Grunewald Guild Photos

Here are some photos of the breathtaking scenery and the buildings at the Guild. Enjoy!

Weaving In and Out

To go where no Gegel male has ever gone before, with complex machinery looming in front of me - the Fiber Arts building at the Guild. Forunately we had Liz and Erica to guide us through this new world of heddles, beaters, reeds, epi's, shuttles, beatings, sleyings, and throwings. And we made great stuff; Janai made two beautiful scarves, and I wove a red (very red) stole -- I learned that it's the most common color of the church year, so I'm all set (in hopes for the future) and two scarves. Our classmate from Trinity, Kate, wove a warm and lovely prayer shawl.

Any knitters, quilters, or weavers out there? If so, take a look at this closet and remember that you're not supposed to be envious!

Down at the Pot Shop -- Raku Finale

Here's the sum total of what came out of the smoldering trash cans when we were done with our raku firing. Lots of shiny cool stuff. Janai and Kate were more prolific than Brian .... In case you're wondering -- yes! you too can make snazzy-looking pots, plates, candleholders, and sculptures ...

Brian's stuff:

God-Gazing I (aka "You Want What?") and II (Thy Will Be Done). There will be a prize if you guess which is which.

Brian's Post Cards

Hot & Shiny on a Cold, Cold Day: First Raku Firing

How does a piece of clay turn into something potentially useful and possibly beautiful? Ask Janai, not me. First, successfully throw a pot on the wheel (again, ask Janai -- not me). Or sculpt something (that, you can ask me about). Then dry the successful output until bisque comes out. (see photo of kiln below.) Then coat the stuff with raku glazes (see photo showing the glazers, and the glazees on the hood of the Datsun, at right).

Then add about 1800 deg (that's between cone 07 and cone 06 for you kiln buffs) for a couple minutes, extract into a reducing fire (basically a smoldering paper and pine needle trash fire) for about five minutes or so, and then immerse in cold water. Apparently this must be done for J-termers when it's about 15 deg F. Voila -- new and shiny works of art emerge, as seen below.

Now, how about that? We've still got some more firings to do next week. More pix of the process are shown below -- note particulary the glowing kiln contents and the reducing fire.

Brian's Final Versions of Drawing/Painting Assignments

Assignment 3, final: Jesus' Baptism per Mark 1

Assignmet 3: Bulletin cover illustration based on Jesus' baptism, Mark 1, first attempt



Assignment 1, final: Gospel of Luke Symbol

Down & Dirty – Clay (Play) Creation Days

This week’s adventures are taking place in the Pot Shop under the tutelage of Scotty Dillman, master of the wheel, professor of raku, brewer of beer, keeper of sourdough, appreciator of the blues and Eric Clapton, and Osceola, IN native. He’s also very patient and affirming.
Little known fact: Raku firings yield an 80-85% success rate. (that means that if we do 50 pieces, 10 of them are going to fracture during firing). L (Scotty denies this).

Today’s raku haiku:

Making my clay pot -
reluctant clay, clumsy hands.
God must be patient ….

Our first work was sculpting with raku clay. We first did pinching; then coil; then slab. We all got to try our hand at using these techniques (see Janai and Kate at right); some of the pre-fired objects we made are shown in the photo.

Next came the trials, tribulations, and rewards (hopefully) of throwing clay pots on the wheel, which I had never, ever done before (but my classmates had …). The steps to throwing a clay pot on a wheel: Wedge; Center; Seat; Cone up; Thumb push; Locked hand center; Thumb open; Finger widen; Compress rim; Pull up; Cut loose. Center upside down. Trim. Engage in conversation with the clay and call for Scotty between each step.

Today we were introduced to candlestick holders. The thing that I’ve learned (at my level of experience, at least) is that you start something and see what it turns into. I understand that more experienced people start making something that they have in mind and then see how it comes out. I suppose I was able to do that with a candlestick holder today. Life is good. And I have a lot more respect for the Great Potter who is still working on me.

More pottery tomorrow; firing will be this weekend. All LSTC pyromaniacs are welcome to come enjoy the heat.

Legs of clay are scriptural, you know.