Shopping small day 3: for artists

My local art store (Utrecht) has changed its name to Dick Blick art supplies, but shopping there still feels a bit more intimate than a big crafting store in the suburbs. I look at the Aquarelle Arches paper, and my heart skips a beat (no, I don’t need more. It’s worse than my inability to leave sock yarn in a store.). But grown up artists and dilettantes (and young artists in preschool) all need:

• Sable brushes are nice and these look luxurious for watercolor work (the set I want is out of stock, Santa).
• I don’t think I’ve ever used badger brushes for any of my oil painting. But synthetic bristle brushes are sturdy, and offer flexibility for young students who are just starting to choose either oil or acrylic (set of 3 brushes). Round the set off with a stack of disposable paper palettes, a palette knife, and you’re done.
• Drawing and sketching pencils, colored pencils, sharpeners in funny shapes. Consider jumbo crayons that are easy to grip for young artists (great stocking stuffers).

Other local art stores and craft stores: Artist and Craftsman. Love them. I’ve been to their Philadelphia branch and their Baltimore one. Service at both was excellent, and the ones in Baltimore were able to explain which things I could get as a gift for a young person who wanted to try cartooning. Shopping for people who do pottery can include lovely time poking around at: Clayworks Supplies (three locations or online), or at Dick Blick — shaping tools are helpful and welcome to potters and sculptors. Happy hunting!

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Dyed in the Wool

Dyed in the Wool, a photo by rjknits on Flickr.

Boo! This is artwork more appropriate for Halloween than my hallway. I’ll have a more pleasant picture tomorrow of library stacks.Via Flickr:Art ceramic using polycrylic paint, found wood, and altered nails. By Staton Davis

Sometimes a simple interior reveals much more

I hate to admit it, but I thought the interior might be a bit boring. But the inside of plain red slip took the “shine” very well, and then the black stain ended up making the interior more mysterious. The result is something that looks ageless, and sections seem to swallow the light and others reflect. I now wonder what other simple things I’ve overlooked, not noticing the emotional feel of the play of light.

Sometimes the outside of a piece of pottery is complicated

Red clay pottery, made with a hump mold (egg half), with patterns from a pine stamp on the outside, and stripes of white, yellow, red, and a blue slip. The white and the red slip shine up the best. Then it was pit fired. Like people, sometimes pieces of work you create end up looking all flash on the outside. (I’ll show the inside tomorrow.)

Treasures soaking in vinegar

After the pit fire, the pots were washed under water to get a bit of the ash off them. Then, they went for a 24 hour dunk in vinegar. Here they are, treasures in vinegar:

Firing using the box kiln

This actually was quite exciting. Hopefully there will be a nice day for photos, so I can show the results.

Clay tile carving

Clay tile carving, a photo by rjknits on Flickr.

Air-dried clay tile with a carving of a stylized jellyfish. This is part of my terra sig work. It’s currently in the electric kiln to be bisqued. I did put blue sig on it before it went to bisque. Later on in the week it goes to the pit firing, and we’ll see if the blue sig stays on.