This is the official blog of ceramic artist & Hobby Potter Tammy Jo Schoppet. Here you'll find her continuing explorations in clay after her successfully completed project "365 Days of Clay Cups". For the love of clay...it's time to play!
Started a bisque kiln load last night spur of the moment! When for a "flashlight" jog in the field with the kids and "jogged" by my workshop. One thing led to another and the switch was flicked!!!
Cup #334 - This was a nice cup to make and even if the handle looks a little large for the cup (at least it does to me...) this one really feels comfortable to hold. That would be one of the bottomline needs of a cup right? How does it feel when using it ;)
Thank you so much for watching and really appreciate all the help I've been given through out the year...couldn't have gotten this far without it!
~ Tammy Jo
There is something about geometric shapes that float my boat! Trying to handbuild perfect forms can be difficult, but darn if I'm not going to do my best to make it work! Unless you are pouring something in a mold it takes a lot of ceramic skills to create perfect angles...the exact cut, the exact state of clay dryness, the exact amount of slip to connect them and the exact way to let them dry without cracking! I love angles, corners or even round dramatic shapes!
Hmmm...maybe it's time I started moving into making the types of things I'd like to use or have on MY shelf!
Thank you for watching! Hope you enjoy this cup!!!
Pretty good sized cup...larger than most of my others..had a little bit of a rough trim on this one...either clay was too hard or tool is too dull...both very acceptable "excuses"..LOL ;) . The handle was tricky because I let the cold of morning stop me from walking out to my workshop in my jammies to get the extruder/playdough clay toy...and (yes, I was making this handle in my jams ;)! This in house sudo pottery workshop is actually a pretty good deal..I can play anytime, morning or night!
Still loving working with with clay and as I upload this the house is quiet so I'm heading over to the wheel and throwing some more cups!
Can you believe it! I was amazed when I actually THREW 34 cups. Even though I've been doing this a whole year, I know there is more I can learn. If I'm completely honest with myself, this form leaves me a little flat. Don't get me wrong, it's still a nice, usable cup...it's just a "non" cup to me. Maybe it could have been trimmed more...if I had left more on the bottom I would have trimmed it differently I'm sure. What do you think?
Thanks for watchin' ...the countdown is happening!
~Tammy Jo
www.hobbypotter.com
This puts the cups through November 25th! OOPS...I just realized I didn't include the end photos for these cups...no worries, I send either post them in the next video or just share them on the next blog post!
Things are humming along and I must say it's real exciting as I approaching the end...but still feel there is so much to learn! I decided to try and chatter the last cup, which is a new thing for me...It didn't come out as strong as I'd like, but must say that even thought the markings were faint it's going to look pretty nice glazed!!! I'm sorry I didn't get the handles on that cup....it was my favorite!!!
Thank you so much for watching, I really feel like I know a lot of you (even though we've never met). Your encouragement and wisdom is so much appreciated!!!!
Have a great day!
Tammy Jo
Thankful to be caught up! Now it's time for some Thanksgiving preparations and family time. Wishing everyone (even those not in the US) a happy day of giving thanks and being thankful! From my family to yours have a wonderful holiday!!!
To see the information about what will be happening starting December you may want to visit my blog at http://hobbypotter.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html
PLEASE READ! Knocking out 5 videos in 1 and doing my best to get the video clips caught up! Now, for the scoop on what's up with the project.
In December I've decided to go back to publishing 1 to 2 Cup videos per day, with intro video clips about the final days of the 365 Days of Clay Cups series. I'm also going to finish up the "Fruits of the Spirit" cups (3 more left.) Even though I'll be publishing only one cup per day, I've decided to finish the throwing of the cups early and give more time and thought to the end glazing results with the goal of finishing everything...including glazing... by December 31! The only thing that can trip me up is the drying time of the cups I'm presently throwing, once they are bisque fired I know I'm home free!
The other main focus will be my Cup #365, I really want this cup to be special, to show what I've learned and how I've grown using the tips and techniques y'all have shared with me throughout the year. (How funny, I'm getting a little emotional just thinking about it).
So hopefully for the diehards that have been with me on this since day 1, thank you SO much it's not much longer and for those just finding this project, know that we are wrapping up the last 30ish days of an amazing adventure you can go back to and watch whenever you like!
Thanks so much and buckle up for the final stretch of the ride!
Tammy Jo
Here's the clip of the art festival. Silly me didn't get a good video of my own space so I put a photo I took of it the 1st day! The second day I wanted to fill the empty space and brought my laptop to run some pottery clips. SO much fun! My family had a great time too which means the world to me!
