Three weeks until Showcase

large oval platter w/ wavy lip 

Production is going full tilt with only three weeks left until Ceramic Showcase. I'm switching things up in the studio, moving back into animal and plants in addition to dots and stripes, and adding color to the black & white.

tray with scalloped edge

Despite that Portlandia episode (you know the one), I persist in putting birds on everything. 

Platter with green fish

I'll have to stop making pots soon and get my booth figured out, there are so many details to track when getting prepared for a show. I feel like I am starting from zero, it has really been years and years since I've done this.

This video of pendulum waves is mesmerizing.

Making templates for origami pots

 origami pot

I promised ages ago that I would show how my origami pots are made. To begin, you need to make a template. 

here are a few that I made 

 some useful items to begin

It's helpful to assemble a few basic tools as pictured above. I scrounge around for paper, on the stiffish side, to make the actual templates out of.  I have used manilla envelopes, file folders, cereal boxes, sketch pads, and such. 

Here is how to draw an oval:

Cut a length of string and tie it to form a loop. Place two push pins through the paper you intend to use.
Experiment with the placement of the pins and the length of the string loop to achieve the shape you like.

the string will stretch a bit, so go around a few times 

Using the string and the pins as shown above, draw an oval with a pencil.

 not an exact science

I'm guessing that there is some kind of formula out there to calculate dimensions, cross-referencing string length vs pin spacing, but I just go with trial and error until I am satisfied.

 cut it out

Pick a line to follow and cut out your oval. Mark the center using a ruler to measure, make a little 'x'.

fold it up

Experiment with folds, using the center to gauge distances to keep it symmetrical. On this one, I folded the long sides such that they meet in the middle and then folded the ends so that the sides would all be the same height.

 notches

Cut notches in the corners, one aligned with the side fold and one bisecting the corner. You don't need to remove the entire corner, that little extra bit of clay will help make the seam.

 tape it up

Lightly tape the corners to see how the finished shape will look. If you don't like it, make another one; you aren't really very committed yet.

it might look like this

 finished origami pot

I call this one a 'cradle' shape (for obvious reasons.)

 circle template

Another approach is to begin with a circle. I just traced around a bat that I had on hand, but you could use a compass or any other round thing. The rest of the process is the same as before: find the center, fold the sides, snip the corners.

tape it up to see what you have

I over-shot on the cuts as you can see, but it doesn't matter. Had I folded the template using the longer cuts, it would have higher sides and a smaller footprint. Experiment around to find the shape you like.

here you go

origami dish

I'll show the clay part of this process next time.

What to do when the bus doesn't come and you want to scream-> click

Come see what we make

tatami mat topped with pottery

We have pots all over the place, in the house and in the studio. I am pretty fond of the hand-built bowls pictured in the front there. They are generously proportioned, big enough for a whole meal. We call them monks' bowls.

And, we are having one more event at our place this weekend:

Jensen & Marineau Holiday Open Studio

Saturday, Dec. 15th, 10-5

22017 NW Beck Road Pdx 97231

*~*~*~*Please drop in to see what we make!*~*~*~*

I just unloaded a firing this morning and found a new favorite piece~

large oval platter

Or maybe it's this one~

scalloped tray

We had so much fun last weekend at our open studio; thanks to all of you who stopped by! I hope we will see some of you that we missed last Saturday.

large black & white mugs

We still have a good selection of mugs too. Come on over!

Coming up this month~

new hand-built work in black & white at the pop-up shop

Come visit us at this pop-up shop during the holiday season, open every day all month long. It's located in the heart of downtown Portland; so convenient, and we will be restocking weekly. It's looking very festive!

Details here:

 Also, just for one weekend; come and see us at the Skyline Artisans Guild show. There will be music, wine and food too.

And, of course, we will be inviting you to our studio for our annual open studio, Saturday, December 8th and Saturday, December 15th. Stay tuned for more details and be sure to sign up to be on the email list over here on the right----->>>>>

Someone doing good in the world.

newish

 floating bowls

Hand-built bowls, one cup capacity. I call them dumpling bowls; they remind me of cozy homey food.

dumpling bowl

 mini plate with beetle

Mini plates are about 5" wide and have a little rim to corral the contents.

oval platter full of smiles

This one is about 11" x 7", it's proving to be a useful and  popular size.

another mini plate

Lucy Kirk is so creative.

address numbers

my first address tiles

I got an order for some custom address tiles with carte blanche as to what I could make; wheeee..... 

wareboards with bisqued numbers and letters

I decided to make over-sized individual letters and numbers with deep texture. I put two counter-sunk holes in each tile for screws to mount them on the wooden fence that is their final destination.

glazed with my new favorite surface treatment

This glaze is nothing more than manganese, mixed with water to the thickness of whole milk, brushed on, fired to cone 6 in oxidation.

so much variation, matte black to bronzy-metallic

thick and chunky

don't you just want to take a bite? ^click on it

garlic drying in the sun

In other news, the garlic harvest is in.

trimming it up

I have the perfect basket to put them in too.

spice dishes in the garlic

My studio assistant got creative with some photos.

little dish of smiles

 cauliflower and bun dish

I am pretty proud of my cauliflower this year.

broccoli and mini plate

And of my broccoli too.

Have you seen the yelp reviews read by actors on YouTube? There are about six of them, go there and watch them all.

Freaking hilarious~

friends and fruit

 cantaloupe and raspberries in hand-built bowls

Summer is the time to gorge on fruit, we eat fruit all day long this time of year. 

...on french toast made from homemade challah, or in crepes, over scones with whipped cream, & out of hand.

 a friend brought a gift from Sweden, so charming

This is a cloth made from wood fibers, nice and thick for wiping down counters. Friends came to lunch...

 we ate russian cream with berries

 three kinds of lavender, origami bowl of cherries

The next day, other friends dropped by after visiting the Oregon Lavender Festival with more presents!

I like my Swedish rug and Swedish table and Swedish cloth with Oregon sunshine pouring in.

origami pots

cheerful eggs

How to distinguish hard-boiled eggs and, perhaps, to surprise refrigerator visitors.

log with mushroom

Spied on a hike, a single mushroom that looks like a magnolia blossom.

just like a flower, right?

but, clearly, a mushroom

The very next day it was completely collapsed.

origami pots waiting for decoration

I'm working on a new series of hand-built pots made by cutting and folding slabs of clay. I make them by cutting a slab into a circle, square, or rectangle, then making little slashes in the edge (three or four, depending on the shape I'm after) and then folding up the sides (+ score, slip, press, smooth). Do you want to see how? I'll document the whole process if anyone asks...

compost bucket for the chickens

Our compost bucket was looking especially pretty after a kitchen session making roasted sweet potatoes, kale chips, and watermelon.

I really liked The Hare With the Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal; here is a link to his netsuke collection, so wonderful, especially when you know a bit of their history.