In The Studio

Plaster, plaster, and some more plaster!!! 

I have been carving away at the prototypes for my new tableware line.  My hands are dry and cracking, my nails are worn down, but I think it is worth it.  I just finished making the plaster models of my dinner plate and small plate.  They both have organic pebble like shapes with subtle curves.  It's exciting to see my ideas come to life!

In The Studio

These are some snapshots from my studio today.

Currently I am working on a tableware set.  I have decided on the general shapes and I am now in the process of carving the actual models out of plaster.  Today I started working on a really small piece.  I had forgotten how tiring carving plaster can be.  I have achy wrists!   I need to do some wrist stretches.

Finishing The Bowl

...I continued carving the plaster. Once I achieved the shape that I had envisioned, I began to prep it for mold making. First, I applied three layers of a mixture of shellac and denatured alcohol. Secondly, I found the center line where the mold would come apart. Then finally, I built a clay wall up to this center line. After these steps I poured the plaster in two stages and created my beautiful mold!

After waiting a few days for the plaster mold to dry, I cast a bowl from it. Unfortunately, I was unhappy with the shape and volume of the resulting bowl. It lacked the flowing curves and delicate edges I was hoping to achieve.

It is now time to go back to the drawing board!

Beginning of a New Bowl

I have just begun working on a new line of slipcast forms. I thought it would be fun to document my design process from beginning to end. Above are images of where I have gotten so far.

First, I begin by sketching out my ideas. I make drawings on paper, as well as construct small clay models. When I have a general idea of the shape that I want, I pour a block of plaster. I make sure that this block has equivalent volume to the vessel that I have in mind . Once the plaster has set, I begin to carve it down. This part of the process always takes a long time. It is very labor intensive, but it is also the most exciting. Although I have a general idea of the bowl that I want to create, I allow myself the freedom to work from instinct. The outcome is always a bit of a surprise.

Stay tuned to see the final vessel...