Sold some things, but the greater fun was walking around and visiting/seeing other potters work. I really got such a thrill out of it since these types of experiences are few and far between in my neck of the woods!
After talking to most of the potters at the show, a majority do gas fire (not electric) and fire to cone 10. Learned about some new clays I'd like to try, one in particular from IMCO and got even more inspired (if you can believe that!). Just some really great conversations!
Here is the slide show of the most recent kiln opening. I've updated the before and after videos on my HobbyPotter.com website if you'd like to see them as well :)
Cups all packed up, starting to feel like I'm catching up!
Pretty long intro on this video (lots of Tammy Jo rambling..lol) and some cup clips were corrupted so not complete beginning to end footage. Working on getting caught up to date clips!
Special lovin' for cup #307. The form was really pleasing to me and something I'd like a set of :)
#308 is the beginning of my scramble to work both the cups project and get other things accomplished such as the art show, kids programs, winter formals...and the list goes on! . I'm just running out of time for everything and in this project...handles are time! The next few cups you'll see will be handle-less, because I decided to take some of the time pressure off myself (as my husband said, "It's your project, you can do what you want"....I sure love that man..lol! . I do need a focus so I'm going to be working on "form" and spice things up with glaze later ;)
Thanks for watching and can't believe how close it's getting to the end!!!
~ Tammy Jo
I don't know what it is about leatherhard clay that makes me want to testing and take it too it's limit. This cup had a ding or two in it when I took it off the wheel and couldn't help giving it dimples...just really fun to alter or change something when the clay is just right :D
Thanks for watching and hope you are still enjoying the videos!
This video is taken in the new pottery wheel location...nice and warm inside my house (and a quick chat with daughter about her class)! Since they haven't yet gutted our sun room, I thought it'd be okay to work warm in the house:) Funny how when even using the same tools and equipment, a new location can change how one throws ;) Still need to get comfortable!
NOTE: In the video I was trying to remember potter HsuinChen and was going to say how much his cups inspire me...the handles especially http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZSTxUNoy_o&list=FLjYHrrxS4qggMSNeBynLChA&...
The cup itself turned out well, but need to mention that this recent bag of clay has some serious bubbles. Even with much wedging there were random tiny bubbles in it. I was "chasing" down a nice little bubble while pulling out and went too deep to trim a decent foot on the cup. Turns out it looks just fine without one (in my opinion ;)
Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy :)
Tammy Jo http://www.hobbypotter.com
Here is my most recent cup clip and some updates of what's going on in my worlds!
- Art Festival ...I've been getting ready for my first time showing potter at the San Joaquin Potters Guild Fine Art Festival coming up November 18th & 19th. Just a little nervous and a little excited at the same time. I'm going to be doing a trial run set up at my home tomorrow so when I get there I can know how it should work. Organizing an attractive display with the little bit of wares I have is going to be a challenge. I wish I could just set up what I have of the 365 Day Cups...(that's a lot of clay), but I need to keep them all until 2012.
- "What are you going to do with the cups after the project?" I get asked this question alot :D!
In a nutshell I'll be donating some, selling some, gifting some and keeping some. I'm working on putting together a little book of ALL the cups and my year long journey (for posterity sake) then I will show the cups in an exhibition at Chartruese Muse Art Gallery in Modesto, CA in June of 2012 :)
I had someone contact me to ask if they could purchase one of the project cups. He didn't seem to mind waiting until they would be up for sale in June of 2012! I decided to start a call back list of those who would like to purchase cups so I can put specific cups on hold.
If you are interested in purchasing a cup...and don't mind waiting...please let me know which cup(s) you would like and I'll be happy to contact you when the are ready for sale.
- 57 Days Left... It's so difficult to believe I've been doing this project for 308 Days...I can hardly believe it! So many different growth moments in this year I'll sum up.
This project went from just needing to understand the best way to throw a cup, to slowly morphing into perfecting specific preferred skills, to making cups that meant something to me. It has been growth every day, every step of the way.
I'm still loving the process and hope the last 57 Days will show growth and inspiration.
Thanks to those who are following along and hope that this novice potter has been showing you that you can learn to do well with even small bites at a time. 1 cup representing every day of a year. Baby steps :)
~ Tammy Jo!
Wooo, hooo 300 Cups! More than I could really fathom doing at the beginning! Only 64 more cups to go in the project and time seems to really be flying by. The bottoms of the cups were a little too dry and I learned from a video by John Britt to squirt the bottoms and let it absorb to soften them up enough to trim!
Hope you enjoy :D
