. A sampling.

Sesil C.

Sioban

Nancy K.

Michelle H.

Chrissy W.

Austin

Erin S.

Lisa W.

Greg H.

Jenny K.

Janice L.

Karen D.

Vivian L.